Take Two!

Let’s get back to our text and zoom in on the second part. We’ve already explained how (contrary to popular opinion) Paul's statement 'Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel' affirms that baptism saves. You have to read the context to understand why.

We also showed that 'Christ did not send me to baptize' does not contradict other Scriptures which say things like: ‘baptism now saves you’ (1 Peter 3:21) and ‘he who believes and is baptized will be saved’ (Mark 16:15). Here's part of the passage:

I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, that no man should say you were baptized in my name. Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel… (1 Corinthians 1:14-17; NASB)

Remember: The typical interpretation of this passage among Evangelicals is that since Paul’s mission was not to baptize people, but to preach the Gospel, that "baptism can’t possibly be necessary for salvation." Such a statement clearly contradicts the foundation of the doctrine of baptisms (Hebrews 6:2) which states that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins.

If it were merely an error to oppose the place of baptism in salvation, we’d graciously brush aside the debate, but it’s a heresy. To say that baptism does not save is a contradiction of a fundamental doctrine. We must get it right on baptisms, or we will mislead people concerning their greatest need, salvation from sin.

Glad I Didn’t

Back to the point of why Paul was glad he didn’t baptize many people in Corinth. Paul felt this way for the same reason Jesus avoided baptizing people. Why didn’t Jesus make it his habit to stand in the waters of the Jordan and dunk people?

L-o-v-e. Jesus didn’t baptize people in water for the sake of love.

Love is the great law. Love is unnegotiable. Love is indispensable. Love is the one law that sums up every other law, precept, and rule of the Scriptures.

Jesus commanded us to love one another. He was no hypocrite. So, you can be sure that Jesus’ decision to not involve himself in water baptism was a decision made in love. Everything he did, he did it with love.

Our Lord Christ refrained from baptizing people in water to prevent people from falling into temptation. This New Testament principle of brotherly love is summed up in the expression do not cause your brother to stumble (Romans 14:13-23; 1 Corinthians 8:9; 10:32). Jesus never put a stumbling block in the path of a brother or sister.

If Jesus had baptized people, wouldn’t those same people had been tempted to brag? They would have said “I was baptized by Jesus.” They would have tended to think they were better than other believers.

But Jesus didn’t want to tempt people to think that way. And he didn’t want to confuse them. Anyone baptized by the Lord Jesus Christ may have imagined that they had reached some goal, but being baptized physically by Jesus is no goal. Many people think that being baptized in the Jordan is a goal. That too is wrong.

The goal is to be baptized not by a person, nor in a place, but by the Holy Spirit! In fact, that’s the goal Jesus established for every human being during the time of his earthly ministry. He made it clear, not wanting people to miss it.

[Jesus said] Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5).

... the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases... So it is with everyone born of the Spirit (John 3:6-8).

... whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:14).

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, 'rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified (John 7:38-39).

Jesus proved that the goal was to be baptized by the Holy Spirit by giving us his own example. Wasn't he baptized in the Holy Spirit? And if he had to get the baptism of the Holy Spirit in order to serve God, don't you?

Preventing Quarrels

Jesus did not want to open a door to future quarrelling and neither did Paul. Paul’s crisis in Corinth proves that Christians were prone to quarreling over who baptized them. Even some people were saying I am of Christ, meaning that they were from Jesus’ ministry.

Like we said, it’s not that Jesus actually dipped people, but just as Solomon got the credit for building the Temple without lifting a stone, Jesus gets credit for baptizing without dipping a soul. He oversaw a baptizing ministry carried out by his Apostles.

Jesus led the Apostles’ ministry of baptism. With such leadership, any person directly involved in that ministry could rightly say I am of Christ. They were a fruit of his ministry. It’s like someone who goes to a congregation where a certain pastor is in charge, so they say that they’re part of a pastor’s denomination without knowing the pastor himself.

Either way, the bottom line is that we must avoid any baptism experience which makes the “star player” the person doing the baptizing—even if that person is Jesus! The people in Corinth who said I of Christ were people who got to meet Jesus in the flesh just like those who said I of Peter or I of Apollos knew Peter and Apollos personally and supported their ministries.

Who Was “Of Christ”?

It’s likely that many of those who said I of Christ were baptized under his watch, or were among those who saw him after the Resurrection and prior to his Ascension to Heaven. At least 500 people fit into that latter category, and Paul tells us in the same letter (1 Corinthians) that they were still alive!

…he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and… he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:4-6).

But what did getting baptized under Jesus’ earthly ministry ever do for anybody? It never brought about a new birth. The new birth, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, would come 50 days after Jesus’ death at Pentecost, and approximately 10 days after his ascension.

And, anyways, the important thing is knowing Jesus through the Spirit. To have known him in the flesh is a small thing compared to knowing him by means of the Holy Spirit. The apostles, who knew him face-to-face, renounced all pride in having known him that way, exchanging those experiences for the much greater privilege of knowing Christ through the Spirit.

… from now on we recognize no one by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know him in this way no longer (2 Corinthians 5:16; NASB).

Sectarianism vs. Unity

Water baptism is important, but people who make water baptism their boast easily fall into the sin of sectarianism. Galatians 5:20 puts on the list of the deeds of the flesh dissensions and factions—which is sectarianism or what today we call denominationalism.

Jesus didn’t want people to say that he had baptized them, and neither did Paul. Their reason was simple: They knew that only the baptism of the Holy Spirit saves a soul, and they wanted souls to be saved!

Think about it: Paul’s words Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel cannot mean that Jesus didn’t want Paul to baptize people. If that’s the interpretation, then the passage at hand should be read as a confession of disobedience since Paul names a family and two other people he baptized in Corinth: the household of Stephanas, Crispus, and Gaius.

And what of Paul’s baptisms of Lydia and her companions; the family of the Philippian jailer; and twelve disciples of John the Baptist? Are we to interpret these as demonstrations of Paul’s disobedience to Christ? Of course not.

One Body

Paul was glad that he hadn’t baptized any of the church members of Corinth ‘that… (with the word that, Paul introduces his reason) …no man should say you were baptized in my name.’ In other words, Paul didn’t want anyone to put their confidence in him. Paul preached One Lord, Jesus.

... there is but One Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live (1 Corinthians 8:6).

Paul wanted to prevent people from proclaiming themselves to be Paul’s followers because such a proclamation “I am of Paul” would produce division in God’s Church. Christians are united under One Lord, Jesus. Only to Jesus Christ do we owe our loyalty and devotion.

In addition, we are united in One Baptism in the One Spirit. These shared fealties make us one. Furthermore, we have been incorporated into One Body, the Church.

… by One Spirit we were all baptized into One Body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free persons, and all were made to drink One Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13; LEB).

Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. There is One Body, and One Spirit, just as you were called to one Hope when you were called; One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism… (Ephesians 4:3-5)

In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul was not attacking the place of baptism in salvation. Paul consistently demonstrated that he believed baptism in water must proceed baptism in the Spirit.

Not once did Paul show any lack of conviction about the place of water baptism in God’s plan of salvation. He simply wanted everyone to get the supreme baptism. He didn’t want anyone to become so satisfied with baptism in water that they might miss baptism in the Spirit, the One Baptism.

The Star Player

God designed baptism in water as a stepping stone, but it was becoming a stumbling block in Corinth, just like it has been for the millions of Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Presbyterians who have been baptized as infants. To them, we should say along with Paul: “I thank God that I baptized none of you except X and Y, that no man should say you were baptized in my name.”

And if they say anything like “My child was baptized by Father A, or by Bishop B,” we should gently correct them, and guide them towards a knowledge of the Baptism of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit must always be the star player in baptism.

The Spirit sprinkles our conscience with the blood of Jesus, establishes us in the New Covenant, and empowers us for new life! No human could ever do these things—not even Jesus (during his earthly ministry) pretended to do these things!

On the contrary. The Lord Jesus prepped his disciples for the baptism of the Spirit by repeating the words: ‘When the Spirit comes…’ (John 16:8, 13), building up their expectations. On one occasion he said:

Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the Gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5).

With these and many other words, Jesus was building a sense of expectancy in the hearts of the apostles. Their expectations were met on the day of Pentecost. From Pentecost, we can trace the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the Book of Acts with ease. The Spirit baptized all people who had repented, put their faith in God for resurrecting Jesus, and were baptized in water—which gave them a new life with power.

If Not You, Then Who?

So, when Paul declares that Jesus did not send him to baptize, is he raising the question of who Jesus did send to baptize? Yes, and the answer is: the Holy Spirit. Paul was not making the point that it was wrong for him to baptize. If Paul stated that it was wrong for him to baptize, then he incriminated himself many times over [having admitted to baptizing many people].

Paul baptized people, but this passage is not about how wrong he was in doing so. This passage is about preventing division. Corinthian church members were proud that they were baptized by Paul, Peter, and even Jesus—but they should have made their pride the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They were proud to follow Peter and Paul, but they should have been proud of following the Holy Spirit.

… all those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Romans 8:14; LEB).

… if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ (Romans 1:8).

John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).

When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15-17).

… we were all baptized by One Spirit so as to form one Body (1 Corinthians 12:13).

The One Baptism

Baptism in water is not enough to get you into the Kingdom of God. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the all-important One Baptism mentioned in Ephesians 4:4 and 1 Corinthians 12:13. Baptism in the Spirit must be the objective of anyone who has repented and believed in Jesus. Repentance, faith in God, water baptism, and baptism in the Spirit are the steps towards Eternal Life.

[Jesus said] Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5).

Until we get regenerated (born again) in the Holy Spirit, we can’t be content with just repentance, faith, and water baptism. We’re only saved when we get both the washing of regeneration (baptism in water) and the accompanying renewing of the Holy Spirit, that is—we must be born again of water and the Spirit if we will be saved!

He saved us… by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; NASB).