THE KI NG' S BUS I NES S rection to newness of life (Bom . 6 :5 -9 ), and a desire to seek things above (Col. 3 :1 ). We can readily see why Satan seeks to p erv ert it and supplant it by counterfeits, for it rem inds him of his defeat th rough Christ’s resurrection, and he knows th e Christian who lays hold of th is tru th passes beyond his power.— Sel. Man baptizes w ith w ater, God baptizes w ith th e Holy Ghost. Some say th e command to baptize refers to Spirit baptism b u t man cannot bap tize w ith th e Holy S p irit and he is com manded to baptize in Matt. 28:18-20.— Kauffman. The “ old m an” is dead and buried in th e w ater and he rises from his cleansing grave a new man. The full significance of th e rite would have been lo st had immersion no t been prac ticed.— Dods. It expresses symbolically a series of acts corresponding to the redeem ing acts of Christ: immersion death, submersion— burial, emergence __resu rrection .— Sanday. Baptism ex presses th e grave of th e old man and th e b irth of th e new. As he sinks beneath th e baptism al w aters th e be liever confesses th e bu rial of his cor ru p t affections and past sins. As he emerges thence, he rises quickened to new hopes and new life.— L ightfoot. The w ater to be p referred is living or. runn ing w ater—w ater in a stream or river or fresh flowing from a fountain, b u t if thou h ast no t living w ater, bap tize in other w ater and if thou canst no t in cold, then in warm.;—Didache (oldest known ecclesiastical m anual of discipline). It may be adm itted th a t immersion gives the more vivid picture of th e cleansing of th e soul from sin and th a t complete surrounding w ith w ater su its b etter th e m etaphor of bu rial in Romans 6:4 and Col. 2:12. Lindsay. Baptism is th e entrance by the gateway, of C h rist’s death into the domain of H is R ighteousness and resur- rection. life.— Mauro. In th e nam e of th e F a th e r, Son and Holy Spirit. If it seems strang e th a t Jésus should mention the th ree names
646 w ith almost perfect agreem ent as to th e meaning of th e word “ baptizo.” I t is not necessary to call for th e testi mony of B aptist scholars on th is sub ject. Our Lord Jesus attached g reat importance to th is m a tte r of Baptism , and therefo re those who are searching th e ir Bibles on o ther questions should be ju st as careful to know w h at the Bible teaches on th is question. Im portance of Baptism . There is no h in t th a t baptism is to be given up while th e making of disciples continues. The Son of God couples it w ith the preaching of salvation.— Sel. Those who accept Christ, accept all H is teach ings including baptism . W hile salva tion is offered upon faith alone, God recognizes ho faith which rejects His Word. — Kauffman. The directions which the/ Lord gave to H is disciples and which th e Spirit of God h as caused to be recorded in th e la st chapters of Matthew and Mark, were and are amply sufficient for th e proper carrying out of th e Lord’s parting command. Baptiz ing is p u t on th e same level w ith preaching th e Gospel and second only to it. I t is connected directly w ith be lieving th e Gospel as a condition of being saved.— Mauro; Subjects of Baptism . Who are fit subjects for baptism ? .They who be lieve and repent. Baptism m u st be preceded by faith and repentance.— Kauffman. No au th o rity whatever has been given» for baptizing others th an those who had become disciples of Christ. This is th e cause of much qf th e evil th a t has befallen th e church. -—Mauro. Significance of Baptism . Baptism is a picture of w hat h as already taken plane in th e h eart, no t the means by which th e sp iritu al change is w rought. It is a privilege and duty, no t a neces sity.— Robertson. Baptism shows in figure th e death and bu rial w ith Christ (Rom. 4 :4 ), separation from the world (Col. 2 :12 -20 ), th e end as a sinn er in th e flesh (Gal. 2 :2 0 ), confesses resur-
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