"And he said unto them, Go ye into the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that beliveth not shall be damned." Mk 16: 15-16
"...baptism doth also now save us..." 1Pet. 3:21

From these scrptures, and others like them, we see that salvation will be given only to those who have been baptized! Let this unshakable biblical truth echo in the corridors of you spirit and mind. Without baptism, there is no hope of salvation. With that revelation, one is confronted with an obvious question: Is the baptism which we must receive a baptism with water or is it the baptism of the Holy Ghost?

The earliest church, being exclusively Jewish, practieced two baptisms. They baptized with John the baptist's baptism of water, telling those who humbled themselves to his divinely ordained baptism to expect to receive Jesus' baptism of the Spirit. They followed the pattern set by John, who told those whom he baptized, " I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire" Lk 3:16 These two baptisms, John's and Jesus', are the only two baptisms which God has ever ordained.
John Baptism
John baptism was not simply a baptism in water. Without John's message of a mighter one coming with a mightier baptism, water baptism is nothing more than a useless soaking. John's baptism always included an exhortation ot receive the holy Ghost baptism; his message and his baptism were two parts of one act. Twelve men in Ephesus thought they had received John's baptism, but because they had not heard about the holy Ghost, the aposlte Paul disagreed. He explained to hose misinformed disciples that " John verily baptized with the baptism of prpentance, SAYING..." Act 19:4. So we, with Paul, must conclude that even though they had been baptized with water, they had not really recevid John's baptism, for they had not been told to expect the holy Ghost baptism. John's message about the holy Ghost was as much a part of his baptism as was the water. Those twelve Ephisians had been taught by Apollos, a very learned and God fearing man, who himself knew nothing of the holy Ghost baptism. When two of Paul's Friends explained to Apollos "the way of God more perfectly", he exhibited a noble and godly attitude by humbling himself to the "more perfect way " of live in the Spirit Act 18:24-28. His first concern was not for his reputation as a great teacher of the scriptures; rather, his first concern was to do the will of God. What a great Example this Apollos was for us all!
Another overlooked truth concerning John's baptism was that it had to be earned. John was not a spiritual harlot, taking in anyone who waanted to join his cause. Receiving his baptism was an honor;it was not something that a person could receive simply by deciding that he wanted it. One had to repent of the evil he had done; he had to confess and turn from his evil ways. Only then would John baptisze him. When someunrepentat souls dared to come to John to be baptized, the man of God was harsh: O Generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath ot come? Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance....Lk 3:7-8; Mt3:7-8. However, when sincere souls asked what to do so that he would baptize them, " He answered and said unto them, 'he that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none. And he that hath meat, let him do likwise, Then came the pulbicans to be baptized and said unto him, Master, what sholl we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers like wise demanded of him, saying, and what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violencse to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages" Lk 3:7-14.
So, there was a price to be paid if one hoped to be baptized by John, not a price of money but a price of humility and faith. Long ago, Isaiah had spoken of this invisble currency of the heart when he proclaimed, " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat. Buy wine and milk without money and without price" Isa. 55:1. The blessings of the Lord are indeed Free; but no one receives them who does not pay his price.
The third truth concerning John's baptism which must be seen, if one would rightly understand baptism, is that no one but Jews were allowed to receive it. John, like Jesus, was sent only to the house of Israel. Concerning his commission from God, John said, when Jesus came to him at the Jordan River, " This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me', for he was before me. and I knew him not. But that he should be made manifest to Israel,therefore am I come baptizing with water" Jn. 1:30-31
These then are the three indispensable elements of John's baptism:
*It was for the Circumcised (Jews) only
*It was Given only to Jews who truly repented.
*It was given with a message of Jesus' baptism of the spirit which should follow.
If any one of these three elements is changed or missing, John's baptism is not being administered.

Onthe day of Pentecost, Peter appealed to a multitude of devout Jews to " Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost" Act 2:38
Like John Peter pleaded with his fellow Jews to repent and be baptized in water, and then to receive the baptizm of the holy Ghost. This was the doctrine which God gave to earliest church. Two baptism were practiced, and to do was right at that time.
The ONE baptism of Christ
Paul's gospel cut against the grain of two baptisms. God did not send him to baptize in water(1Cor. 1:17), and as for as salvation was concerned, Paul said there is "one Lord, one Faith, one baptism" Eph4:5. The only baptism which Paul practiced or preached was the baptism of the holy Ghost. He baptized in water a few Corinthian belivers, and he regretted that he had done so (1Cor. 1:14-16), for it gave rise to quarrels and made room for proud boasting concerning who was baptized by which man, whether by Pual, or Peter, or Apollos, ect.
Paul's gospel of libery from the works of trhe law is perhaps mor misunderstood now than when is was first preached. How many are still baptizing in water, and perfforming other dead ceremonial works, without knowing that by doing so they are denying the sufficincy of Christ! Isreal's symbolic ways of worship, including John's baptism, were needful, holy instruments of God in their time. They served their divinely ordained purpose by pointing to the Messiah. But Christ has come now, and by his sacrificial death made a " new and living way" for us to approach the father: the way of life in the holy spirit. If the baptism you preach is one which those without the Spirit can practice, it has no part in the kingdom of God. To worship God now in a way which was possible before the Spirit was givin is to worship God in Vain. Only what Jesus suffered and died to make possible is any longer acceptable with the Almighty.
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