God gave circumcision to Abraham and his descendants as a sign of the promise God had given to Abraham. God told Abraham that anyone who did not submit to circumcision should be cut off from the family. There was never a link between this sign and eternal life or personal salvation.

Gen 17:14
14 "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." (NKJ)

When Moses was forced to flee from Egypt, he lived in the desert for 40 years. During that time, he married and had sons. It is interesting that Moses did not circumcise one of his sons until he was on the way back to Egypt to be reunited with the Jewish community (Exodus 4:24-26). As it was from the beginning, the sign of circumcision was associated with being accepted in Jewish society and was formally included as a requirement of the Old Covenant Law when it was given at Mt. Sinai.

When John the Baptist came preaching that the kingdom of heaven was hand, he was essentially introducing God’s offer of the New Covenant Kingdom. This New Covenant Kingdom was to be based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. The sign given in association with the New Covenant was water baptism, which, like circumcision, had nothing to do with eternal life or personal salvation. It was merely a sign which was required for association with the New Covenant community. Water baptism was practiced by John the Baptist as well as Jesus and His disciples. In Matthew 28, the Lord sent the disciples out to preach the message of the New Covenant Kingdom and to baptize those who believed.

The Apostle Paul practiced water baptism during the period of time covered by the book of Acts, but, even then, he said that God did not send him to baptize.

1 Cor 1:17
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel . . . (NKJ)

Therefore, Paul never operated under the same commission as the other apostles, and from the beginning of his ministry, he emphasized he did not receive his message from the other apostles.

Gal 1:11-12
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. (NKJ)

The book of Acts records Israel’s rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the New Covenant Kingdom. At some point after the events of Acts 28, Paul stopped preaching the New Covenant message except in the book of Hebrews where he apparently addressed the Jews of the tribulation period.

In Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, Paul revealed the Church which is the Body of Christ and the heavenly, spiritual character of the Church. The Church has only one baptism, and that is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Eph 4:4-5
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; (NKJ)

In Colossians, Paul made it clear that our spiritual baptism is an operation of God.

Col 2:12
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (KJV)

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

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