Q5. Balancing Doctrine with Unity

[Jeff@qlbc]

Baptism is an outward sign of what Jesus Christ has done on our behalf on the inside. It is what baptism represents that unites us not the way it is administered. When I view baptism that way I tend to be more accepting of the different methods churches use to administer this sacrament. If a person has made a profession of saving faith then who am I to quench the Spirit on the method of baptism?

[Old Jerry]

The sense that “one baptism” should unite us rather than divide us is we have all be been baptized in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We have not been baptized into a church. We can maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism by realizing that they too are baptizing in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Striving for unity won’t blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding it should help us to better understand what the Bible is saying. We can balance the two by knowing that we are all studying the same book.

[JoanG]

When we are baptized, we are brought into the family with God as our Father and Jesus as our brother. This is the principles of "Christianity". This alone should unite us to believe that we are all one. Jesus did not give specific details on how baptisms should be administered to those new to the faith. Each person has the right to practice the faith in ways that make sense to them. The bible gives us a lot of good examples but it does not hold us to the rigid laws that are used by the Pharasees did in the Old Testament. There should be no need for a balancing act on biblical understanding. Each person needs to follow what their soul tells them. For the Spirit will  help them to express the truth.

[WinstonY]

Q5. (Ephesians 4:5) In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? How can we maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism? Should striving for unity blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding? How do we balance the two?

 

Jerome in his epistle to the Ephesians writes "There is one baptism in the Spirit, in the water and the fire ."  Faith is the is the inward disposition of the heart. baptism is the outward sign , by which we are bound to the one Lord..  [The Interpreters Bible, Vol 10, 686] It is this unity with the Lord that we wish to emulate in our baptism whether we sprinkle or dip. Christians therefore should see baptism in the Lord as a unifying factor rather than a wedge to divide.  As the notes tell us "through baptism we are united to Christ."

 

The type of baptism is in a sense is just a technically. The bible does not tell us how we should be baptized but does tell us that we must believe in the Lord jesus and we will be saved!

 

Should striving for unity blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding? No, the Bible clearly teaches that we are to be united in Christ. Baptism is an outward sign of this unity. It is then a contradiction to be divided over baptism.  

 

we are balanced in Christ. Paul wrote " There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus"(Galatians 3:24)

[Neil]

Firstly the union we have in Christ is not of our making! Our union is His making achieved at the cross.
Baptism is not law! Baptism is Gospel! To quote Charles Wesley's great hymn, 'Tis mercy all'!
Baptism is not something you must do as a command in order to be saved....that's law. How can
it be if we're saved only by grace without works? Baptism is received.....we don't do it, we receive it!
"Be baptised" is not so much an imperative as an exhortation and invitation to be incorporated
into Christ, His death and resurrection. it as the seal of assurance that we are incorporated with Jesus in His death and resurrection. it is the seal of assurance to us that we are incorporated into His body, our
mark of identity. Therefore baptism is not something we do.....it's something that God  through the
Holy Spirit does to us. It's Gospel. 
 

[Siphoñ]

Jesus has taught that a person need to repent or be a born again.After who accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour who can now be baptised in the name of our Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. By doing that you identifies yourself with Christ death,burial and ressurection.

After that the Holy Spirit will teach what to do.

Should striving for unity blur our faithfulness to biblical understang.

No.The word  of God and the Holy Spirit are the one that are teaching us what to do.

How do we balance the two.

I don't think that we can balance the two,because the word of God says by grace we are saved.So it is only God who is able to change the person's mind.What we must keep on praying for them so that can renew their mind.