For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NASB)
There are three distinct baptisms in the New Testament: baptism into the body of Christ, baptism into water, and baptism in the Holy Spirit. Each baptism has a different baptizer, medium, mode, and purpose. The chart below shows this.
The baptism into the body of Christ is foundational to the others.
When a person is born again, the Spirit “immerses” him or her into Christ. We become one with Christ and part of his “body.” This oneness with Christ is the key to everything else.
We receive or share in his life, his right standing with God, his relationship with Abba Father, his inheritance, his power, his rule, and his glory. This baptism is done without our direct participation. It is done by the Spirit, without our even really knowing that it happened until afterward. As we study the Scriptures, we learn about it. We experience the result of this amazing baptism immediately. It is called the new birth. Through this baptism we become a new creation. This baptism seals us for redemption, marking us as belonging to God. The Bible verses outlining these claims are found in the chart.
Water baptism logically follows the baptism into the body of Christ. It is the outward expression of the inner reality of what happened in this first baptism. The baptism into the Holy Spirit is another matter altogether. It equips and empowers us to be part of Christ’s outreach army, spreading the gospel and making disciples. You can read about these other two baptisms elsewhere by clicking on the links above.
The baptism in the body of Christ comes through the sprinkling of Christ’s blood. Baptism in water is through immersion, and baptism in the Holy Spirit is an outpouring. Different Christian groups have adopted sprinkling and pouring as modes of water baptism, but this is a misapplication of Scripture. Only when there is not enough water to immerse should sprinkling or pouring be used for water baptism.
If you have never been born again (baptized into the body of Christ), water baptism has no meaning for you. We are saved by Christ’s blood, not by undergoing a ritual. However, when born again believers submit to water baptism, it is an act of obedience and a declaration of allegiance to Christ and has great meaning. A person who is baptized into the body of Christ by the Spirit has the Spirit living within him or her, but this is not the same thing as being baptized in the Spirit (or having the Spirit poured out on us). The Spirit is “in” us for our sake, but is poured out “upon” us for the sake of those who do not yet know Christ. The Spirit within imparts God’s life to us. The Spirit outpoured imparts Christ’s power to be his witness.
