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If the `carnal ordinances and divers baptisms' commanded by the Lord
were finished for the believing Hebrew, how much more does the selfsame
argument in Colossians 2, teach that ordinances and ceremonies are finished
for the member of the Body of Christ? In Colossians 2 circumcision and
baptism are mentioned together. Can we teach that circumcision must be
interpreted spiritually as of something accomplished on our behalf by the
offering of Christ and at the same time interpret baptism literally, as of
some rite, equally as carnal as those commanded by God in the dispensation of
types and shadows? That is impossible. So far as circumcision is concerned,
the Scripture actually says that it was `without hands', and there may be
some who would reply that the baptism of Colossians 2:12, is not so defined
and therefore must still refer to baptism in water. This we must see
presently.
Before we take up this matter of baptism as defined in Colossians 2,
let us consider the alternative to water baptism. Some may be ready to
believe that the One Baptism of Ephesians 4 is the Baptism of the Spirit. In
one sense we must agree that this is so. First we observe in the structure
of the sevenfold unity that `One Baptism' is balanced by `One Spirit' which
is suggestive, and secondly the analogy of the faith demands that in the
realm of `all spiritual blessings' types and shadows will have no place. As
the early church left behind all the elaborate ritual of the law and had but
two ordinances to remember, so the Church of the perfect man, passes beyond
even these two, to find their spiritual equivalents in Christ Himself. With
all this we find ourselves in agreement and yet, if we teach that the `One
Baptism' of Ephesians 4 is `the Baptism of the Spirit' we shall in all
probability be understood to be using the phrase as Paul used it in 1
Corinthians 12:13:
`For by One Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free'.
Some one may say `And why not understand the One Baptism of Ephesians 4
in this way?' Our answer is that to do so breaks the first and greatest
commandment of the law of interpretation. We shall have failed rightly to
divide the word of truth. No amount of appeal to similar expressions such as
`One Spirit' or `One Body' can alter the fact that 1 Corinthians 12 deals
with a dispensation characterized by miraculous gifts, and that Ephesians 4
deals with a dispensation where such gifts are absent. The apostle makes it
clear in 1 Corinthians 12:1 that he is about to deal with `Spiritual gifts'.
In 1 Corinthians 12:8 -10 he enumerates nine different spiritual gifts, but
shows that however diverse they may be, they are all worked by that one and
selfsame Spirit. This diversity in unity is the great point of Paul's
argument and subsequent illustration. So in verse 12 he turns from the
diversity of gifts and the one and selfsame Spirit, to an illustration:
`For just as the body is one, and hath many members'.
The fact that he defines such members as `the eye', `the ear' and `the
nose' makes it clear that he is not contemplating the `Church which is His
Body' for of that Body `Christ is the Head' and the apostle would not mix his
metaphors and speak of the eye and the ear as members of this Body. Again,
the fact that he pursues the analogy of the human body so far as to speak of
`uncomely parts' and `less honourable members', makes it impossible that he
is speaking of that Body in which all members are equal.