One in Christ Jesus

KEY VERSE: “By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be … bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” —I Corinthians 12:13

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Philemon 1-3, 8-20

THE word baptism is generally used to describe water immersion. The word literally means to ‘make whelmed’ (Strong’s Concordance), to bury or immerse. When John the Baptist saw the outward signs of the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus following his water immersion he said, “This is he which baptizeth with the Holy Spirit.”—John 1:33

After his resurrection when Jesus appeared to his disciples just before his ascension, he said to them, “Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.” (Acts 1:5) This occurred on Pentecost and Peter testified that Jesus now being on the right hand of God “and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”—Acts 2:33

A similar demonstration later took place when Cornelius, a Gentile, was the first non-Jew to be accepted as a disciple of Christ. We read that on that occasion while Peter was preaching, “the Holy Spirit fell on all of them which heard the Word.” The Jewish believers present were astonished that the Holy Spirit should be poured out upon Gentiles.—Acts 11:16,17

This special demonstration was evidently designed to announce to all Gentile converts that they were not excluded any longer from being followers of Christ, and to share the blessings which formerly belonged only to Jews.

The Apostle Paul seems to have had this in mind when, in our text, he explains that by “one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”

In this chapter Paul likened the unity of the new creation to that of the human body. A literal body is united through its head, which controls and governs its every function. The body of Christ is also united through its head, our Lord Jesus. And as the Holy Spirit was poured out upon Jesus for a sign of his anointing, so every member of his body sharing in that anointing has the signs of its pouring out upon them in their lives.

In the Early Church what Paul refers to as the gifts of the Spirit were an evidence of being called into the fellowship of Christ. He said not all had the same gifts. “He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, after that miracles, gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” How reasonable and practical that the Holy Spirit did not come upon them simply as a miraculous demonstration of divine power, but rather, it first of all gave abilities to the apostles who in turn, through their teaching prepared other servants in various capacities. As the church expanded, the gifts of the Spirit supplied their needs with special miraculous abilities given to its members. For their association to be profitable they each one needed the help of the others’ gifts, and so were unified in their fellowship, both Jew and Gentile, bond and free, through the workings of one Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God.

The apostle hinted that this method of instruction would not be needed throughout the age, and pointed out that when the Bible was complete, and a good base of instruction was established through the apostles’ writings, these early helps would cease. “When that which is perfect [complete] will come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”—I Cor. 13:10

Paul was quick to point out, however, that the ending of the gifts of the Spirit would not mean that the unity of the church through the Holy Spirit would cease, but rather would continue on an even sounder basis. “Yet show I unto you a more excellent way” (vs. 31) of charity (love for one another), kindness, humility, mutual faith, hope and understanding, love of the truth, and care and concern for the upbuilding of each other.

Where these are the underlying principles of unity, the fruits of the Spirit flourish: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. These are the wonderful attributes that mutually unite us to our Head, and him to God. May the Holy Spirit of truth by which the whole body of Christ is baptized, continue to work in us for the accomplishment of eternal membership in God’s new creation.

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