05.04.2013 Views

The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

is occupied with baptisms, baptismal questions, <strong>and</strong> baptismal discourses.<br />

a. In verse 23, the word "water" occurs: "John was baptizing in<br />

AEnon, because there was much water there."<br />

b. It is not unworthy of notice, that immediately following the<br />

conversation of our blessed Lord with Nicodemus, come these words,<br />

"After these things came Jesus <strong>and</strong> his disciples unto the l<strong>and</strong> of Judea,<br />

<strong>and</strong> there he tarried with them <strong>and</strong> baptized."<br />

c. John's disciples <strong>and</strong> the Jews came to him <strong>and</strong> said: "Rabbi, he to<br />

whom thou bearest witness, behold the same baptizeth, <strong>and</strong> all men come<br />

to him." <strong>The</strong>n John replies: "Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I<br />

am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him." <strong>The</strong> authority for John's<br />

Baptism was secondary, derived from Christ. Christ now takes it into His<br />

own h<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> prepares to endow it with the fulness of the gifts of His<br />

Spirit.<br />

2. <strong>The</strong> Text.<br />

<strong>The</strong> context of these words demonstrates that by "water" our Saviour<br />

meant Baptism. <strong>The</strong> evidence of the text itself is equally decisive that this<br />

is his meaning. It is conceded by all, that if the word "water" be taken<br />

literally, it means "Baptism;" hence, all those who deny that it refers to<br />

Baptism underst<strong>and</strong> it figuratively, <strong>and</strong> in that fact acknowledge that to<br />

prove that it is to be taken literally, is to prove that it refers to Baptism.<br />

We remark, then,<br />

1. That to take the word "water" figuratively makes an incongruity<br />

with the idea of a birth. It is said that water here is the figure of the<br />

cleansing <strong>and</strong> purifying power of the Holy Spirit. But there is an<br />

incongruity in such an interpretation. Had the Saviour meant this, he<br />

would naturally have said: Except a man be cleansed, or washed with<br />

water, not "born of" it.<br />

2. One of the figurative interpretations is in conflict with the evident<br />

meaning of the word "Spirit" here. For it is clear from the whole<br />

connection, that the Spirit here means the Holy Spirit as a person. In the<br />

next verse it is said: "That which is born of the SPIRIT is Spirit," <strong>and</strong> in<br />

the 8th

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!