Baptism
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Some understanding in this can be obtained by looking at the Great<br />
Commission.<br />
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Matthew 28:19-20<br />
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name<br />
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe<br />
all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to<br />
the end of the age. Amen<br />
Mark 16:15-16<br />
" 5 And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the<br />
whole creation. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who<br />
does not believe will be condemned.<br />
As I have mentioned earlier these two verses refers to the same event and<br />
same command as reported by two evangelists. One should image that both<br />
heard these commission together. The difference should be therefore only in<br />
the way they understood the order.<br />
Mathew understood it as: Disciple all nations how? Baptizing, …. Teaching<br />
Mark understood it as: Preach to whole creation. Baptize those who believe.<br />
<strong>Baptism</strong> is equivalent to teaching and discipling. What Jesus is ordering is to<br />
go to all nations and tell about Jesus. Those who believe you, you make them<br />
disciples i.e. to teach them to observe all things. How could people believe the<br />
preacher? Mark 16:20 And they went forth and preached everywhere, while<br />
the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that<br />
attended it. Evidently the Lord referred here is the Holy Spirit. (Early Church<br />
considered Jesus and Holy Spirit as a unity)<br />
Replace baptized by "become a disciple of Jesus" or "taught about Jesus" we<br />
get the actual meaning of the verse. If we look at all the conversions in the<br />
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