And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ (v. 33)

John the Baptist was asked why he was baptizing people.

John answered them, saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. It is He who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy even to untie the strap of His sandal.” (vv. 26-27)

John’s baptism was baptism of repentance. Its purpose was to prepare people for the coming of Christ. After Christ’s ascension, the ceremonial baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit was given to people as a sign of joining the visible church (see Matthew 28:19-20).

Now it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “On the contrary, we have not even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:1-5)

The true meaning of baptism is written in 1 Peter 3:18-22.

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Considering water, John the apostle wrote about Christ washing the disciples’ feet.

Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; otherwise he is completely clean. And you are clean—but not all of you.” (John 13:10)

John the apostle also wrote that Jesus came by water and blood.

This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. (1 John 5:6-8)

Both in the OT and the NT, water means cleansing and life. These indicate Jesus Christ. Christ taught truth and gave the saints the new life by shedding His own blood while on the earth. Therefore, Christ is the Word and Truth. Therefore, water and blood are the works of Christ. And the Holy Spirit applies all of Christ’s works to the saints. Therefore, “the three are in agreement”.

John the Baptist baptized people with this in mind. It was restricted to that time (before Christ’s ascension) and place. Although it is different from the baptism one receives when joining the visible church system, both are shadow of the real baptism. John 4:2 tells us that Christ did not baptize anyone. I believe the reason was because baptism done outwardly has only a symbolical meaning. Christ allowed the disciples to baptize people so that they would eagerly wait for the real baptism. Unless one receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he/she remains detached from Christ. Even though one has already received the Holy Spirit, he/she receives a ceremonial baptism when joining a visible church. It is proved throughout history that a ceremonial baptism is not the real baptism of the Holy Spirit. There have been many deserters and false believers who received the ceremonial baptism but distorted God’s words within churches. I can only conclude that ceremonial baptism has a purpose, and it is connected with the visible church system. It was God’s will that the visible church system replaced the Israel nation.

Calvin believed that the ceremonial baptism is the replacement of the circumcision in the OT. But the Anabaptists rejected the infant baptism. Later in England, the Baptists also rejected it. In England, many Protestant groups and denominations were born. They wanted religious freedom and made their own confessions. However, God sees the Protestant church as one. From 17^th century, the Protestant church has been in the similar situation to the Israel nation in the Book of Judges.   

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6)

I heard that the Reformed Baptist churches are strong in the United States. They are not Reformed/Protestant because they reject infant baptism. Christians around the world often connects corruption and violence with the US. I heard one saying, “What happened to what was once a great Christian nation?” I believe God is not pleased with the non-conformists. I am not talking about the Non-conformists in the 17^th century England. I am not saying that God is pleased with the Book of Common Prayer or the Church of England. I am talking about the non-conformists who reject the common/shared Reformed beliefs and yet claim that they are Protestants.

Although I have been talking about the limits of the Reformation, the Protestants need to know their doctrines written in the Three Ecumenical Creeds and the Three Forms of Unity. Neglecting education is the greatest sin of a church. There is no acceptable worship if the sheep are not fed.

“Feed My sheep.” (John 21:17)