For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
For by one Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the agent who places believers in the body of Christ. The Devil or any human agent cannot amputate anyone from the body of Christ because the Holy Spirit placed the believer in the body by divine action. A surgeon can amputate a leg, but no diabolical surgeon can amputate anyone from the body of Christ. It is impossible to be unborn spiritually.
Jn 10:29, My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one [Greek says “nothing,” whether Satan or ourselves] is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
we were all baptized into one body
“Baptized” here is not water baptism but Spirit baptism. We can translate the word “baptized” as to identify. The word “baptized” or “baptism” is not a translation but a transliteration. In other words, instead of translating the word, translators dropped the Greek word into the English text. The word “identify” carries a much-improved meaning of what happens with the baptism of the Spirit – the Holy Spirit identifies us with the body of Christ at salvation. The baptism of the Spirit is not an experience.
The first baptism of the Spirit occurred on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:5). Afterward, individual believers receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation. Spirit baptism takes place when the Holy Spirit places the believer into the body of Christ.
The word “all” means that there is no such thing as a Christian whom the Holy Spirit does not baptize into the body of Christ. If the Holy Spirit does not baptize a person into the body of Christ, then that person is not a Christian (Ro 8:9). “All” means that there are no exceptions. The Holy Spirit places all believers without exception in the body of Christ. Whether carnal or spiritual, good or bad, the Holy Spirit places them in union with Christ.
Ro 8:9, But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
I want to give the Greek grammar of “baptized into” because of its doctrinal importance, but I will explain each term I use. The word “baptized” is in the aorist tense (point action, one point in the past). The Holy Spirit baptized us into the body of Christ at one point; each of us became a Christian. “Baptized” is in the passive voice (the subject receives the action, not produces the action). The passive voice indicates that the Holy Spirit caused our baptism. It is not something we did or do. The word “baptized” is in the indicative mood (this is the mood of reality, not potentiality). It was a real fact that the Holy Spirit identified us with the body of Christ at the point of salvation. Remember, the meaning of the word “baptized” is identify.
PRINCIPLE:
Our place in the body of Christ gives us status with God.
APPLICATION:
The church is not an organization but an organism. It is not a group of people gathered once a week to share a worship experience, but it is people sharing the same life. They reach out to the world with the life of God. Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. Religion seeks to gain God’s approbation; in Christianity, we have God’s approbation or favor. We have positional status with God. Our status quo is equivalent to the status Jesus has before the Father. This status is as true for the carnal believer as for the spiritual. The carnal believer has imputed righteousness, making his status before God completely righteous positionally or forensically.
The Spirit baptism which Paul describes in 1 Cor. 12:13 is different from the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. In 1 Cor. 12:13, the baptizer is the Spirit whereas in the book of Acts, the baptizer is Jesus Christ (see Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5). In 1 Cor. 12:13, the Holy Spirit baptizes believers into Christ whereas in the book of Acts, Christ baptizes believers with the Holy Spirit. The purpose of these baptisms is also different: the baptism in 1 Cor. 12:13 occurs at salvation whereas the purpose of the Holy Ghost baptism in the book of Acts is enduement with power for ministry (Acts 1:8). One baptism is associated with salvation and the other with endowment with supernatural power.
You say: “It is impossible to be unborn spiritually.”
Well, the Bible actually teaches that it is possible to be unborn spiritually. There are so many scriptures that teach this. For example, Hebrews 3:12 says: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in DEPARTING from the living God”. It’s quite possible for a believer to DEPART from God.
A believer can decide to change his/her mind at any moment — he can decide to desert Christ by using his free will or freedom of choice. Christians don’t lose their freedom to change their minds after they become saved. They are not forced against their will to remain in Christ. Also, a Christian who willfully decides to return to a sinful lifestyle and remain perpetually in sin will forfeit his salvation. Period! Scriptures that warn against the consequences of sin apply equally to everyone. Believers don’t get a licence to sin and get away with it. They must repent of their sin in order to make heaven. In fact, the Bible teaches that there is no salvation without genuine repentance from sin. Acts 2: 38 says: “Then Peter said to them, “REPENT, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Hebrews 6:1 says: “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of REPENTANCE from dead works and of faith toward God.”
Victor, go to this study https://versebyversecommentary.com/articles/doctrine/eternal-security-2/security-of-the-believer-3/ and this https://versebyversecommentary.com/articles/doctrine/eternal-security-2/eternal-security/
Victor, Pentecost marks the first historical occurrence of the Spirit’s baptism and the consequent formation of the church. At this point, God turned from Israel to the church. This is why 1 Co 12:13; Eph 1:22,23; Eph 4:4,5 connects “one body…one baptism.” This marked the Spirit’s advent in the world to undertake ministries unique to Him. This is why the disciples were to wait until they were endued with power from on high (Lu 24:22). This changed the believer’s relationship to the Holy Spirit from being “with” them to being “in” them. That is why they had to “wait” for the Holy Spirit to enable them for ministry (Ac 1:8). Pentecost was never repeated because the Holy Spirit’s relationship with the church only began once. The regenerating work of the Spirit never occurs without His regenerating work, which simultaneously and instantly involves baptizing, indwelling, and sealing. Pentecost marked the bestowal of the Holy Spirit as a gift to the church, which was the coming of the Holy to execute His ministry of indwelling (Jn 14:17; Ro 8:9; 1 co 6:19,20). Because the Holy Spirit came to start the church on Pentecost, Pentecost can never be repeated. Thus, you are right that the Holy Spirit came to empower Christians for ministry, but it involves more than simple empowerment.