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  HE OF WHOM JOHN SPAKE
  by G.W. North
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Summary: Jesus' ministry built upon John's baptism, but the real baptism
is a personal experience with Jesus, not water baptism.

Topics: "Baptism", "Jesus' Ministry"
Scripture References: Matthew 3:11, John 1:33, Acts 1:5, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:4, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 4:5, Colossians 2:12, Hebrews 6:2

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DESCRIPTION
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G.W. North emphasizes the transition from John's baptism to the greater
baptism that Jesus would fulfill through His death and resurrection. He
explains that while John's ministry gradually ceased, Jesus retained and
expanded upon it, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of
baptism that transcends water. North highlights that the true essence of
Jesus' ministry was not fully revealed until His own baptism into death,
which was foreshadowed in John's baptism. He clarifies that water
baptism was a necessary practice during Jesus' earthly ministry but
should not be confused with the greater baptism that Jesus administers
through the Holy Spirit. This distinction is crucial for understanding
the fullness of Jesus' mission and the nature of true baptism.

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CONTENT
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From that time onward, John's baptising ministry was gradually phased
out until it ceased altogether, while Jesus, having retained and
incorporated it into His ministry, went on to fulfil it. Later He
changed and enlarged it in many ways too numerous to mention now. But
this He could not fully do until He underwent His own personal baptism
into death, for although this was not in the least understood by those
who were partakers of John's baptism, it is most certainly implied by
it, being as it were just below the surface of the water.

It is therefore plainly to be seen that the vast and most important part
of Jesus' ministry was not revealed while He was as yet standing on the
earth, but awaited His own personally administered baptism into death
and consequent resurrection.

During Jesus' earthly life, water baptism was the only one known and
practised because the real baptism was not then known, nor could be. It
is for this reason He handed over water baptism to His disciples. It was
not only policy that He did so, it was necessary also if He did not wish
to confuse people. John had said of Jesus, 'He who cometh after me is
the Christ, the Son of God, He shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and
fire'.

Jesus therefore did not allow people any ground to imagine that water
baptism, whether practised at that time by Himself or administered by
His disciples in His name, was in some mysterious way to be construed or
mystically substituted for the greater, real Baptism. Water baptism as
such is not Jesus' baptism; (His Baptism cannot be administered by man,
nor in that element, but by Himself alone) being administered by water,
it can safely be left to men.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/gw-north/he-of-whom-john-spake/
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