(2) This new birth brings us into a new relation- ship to God : the baptized are ni.ado His children or sons. ' For ye are all sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesu.s. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ' (Gal S-"-'^). 'lo them gave he the right to become children of God' (Jn 1"; comp. 1 Jn 4'). That being ' begotten of God' (1 Jn 3" 4' 5<-'S), or becoming a 'chUd of God' (1 Jn S'-'-'o 5"), or a 'son of God' (Ro 8"-", Gal 3*"), is synonymous with being ' born anew,' need not be doubted. The first birtli i« of man ; the second or new birtli is of God. So that it makes little matter whether we translate tvuiBtv (Jn 3^) 'anew' with Justin {Apol. i. 61) and the Lat. and Eth. VSS, or ' from above ' with Origen and most of the Greek Fathers. A new birth is a birtli from above, and mce versd. And the passages in which these expressions occur show that regeneration or being begotten by God does not mean merely a new capacity/ for change in the direction of goodness, but an actual change. The legal washings were actual external purifica- tions. Baptism is actual internal purification.
(3) Johns baptism was 'unto remission of sins,' (Is i<f>e<rty aiMnpriur (Mk 1*, Lk 3'). Cliristian baptism is not only this (Ac 2'*, Lk 24", where tls and not xal is the better reading), but it confers remission of sins. Ananias says to Saul: 'Ari.se, ami be baptized, and wash away thy sins' (Ac 22"; comp. 10« \3^, Ho 10--). St. "Paul, after glancing at the sinful past of the Corinthians in the days of their heathenism, continues : ' But ye were washed, but ye were sanctified,' etc. (1 Co 6"). Anil the same is said of all Christians ; for ' Christ loved the Church, and "ave himself up for it ; that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word ' (Eph 5^-^).
(4) That baptism involved admission to the Church hardly needs to be more than stated. It was an instrument for this very purpose, analogous to circumcision. The recipient of baptism, like the recipient of circumciHion, is admitted to a new external covenant and new spiritual privileges, and is thereby pledged to new duties. To say that a person is bai)tized, is to say that he has been admitted to the Christian communion. ' They then that received his word were baptized : and there were added imto them in that day about three thousand .souls' (Ac 2" ; comp. 1 Co"l2").
(.I) As tho Church is the body of Christ (Col 1"), to be admitted to the Church is to be united with Christ, and to become one of His members (I Co 12-''). ' For as many of you as were bajitizcd into Christ did put on Christ'^ (Gal 3") ; and Christians' 'bodies are members of Christ' (I Co O'" ; comp Eph 4'°"). This is not only true in general, but in a special way ba|>tism makes us partakers in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. ' \Ve
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BAPTISM
BAPTISM
who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into liis death. We were buried therefore with him througli baptism into death : tliat like as Clirist was raised from the dead ... so we also nii'dit walk in newness of life' (Ro 6''-*; comp. Col 2"-*' 3'). This great chani;e is always spidcen of as past, not as continuin}; (Ko G"-'*-" 8--" etc.). Tlie reference is to some delinite occasion when it took place.
(6) Tliat Christian baptism confers the gift of the Spint, whereas John's baptism did not, was one of the most marked points of difference between them (Mt 3", Mk 18, Lk 3'«, Jn l-«, Ac W'"). 'In one Spirit were we all baptized Into one body . . . and were all made to drink of one Spirit' (1 Co 12"). And hence not only is the whole Church ' a habita- tion of God in the Spirit' {Eph 2'^; comp. 2 Co 6^', 1 P 2'), but each individual Christian is a temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Co 6'» 3"). And ' the Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God : and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs \nt\\ Christ ' (Ko S'"- ").
(7) This involves one more result. Those who are 'joint heirs with Christ' have a pledge that they will one day enter into that inheritance which He now enjoys. It has various names. It is salvation. 'He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved' ([Mk] 16"^). Those who were added to the Church were ' those that were being saved' (Ac 2*'; comp. IB**, 1 P 1»-* 3^1). It is the kingdom of God. ' Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (Jn 3°). It is eternal life. After speaking to Nicodemus of the neces.sity of being bom anew of the .Spirit, Christ says that God has sent Him into the world, ' that whosoever be- lieveth on him should not perish, but have eternal life ' (3'°""). By baptism we are grafted into Him who is the life (14*), and he that hath the Son hath the life ( 1 Jn 5"). Those Jews who refused to be admitted into the Church 'judged themselves unworthy of eternal life' (Ac 13*). In writing to Titus, St. Paul sums up several of these aspects of baptism (3»-').