When God separated Israel from other peoples so they would become His chosen people, He told them they must distinguish between clean and unclean animals. The distinction of unclean animals would separate Israel from the other nations.
But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.� I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples. You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine (Lev 20:24-26).
After Paul was saved, God gave Peter a vision (Acts 10:9-17). Peter’s vision showed there were no more clean and unclean animals for Israel. By this vision, God showed Peter that Israel was no longer His chosen people. However, He did not show Peter the new dispensation of the mystery that He would reveal to Paul. He also did not show Peter that there would be a new method of salvation. That’s why Peter preached the same message Christ had given him from the beginning, the circumcision gospel.
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ; He is Lord of all; that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached� (Acts 10:34-37).
This was the gospel of faith-works and endurance for salvation which Christ taught while on earth (Mat 24:13,14; John 15:1-8). When we look at chapters 9-11 of Acts, the Holy Spirit shows us that water baptism was no longer necessary for salvation in this dispensation. Because God started the body of Christ with Paul’s conversion, the Holy Spirit showed us His new plan. How did He show this new plan? He did it in a marvelous way. Peter was sent to a Gentile’s house. He was told to go there without doubting. This was a strange command for Peter to receive, but he did as God told him. He went to the house of Cornelius and preached the gospel of the circumcision to them. While Peter was still preaching, before he commanded them to be baptized as he had earlier (Acts 2:38), the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word (Acts 10:44,45).
The Holy Spirit caused some amazing things by this event. The Holy Spirit’s work here would convince the circumcision believers that salvation was now open to the Gentiles. Wow! God had opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles, and we can see from the accounts of Paul’s conversion, that he was the one who would be sent to the Gentiles.
Acts 9: 15,16 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.�
Acts 22:17-21 Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18 and saw Him saying to me, “Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.� 19 So I said, “Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.� 21 Then He said to me, “Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.�
Returning to Peter’s mission to Cornelius, we see that for the first time, the two baptisms of Acts 2:38 were reversed. Water baptism was performed after Holy Spirit baptism. Now, the Holy Spirit baptism was the one necessary for salvation. Water baptism became secondary for the first time.
We’re not even sure that God wanted these new Christians water baptized. Peter did a number of things here for the simple reason that the Lord had previously commanded them. Now, why did these changes take place? Because Paul was converted, given a new stewardship called the dispensation of the mystery, and a new gospel, the uncircumcision gospel which was also called the gospel of the grace of God.
Gal 2:7,8 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision had been committed to me, as the gospel of the circumcision was to Peter 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles).
Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
During Paul’s first two missionary journeys, we find that he baptized at least Crispus, Gaius, Stephanus’ household, Lydia and her household, and the jailor and his household. Why did he baptize these people? We don’t know for sure. But it seems that because Ananias had commanded him to be baptized, he carried on the practice. So, even in the dispensation of grace there were two baptisms for a while.
Soon it was revealed to Paul that water baptism was not part of his commission (1 Cor. 1:17). After that, he no longer baptized. But we must remember that water baptism was definitely an integral part of the circumcision apostles’ commission (Mat. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-18). When Paul wrote he was not sent to baptize, he also was inspired to write, “By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body� (1 Cor. 12:13). Further, in Col 2:11,12 we see that as physical circumcision gave way to spiritual, “made without hands,� water baptism gave way to spiritual baptism, “through the faith of the operation of God.� Why did water baptism give way to spiritual baptism? It was because God set Israel aside in Acts 7 when Christ stood in judgment at the stoning of Stephen (Rom. 11:11,25; Acts 28:28; Isa. 3:13).
After Israel had been set aside, part of Paul’s ministry was to show Israel this fact. God pronounced for the final time, through Paul, that Israel had been set aside (Acts 28:28). This happened when Paul made his inspired judicial decree quoting Isaiah 6:9,10. The baptisms imposed on Israel were set aside until God would be dealing with Israel again in the tribulation. For instance, water baptism will be necessary for salvation again when Peter’s epistles will be in God’s program for the tribulation period (1 Pet. 3:20,21).
Now there is one baptism. After his Acts 28:28 decree, Paul was inspired to write Ephesians. In it he wrote Eph 4:4,5, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism.� One baptism? If there is only one baptism, which one is it? Is it water or Holy Spirit? It is Holy Spirit! Why? Because God has suspended the use of water baptism. It has been done away with because God is through with Israel for the time being. Now there is only one program. So, today there is one baptism by which we, who have trusted in Christ, are baptized into the body of Christ. That baptism identifies us with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-8). Water baptism has been set aside because God has set aside Israel.
So this is the reason why I said you have again an added gospel to the new good news of Christ death and resurrection.
Yes, remember the good news is the one baptism in Christ and Christ in us, which is the Holy Spirit in us to teach us all truth , and guide us into the life of Christ.
God Bless