Yes—believers are baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation.
According to 1 Corinthians 12:13, every born-again believer is baptized by one Spirit into the one body of Christ. This happens automatically when a person believes the gospel, with no water, ritual, or church ceremony involved. It includes all believers—Jew or Gentile, bond or free—and excludes no true child of God.
1 Corinthians 12:13 — This is the key verse Les uses to explain that the Holy Spirit baptizes all believers into one body, regardless of ethnicity or social standing.
Ephesians 1:22-23 — This identifies the Church as the body of Christ, with Christ as head, showing why the Spirit-baptized body is the Church.
The central passage is 1 Corinthians 12:12–13. Verse 12 compares the one body with many members to Christ: "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ." Then verse 13 states the means of joining: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." The text plainly says the Spirit performs the baptism, the body is the one body of Christ, and the recipients are "we all"—with no exception for ethnicity or social status. Nothing in this verse mentions water, a local building, a ceremony, or church authority; it is an act of the Spirit. Ephesians 1:22–23 clarifies what that body is: "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." The one Spirit puts believers into this one body so that Christ, as head, is completed by His church. A believer’s place in the body is therefore directly tied to the Spirit’s baptism, not to anything a person performs or a church administers.
Les Feldick teaches that 1 Corinthians 12:13 is the only place where Paul actually teaches a baptism by the Holy Spirit, and it is not about speaking in tongues or water baptism. The word "baptized" means the Holy Spirit places the person into the body of Christ. This happens automatically and immediately when a person believes the gospel—no preacher baptizes them into it, and no organization or denomination performs it. Les stresses the word "all": every born-again believer, not just the elite or the few, is placed into the universal body of genuine believers. Les also makes clear what the body is not. It is not a local church, and it contains no unbelievers. Unsaved people may be on church rolls and may have been baptized, but they are not in the body of Christ. Water baptism—whether in the Jordan or any other river—makes no difference for eternity. Only the Holy Spirit’s baptism into the body of Christ counts. Whether someone is a Jew or Gentile, bond or free, rich or poor, makes no difference; every true believer is placed into the one body, and Christ, as head, considers His blood-bought Church to be the completing of Himself.
The text itself says the Holy Spirit is the one doing the baptizing and the body is the one body of Christ. Les clarifies that "baptized" here means "placed" by the Holy Spirit. He uses the human body analogy: some believers have a small, unseen role like a little pinky or a toe, while others are more visible, but each one is placed in the body by the Spirit. This is what makes a person a member of the universal body of born-again believers.
Les is emphatic that it happens "the moment we believe" the gospel. There is no waiting period, no ceremony, and no second step. The moment a person is born again by the work of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit immediately places that person into the body of Christ. Nobody signs up for it, and no preacher baptizes them into it; it is an automatic result of salvation.
No. Les highlights Paul's words "whether we be Jew or Gentile, bond or free" and says the same truth is even broader: whatever color, whatever race, whatever our lot in life, rich or poor—it makes no difference. A saved Jew is a member of the body just as surely as a saved Gentile. The one Spirit baptizes every born-again believer into the same one body.
Les is emphatic: "There will be no unbelievers in the body of Christ." He acknowledges that unsaved people can be baptized into local churches and have their names on church rolls—they "can be as lost as a dog"—but they cannot be in the body of Christ. Only the saved are placed there by the Holy Spirit. He also cautions that people cannot judge another person's heart with certainty, but God knows exactly who belongs to the body.
Les draws a sharp contrast. He says that whether a person has been baptized in Jordan water or Timbuktu river water, it makes no difference for eternity. The only baptism that counts for eternity is the Holy Spirit's baptism into the body of Christ. People can be baptized and become members of local churches and still be lost; only the Spirit's baptism places a person into the body.
Christ's Body Completes Christ
Les reads the verses describing Christ as head over the Church, His body, and says believers accept this truth by faith because the Book declares it. This frames why the Spirit-baptized body matters.
The Holy Spirit Places Believers into the Body
Les teaches that "baptized" means the Holy Spirit places a child of God into the body of Christ immediately at salvation, using the human body to show every believer has a function.
Only Saved Believers Are in the Body
Les contrasts true believers with unsaved church members, insisting that only the saved are placed into the body and that this Spirit baptism is the only baptism that counts for eternity.
'All' Means Every Born-Again Believer
Les stresses the word "all" in verse 13: every born-again believer is baptized into the universal body, not the local church—and no unbeliever enters it.
Automatic at the Moment of Belief
Les explains that nobody signs up and no preacher baptizes a person into the body; the Holy Spirit automatically and immediately puts the believer into the body upon believing the gospel.
The Baptism That Counts for Eternity
The true child of God is Spirit-baptized into the body at salvation; water baptism anywhere makes no difference, and Jew/Gentile status does not matter.
Paul's Only Spirit-Baptism Teaching
Les says 1 Corinthians 12:13 is the only time Paul teaches baptism by the Holy Spirit, and it puts every believer—Jew or Gentile—into the body with no water involved.
An Invisible Work of the Spirit
This baptism cannot be performed by any organization; only the invisible Spirit of God does it the moment we believe, making genuine believers worldwide one body.
1 Corinthians 12:12: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
Paul introduces the one-body analogy before stating that all believers are baptized into it by one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13: For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
This is the central verse: the Spirit performs the baptism, the body is the one body of Christ, and the recipients are all believers.
Ephesians 1:22-23: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
This names the church as Christ's body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
The body of Christ is the universal body of genuine born-again believers, not a local church. Christ is the head in heaven and believers are His body on earth. Les describes it as the whole congregation of real believers from every part of the world.
The moment a person truly believes the gospel and is saved. The Holy Spirit immediately places that person into the body of Christ. No water, ritual, or ceremony is involved.
Yes. As 1 Corinthians 12:13 says, by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, bond or free. Les says a saved Jew is just as much a member of the body as a saved Gentile.
No. Les is emphatic that no unbeliever goes into the body of Christ. People may be on church rolls and may have been baptized, but unless they are genuinely saved, the Holy Spirit has not placed them into the body.
Watch the Teaching: What Happens the Moment You're Saved? Colossians 1 Explained