Paul's baptism is the Holy Spirit's work placing believers into Christ's death and body — not a water ritual.
Romans 6:3-4 describes believers as baptized into Jesus Christ and into His death, and 1 Corinthians 12:13 says it is by one Spirit that all are baptized into one Body. Les Feldick teaches that water cannot do this — water cannot give new life or place anyone into the Body of Christ. This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation.
Romans 6:3-4 — Paul's foundational statement that believers are baptized into Jesus Christ and into His death — the passage Les uses to contrast Spirit baptism with water baptism.
1 Corinthians 12:13 — The verse where Paul says it is by one Spirit that all believers are baptized into the one Body of Christ, identifying the Holy Spirit as the baptizer.
In Romans 6:3-4 Paul asks, 'Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.' The baptism Paul speaks of is into Jesus Christ Himself and into His death and burial — and the result is newness of life, patterned on Christ's resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 12:13 Paul writes, '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 one Spirit is the agent of this baptism, and the result is membership in the one Body. Paul also uses baptism language for Israel's identification with Moses — 'And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea' (1 Corinthians 10:2) — and he links baptism to the resurrection hope in 1 Corinthians 15:29: 'Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?'
Les Feldick is convinced that the baptism Paul describes in Romans 6:3-4 is not water baptism. He admits he once used the passage to teach water baptism, but he says it 'goes way beyond water baptism' (Clip 3). Water baptism, he argues, cannot give new life — only the power of God can do that — and water cannot put anyone into Jesus Christ, into His death, or into the Body of Christ (Clip 1, Clip 2). Les points to 1 Corinthians 12:13 as the only place Paul teaches a baptism by the Holy Spirit. When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit immediately places them into the Body of Christ — no water is involved — and this becomes the believer's guarantee that they belong to Christ (Clip 7). He likewise says the baptism Paul mentions in his resurrection passage (1 Corinthians 15) is not water baptism, since God does everything in the light of resurrection (Clip 4). Les also explains that a complete reversal takes place between the early Acts period and Paul's letters. In the Jewish economy, Jesus was the baptizer, baptizing Jews into the Holy Spirit; by the time of Paul's revelation of the mysteries, the Holy Spirit is the baptizer, baptizing believers — predominantly Gentiles — into Christ (Clip 5, Clip 6). Because Christ truly died and was buried, believers are seen as having gone through that tomb experience with Him, and because He rose, they rise into newness of life (Clip 1, Clip 2).
Les says Romans 6:3-4 goes 'way beyond water baptism.' Water cannot give new life — only the power of God can do that. No water baptism can accomplish what Paul describes: being baptized into Jesus Christ and into His death, and rising into newness of life. Les also says water cannot put anybody into the Body of Christ; that must be the work of the Spirit of God.
In the early part of Acts, Jesus is the baptizer, baptizing Jews into the power of the Holy Spirit. By the time we get to Paul's letters, that is completely reversed: the Holy Spirit becomes the baptizer, baptizing believers — predominantly Gentiles — into Christ. Les calls this a complete reversal, and he notes that baptism in the Old Testament period (Israel engulfed in the cloud under Moses) did not always involve water baptism.
At salvation, the Holy Spirit immediately places the believer into the Body of Christ. Quoting 1 Corinthians 12:13, Les says there is not a word about tongues here and no water involved — it is the Holy Spirit who does the baptizing. Being placed into the one Body is the believer's guarantee that they are Christ's, and Christ is theirs. A saved Jew is a member of the Body of Christ just as surely as a saved Gentile.
Because Christ was truly dead and buried, the believer is seen as having gone through that tomb experience with Him — 'buried with Him by baptism into death.' And because Christ was raised from the dead, the believer rises into newness of life. Water baptism cannot accomplish any of this. Les adds that God does everything in the light of resurrection: Paul's resurrection teaching in 1 Corinthians 15 is not about water baptism, and the question is why God would act on the believer's behalf at all if there were no resurrection.
Romans 6 & The Old Man Crucified With Christ — Finally Explained
break, and now we'll get into this next half hour. And again, for those of you joining us in television, there's nothing we like better than to hear that you feel you're just part of this class, because that's what we hope to bring across, that you're just right there in the back row someplace, and you're just part and parcel of our class ministry.
Water Baptism Cannot Give New Life
Les explains that Romans 6's 'buried with Him by baptism into death' cannot be water baptism because water cannot produce newness of life — only the power of God can — and he connects this to the Holy Spirit's baptism in 1 Corinthians 12.
Baptized Into Jesus Christ, Not a Church
Les shows that Romans 6:3 says believers are baptized into Jesus Christ — not into the church or a denomination — and that water cannot put anyone into the Body of Christ; this has to be the Spirit's work.
Going Beyond Water Baptism
Les admits he once used Romans 6 to teach water baptism but now sees the passage goes way beyond it — it is about putting the old Adam on the cross and Christ reigning in grace.
Baptism and the Resurrection
Les connects the baptism Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 15 to the Spirit baptism of 1 Corinthians 12:13 — not water baptism — and says God does everything in the light of resurrection.
The Baptizer Reverses: Jesus to the Spirit
Les explains that in early Acts Jesus baptizes Jews into the Holy Spirit, but Paul flips it — the Holy Spirit now baptizes believers, predominantly Gentiles, into the Body of Christ, a term unique to Paul.
Baptism Isn't Always Water
Les shows that Israel was 'engulfed' and 'inundated' in the cloud under Moses — biblical baptism is not always water — and that Paul's letters complete the reversal: the Spirit baptizes believers into Christ.
Spirit Baptism Places Us Into the Body
Les says 1 Corinthians 12:13 is the only place Paul teaches a Holy Spirit baptism — with no water and no tongues — the Spirit immediately places the believer into the Body of Christ at salvation, guaranteeing we are Christ's.
Romans 6:3: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Paul's foundational statement that believers are baptized into Jesus Christ — the verse Les says water cannot fulfill.
Romans 6:4: Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Connects baptism to Christ's burial and resurrection and to the believer's newness of life — something water baptism cannot produce.
Romans 6:6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
The truth Les references when he says old Adam is put on the cross and reckoned dead.
1 Corinthians 10:2: And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
Shows Paul using baptism for Israel's engulfment in the cloud — evidence that baptism in Scripture does not always mean water.
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.
The Spirit baptism Paul teaches — by one Spirit all believers are placed into the one Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:29: Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
The passage Les says is not about water baptism but about God doing everything in the light of resurrection.
Les Feldick says no. He is convinced Romans 6:3-4 — being baptized into Jesus Christ and into His death — is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, because water baptism cannot give new life or put anyone into Christ's death and resurrection. Water cannot put anyone into the Body of Christ.
Les teaches that 1 Corinthians 12:13 is the only place Paul speaks of a baptism by the Holy Spirit. When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit immediately places them into the Body of Christ — no water is involved. It is the believer's guarantee of belonging to Christ.
He points to Israel's experience under Moses — being 'engulfed' and 'inundated' in the cloud — as a biblical baptism that did not involve water baptism. He also notes the complete change by the time of Paul: the Holy Spirit baptizes believers into Christ.
In the early part of Acts, Jesus was the baptizer, baptizing Jews into the power of the Holy Spirit. By the time of Paul's letters, the Holy Spirit is the baptizer, baptizing believers — predominantly Gentiles — into Christ. Les calls it a complete reversal.
Watch the Teaching: Romans 6 & The Old Man Crucified With Christ — Finally Explained