Baptism into Jesus Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit, not water baptism, and it places believers into His death and resurrection.
Les Feldick teaches that this baptism is not into a church or denomination, but into Jesus Christ Himself. It is the Spirit of God who baptizes believers into the body of Christ, engulfing them in His death and resurrection. This spiritual baptism identifies believers with Christ's crucifixion and new life, far beyond what water can accomplish.
Romans 6:3 — This verse explicitly mentions being baptized into Jesus Christ and into His death, directly addressing the question.
Romans 6:3-4 states, "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." This passage connects baptism with identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. 1 Corinthians 12:13 also says, "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 shows that baptism into the body of Christ is accomplished by the Spirit, not by water. The term 'baptism' in Scripture can also refer to identification, as in 1 Corinthians 10:2 where Israel was "baptized unto Moses" in the cloud and in the sea, signifying their identification with his leadership.
Les Feldick explains that being baptized into Jesus Christ is not a water baptism but a spiritual reality accomplished by the Holy Spirit. He emphasizes that water cannot put anyone into the body of Christ; only the Spirit can do that. This baptism means being totally engulfed or immersed into Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, as Romans 6 describes. It is not joining a church or denomination but being identified with Christ Himself. Les contrasts this with water baptism, which he once practiced for this purpose but now sees as inadequate. He also notes that this baptism is into the body of Christ, making every believer part of that body regardless of race, social status, or gender, and it secures their salvation for eternity.
Les Feldick clearly states that this baptism is not water baptism. He says, "Water can't do that. Water can't put anybody into the body of Christ. This has to be the work of the Spirit of God and not water." (Clip 1) He admits that he used to use this verse to teach water baptism, but he now sees it as going way beyond that (Clip 3).
Les uses the concept of being engulfed to explain this baptism. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, he notes that believers are baptized into the body of Christ and are "totally engulfed" — not just on the edge but fully immersed in all that Christ is (Clip 4). This is similar to Jesus calling His death a baptism (Clip 6).
Les teaches that this baptism is essential for salvation because it places the believer into the body of Christ, making them safe for eternity (Clip 5). It is by the Holy Spirit that a person is baptized into this body at the moment of salvation, and this is what counts for eternity, not any water baptism.
Les teaches that baptism into Christ's death means that we identify with His death, burial, and resurrection. In Romans 6, we are buried with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised, we too walk in newness of life (Clip 2). This is a spiritual identification, not a physical one.
Romans 6 & The Old Man Crucified With Christ — Finally Explained
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Baptism into Christ, Not Church
Les clarifies that this baptism is into Jesus Christ, not into a church or denomination, and emphasizes that water cannot accomplish this.
Baptism into Death and New Life
Les explains that this burial with Christ by baptism into death enables us to walk in newness of life, and only the power of God can do this.
Beyond Water Baptism
Les admits he used to use this verse to teach water baptism but now sees it as going way beyond that.
Engulfed by the Spirit
Les shows that being baptized into the body of Christ means being totally engulfed by the Spirit, not just partially involved.
Spirit Baptism Secures Salvation
Les teaches that the Spirit's baptism into the body of Christ is what counts for eternity, regardless of any water baptism.
Baptism as Identification
Les explains that baptism can mean identification, as Jesus called His death a baptism and Israel was baptized unto Moses.
Identified with Death
Les teaches that being identified with Christ's death comes by faith, and old Adam is put to death so that life can begin.
Romans 6:3: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
This is the key verse that directly addresses the question of what it means to be baptized into Christ.
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.
This explains the result of this baptism: we are buried with Christ and raised to new life.
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 shows that the baptism into the body of Christ is by the Spirit, not by water.
1 Corinthians 10:2: And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
This illustrates that baptism can mean identification, as Israel was identified with Moses.
No, Les Feldick teaches that baptism into Jesus Christ is not water baptism. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, who places believers into the body of Christ and into His death, which water cannot do.
It means that believers are spiritually identified with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. As Christ died, we die to the old Adam, and we are raised to walk in newness of life, as taught in Romans 6.
Yes, Les Feldick teaches that the baptism of the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ is what makes a person safe for eternity, regardless of any water baptism.
Watch the Teaching: Romans 6 & The Old Man Crucified With Christ — Finally Explained