Spoken
Word no. 52
Water
Baptism
Brian Kocourek
This morning we will
continue with our study from The Spoken Word is the
Original Seed and we will pick up at paragraph 39. Now, getting this background that the
reasons why I believe the Bible, and that's where I take my text. Now, next
thing I want to say, that I do not believe the Bible contradicts Itself, and I
have offered a challenge world around for any persons who claims such to come,
prove it to me. Come, prove it. The Bible doesn't contradict Itself; it's you contradicting the Bible. God
cannot contradict Himself. If He does, then He isn't God. And if this Word is
God then, and It's contradictory, then you make God contradicting Himself; then
where is your God then? Kind of gets thick, doesn't it, complicated? 40 If God
contradicts Himself, He's not no more than I am or no more than you are, for He
can contradict Himself. The Word's there, but It's hid from the eyes of the wise and prudent. That's why someone
says that Matthew
28:19, where: "Go
ye, teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son, Holy
Ghost"; Acts 2:38 said, "Repent and be baptized
in the Name of Jesus."...?... they're contradictory... It isn't a contradictory. 41. Everybody that's ever baptized has to be
baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost. And if you're not baptized using the Name of Jesus Christ, you're not
baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost. You're baptized in some titles that pertains to a Name. If
that isn't the right revelation, then the Bible would be wrong when It went
ahead, and everybody baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. But if the Bible
baptized, every one of the apostles all down through the age baptized in the
Name of Jesus Christ after Jesus commissioned them to baptize them in the Name
of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost, then the Bible absolutely contradicts Itself.
But if you look at it, it isn't. They did just what He said: Not titles, but
name. So there's no contradiction.
Now,
water Baptism has been one Bible doctrine that has split many churches and has
caused a lot of debate among the Christian church for as long as there has been
a Christian church. But what brother Branham is saying is true. Matthew 28 and Acts 2;38
are saying the same thing. We must be able to balance or harmonize the
Scriptures, and we can if we have any revelation of the Godhead at all. And yet
if you baptize in water using the titles of father, Son and Holy Ghost you are
not baptized in Christian baptism, but you are baptized into titles only because
they are no name, and Jesus said in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
So there has to be a name, and we know that Name is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Although
Jesus never baptized disciples himself, He left us Baptism as one of three very
important ordinances he left that up to others to do for Him. John 4: 1-2 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that
Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (Though Jesus
himself baptized not, but his disciples, 3 He left Judea, and departed unto Galillee)
Baptism
by water was synonymous with what
Paul
alludes to this in 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should
be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed
through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses
in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the
same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same
spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and
that Rock was Christ. 5 But
with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to
the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat
down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither
let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three
and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ,
as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither
murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them
for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of
the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There
hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly
beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise
men; judge ye what I say.
Immersion is
required for both men and women and Paul tells us how we are to be baptized in his
letter to the Colossians 2: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein
also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath
raised him from the dead. Now, when
you bury someone, you don’t sprinkle them with dirt, you bury them under the
dirt.
Again
we see in 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. So again we see the baptism in water represent our dying out
to self, and we are buried with Him in His death.
1 Peter 3: 21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth
also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,)
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: So
it is the identifying of ourselves with His death burial and resurrection. That
is why we repent and then are baptized or fully immersed in water. It is to
represent that we have genuinely and truly died to self.
Acts
2:36 Therefore
let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus,
whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when
they heard this, they were pricked in their
heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to all that are afar off, even as
many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with
many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this
untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received
his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Now, we see here that there are two very important
elements to be taken seriously in water baptism. Repentance and Baptism
itself. Repentance is a change of the mind. A person could be baptized every
hour of their life but without repentance they just go down a dry sinner and
come up a wet one.
On the wings of a dove 65-1128E
P:96 Now, the Lord can show me a vision; He
could tell me what's the matter with each one of them. I can prove that to you
(See?); you know that. But that don't heal them. That doesn't heal them. No,
it's got to be something drop in them. See? And I hope...Like I could go up
here take each one of you and baptize you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ;
that won't remit your sins. No, no. No, I don't believe in water baptism in the
Name of Jesus Christ unto regeneration; I
believe the Blood is regeneration (See?) now, not the waters. But, see, I
could baptize and baptize, but you only go down a dry sinner, come up a wet one
(See?) until you have thoroughly
repented. Repent, and then be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. See?
And that's where I different with the Oneness movement. Not baptizing to
regeneration, no; I believe it's the Blood that cleanses, not the water. See? Repentance, and then be baptized in the
Name of Jesus Christ.
Key to the door 62-1007 P:60 And
that's the reason I do use the word baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ, but
not to regeneration. Now, the Pentecostal, United Pentecostal church baptizes
in the Name of Jesus Christ for regeneration. I don't believe that. They can do
it if they want to. But I believe that
Peter said repent first. Water don't remit sins. The
You
know that is where they always miss the mark, is that they don’t realize the Gospel
is all about repentance, a changing
of the mind. Let’s just look at what the scripture teaches concerning
repentance, and I want you to notice how often it says this.
2 Peter 3: 9 The
Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
So you see the Lord desires that we
all repent.
And notice, if the Lord loves you he wants you to repent. Revelation 3 :
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be
zealous therefore, and repent.
Revelation 3: 3 Remember
therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee
as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Revelation 2: 5 Remember
therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent,
and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. So we see that judgment is all that is left if we do
not repent.
2 Timothy 2: 25 In
meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the
truth; You see, Repentance comes
from God and leads us to the truth. So repentance is a changing of the mind,
from unbelief to belief, and from
un-right-wiseness to right-wiseness.
2 Corinthians 7: 10 For
godly sorrow worketh repentance to
salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Notice, the Scripture does not teach that Godly sorrow
is repentance, but that it will work repentance. Just being sorry is not
repentance, because the Bible speaks of having works fit for repentance.
2 Corinthians 7: 9 Now
I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a
godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. Notice that it is not enough to be sorrowful, but that
the sorrow leads to a change of the mind.
Acts 26: 20 But
shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the
coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. So there are works which are meet for repentance. In other words, what
good does it do to say you changed your mind, unless your actions show that you
indeed have.
Acts 20: 21 Testifying
both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we see that the motive of preaching was to cause
repentance, which is a change of the mind. Then what good does it do to preach
what everyone already knows. You’ve go to bring forth repentance, that is what
the True ministry of God will produce in the True Five Fold.
Acts 19: 4 Then
said Paul, John verily baptized with the
baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on
him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. So we see even John’s baptism was unto repentance.
Acts 17: 30 And
the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: There was a time when God turned his eyes, but now,
there is no more excuse for sin when he has given us opportunity to be filled
with His own sinless spirit.
Acts 13: 24 When
John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the
people of
Acts 11: 18 When
they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then
hath God also to the Gentiles granted
repentance unto life. You see,
it’s all about repentance, God granting us repentance which leads unto Life,
eternal Life.
Acts 8: 22 Repent therefore of this thy
wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven
thee. Forgiveness comes through
genuine repentance.
Acts 5: 31 Him
hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and
forgiveness of sins. That was the
whole purpose of Christ coming to
Acts 3: 19 Repent ye therefore,
and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,
when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; repent so your sins may be blotted out. What a
promise. And this Scripture is fulfilled in this very hour when the Presence of
the Lord is come. And why is repentance so important?
Luke 24: 47 And
that repentance and remission of sins should
be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at
Well, then what about those who are not willing to
repent? Luke 13:
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.Luke 13: 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luke 11: 32 The
men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall
condemn it: for they repented at the
preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. And if they were saved by repenting then, what about
when the Holy Ghost is come.
Jesus said, Luke 5: 32 I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance.
But he also said, Luke 3: 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of
repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We
have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these
stones to raise up children unto Abraham. How many young people are raised up in this Message and haven’t a clue
as to what the Message. You see,
everyone is in need of repentance, no matter how good a life you have lived.
God said, “my ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts, for
my thoughts are higher than your thoughts and my ways higher than your ways”.
So unless we already have the mind of Christ, and unless we were born with a
body that can not sin, we have need of repentance. But many children are raised
to believe they are perfectly fine in God’s eyes because they believe God sent
a prophet, but unless they repent and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
and receive the Indwelling paraklete, which is the Holy Spirit Baptism, they
are just as lost as the bum out on the street. That is why so many, although
being raised in this Message could not tell you what Brother Branham preached
concerning the Greatest of all revelations. And in fact they believe contrary
to what he taught. Why? because they haven’t repented. They haven’t changed
their minds.
Luke 3: 3 And
he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance
for the remission of sins;
Mark 6: 12 And
they went out, and preached that men
should repent. You see, the
ministry is all about changing the minds of men towards God.
Mark 2: 17 When
Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the
physician, but they that are sick: I
came not to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance.
Mark 1: 15 And
saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Mark 1: 4 John
did baptize in the wilderness, and preach
the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Matthew 9: 13 But
go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Matthew 4: 17 From
that time Jesus began to preach, and to
say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Look, Jesus came to call man to repentance. And for
men to show it by their actions.
Matthew 3: 8 Bring
forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
Matthew 3: 2 And
saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
But what if they are not willing to repent? Then
what? Then there is nothingn left but judgment.
Revelation 16: 11 And
blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and
repented not of their deeds.
Revelation 16: 9 And
men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath
power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Revelation 9: 21 Neither
repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their
fornication, nor of their thefts.
Revelation 9: 20 And
the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of
the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of
gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor
hear, nor walk:
Revelation 2: 22 Behold,
I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great
tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Revelation 2: 21 And
I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
Revelation 2: 16 Repent;
or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the
sword of my mouth.
Hebrews 12: 17 For
ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was
rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully
with tears.
Hebrews 6: 6 If
they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify
to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
So
I hope you can see the importance of repentance in baptism. Because the water
does not wash you clean, it is only an outward display of what has already
taken place in a repentant heart. That is why we see John came forth baptizing
men and the purpose was to show forth publicly their repentance.
We
see this is Mark
1: 4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission
of sins. And again we see this testimony of repentance in Matthew 3: 6 And
were baptized of him in
We also see this in Mark 16: 16 He
that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. So a change of the mind is essential, here. Because we
see what happens when they do not repent.
Luke 7: 30 But
the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the
counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
Now, Peter said there is a name that is involved
here. He said, first of all you must repent which means you must change your
thinking, and then you must be baptized in the NAME of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and then you will receive the baptism of
the Holy Ghost.
The Catholic church and her daughters want to argue
this point and say that the words of Peter are not as important as the words of
Jesus himself, and they will quote you Matthew 28:
19 Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: But
as brother Branham taught us, father is not a name, it is a title, son is not a
name it is a title and holy Spirit is not a name, it is a title. So the name is
what we are baptized into. But if you are baptized using those titles, and then
they say, which is the Lord Jesus Christ you might just want to reconsider
being baptized over again.
So
the name is of utmost importance, because without the name you aren’t going to
receive the Holy Ghost.
God of this evil age 65-0801M
P:112 And when Jesus said, "Go baptize them
in the Name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost," setting that there to blind
the unbeliever... Watch. Why didn't Peter carry that out word by word? He had
to. If a man is baptized in the titles Father, Son, Holy Ghost, he's never been baptized at all;
he has no name. Father's no name; Son's no name, and Holy Ghost is no name.
Holy Ghost is what It is, like I'm a human. It is the Holy Ghost. Father's a
title; I'm a father. Son is a title; I'm a son. Human is a title; that's what I
am. But my name is William Branham. And the Name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost
is the Name of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I come in My Father's
Name?" What is the Father's Name? Any son comes in his father's name, and
the Father's Name is Jesus Christ. See? See what I mean?
Look, it can be proven by history that no one was
ever baptized in those titles until the Catholic church made it so 3oo years
after the church had been baptizing the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is
just a catholic creed and all her daughters too.
Christian Baptism is not to be done in titles. The
whole purpose for Christian baptism is not just repentance like the Jew who
looked for Messiah that is just the beginning. Baptism is an identification of
our death to self, and our dying with Christ and our being raised with Him.
Baptism done correctly in this hour must be done in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. If you are not baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you must
be baptized over again,
Acts 18: 24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at
Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the
scriptures, came to
What shall I do with Jesus
63-1124M P:153 If you want to be baptized, if you have
took the titles Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I say this with reverence and respect, but to
my way of seeing it, you are not
baptized. You're not,
for you haven't carried out what He said. He said, "Baptize them in the
Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." If you just had those titles
called over you... He never said, "Go call these titles, go call these
names." It never was done in the Bible. It never was done that way. It was
baptize the way Jesus said, "In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost," which is Jesus Christ.
COLOSSIANS
3:17 And whatsoever ye do
in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
to God and the Father by him. So if
you are not baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, then you are not doing
everything in that name like you were told to do.
Palmerworm locust caterpillar
59-0823 P:117 There's some baptized in no name at all.
They had to come and be baptized over again, 'fore they get the Holy Ghost. How
many knows that? Paul passed through the upper coasts of Ephesus, he found the
Baptists. They had a good pastor; he was a converted lawyer: Apollos. And he
said to them, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" They
said, "We know not whether there be any Holy Ghost." Said, "Then
how was you baptized?" It says in the King James, "unto what."
Read it in the original; it says "how." "Unto what" means
the same thing. "How was you baptized?" They said, "We've been
baptized by John, the same man baptized Jesus." That's a good baptizing.
"Walked out in the water, the same one that baptized... John. "Why”,
Paul said, "That won't work anymore. That ain't no good no more. He's done
come, been crucified. 'Cause John baptized unto repentance, not remission of
sins, saying you should believe on Him Who's come, Jesus Christ." And when
they heard this, they walked out into the water and was rebaptized again in the
Name of Jesus Christ. Paul laid his hands on them; the Holy Ghost come on them;
they prophesied and spoke in tongues. That right? Paul constrained men who'd
been baptized by the same man that baptized Jesus, told them they'd have to be
baptized over, because they wasn't baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. I've
got a right to say the same thing if it's the same doctrine.
Now, let me show you some other thins brother Branham
said that point out how important the name is.
Going beyond the camp
64-0719E P:9 There's not one Scripture in the Bible where anybody was ever baptized in
any other way but in the Name of Jesus Christ. The commission of Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost is only, "Go ye therefore, teach all nations, baptizing
them in the Name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost," not call this title over them, but baptize them in the Name of the
Father, Son, Holy Ghost, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. Everybody in the Bible was baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ,
and the Bible said that whosoever shall take one word out of It or add one word
to It in any way, woe unto them. So I have enough I have to fear about besides
adding something or taking it from the Scripture. It's got me in trouble many times,
but I stay right there. He is my Defense. It's caused me to separate from a
many a friend. They've parted from me
because of that. But just as long as I keep this Friend here, the Lord
Jesus... And He is the Word. No matter, rugged be the path, hard is the way, He
come the same way. And if they called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how
much more will they call those of His disciples.
Godhead Explained 61-0119A
P:71 Every Scripture in the Bible, every person in the Bible, was baptized in
the Name of Jesus Christ. I'll take any man, any historian, to this task:
if you can show me one speck of Scripture where anybody was ever baptized in
the Bible (new church, 'cause they wasn't baptized in the Old Testament, but in
the New Testament), where any persons was ever baptized in the name of the
Father, Son, Holy Ghost--one place that that was ever called over them, Father,
Son and Holy Ghost--then I'll compromise.
Godhead Explained 61-0119A
P:14 And then, every person in the Bible was
baptized after that, was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. And those who had already been baptized by
John, had to come and be rebaptized again in the name of Jesus Christ before
they got the Holy Ghost. Well, I said, "See, you're not zeroed there.
There's something out... "Now, if we believe the Bible to be God's
infallible Word, we can't make it splatter all over a piece of paper and then
be zeroed. You understand me? It's got to hit the target or it ain't hitting.
If it's out, it's out. Well, why did Peter turn around and do something Jesus
told him not to do, and then God
recognize it and give them the Holy Ghost, when Jesus said, "Baptize
them in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost." And Peter said,
"No, baptize in the name of Jesus." Now, you, you can't make that hit
the target. See? Now, there's something wrong somewhere, sisters. See? Either
the one lied, or... Which one lied?. Which one was it? Now, to me that just
won't work. Just like it is by...Is the baptism of the Holy Ghost evidence
speaking in tongues, or is it not? Some says, "Yes," and some says
"No." What's the Scriptures say about it? It's got to zero! I find
there where some did speak with tongues and some didn't. Well, what is it?
Now, to show you just how powerful that name is, let
me read these next two quotes to you from brother Branham. From his sermon, Who is this
59-0510E P:35 That young woman that walked into the
baptistery this morning, that three weeks ago, dying with sarcomas cancer.
Lives right here on
And again from Water baptism 59-0329M P:73 And
Sister Weaver, as you're standing here, and a witness that that... And many of
you here who knows that, when you were rebaptized again in the Name of Jesus
Christ... Some of you out there with
cancer and couldn't get well, when you were rebaptized in Jesus' Name, the
cancer left you. Mrs. Weaver's one of them. And the lady across the street
there is one of them, that it did it.