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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Yes, I know about rules of capitalization. No, I am not reflecting negatively on Christ by using a lower case “c” in His name. Yes, I do have a point to make and I want desperately to catch your attention so it won’t be missed. No, I won’t do anything to make a point, but I will go a long way to try to make this one; it is that important!
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death” (Romans 6.3; emphasis mine, jb). This quote is taken from the New King James Version. Consider the weight of an argument to begin our thoughts. Beginning with the Bishop’s Bible in 1568 AD, continuing with the Geneva Bible of 1587, and then of course in the more familiar King James version of 1611, the revered translators of these Bibles translated the little Greek word eis as into in our focus text. Since that time, almost every reputable translating committee has also translated this tiny word in the same manner; those who so translated it include the American Standard Version, the New American Standard Version, the Revised Standard Version, the New Revised Standard Version, the English Standard Version, the English Revised Version, the 21Century King James Version, and the New International Version. Five hundred years of scholarship and hundreds of language experts have agreed that the little word upon which we focus our attention is correctly and adequately translated by the English word into!
The translators of the 15th and 16th century only had about 50,000 to 60,000 recognizable English words from which to choose; they chose into. More modern translators who worked in the latter part of the 20th century had about a half a million English word from which to choose; they chose into. The force of these facts is this: Into was right then (the 16th Century) and into is still right today (the 21century). Almost with equal force, the same arguments can be made for the wording that appears in Galatians 3.27. Paul wrote, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Emphasis mine; jb). These two verses (Romans 6.3 and Galatians 3.27) are the only two verses in Holy Writ that use the expression “into Christ.” They are God’s word just as much as any other passage within the 66 books, and they are correctly translated.
Now we come to the major point of our thoughts. “Into” is a preposition that speaks of transition or change. We go into the house; there is a change or a transition. We enter into a contract; there is a change or a transition. Into is different from in. In is static; it merely speaks of a relationship that exists; not of one that is in transition. Into is dynamic; it speaks of a relationship that is changing; one that is in transition. God said we are baptized into Christ. He could have said we are baptized in Christ, but He didn’t. Baptism is a point at which a change in relationship occurs; baptism into Christ is dynamic; it speaks of transition.
One doctrine about baptism is that believers ought to be baptized after they have been saved. This doctrine implies that the believer is “in Christ,” the place of all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1.3), before baptism. I affirm this doctrine is false! If one is in Christ before baptism, then it would be an impossibility for that person to be baptized into Christ. You cannot go into a house where you exist. You can’t enter into a contract that is already binding. Dear reader, if one who is saved should later be baptized, there could be no legitimate use of the phrase “baptized into Christ.” However, God speaks about being “baptized into Christ.” Baptism is the point of transition where the penitent believer changes from death to life and from being in the world to being in Christ!
Questions:
1. How important is it to pay attention to little words, especially those that God speaks?
2. Can a person who is “in Christ” be baptized “into Christ”? If yes, please explain!
3. Are all saved persons “in Christ”? If yes, then how could a saved person be baptized “into Christ”?
4. How many Biblical passages tell one how to get “into Christ”?
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