Were the disciples baptized?

[Reformation Monk]

I was just reading John and I thought about Jesus' disciples and the others who fell away in John 6; which made me wonder. I have to assume that they were all baptized.

 

[Jack K]

Paul's epistles speak of how all believers share one baptism and were baptized into Christ: "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body" (1 Cor. 12:13); "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27); "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph 4:5). So in light of this, it would seem very odd if the other apostles were not baptized. It's safe to assume they were.

 

[Reformation Monk]

So, still thinking here..... so I'm assuming that the disciples here mentioned in John 6 ( the 12, including Judas and the others that are mentioned ) were already baptized.

So, I guess it's safe to say that they were never baptized with water again after the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord.

I wonder, were they indwelt with the Spirit before pentecost and then at pentecost just received more power?

I don't know, the whole before and after pentecost thing confuses me.

I mean by just my understanding of scripture alone.... it would seem to me that starting with Adam and Eve and then Abel and so on, there was a "seed" that were truly righteous and indwelt by the spirit.

So I guess I'm trying to figure out what the significance of pentecost is and if there were those before pentecost that were baptized and fell away, how if anything pentecost changes things?

 

[Rufus]

There's one verse where the Apostles where baptizing so I think its logical to say they where themselves baptized.

 

[Peairtach]

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. (John 6:66, ESV)

We're not told whether these disciples had yet been baptised. Possibly some or all of them were, by John the Baptist or by Jesus' disciples. Maybe if you did more research into the passage you could get some idea if it was likely that they'd gone as far as being baptised?

Judas and the Eleven would have been baptised either by John or by the other disciples.

You have to remember also that not everyone who believed on Jesus was itinerant with Him, like the Twelve. The Apostle says that 500 saw Him at one time after His resurrection (in Galilee?).

Jesus Himself didn't baptise with water, because He was going to baptise with the Spirit into Himself, which couldn't be done until after His ascension.

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. (John 4:1-3).

The baptism of the disciples by Christ with - or by - the Holy Spirit into Himself had to be delayed until after the ascension, as Christ couldn't appropriately baptise them into all He had done until then.

Subsequent generations of believers have been baptised into all that Christ is and has done at regeneration.

Therefore we don't look for the baptism with the Holy Spirit after conversion.

John the Baptist predicted Pentecost and related it to water baptism:

"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matt 3:11)

And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mark 1:7-8)

John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (Luke 3:16)

I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' (John 1:33)

OT saints were indwelt by the Holy Spirit but they didn't have the baptism and fullness we have, and the Holy Spirit didn't have the complete Word of God available to open Christ and His work up to them as we have.

Sometimes it is called baptism by the Spirit because although Christ is active in baptising us into Himself with His Spirit, the Spirit isn't a passive agent like water, but the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.

Romans 6 is a major passage which talks about water baptism and the spiritual reality of baptism into Christ at the same time, because of the sacramental union between the two:

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Rom 6:3-5)

Quote from Monk

So, I guess it's safe to say that they were never baptized with water again after the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord.

You should only be baptised with water once, as you are only regenerated and baptised with the Spirit once. In the case of the disciples, John the Baptist indicated that there water baptism anticipated their baptism with the Holy Spirit.