These men had baptised in Jesus' name and presence whilst He was with them in the flesh during the course of His earthly ministry, but not until He had made baptism 'the Baptism' could they baptise in the New Order. From that time onward they did not, as before, baptise in the name of Jesus alone, for that would have excluded the other two members of the being of God; with superior knowledge they baptised in the name of Jesus who was now able to baptise in Spirit into the triune God.
When they had baptised in His name earlier, He had not been able to do so, but now He could, so He commanded them to go beyond their former limitations and baptise into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. They were to do so now because they represented Him in a new way; His new ability became new ability to them also. Being born of the Spirit, they could bear the name which formerly they only used, and bearing it could act in a capacity until then impossible to them. They could represent Him now more fully as they understood Him to be a Person and representative of the entire Godhead of which He is Jesus, but they all One God.
This is what He had definitely said to them: 'Lo, I AM with you'. In those simple words He had spoken out His conscious knowledge of His own personal eternal existence, and also the 'family name' of God unto all generations — the name which is the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. The name of the eternal, conscious existence of the unique, original Being who is and was and is to come: ETERNAL LIFE. Into Him, into that, are we baptised when Jesus baptises us in Holy Spirit. As many as believe and are baptised shall be saved, He said, and He alone knows.
We therefore conclude that the baptism of John was indeed from heaven, for by it Jesus, the Son of God, came unto men as 'the Lamb of God that beareth away the sin of the world', 'He that baptiseth with the Holy Ghost'. And if this be so, how much more is the Baptism of Jesus, the Lamb, the Son of God, from heaven also! We are informed that upon the occasion recorded in Acts 2, it was from heaven. What had until then been His unique Baptism became the unique inaugural Baptism of the New Covenant.
The last view we have of the whole subject of baptism as faithfully recorded in scripture is true to Paul's later statement to the Ephesians — there is ONE BAPTISM. All combines and is embraced in one; the lesser is absorbed in the greater and made an illustration of it, which is as it should be. The age of Baptism is upon us!
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G.W. North (1913 - 2003)
G. W. North was born in London England in 1913. As a young man he became aware that the Lord was calling him into the work of the ministry. At timely stages the Lord placed folk in his path who were able to direct him into the truth of heart purity and a more expansive understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He held pastorates in Kent and Bradford. By the late 1960s, following a significant period of ministry in Liverpool, he began a more itinerant ministry. This led him to many parts of the world, and occupied him until well into his eighties. His powerful preaching and the unique sense of the Lord's presence, which seemed to brood over his meetings, were always intensely challenging.The true secret of his remarkable ministry stemmed from his personal communion with the Lord Jesus. To him, 'entering the holiest' was not merely a theological concept; it was a distinct spiritual reality - and the central feature of his spiritual life. It was here, in the place of worship, that his revelatory ministry found its source. He preached from understanding and conviction. He was never the echo of another, nor did he take on board the ebb and flow of various contemporary emphases. He was not a man of 'books'; he soaked himself in Scripture and allowed it to saturate his heart and mind. Truly, this is a man who has lifted up a standard for the people. Mr North went to be with the Lord on 29th April 2003, shortly after his ninetieth birthday.