From: Pastor Vitale
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 4:47 PM
Hello Brother XXX,
How are you today?
I took a look at the Living Sword website and was happy to learn that the Eunuch was baptized with spiritual water.
Yes we are teaching a lot of the same thing. You call it the "teaching of the Cross" and we call it "The Doctrine of Christ":
Therefore, let us lay aside the principles of Satan,* [the unconscious part of the Carnal Mind], and go on, rather, to the Doctrine of Christ, which [has the power to impart] the faith that is founded on God, the one who perfects [us] after we repent of dead works (Alternate Translation Bible Heb. 6:1)..
* You may know that Paul wrote heavily in Kaballistic principles, one of which is that negatives in the Scripture, such as "not" may be translated as Satan, Leviathan, etc. when the content of the verse calls for it. Accordingly "Satan" is a translation of "not" in the above verse.
(Work-up): Therefore, let us lay aside (leaving) the principles [of our Carnal Mind], doctrine of Christ which (unto) perfection [us] let us go on Satan (not) rather (again) foundation cast down (laying) repent from dead works faith in (toward) God)
It is true that I am very busy, but I took the time to find the paragraphs in The Truth About Baptism that you are looking for. Please understand that terminology and choice of words may vary from teacher to teacher. We must always look beyond the words to try to discern if the Spirit of Truth has written them. What you call the "heavenly water baptism," we call "spiritual baptism" or, baptism into the Spirit of Christ" :
"So, we see that the first baptism, water, leads to the second baptism, Spirit. But, actually, there is just one baptism. The Scripture says there is one faith and one baptism, and whole denominations draw the conclusion that the one baptism is the Baptism with water, but this is not true.
The one baptism is a spiritual baptism, which we ascend into by stages. We are not descending into spiritual baptism], Christ Jesus, is descending upon us as we rise to meet Him (2 Cor. 5:2,4).
A little research will reveal that there are many baptisms. There is a baptism with fire, a baptism of suffering, etc., but there is really only one baptism in many parts. There is one body, many members thereof, one Godhead, different expressions thereof, one Spirit, many administrations. There is only one baptism with many parts.
As Christ increases in us, the personality which we are, continues to be baptized deeper and deeper into Christ Jesus' spiritual life.
The first step is to have someone dunk you under the water, which is an act of faith that our powerful and glorious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, has promised to honor, saying, go into the water of your own free will, and I will carry you the rest of the way. As far as I'm concerned, that makes water Baptism a very, very, important act of faith.
So we see that the second stage of baptism, spiritual baptism, is revealed as the first stage of baptism, water baptism, takes place. Submission to the first baptism, immersion in water, which is an act of mortal man's faith, leads to the beginning stage of the second baptism, the spiritual baptism that imparts the faith of the Son of God to the believer.
Mortal man can believe the Gospel of the Cross, but only the faith of the Son of God, Christ in us, can believe God's true plan of salvation for the human race. Our carnal mind cannot believe, so Christ in us believes for us. Our carnal mind cannot understand, so Christ in us, becomes our understanding. ........."
God Bless You.
Sincerely in Christ,
Sheila R. Vitale,
Pastor, Teacher & Founder
Living Epistles Ministries
