You're reading your own tradition into scripture, and nullifying Scripture by doing it -- exactly what Jesus chastised the Pharisees for doing. The word baptizo means "to wash, to dip, to plunge into water," and that's the meaning you should expect it to have in the absence of context indicating that it's a metaphor for something else.
If water baptism isn't what Scripture means by default when it speaks of baptism, please explain the episode of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts.
As a matter of fact, he thanks God he did not water baptize but a few at Corinth. For Christ sent me NOT TO BAPTIZE, but to preach the gospel.."
By your own exegetical practice, how do you know he's not talking about SPIRITUAL BAPTISM here? Water is not mentioned, is it?
But it always amazes me when fundamentalists try to pretend Paul is somehow denigrating baptism here. Read it in context, people! People were bragging about being baptized by Paul, and using it to sow dissension within the Church. Paul's not denigrating baptism, he's telling people not to thump their chests because they were baptized by him.
“You’re reading your own tradition into scripture, and nullifying Scripture by doing it...”
That is what “Cronos” has done, not “smvoice”.
In fact the big mistake made by the Catholic church over the years is how it consistently nullified Scripture with man made Catholic tradition.
In fact, the “Pope” is an invention of man made religious tradition that has no basis in Scripture, part of the “ecclesiastical baggage” referenced by the author of the article.
"For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the head of all principality and power: IN whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision (spiritual) made WITHOUT HANDS, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: BURIED WITH HIM IN BAPTISM (spiritual) wherein also ye are risen (spiritual) with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, Having forgiven you all trespasses." Col. 2:9-13.
The circumcision, the burying in baptism, the risen with Him are all the work of the HOLY SPIRIT. They are all spiritual.
We have partaken of these things because we have trusted in the completed work of Christ.
In the dispensation of Grace there is only one baptism, baptism by the Spirit into Christ. The ONE BAPTISM of Eph. 4:4-6.
Acts 9. The Apostle Paul is saved on the way to Damascus. The Gospel of the Grace of God is given to him as his commission. He declares in 1 Cor. 1:14-17 that he is NOT sent to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Evidently the GOSPEL PAUL IS PREACHING DOES NOT CONTAIN THE COMMAND TO BE BAPTIZED. This is clear. If his gospel contained a command for water baptism, like Peter and the 11, don't you think he would have gladly baptized believers? And yet HE THANKS GOD he didn't baptize but a few.
You can choose not to believe what is clearly stated, but that doesn't change the clear statement.
Or you can choose to follow the admonition of 2 Tim. 2:15 and learn to rightly divided God's Word of truth. Then you would understand that Acts is a transition book of the Bible, from law to grace, from the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Gospel of the Grace of God, from water baptism to the One Baptism by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ. If the Dispensation of Grace began with Paul, then anything performed before Paul was saved was part of the Dispensation of the Kingdom.
Including the Ethiopian Eunuch visiting Jerusalem----the Gospel of the Kingdom epicenter.