By Pastor Dave Farmer
There are seven baptisms mentioned in the New Testament Scriptures. It may surprise you that in most of them water wasn't used. Three wet baptisms and four dry. This is an outline of the Doctrine of those 7 Baptisms.
Two Categories of Baptisms
I. Ritual Baptisms: [Three Ritual Baptisms]
Characteristics: Wet, literal water used, the water represents something significant.
(1) Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17)
(a) Water represented the Father’s Plan.
(b) Christ identified Himself with the Father’s will in going to the Cross.
(2) Baptism of John (Matthew 3:1-11; John 1:25-33; Acts 1:9;11:16)
(a) Water represented the coming King.
(b) Identification of John’s converts with Jesus and His Kingdom.
(3) Christian baptism (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38, 41; 8:36-38; 9:18; 10:47, 48; 16:33)
(a) Water represents the Body of Christ.
(b) Identification of the Church Age believer with Christ in His death (under the water)
(c) Identification with air (coming out of water); picture of union with Christ in His resurrection.
(d) Testimony to personal faith in Christ.
II. Real Baptisms [four real baptisms]
Characteristics: Dry, no water used, an actual identification; the person is identified with something real.
(1) Baptism of Moses (1 Corinthians 10:2) the children of Israel at the Red Sea
(a) Identified with Moses.
(b) Identified with the Cloud (Christ).
(2) Baptism of Fire (Matthew 3:11; 13:40; Luke 3:16b; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9) identifies Tribulational unbelievers with the judgment at the end of the Tribulation, at the Second advent
(3) Baptism of the Cross "also called "The cup" (Matthew 20:22; Luke 12:50)
(a) Christ identified Himself with the Cross and with all our sins.
(b) All the sins of the world were put in one “cup” and poured out on Him, Christ was identified with our sins; the Father judged Him when our sins were put on Him.
(4) Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12,13; Galatians 3:26-28)
(a) The Church Age believer is placed into union with Jesus Christ and we share in His victory.
(b) We are placed into the Body of Christ in which He is the head, Ephesians 5:23.
(c) When we are placed into union with Christ we become a new spiritual species (2 Corinthians 5:17) and now and forever share in the unprecedented, unimaginable, unmerited, and unconditional spiritual blessing from the Grace Plan of God (Ephesians 1:3).