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Estudo das Escrituras: O Batismo e o Dom do Espírito Santo

Jesus Cristo foi batizado para servir de exemplo para seus seguidores. Ele disse a seu primo João que o batismo é essencial a fim de “cumprir toda a justiça.”

Matthew 3:13-15:

• Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
• But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
• And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Cristo deu Seu evangelho para os profetas e apóstolos, ensinando-lhes entre outras coisas que o batismo é necessário para a salvação. Ele deu a esses homens a responsabilidade de transmitir os ensinamentos de Cristo a todos os filhos de Deus, um exemplo perfeito do papel dos profetas e apóstolos: receber a palavra de Deus e então agir como Seus porta-vozes.

Mark 16:15-20:

• And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
• He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
• And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
• They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
• So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
• And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Cristo explicou que tanto o batismo e o dom do Espírito Santo (ou seja, o renascimento pela água e pelo espírito) é necessários para entrar no reino de Deus.

John 3:1-8:

• There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
• The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
• Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
• Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
• Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
• That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
• The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

O apóstolo Pedro ensinou os “Primeiros Princípios e Ordenanças do Evangelho”, incluindo o arrependimento, o batismo e o dom do Espírito Santo.

Acts 2:38:

• Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Pedro explicou em outro lugar o mesmo princípio: o batismo é necessário para a salvação do pecado.

1 Peter 3:21:

• The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Depois que Cristo foi batizado, o apóstolo Mateus relatou que Ele saiu da água, mostrando que Ele foi batizado por imersão.

Matthew 3:16:

• And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

Marcos do Novo Testamento relatou a mesma coisa: depois de seu batismo, Jesus Cristo saiu da água, sugerindo um batismo por imersão.

Mark 1:9-11:

• And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
• And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
• And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

O apóstolo João relatou que João Batista batizou em locais “com muita água”. Batismo por aspersão não requer “muita água”, sugerindo que os primeiros cristãos foram batizados por imersão.

John 3:23:

• And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

Quando Filipe batizou o eunuco, eles desceu na água, sugerindo também um batismo por imersão, não aspersão.

Acts 8:38:

• And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Em sua epístola aos Romanos, o apóstolo Paulo explicou o simbolismo do batismo. Estamos imersos na água, simbolizando o enterro de nossos velhos hábitos pecaminosos. Quando saímos da água, somos ressuscitados para uma nova vida como um discípulo de Cristo.

Romans 6:3-4:

• Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
• Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Paulo explicou em outra parte o mesmo princípio: o batismo é como um enterro, sugerindo fortemente o batismo por imersão.

Colossians 2:12:

• Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Além de ensinar a importância do batismo, o apóstolo Paulo também ensinou a importância do dom do Espírito Santo. Ele deu o dom do Espírito Santo pela imposição das mãos.

Acts 19:1-6:

• And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
• He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
• And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
• Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
• When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
• And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

Além de dar o dom do Espírito Santo pela imposição das mãos, o próprio apóstolo Paulo recebeu o dom do Espírito Santo da mesma forma.

Acts 9:17-18:

• And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
• And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Lucas também explicou como um recebe o dom do Espírito Santo. Os apóstolos Pedro e João foram enviados a Samaria para dar aos samaritanos o Espírito Santo pela imposição das mãos.

Acts 8:14-17:

• Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
• Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
• (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
• Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.