Not Every Baptism Mentioned is Water Baptism

Well here's some things I might want to tackle about.  Remember NOT every mention of baptism in the Bible is referred to water baptism, especially the baptism unto salvation.  Here's how we could refer to the truth that the baptismal covenant for salvation is different from water baptism.  So how do we differentiate them?

Note:

Matthew Henry has been accused of promoting the heresy of water baptism salvation.  Until I am proven wrong, I have re-examined the Complete Commentary which I downloaded as an e-Book into my mobile device.  Godly preachers like Charles Haddon Spurgeon and Jonathan Edwards have commended the works of Matthew Henry.  A lack of understanding of old English in Britain (the country where the commentary comes from) will make you misunderstand things.  

An excerpt of Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on what it is born again of water and of Spirit on John 3:3-20:

First, The regenerating work of the Spirit is compared to water, v. 5. To be born again is to be born of water and of the Spirit, that is, of the Spirit working like water, as (Mt. 3:11 ) with the Holy Ghost and with fire means with the Holy Ghost as with fire. 1. That which is primarily intended here is to show that the Spirit, in sanctifying a soul, (1.) Cleanses and purifies it as water, takes away its filth, by which it was unfit for the kingdom of God. It is the washing of regeneration, Tit. 3:5 . You are washed, 1 Co. 6:11 . See Eze. 36:25 . (2.) Cools and refreshes it, as water does the hunted hart and the weary traveller. The Spirit is compared to water, ch. 7:38, ch. 7:39 ; Isa. 44:3 . In the first creation, the fruits of heaven were born of water (Gen. 1:20 ), in allusion to which, perhaps, they that are born from above are said to be born of water. It is probable that Christ had an eye to the ordinance of baptism, which John had used and he himself had begun to use, "You must be born again of the Spirit,’’ which regeneration by the Spirit should be signified by washing with water, as the visible sign of that spiritual grace: not that all they, and they only, that are baptized, are saved; but without that new birth which is wrought by the Spirit, and signified by baptism, none shall be looked upon as the protected privileged subjects of the kingdom of heaven. The Jews cannot partake of the benefits of the Messiah’s kingdom, they have so long looked for, unless they quit all expectations of being justified by the works of the law, and submit to the baptism of repentance, the great gospel duty, for the remission of sins, the great gospel privilege.

In short, water baptism ONLY shows you are saved.  Many get water baptized but are never truly born again of water and of Spirit.  The signifying of water baptism is to the Christian's rebirth.  In fact I believe every new believer has this evidence also aside from good works- the desire to obey in water baptism.  But please not all who are water baptized are saved, not all of them were truly baptized in Spirit.

Acts 2:38 defined in the Matthew Henry Complete Commentary:

(1.) Repent; this is a plank after shipwreck. "Let the sense of this horrid guilt which you have brought upon yourselves by putting Christ to death awaken you to a penitent reflection upon all your other sins (as the demand of some one great debt brings to light all the debts of a poor bankrupt) and to bitter remorse and sorrow for them’’ This was the same duty that John the Baptist and Christ had preached, and now that the Spirit is poured out is it still insisted on: "Repent, repent; change your mind, change your way; admit an after-thought.’’ (2.) Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ; that is, "firmly believe the doctrine of Christ, and submit to his grace and government; and make an open solemn profession of this, and come under an engagement to abide by it, by submitting to the ordinance of baptism; be proselyted to Christ and to his holy religion, and renounce your infidelity.’’ They must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. They did believe in the Father and the Holy Ghost speaking by the prophets; but they must also believe in the name of Jesus, that he is the Christ, the Messias promised to the fathers. "Take Jesus for your king, and by baptism swear allegiance to him; take him for your prophet, and hear him; take him for your priest, to make atonement for you,’’ which seems peculiarly intended here; for they must be baptized in his name for the remission of sins upon the score of his righteousness. (3.) This is pressed upon each particular person: Every one of you. "Even those of you that have been the greatest sinners, if they repent and believe, are welcome to be baptized; and those who think they have been the greatest saints have yet need to repent, and believe, and be baptized. There is grace enough in Christ for every one of you, be you ever so many, and grace suited to the case of every one. Israel of old were baptized unto Moses in the camp, the whole body of the Israelites together, when they passed through the cloud and the sea (1 Co. 10:1, 1 Co. 10:2 ), for the covenant of peculiarity was national; but now every one of you distinctly must be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and transact for himself in this great affair.’’ See Col. 1:28 .2. He gives them encouragement to take this course:—(1.) "It shall be for the remission of sins. Repent of your sin, and it shall not be your ruin; be baptized into the faith of Christ, and in truth you shall be justified, which you could never be by the law of Moses. Aim at this, and depend upon Christ for it, and this you shall have. As the cup in the Lord’s supper is the New Testament in the blood of Christ for the remission of sins, so baptism is in the name of Christ for the remission of sins. Be washed, and you shall be washed.’’

So we see here- first for salvation, be baptized into Christ then after you are saved, this sermon also calls for this- the need for every saved individual to make an open profession of faith as part of SANCTIFICATION not salvation.  Notice the words "be baptized INTO the faith of Christ..." and not "be baptized into the water..." to which we see in here, the emphasis of the commentary is of baptism into the body of Christ prior to baptism into the water.  Please try to think of how baptism is used.

Mark 16:16 (now there's even a dispute if this verse is even in the Bible):

What is the summary of the gospel they are to preach (v. 16); "Set before the world life and death, good and evil. Tell the children of men that they are all in a state of misery and danger, condemned by their prince, and conquered and enslaved by their enemies.’’ This is supposed in their being saved, which they would not need to be if they were not lost. "Now go and tell them,’’ (1.) "That if they believe the gospel, and give up themselves to be Christ’s disciples; if they renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh, and be devoted to Christ as their prophet, priest, and king, and to God in Christ a their God in covenant, and evidence by their constant adherence to this covenant their sincerity herein, they shall be saved from the guilt and power of sin, it shall not rule them, it shall not ruin them. He that is a true Christian, shall be saved through Christ.’’ Baptism was appointed to be the inaugurating rite, by which those that embraced Christ owned him; but it is here put rather for the thing signified than for the sign, for Simon Magus 'believed' and was baptized, yet was not saved, Acts. 8:13 . Believing with the heart, and confessing with the mouth the Lord Jesus (Rom. 10:9 ), seems to be much the same with this here. Or thus, We must as sent to gospel-truths, and con sent to gospel-terms. (2.) "If they believe not, if they receive not the record God gives concerning his Son, they cannot expect any other way of salvation, but must inevitably perish; they shall be damned, by the sentence of a despised gospel, added to that of a broken law.’’ And even this is gospel, it is good news, that nothing else but unbelief shall damn men, which is a sin against the remedy.

So in short, we get the message- the baptism that saves is the baptism INTO the faith of Christ and NOT into the water.

On 2 Peter 3:21:

Declares what he means by saving baptism; not the outward ceremony of washing with water, which, in itself, does no more than put away the filth of the flesh, but it is that baptism wherein there is a faithful answer or restipulation of a resolved good conscience, engaging to believe in, and be entirely devoted to, God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, renouncing at the same time the flesh, the world, and the devil. The baptismal covenant, made and kept, will certainly save us. Washing is the visible sign; this is the thing signified.II. The apostle shows that the efficacy of baptism to salvation depends not upon the work done, but upon the resurrection of Christ, which supposes his death, and is the foundation of our faith and hope, to which we are rendered conformable by dying to sin, and rising again to holiness and newness of life. Learn, 1. the sacrament of baptism, rightly received, is a means and a pledge of salvation. Baptism now saveth us. God is pleased to convey his blessings to us in and by his ordinances, Acts. 2:38 Acts. 22:16 . 2. The external participation of baptism will save no man without an answerable good conscience and conversation. There must be the answer of a good conscience towards God.

There is now a differentiation between the baptismal covenant (which is baptism into the faith of Christ for salvation) vs. the sacrament of baptism to which is rightly received conveys and shows salvation, that is what it means it becomes a means and a pledge.  Matthew Henry here isn't teaching water baptism salvation, rather that a valid water baptism is only for saved people, no man gets saved by external participation and also he is aware of the words "doth also now save us" with the parenthesis in the Bible saying, "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God...").

Also one has to consider the word MEAN can mean like for can mean for so many things:

1.) To have in mind as a purpose: intend (ex. she means to win), To design or to destine to a specified purpose or future (ex. I was meant to teach).

2.) To serve or intend, to convey, to show or indicate: SIGNIFY. (A red sky means rain.)  In this case, baptism is a means of salvation or to cut through it, baptism is a signifying of salvation.  Signify means "tob e a sign, to show especially by a CONVENTIONAL TOKEN.

3.) To have importance to the degree of (ex. Health means everything)

4.) To direct to a particular invididual or to have an intended purpose (ex. He means well)

And mean can also be a bad word.