Is The Phrase “One Baptism” In Eph 4:5 Meant To Rule Out Holy Spirit Baptism?

In exhorting Christians to keep the “unity of the Spirit,” Ephesians 4:4-6 lists seven ones, including the subject of this article “one baptism.” Some teach this declaration rules out “Holy Spirit baptism” as being in operation any longer, but I am thinking this is a false argument for the truth.

Paul’s argument in this section is that Christians should and can have unity because there is only “one body” and “one Lord” and “one hope” and so forth, the point being they are part of the same body (church) and serve the same Lord (Jesus) and have the same hope (salvation in heaven). Similarly, Paul’s point on “one baptism” is not to contrast water baptism with other types of baptisms, but to say that every Christian’s water baptism was the same, i.e., has the same result. Paul’s point is the same as he made in I Cor 1:10,12-13.  Even though they were baptized in water by DIFFERENT PEOPLE (I Cor 1:12-13), at different times, and perhaps at different places, John Doe’s baptism is the same as Jane Smith’s baptism – it was “in the name of the Lord” (Acts 19:5) “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38) and it placed one “into Christ” (Gal 3:27).

The point is that one Christian is not better than any other Christian based upon who baptized them.  All scriptural water baptisms are equal.  Can you imagine how some Christians might have been uppity if they were baptized by Jesus himself?  Perhaps that is why Jesus let his disciples do his baptizing for him (John 4:2)?

Every Christian’s baptism is the same as every other Christians’ baptism and therefore Christians are united in their baptism. Christians can be one because all our baptisms are one and the same.

The point of Eph 4:5 is not to disallow other types of legitimate immersions – like Holy Spirit baptism, the baptism of suffering, or even taking a bath or going swimming. In Christianity there has never been more than one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, or one God the Father.  And there has never been more than one Christian baptism either.  For example, there is not a water baptism for the Jews and another water baptism for the Gentiles; we are one now.

Furthermore, if we understand Holy Spirit baptism to refer to the directly given miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit, then I Cor 13:8ff teaches Holy Spirit baptism does not happen anymore.  That is the correct way to show the miraculous gifts have ceased, not with Eph 4:5.