WAS PAUL TOO BUSY?
By Ivan L. Burgener
Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 1:14-17
Too busy for what? Water baptism? Come now! Can God's man be too busy in God's work to do God's will-if indeed God's will includes water baptism? Preposterous!
Oh yes, Paul was busy; for in comparison with the twelve, he labored "more abundantly than they all" (1 Corinthians 15:10). And for that matter, Paul's extensive imprisonments, sufferings, perils and "the care of all the churches" might have also been used by some to excuse Paul from the baptismal chore.
Why not listen to Paul's own stated reason for baptizing so few at the start and none in his later ministry. "Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the gospel." Peter could not have said that-nor could any of the twelve for that matter! Those clearly instructed by the risen Lord before Hisascension were told to "make disciples of all nations baptizing them ... " (Matthew 28:19). Now either Paul was more disobedient than they all, OR perhaps he was not laboring under that so-called "Great Commission"! Read the Lord's words from Heaven to Paul on the Damascus Road and later.Where do we read of the Lord telling Paul to pitch in and help the failing, carnal twelve who so lazily stayed by Jerusalem? If we may judge by present day standards, used by some preachers to measure their success, what better indication of response to the message than the preacher's baptismal record. No indeed. 1 submit that it is impossible for one man to "out baptize" twelve, unless the twelve were really derelict in their duty. We therefore conclude that Paul's God-given ministry did not include water baptism, but it did include and center in the merits of Christ's cross and God's sacred secretwhich He deposited to Paul's care!
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