<p>12:13- see on Gal. 3:27.</p><p><i>For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free- </i>Christ &quot;shall baptize <i>you</i>&quot; plural (Mt. 3:11) was deeply meditated upon by Paul, until he came to see in the fact that we <i>plural</i> are baptized. The strong implication is that therefore we should be one body, without unnecessary divisions. For <i>by one Spirit</i> are we all baptized into one body&quot; of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). The Spirit seems to be the baptizer. But how? The Lord Jesus baptizes by the Spirit (Jn. 1:33), although He didn't personally hold the shoulders of those He baptized (Jn. 4:2- doubtless to show that who does this is irrelevant). We obeyed the Truth (through baptism) &quot;by the Spirit&quot; (2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:22). This doesn't necessarily mean that the Spirit made us obey the Truth. Rather is the idea that as<i> Christ</i> died and was raised by the Spirit (1 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 1:4), so we go through the same process in baptism, being likewise resurrected (in a figure) by the Spirit (1 Pet. 3:18-21). It is therefore the Spirit which raises us up out of the water, as it raised Christ; the man holding our shoulders is irrelevant. It is therefore through / by the Spirit that we have our hope of salvation (Gal. 5:5). There is only one resurrection, ultimately: that of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 6:14,15). By baptism into Him, we have a part in that. God in this sense resurrected us with Christ (Eph. 2:5,6), we even ascended into heavenly places in Him, as He rose up into the literal Heavens. And this whole process was achieved by the Spirit. &nbsp;But what does&nbsp; the Spirit&quot; mean in this context? The Lord Jesus Himself is the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). The Spirit is what quickens us; but consider Jn. 6:63: &ldquo;It is the Spirit that quickeneth... the words that I speak unto you, <i>they</i> are spirit, and <i>they</i> are (what gives) life&rdquo;. The process of coming alive with Christ by baptism, the raising out of the grave which the water represents, is therefore due to the work of the Lord Jesus through His Spirit and His word. He is &quot;the Lord the Spirit&quot; (2 Cor. 3:18 RV). At baptism we are born of (or by) water-and-spirit (Jn. 3:5; the Greek implies one act, combining water and spirit). We were washed by baptism &quot;in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God&quot; (1 Cor. 6:11). &ldquo;He that is joined to the Lord (Jesus) (by baptism) is one spirit (with Him)&quot; (1 Cor. 6:17). We are saved &quot;by the washing (baptism) of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit; which he shed on us abundantly by Jesus Christ&quot; (Tit. 3:5,6). See on Jn. 3:5.</p><p><i>And were all made to drink of one Spirit- </i>At baptism, we drink of the Spirit. The Corinthians had done so, but were unwilling generally to continue doing so. We were &quot;made&quot; to do this. It is not all a mere question of freewill response. 1 Cor. 10:4 has drawn the parallel with Israel all drinking the same spiritual drink, which was Christ. In Christ, we are &quot;made&quot; to drink of Christ's Spirit. But this is not an overpowering influence- for the Corinthians had drunk of it but had turned aside to idols, just as Israel had done.</p>