The examples in 1 Corinthians 10 reach much further than what Paul explicitly outlined. For instance, if the passage through the Red Sea represents baptism, it would seem that bondage in Egypt represents our bondage to sin before we came to Jesus the Christ. The entire analogy is rich with lessons for the Christian.

The Red Sea was a very physical separation from Egyptian slavery. The fact that baptism “seems” physical, “seems” something that “we” “do,” can obscure the spiritual nature of baptism.

But the key to baptism is the work of
the Holy Spirit.

Paul says,

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, …”
1Cor 12:13 KJV

That would make the key to true Christian baptism, not who baptized us, or where, or all the details of what we were thinking, but the actions of God’s Spirit on our spirit in the act of baptism. Similarly, Paul compares baptism to one of the signs of the Old Covenant, circumcision.

“11 in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
Col 2:11-12 WEB

Once again, baptism is not something you do, but something done to you. In this case it is described as something “not made with hands.” You and I do NOT “do” baptism (the One Spirit does), rather we “are baptized” by someone else: the Spirit of God. Baptism, true baptism (not just a dunking) then is not a work of man, but a work of God on the spirit/soul of man.

This also parallels the passage through the Red Sea. Israel did not baptize herself “under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,” but God who baptized them through the sea and under the cloud.

This is not contrary to grace, this is grace!

So if the Red Sea separated Israel from
Egyptian bondage,

then that would imply that our being baptized into Jesus is what separates us from bondage to sin. So after Paul came to believe in Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was told, “But rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:6 WEB. And what was he told?

“’Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’”
Acts 22:16 WEB

That would imply Peter was right, that we need to,

“… “Repent, and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, …”
Acts 2:38 WEB

It is shameful how some belittle the work of God in baptism. Others have called baptism our initial test of faith.. God is the only one who can truly separate us from our sins, and that is grace.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901