Baptism

1
Baptism

• When did baptism begin?
• What is the origin, background, and history of
  baptism?
• Why was Jesus baptized?
• How do we answer those who object to baptism?

2
Here is the Plan for this Study

• This study will be divided into 7 parts
• Old Testament background for baptism
• New Testament
• Word study meaning of baptism
• Travel through the NT passages
• What baptism IS / DOES
• Romans 63-5 study
• Conversions in Acts
• Common Objections to baptism
• Why was Jesus baptized?

3
Part 1 Old Testament

• It may surprise you to know that the background
  of baptism starts in Genesis 1.
• Genesis 110 - And God called the dry land Earth,
  and the gathering together of the waters He
  called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
• Hebrew word mikveh The gathering of waters
  represented the ceremonial washings, cleansings
  and purifications under the Law of Moses.

4
Part 1 Old Testament

• 3 Areas of Washing / Immersion
• Gentile converting to Judaism
• Woman after monthly cycle
• Pots made by a non-Jew
• Descending order of mikveh
• Highest was spring, flowing river called
  living water
• John 410-11 - 10Jesus answered and said to her,
  If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who
  says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have
  asked Him, and He would have given you living
  water. 11The woman said to Him, Sir, You have
  nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where
  then do You get that living water?

5
Part 1 Old Testament

• 6 Restrictions in Jewish Tradition
• No other liquid added ONLY water
• Must be in the ground or attached to a building
  on the ground
• Not flowing except a natural stream or river
• Not manually drawn water must flow into the
  pool
• Not channeled by anything unclean
• At least 40 saah 200 gallons
• Saah 5 gallons
• Human body takes space of 20 saah
• Immersion requires double that

6
Part 1 Old Testament

• NOTE All the words for the above six
  restrictions are found in Leviticus 1136
• Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in which
  there is plenty of water, shall be clean, but
  whatever touches any such carcass becomes
  unclean.
• Why Immerse?
• To the Jew mikveh washing, purification,
  cleansing
• Purpose not to be defiled, cleansed from sin

7
Part 1 Old Testament

• All Commands of the Law came in 3 areas
• Moral or Ethical
• Ritual, ceremony, worship
• Separate from world
• Deuteronomy 46 - Therefore be careful to observe
  them for this is your wisdom and your
  understanding in the sight of the peoples who
  will hear all these statutes, and say, Surely
  this great nation is a wise and understanding
  people.

8
Part 1 Old Testament

• How was immersion done?
• Preparation
• Cut nails, hair neat
• Undress nothing touching you
• Profess faith to the father of your faith
• Origin of having a godfather
• Self-immersion
• Waist deep in water
• Squat down and bend over (face first)
• Baptizer not touch you, just make sure you are
  all under

9
Part 1 Old Testament

• An early drawing of John the Baptizer shows him
  standing back and watching a self-immersion
• Matthew 316 - When He had been baptized, Jesus
  came up immediately from the water and behold,
  the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the
  Spirit of God descending like a dove and
  alighting upon Him.
• Repentance was required before baptism.

10
Part 1 Old Testament

• 6 Parts to Immersion
• Exhortation explain the reason, purpose
• Self-immersion
• 3 times
• Not trinity related
• mikveh is used 3 times in the OT for baptism
• Leviticus 1516b - then he shall wash all his
  body in water, and be unclean until evening.

11
Part 1 Old Testament

• 6 Parts to Immersion
• Required a witness
• Father to whom confession is made
• Origin of in the name of
• Origin of baptism as a time to name or change
  names
• Not touched by the baptized
• Water was compared to the womb
• They were called a new person
• This was often referred to as a new birth, born
  again
• 3 Witnesses were required independent, not
  related to the convert

12
Part 1 Old Testament

• Repentance was required
• Repent includes a decision to stop the sin
• Any sin can be forgiven
• Water and Blood Cleansing
• Blood Passover, Atonement, feast offerings,
  Levitical offerings, priests ministry
• Water Red Heifer, priests ministry, leper
  cleansing, washings in the law, remission of sins
• 1 John 56 - This is He who came by water and
  bloodJesus Christ not only by water, but by
  water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears
  witness, because the Spirit is truth.