BASIC
TEXT for
“Baptisms” Study:
Hebrews
6:1, 2 # 12.
Wefocus
now on
the various medium[s]
used in
Bible baptisms. Water
is not the only substance used for baptisms in
the Bible.
This
doesn’t mean we
can have our pick for a baptism today.
The substance depends on the type of baptism mentioned
and
if it’s authorized for today.
Vocabulary.
medium:
“an
intervening substance, as air, through which a force acts or an
effect is produced”;
“a
condition or environment in which something may function or flourish:
Ocean
fish live in a medium of salt water.”
-Merriam-Webster
Online.
Although
the word “baptism” conjures up pictures of water, the
verb action in the original language is not limited to water.
In
the first century AD, the word for baptism (Gr., bapto)
was understood from the universally accessible Greek version of
the Old Testament as a command or description of certain actions of
dipping and immersion. For examples: the
finger was to be baptized inblood (Leviticus 4:6, 17; 9:9);
out of two birds, the live one
is baptized in the blood of the
dead one (Leviticus 14:6 & 51); the priest’s right
finger is baptized in oil
(Leviticus 14:16); Asher is to baptize his
foot in olive oil
(Deuteronomy 33:24); the feet
of priests were baptized in Jordan
(Joshua 3:15); food is
baptized in vinegar (Ruth 2:14);
foot
is baptized in enemies’ blood
(Psalm 68:23); Jonathan baptizes a
rodin honeycomb (1 Samuel
14:27); one being baptized
in a ditch of filth (Job 9:31);
hyssop is to be baptized in blood
(Exodus 12:22; Numbers 19:18); cloths
are baptized in dye (Judges
5:30); rags baptized in
water (2 Kings 8:15); a
thing touched by death is to have a protracted baptism
in water (Leviticus 11:32); Naaman
has seven baptisms in water (2
Kings 8:14); a king’s body
is baptized in dew from heaven
(Daniel 4:33; 5:21); the prophet Isaiah
is baptized in lawlessness
(Isaiah 21:4).
For
added study on the Hebrew and Greek word (baptism),
I recommend the articles
at:
https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/9202/was-baptism-practiced-before-christ.
06/21/2019;https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/266-who-was-john-the-baptist.
6/21/2019
Some
examples in the New Testament that are in addition to the religious
acts of water baptism that we’ve studied:
(1)
Jesus speaks of His baptism in suffering and passion (compare with
His cup; Matthew 20:23; Mark 10:38); (2) a request is made for
Lazarus to baptize his finger in water (Luke 16:24); (3) a morsel of
food is baptized during the last supper (John 13:26); and finally,
(4) a cloak is baptized in blood (Revelation 19:13).
In
all these occasions, there should be no doubt that baptism is an
immersion or an overwhelming of a substance, literal
or metaphorical. I wish to make this point: some religionists
claim that since the blood on the finger sprinkles the audience, a
mode of baptizing can therefore be sprinkling. Surely, we can
sensibly ask, “Was the audience baptized with the blood or was
it not the finger?” Two different actions. Two different
subjects (finger and audience).
John
the Baptist predicted the unique baptizing inG1722
the Holy Spirit plus a baptizing in fire.
The four recordings:
“I
indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after
me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall
baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in
fire:” (Matthew 3:11, ASV).
“I
baptized you in water; But he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”
(Mark 1:8, ASV).
“John
answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water;
but there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose
shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you in the Holy
Spirit and in fire” (Luke 3:16, ASV).
“And
I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said unto
me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding
upon him, the same is he that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit”
(John 1:33, ASV).
These
were attributed exclusively to Jesus. No man is ever mentioned as
doing these or having such resulting
power.
Only Jesus. There are two entities. The baptism in fire is
distinct from the Holy Spirit. The day of Pentecost, as some have
preached, has no record of fire (tongues were “like”
fire, a
resemblance).
John the
Baptist explained
what
the baptism of fire was. As
John said: He
will separate
the wheat from the chaff and
“He
will burn
up the chaff
with unquenchable fire”
(Matthew
3:12; Luke
3:17).
Later, Jesus’
apostle would write, “When
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angelsIn
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:Who
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of
the Lord, and from the glory of his power”
(2 Thessalonians 1:7b-9).Jesus
is coming in
flaming fire to punish.No,
I don’t think we want to be baptized with fire as some have
erroneously
taught.
Not
only is Jesus the only one baptizing in fire, He is the only one
mentioned baptizing
in the Holy Spirit.
Jesus
Never
BaptizedIn
Water.
“When
therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made
and baptized more disciples than John,Though
Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples”
(John 4:2).It is understood from
this passage that Jesus’
disciples did continue
the water baptisms started by John which
baptisms prepared
for the coming kingdom
(John 4:1,2). Jesus Himselfeventually
baptized
groups of people on
two occasions(according
to the Scriptures)but
only with the Holy Spirit:
(1) Hisown
Jewish
apostles (Acts 1:4,
5; 2:1-4)
and (2)
a
Gentile group
(Acts 10; 11). Both
occurred after His
ascension. Neither
had anything
to do with water nor did they
save anyone. The
apostles on the one hand had already been saved with the water
baptism of remission of
sins which was preparatory
(Mark 1:4; John 1:35).i
On
the other hand, the
Gentiles (Cornelius’
group) were gathered to
“hear
words
to save them”;
but when
Peter started
his sermon, Jesus baptized them with the Holy Spiritii,
before and without
their hearing
the saving Word. Therefore,
they were baptized in the
Holy Spirit without any
existing faith on their part (Acts
11:14, 15).
The purpose of this
baptism was to persuade Peter and his Jewish companions to
allow
a Gentile
audience to be
baptized in water which saves
the believer (Acts
10:47).
GAYLON
WEST
THROW
OUT THE LIFELINE
BIBLESTUDYLESSONS.NET
iThe
disciples of John had been baptized for the remission of their sins
(Mark 1:4). They were hence saved disciples.
ii
Peter compared it to
the apostles’ Spirit baptism “at the beginning”
(Acts 11:15); i.e., Acts 2, beginning of the gospel.
In
the first century AD, the word for baptism (Gr., bapto)
was understood from the universally accessible Greek version of
the Old Testament as a command or description of certain actions of
dipping and immersion. For examples: the
finger was to be baptized in
blood (Leviticus 4:6, 17; 9:9);
out of two birds, the live one
is baptized in the blood of the
dead one (Leviticus 14:6 & 51); the priest’s right
finger is baptized in oil
(Leviticus 14:16); Asher is to baptize his
foot in olive oil
(Deuteronomy 33:24); the feet
of priests were baptized in Jordan
(Joshua 3:15); food is
baptized in vinegar (Ruth 2:14);
foot
is baptized in enemies’ blood
(Psalm 68:23); Jonathan baptizes a
rod in honeycomb (1 Samuel
14:27); one being baptized
in a ditch of filth (Job 9:31);
hyssop is to be baptized in blood
(Exodus 12:22; Numbers 19:18); cloths
are baptized in dye (Judges
5:30); rags baptized in
water (2 Kings 8:15); a
thing touched by death is to have a protracted baptism
in water (Leviticus 11:32); Naaman
has seven baptisms in water (2
Kings 8:14); a king’s body
is baptized in dew from heaven
(Daniel 4:33; 5:21); the prophet Isaiah
is baptized in lawlessness
(Isaiah 21:4).
