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The
Definition of Baptism
In Greek,
it literally means "immersion" or "dipping."
Though the word for baptism in Greek means immerse
or dip, not all Christians use this mode when
baptizing. Many sprinkle water on the head and
some pour. We believe that immersion of the total
body in water is the proper mode, not only because
of the meaning of the word, but because the New
Testament indicates that this was the mode followed
by Messiah Yeshua and the early disciples. Also
immersion best expresses the significance of baptism
as the New Testament explains it. We believe that
sprinkling and pouring came later as concessions
by church leaders.
The
History of Baptism
In the
Tenach water was used ceremonially in rites of
cleansing. God commanded the Jewish people (Exodus
30:17 21) to build a bronze wash basin, and to
place it before the Mishkan and later before the
Temple. The priests cleansed themselves in the
bronze wash basin before performing their services
in the tabernacle and the temple. In a number
of places in the Torah Israelis are commanded
to purify themselves by washing their entire bodies
in water after certain practices or contacts which
are considered defiling. For example, a man who
had a nocturnal emission or a woman who had her
menstrual period or persons having bodily contact
with such individuals during these times, were
required by the Law to wash their bodies thoroughly
in clean water (Leviticus 15:1 6,11:6 18 and Leviticus
22:4 6). It is clear from these passages and others
like them that water is regarded in the Tenach
as signifying cleansing and a renewal of life
from defilement.
Baptism
is an ancient Jewish practice after Biblical Times
There
is a great deal of ancient testimony that indicates
that the Jewish people practiced many washings
and dippings in water as rituals. Not only were
the bodies of people dipped and immersed in water
but also household articles were as well. The
practice of Netilat-Yadayeem - washing the hands
before eating - is still practiced by traditional
Jews. The Talmud and other rabbinical writings
mention the practice of baptizing proselytes to
Judaism. Baptism was a familiar practice among
the Jewish people before the beginnings of the
Messianic Jewish movement began.
Baptism
is a continuing Jewish practice
Moses
Maimonides and other medieval rabbis mention the
importance of baptizing proselytes. In addition,
the practice of tevilah, ritual cleansing and
purification in a pool of water, has been practiced
among Orthodox Jews up to the present times. Gentile
converts to Judaism are still required to use
be baptized. The meaning of these rites in Judaism
is that of cleansing and a new beginning.
Baptism
in the New Testament
Messiah
Yeshua was immersed before He started His public
ministry (Matthew 3:13-17, John 1:28-34). His
baptism was His declaration to Israel that He
was prepared to begin His ministry.
All of
Messiah's followers are commanded to be immersed.
Yeshua commanded His disciples to go into all
the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and the Son and
the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). To baptize in
the one name of the Three-in-One God, did not
only mean a formula of words but in the authority
and character of the Father, Son and Spirit.
The
Meaning of Baptism
Baptism
involves Repentance: The challenge of
Simon Peter on the day of Shavuot was: repent
and let each one of you be immersed in the name
of Messiah Yeshua (Acts 2:38). The idea of an
unbaptized Believer is not entertained in the
New Testament.
Baptism
means Cleansing: Arise and be immersed,
and wash away your sins, calling on His name (Acts
22:16). You will come out of the water a new creation,
fresh, clean and eternally new. Keep your life
clean by living for Messiah, and confessing your
sins to Him and repenting if you sin.
Baptism
means identifying with Messiah in His death, burial
and resurrection: The baptized person
acknowledges by this that he has chosen to turn
completely away from his old life, characterized
by sin and rebellion against God's will, and to
turn completely toward the new life which Messiah
offers. Going down into the water means death
and burial and coming up out of the water as means
resurrection. By being immersed the new Believer
is saying: I was joined to Messiah when He was
judged for sin and put to death. His death was
my death. I die with Him. I was buried along with
Him, and I am also joined to His resurrection.
His resurrection is my resurrection. His eternal
indestructible life is now my life. From now on
you will be forever linked and identified with
Yeshua. (See Romans 6:2-4, Ephesians 4:4-6, Colossians
2:12).
Baptism
is a public declaration of your faith:
when one is baptized he expresses, not only his
union with the Messiah, but with all true believers
and with the belief and truth which express God's
true revelation concerning man's salvation The
whole faith is a total unity of which baptism
is an integral part. There is One Body (a true
spiritual unity of all believers), one spirit
(the Holy Spirit who gives spiritual life to every
believer), one Lord (the Messiah), one faith (the
one true way of trusting God and the one true
body of truth related to that trust), one baptism
(the one true ordinance given by the Lord expressing
this great unity) and one God and Father of all
(see Ephesians 4:4 6).
Baptism
means joining the Messianic Community:
Not only are you identified with Messiah, but
now you are a recognized part of the Messianic
community. For by one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether
slaves or free, and we were all made to drink
of one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). Water
Baptism is a picture of the spiritual reality
that has already taken place, that the Spirit
of God has placed you into the Body of Messiah,
His holy community. By being immersed you will
follow in a long line of Jewish and Gentile saints
and holy men and woman of God going back to 2000
years to Messiah Yeshua Himself. Take your full
place in Messiah's body and be a faithful member
of our community.
Baptism
means a New Beginning: Corresponding
to that, baptism now saves you - not the removal
of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for
a good conscience through the resurrection of
Messiah Yeshua (1 Peter 3:21). Just as Noah
and his family were brought safely through the
waters of the Flood, we can be brought to safety
and experience salvation by following Yeshua,
who is like the Ark, and by being immersed in
water, the water of baptism. Peter makes it clear
that baptism is only a symbol, a type, a picture.
Baptism itself, getting immersed in water, doesn’t
actually save you - it only removes dirt from
your body by making you wet! What really saves
you is the reality which being immersed is a symbol
of - asking God to give you a good conscience
that will do what is right, say what is right
things, and live the right way. Baptism is asking
God for a new beginning, a fresh start, that you
will now put God and Messiah Yeshua at the very
center of your mind, heart and soul, and do things
God’s way. What is the basis that enables
us to get this good conscience? Yeshua’s
resurrection from the dead! His real and historical
death, and His real and historical resurrection,
when combined with our faith in Him, enables us
to get a good conscience, to experience atonement,
be forgiven for all of our sins, and to start
doing the things that really please God, and head
in the right direction.
What
Baptism Does Not do
Baptism
does not save you (1 Peter 3:21). It is not the
washing of water from the body that saves you,
it is the appeal to God for a good conscience.
Messiah Yeshua saved you already. This is a picture
of what He has already done for you, and a prayer
for Him to continue to save you.
Baptism
is to be administered to those who are able to
exercise repentance and belief: hence, not children
below an age of accountability. See Mark 1:15,
16:16, Acts 2:38 39.
If you
are Jewish, baptism is not a renunciation of your
Jewish identity, since you are now a loyal subject
of Yeshua, the King of the Jews, but the fulfillment
of it. Ezekiel 36: 24 For I will take you
from the nations, gather you from all the lands
and hay-vaytee et-chem el ah-dah-mat-chem - bring
you into your own land. Notice that this
Land is specifically designated for the Jewish
people in it). In spite of being an embarrassment
to God during our exile among the nations, profaning
God's name, causing disrepute to the God of Israel's
reputation, the gracious God will nevertheless
demonstrate to the nations, that He is holy, reliable,
and trustworthy, by taking us out of the Exile,
and returning us to our own land. He can be counted
on, even if His people can't. Let's call this
Phase One: Israel's physical restoration to the
Land.
Next comes
Phase Two: Israel's spiritual restoration to God:
36:25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on
you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you
from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
Next God promises to sprinkle the Jewish people
with clean water. The sprinkling of water is a
symbol for spiritual cleansing. Whereas we were
unclean, this sprinkling will bring cleansing,
cleansing from all our filthiness and from all
our idols. There will be a turning away from the
idols of false religion that the Jewish people
have adopted, which I can only understand to mean
the Judaism of the rabbis - all non-Messianic
Judaism, and other non-biblical influences that
we have followed: perhaps the new age and eastern
philosophies that are becoming more prevalent
today, the philosophical ideas of Darwinism and
evolution that are so unbiblical and destructive.
This spiritual
restoration to God includes a national spiritual
rebirth: 36:26 Moreover, I will give you a
new heart and put a new spirit within you; and
I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh
and give you a heart of flesh. We will go
through a spiritual rebirth. This is the promise
of the New Birth, spiritual regeneration, new
life from above, a new -desire to love, follow
and serve God that comes from the heart. Whereas
the Jewish people have had a heart of stone -
tough, hard hearted toward God, the heart of our
people will finally and truly be soft, malleable,
tender towards the Lord our God.
36:27
I will put My Spirit within you and cause
you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful
to observe My ordinances. We are promised
the indwelling presence of Ruach Elohim - the
Spirit of God. God will place His Spirit, the
Spirit of Truth, within us, and we will suddenly
find ourselves with a new desire to please God,
a new desire to serve God, a new awareness that
we need to be careful to observe God's ordinances,
not the man made traditions and laws that the
rabbis have imposed. Then we will really do God's
chukkim - statutes, and His mishpatim - His ordinances
- and not the false teachings of the non-Messianic
Yeshua denying rabbis of the Galut. Then we will
really do God's chukkim - statutes, and His mishpatim
- His ordinances - and not adhere to the pagan
ideologies and philosophies of the nations, like
evolutionism. Then the Spirit of God Himself will
be our rabbi, and He will guide us into all truth.
We will do and fulfill God's Torah - not man-made
rabbinic interpretations.
Other
Forms of Baptism
In addition
to water baptism, the New Testament also mentions
baptism with the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 3:11,
John 1:33 and 3:5, and Acts 1:5) and baptism with
fire (Matthew 3:11 12, Luke 3:16 17, and Mark
9:42 43 and 47 48). The baptism in or with the
Holy Spirit refers to the Spirit of God entering
into the life of a believer, giving him new life
at the time he places true faith in Messiah. The
baptism of fire refers to the purging of God's
judgment, either to separate what is ungodly out
of the life of a true believer or to separate
unbelievers from believers at the last judgment.
These "baptisms" are in addition to,
and not in place of, water baptism.
Order
of Service for Baptism
I recommend
that baptism be done by total immersion not just
sprinkling.
I start
with the She he che yanu prayer: Blessed are You
O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has
kept us alive, sustained us and enabled us to
reach this season.
Normally
I give a short teaching on baptism.
The congregation
prays for those being baptized.
A testimony
by the one being baptized may be given.
I may
ask the person being baptized if they believe
in God, and that Yeshua is the Messiah, and the
Lord, and if He died and rose again, and if they
are committing the rest of their live to serve
God.
Before
doing the immersion, I usually pray the following
prayer: Baruch Ata Adonai, Elohaynu Melech HaOlam,
asher kidshanu b'Yehsua HaMeshee ach, v'tzee vanu
al ha tevilah. Blessed are You, O Lord our God,
King of the universe, who has sanctified us through
Yeshua the Messiah, and commanded us to be immersed.
I baptize you in the name of God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
After
the baptism, more prayer follows, followed by
a celebration.
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