Baptism from God's Perspective

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by stasis

You have no idea what you're talking about regarding scripture.

As far as proselyte baptism being post-exilic, you're admitting it's a Babylonian Heresy, so I guess you're saying you don't believe in water baptism?

Stasis, why do you speak with such venom? Oh well... I'll try to answer your question but it's obvious that you're bitter. Just relax and pray.

The post-exilic proselyte baptism known as mikveh is a tradition of men that began among rabbinical theologians around the time of Ezra. Prior to this ceremonial washings were conducted by pouring and sprinkling. You can find this throughout the Law of Moses from the ordination of the Levites to the cleansing of lepers. I do indeed believe in water baptism, however, I believe it is biblically administered by effusion (pouring and sprinkling). For example God "poured" out the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, why shall we not pour out water baptism? In Ezekiel 36 we see a prophecy of Pentecost where God promises to sprinkle the people with clean water to cleans them of their sin. How else do you think Peter and the Apostles baptized 3,000 people in the streets of the lower quarter of the Upper City of Jerusalem?

Hey, did you ever stop to think about the brasen-sea from which the priests 'cleansed' themselves? Seperate from the proselyte ritual, but nevertheless another instance of a ritual around cleansing by water.

Amen. Again administered through pouring upon the priests, not immersion.

Half-Jewish? So I guess some of her family at least know how ridiculous modern 'christianity' really is... or are they the 'athiest jews' (whatever that even means).

You're making no sense. A few are Conservative Jews and the rest are Reformed Jews. Rabbi Kopmar is a dear friend who shares a Jewish perspective when I bounce various Scriptures off of him.

Hey, keep believing in that holy water, enchanted by mystical utterance "In the name of Jesus", and your ecstatic emotional experiences. I'm sure they'll mean a lot when you stand before God Almighty.

I think you're definitely in need of much prayer my beloved. Listen, it doesn't matter what a person says over you when you're water baptized. The issue isn't what some preacher says... the issue is... what are you saying? Are you calling upon the name of the Lord for salvation? Notice, Ananias didn't use a mystical utterance of the name. Ananias told Paul to call on the name of the Lord himself to wash away his sins at his water baptism:

(Acts 22:16 KJV)
(16) And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

You see, modern day Apostolics are making the same error as Trinitarians. We've codified the name of Jesus into a "formula" to be spoken by a minister at the moment of water baptism. We've missed it entirely. The issue isn't what someone is saying over you when your baptized, the issue is that water baptism is the moment NT Christians had converts call on the name to be saved. Baptism isn't a time for formulas... it's a time to prayerfully call upon the name of the Lord, asking that your sins be washed away; just as Paul was told.