Quote:
Originally Posted by mfblume
Since there is no statement in the bible that says mikvah evolved into a new life, it's something was cant' substantiate. But we do have passages that say sins are washed at baptism, and we're put into the death of Jesus by baptism. So again, where does Mikvah correspond to baptism putting us into Christ's death? When I have distinct scripture that says baptism is part of washing away sins and baptism puts us into the death of Jesus, that is not co convoluted idea. I got that from those verses. But when we have no statement saying mikvah evolved into baptism in the bible, then I would seem that as convoluted. I mean, I have statements that led me to believe what I believed. But I see no statements leading me to your idea you espouse about mikvah.
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Reading the bible through 20th century understanding is the problem. Even you have said one must understand how they understood things in order to understand scripture. David Bernard's book on the origins of baptism does not go far enough back to properly understand the full meaning of how the Hebrew understood the meaning of baptism.
I understand you have what seem to be clear statements that led you to believe what you believe, I believed the same way for most of my life. Until I was forced to face some of the contradictory passages that I had ignored most of my life.
If you cannot see how righteousness can be imputed to Abraham by faith before circumcision, relates to our being made righteous before God in full standing with him before baptism. Than I cannot help you.
But it was
Romans 4, that caused me to take another look at the way I believed, and to do a deeper study into the origins of baptism.
And it was the meaning of Mikvah/baptism that locked it in for me.