Quote:
Originally Posted by Pastor Keith
Your kidding right, Baptism and Pouring aren't even comparable, baptism means burial period, the actual Greek word was used to describe a sinking ship, not a ship being deluged by rain or waves, but ship going under the water for good.
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Pastor Keith, the word "baptizo" (Gk.) is a robust word. While yes, it is used to describe the process of submerging something it also means:
1) to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk)
2) to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean
with water, to wash one's self, bathe
3) to overwhelm
For example the term "baptizo" is used in relation to pouring water over one's hands:
Luke 11:38
And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed (baptizo) before dinner.
Is one "washed" (baptizo) if only water is allowed to run on their hands? Apparently so.
It is also very important to understand Christ's baptism to understand baptism itself. You see John was of the line of Aaron:
Luke 1:5-13
5THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
You see, John the Baptist was born into a priestly family and was thus in line for priesthood. However, he rejected the established Temple system and baptized (washed) converts in the wilderness. What were these "washings" (baptismos, Gk., ref
Heb 9:10) conducted by John? The Law describes them,
Numbers 19:17-22
{19:17} And for an unclean [person] they shall take of the
ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running
water shall be put thereto in a vessel: {19:18} And a clean
person shall take hyssop, and dip [it] in the water, and
sprinkle [it] upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and
upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched
a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave: {19:19} And
the clean [person] shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the
third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he
shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself
in water, and shall be clean at even. {19:20} But the man
that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul
shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he
hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of
separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he [is]
unclean. {19:21} And it shall be a perpetual statute unto
them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall
wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of
separation shall be unclean until even. {19:22} And
whatsoever the unclean [person] toucheth shall be unclean;
and the soul that toucheth [it] shall be unclean until even.
Then comes Jesus to be baptized of John. It's important to note what Jesus says,
Matthew 3:13-17
{3:13} Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto
John, to be baptized of him. {3:14} But John forbad him,
saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou
to me? {3:15} And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer [it
to be so] now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all
righteousness. Then he suffered him. {3:16} And Jesus,
when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the
water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he
saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting
upon him: {3:17} And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
What did Jesus mean by, "for thus it become us to fulfil all righteousness"? Nowhere in the Law does it demand a person to be completely submerged. However, we do read something very interesting. Priests where consecrated at 30 years of age (
Numbers 4:23). Here's how they were consecrated...
Numbers 8:5-7
{8:5} And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, {8:6}
Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and
cleanse them. {8:7} And thus shalt thou do unto them, to
cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and
let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their
clothes, and [so] make themselves clean.
The Old Testament custom in regards to consecrating the priests was to
sprinkle the “water of purifying” upon them as they stood in the basin of the tabernacle or in running natural water. Jesus, preparing for his priestly duties as our great high priest, was “fulfilling all righteousness” by seeking this consecration for service from John the Baptist who was essentially a righteous priest of the line of Aaron. Seeing that Jesus did this at 30 years of age (
Luke 3:23) we see an additional correlation to this custom of preparation for priesthood. At any rate, if this is so, Jesus fulfilled the Law perfectly as our high priest by standing in water and allowing John to sprinkle “water of purifying” upon him. This would have effectively transfered the office of priesthood from the line of Aaron to Christ himself. Many would say that the reference to Jesus coming, “up straightway out of the water”, requires that Jesus was completely immersed. However, it can also be understood as Jesus walking out of the river in which he stood as John baptized him with the sprinkling or pouring of water.
Also pay close attention to what Paul writes...
Romans 6:4
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
When Paul writes the word "buried" we Westerners from the 21st Century instantly think of being submerged or put under dirt. But lets note... Christ was NEVER submerged or put under dirt. In fact we read...
John 19:40
Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
What was the burial custom of the Jews? They took the body and "washed" (baptizo) it by pouring water over the body. (In fact, it was considered sacrilegious to dunk or submerge the dead in water.) They then rubbed the body down with oil and wrapped it with fragrant spices. Lastly they placed it in a tomb to decompose for a year as they mourned. After their time of mourning they returned for the body and placed the bones in an ossuary. Therefore when Paul spoke of our burial being likened unto Christs... he's implying that we had clean water poured over us.
Most teach that the blood is applied at baptism. If this is true take heed to what Peter wrote...
I Peter 1:2
{1:2} Elect according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace
unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
TO BE CONTINUED
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