Acts 19:1-7Note that it does not seem that there was any regular Jewish practice of "baptism", as Christians know it, before John the Baptist and the first coming of Jesus Christ in the first century AD. But there was a Jewish practice called "mikvah", which was a ritual immersion in water in order to regain ritual purity under the Mosaic law, after the excretion of certain bodily fluids had made one ritually unclean, such as during menstruation, childbirth, sexual intercourse, or nocturnal emission, or from pus-emitting sores or ulcers of the skin. Mikvah can also be employed in some other ways, such as a sign of conversion to Judaism, as a way to ritually prepare a dead body for burial, in the ritual consecration of priests, ritually dealing with leprosy, or ritually preparing oneself for a sacred holiday.
It does not seem that mikvah was about repentance from sin, in the sense of deciding to turn away from willful, impure actions which one has committed by the lusts of one's own heart. Instead, mikvah seems to be more about washing oneself physically for ritual purification, when one is made ritually unclean under the Mosaic law, in some manner which does not necessarily involve any sin on one's part. And when a sin was committed, it was Mosaic animal sacrifices which ritually purified the flesh (Hebrews 9:13), although never the conscience (Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 10:4). Just as the New Covenant's (Jeremiah 31:31-34) shedding of Jesus Christ's blood on the Cross for our sins (Matthew 26:28) has forever replaced all of the Old Covenant Mosaic law's animal sacrifices for sin (Hebrews 10), so the New Covenant has entirely replaced the letter of the Mosaic law (Hebrews 7:18-19), with all of its "diverse washings" (Hebrews 9:10), which would include mikvah.
The original Greek word (G0908) for "baptism" (Matthew 3:7) is derived from "baptizo" (G0907), which means to submerge (Mark 1:5) or wash (Mark 7:4). "Baptizo" is from "bapto" (G0911), which means to dip in a liquid (Luke 16:24, John 13:26, Revelation 19:13). A similar word, "baptismos" (G0909), can refer to either baptism (Colossians 2:12) or washing, as in Hebrews 9:10, which refers to "diverse washings" (baptismos) which Jews practiced under the Mosaic law. In this case, it could be said (as is sometimes done) that "there was a regular Jewish practice of baptism", including mikvah. But not in the sense of a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), which seems to have started with John the Baptist at the time of Jesus Christ's first coming (Mark 1:4-9).
Indeed, the Jews recognized that the particular baptism of John the Baptist was not any regular Jewish practice, but something very special indeed. For "they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?" (John 1:25). This suggests that the Jews had some expectation that a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins would come, but that it would be instituted only by the Messiah/Christ Himself, and the returned Elijah (Malachi 4:5), and the special prophet foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15). While John the Baptist denied being Elijah himself (John 1:21), John the Baptist did come in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). So Jesus said that John the Baptist was a fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the return of Elijah (Matthew 11:14). And, of course, John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Messiah/Christ, the Son of God (John 1:34, cf. Mark 14:61-62). Jesus is also at the same time the special prophet foretold by Moses (Acts 3:22-26).
So if, based on John 1:25, the Jews were looking forward to the institution of a special baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and they expected it to be instituted by the Christ/Messiah, and the returned Elijah, and the special prophet foretold by Moses, then Christian baptism is that special baptism (Acts 22:16).
1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit whena you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
4Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tonguesb and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all.
Baptism is a bit like buying a ticket. If you go to the airport and buy a ticket Chicago New York, you'll land up in New York city. If you buy a Chicago London ticket, guess where you land up?
If you took John's baptism, you'd land up being justified like the Publican in the Temple, under law, forgiven from wrath against sin through repentance, but with no option to enter rest. If you took Jesus's baptism, you'd land up being justified like Peter, not under law through repentance , so with a clear conscience, and heir to the promise of which Christ was first fruit: rest. Freedom from your own efforts to become a blessing to the world. Through the Holy Spirit.
Today the is no more a baptism of John. Every Biblical baptism is Christ's baptism. Sadly, there are many unbiblical baptisms being performed. Biblical baptisms ensure the candidate has cognition of his commitment, is aware of the details, and agrees to them. Without this awareness agreement can obviously not but be reached. Again, sadly, this baptism will have even less results than Israel's baptism, John's baptism.
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