That goes against every description of baptism in the New Testament.
1 Corinthians 10:1For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3and all ate the same spiritual food; 4and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.
[bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]6Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.”
Exodus 12:43The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: no foreigner is to eat of it; 44but every man’s slave purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it. 45“A sojourner or a hired servant shall not eat of it. 46“It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it. 47“All the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this. 48“But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. 49“The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you.”
Circumcision is the signature on the contract attached to the Covenant of Law. Israel confesses Egypt is oppressive. She recognizes God has a better country to offer. She agrees to be loyal. God tests her. She fails several tests. At the border of the new Land, she fails the most important test. She never enters the promised Land, where she can rest from her own labor just as God rested from His own labor , after completing the task of Creation. The Land where it's occupants can enjoy wells, fields and houses prepared by others. The Covenant is called Law, not Grace, because Israel never received the favor of God, Grace, as the Law could not justify, make compliant for grace, favor, gifting, rest. Law is summed up in loving God, being loyal to Him, and loving your fellow man, fighting giants to enter the land where Creation finds rest, redemption, through our rest. Even Joshua could not bring Israel into rest, because the law only reveals sin, doesn't justify, remove sin, and in fact kills, neutralises , brings to a stop, the efforts to be the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham.
Baptism is the signature on the Covenant of Grace. Jew and Gentile confess the world is not their home, that they are sojourners, that God is their real home. They agree to be loyal. God tests them with persecution. Some fail and fall back to the world. Some think they need circumcision, Law, to avoid persecution, which they mistake to be wrath, and run back to Law. When they come to their senses, travel with God and drink from the Rock and learn of the requirement to give up all setting of their heart on preserving their property and their lives, instead setting their heart on God's will, because the former is temporal, whilst the latter is eternal (being born from above and seeing God's Kingdom), they obey God's voice when He asks for a decion to choose to be loyal to Him or to their life, put on wedding garments, enter the Kingdom, rest. Doing no work, enjoying fruit grown by others. No effort, all gain.
Isaiah 55:1"Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.
John 4:14but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Ezekiel 37:11Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’ ”
Galatians 3
Stage 1, gift not received, journey started, eating of flesh drinking of blood from the Rock begins, Spirit guides, reveals Gods will, testing starts.
2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?
Stage 2, gift not received, journey not finished, faith tested under persecution.
3Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
Stage 3, God's call for loyalty to Him over own life heard, faith shown, destination reached, rest found in Christ, gift received, living as blessings to the world through having words of eternal life, words able to make alive dead bones.
14He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Were the believers in the Old Covenant "living"? No, because Christ had not been sent. Faith, decision to gather our family together and obey God's law, be loyal to Him, could only lead to death, inability to be blessings to the world. However knowing the curse loomed over them for failing led to sorrow, confession of inability to live through the law, to humility, resulting in God lifting up, exalting, protecting. The law was a guardian.
Luke 18:13"But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' 14"I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Can believers in the new covenant "live". Yes, because faith, loyalty to Christ, apart from the law, without having to go through the law, led to giving of the Kingdom, a new type of condition of compliance, a supreme condition that God required, a state fit for the work of sharing in Christ's affliction and continuance of His work:
Romans 3:1But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22even the righteousness given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1:24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
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