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Since we have what God communicated to us expressed by words, everything comes down to what the words mean. In all languages, single words are used to describe different meanings or nuances. In English, the word "run" is used to describe different things, things that don't mean the same thing. One can say a number of different statements that use the word "run," but the statements are not related or describe the same action. We can say, "she likes to run for exercise," meaning the physical act of moving faster than walking. We can go into the woods and see a deer run, a path that has been created by numerous deer traveling on the same path, creating a distinctive appearance. A man can say, "I will run for office." We can say, "that engine runs just fine." We can say, "that business runs itself," or "I run a business." I can say, "I'm going to run to the store." One word with different meanings.
Three things determine the exact meaning of a word, in a specific circumstance, in any language. The first is the definition. The example above shows the need for context, how a word is being used, and what purpose it is describing. And third, what does your culture say the word means?
This is the biggest hurdle for one whose mother tongue is English and who has grown up in a culture of English speakers when reading an English translation of Scripture is to get past our culture and language and to discover the Jewish meaning of things in the N.T., to discover what did the Hebrew/Aramaic words spoken to Jewish people, in Jewish culture, from a Jewish theological perspective based on the O.T. mean. It is very easy to put our understanding of the words we read and to use our understanding to try and figure out what Scripture is teaching. This is one of the biggest problems today across the land. On top of that, the "teaching" has been geared to ignore or strip away the Jewish meaning of the New Testament.
Jeff Benner, an expert on ancient Biblical Hebrew, says, "Proper Biblical study depends on the study of the original Hebraic context of Scripture. Far too many do not understand that to discover the proper, accurate meaning of words, one has to look at the cultural background of words." You ought to check out his books. Very informative and helpful in the study of Old Testament Scripture, which helps in understanding New Testament Scripture.
When I study anything in Scripture, much of my time is spent learning the meaning of words. The three words we need to define in this study are, baptize, repent, and remission and the Greek words they are translated from.
The translators had to find a Greek word that described the physical act of what was going on, starting with event found in Mat 3:7, Lk 3:3, and John 1:28, where full immersion was taking place, a Greek equivalent word to the Hebrew word Tevilah, which describes full immersion, either of people or any utensils to be used in service at the Temple. The Greek word that best fit was "baptizo," which meant to dip, plunge, submerge, or immerse in a liquid, dipping a cloth into die, a flood covering a house or a ship sunk to the bottom. The word, as used in Greek, had no religious significance or nuance attached to it or was used to describe "people" being immersed in water. No pagan religions used this word.
While the word baptizo, translated as "baptize," was never used as a word describing the physical action of a "Christian" ceremony," at some point in time, it did gain that meaning in the Gentile culture. This common Greek word had a spiritual significance attached to it.
In the Greek manuscripts and in Strong's, we find the Greek word baptisma, translated as "baptism." The interesting thing about this Greek word(?) is that it is never used outside of the New Testament, which means it wasn't a word known or used by those who spoke Greek! Baptisma was never used in conversation by the general population or found in any ancient Greek correspondence or documents, which can only mean one thing to me. This is a made-up word, created to give the illusion that the word has a specific meaning, used to describe a made-up Christian rite or ceremony! Otherwise, why would this unknown word in Greek exist? What better way to change something that has been a part of Jewish culture and practice for thousands of years than to alter it and rename it as a "Christian" practice?
I've always thought that one of the biggest tragedies and gross unrighteousness in translating Scripture into English was that no Jewish Rabbis or scribes were involved with the translation work! Do you think King James would have allowed such a thing? I promise you that if there had been any Rabbis or Jewish scribes involved, and if they had had any authority over the final work, the New Testament we have today would look a lot different! They would have rejected the word baptisma, and the English word "baptism" would have never been used!
If you look up the definition of baptisma in Strong's, you will read: from a derivative of bapto; to make overwhelmed (fully wet); USED ONLY (IN THE N.T.) OF CEREMONIAL ablution, especially (tech) of the ordinance of Christian baptism. Ordinance here is used to mean a law, a command, meaning something you must do, something you have to do! Strong calls it a "ceremony!" Another definition is: That which is defined as a RITE of immersion in water AS COMMANDED BY CHRIST!
Isn't "being baptized" one of the big things you must do in the Evangelical/Christian world? After "getting saved" by saying a few words or praying a "sinners prayer," the next, most important step is to "get baptized?" If you have already been attending a particular church building and you get "saved," they will be all over you to "get baptized!" The need to "get baptized" will be mentioned, or you will hear a sermon about it. Many church buildings will schedule a "Baptism Sunday" for all of those who haven't made the crucial step of "getting baptized." Some church buildings will baptize every Sunday. If you travel to Israel as part of a church group, you can rest assured getting baptized in the River Jordan or the Lake of Gallie is on the itinerary. If you switch church buildings and want to be a member, one of the first questions you will be asked is, "Have you been baptized?" And even if you have been baptized, some church buildings will insist that your prior baptism is "no good" and you must be baptized again, under their roof, by one of their staff members.
Why all the fuss? Even though it will be acknowledged that baptism isn't necessary for salvation, it is important because baptism is:
1. A Christian ceremony in which a person has water poured over their head, or the body is completely covered in water for a short time in order to show that a person has become a member of a Church.
2. A Christain Sacrament marked by the ritual use of water and admitting the recipient into the Christian community.
3. A Ceremonial immersion in water or application of water as an initiatory rite.
4. Public declaration of one's faith in Christ and membership in a local body of Christians.
5. As a sign that one has been justified by faith.
6. A public declaration that one is identified with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
7. To represent one's new birth as a Christian.
I think that covers the gamut of reasons. But let me ask one of my favorite questions? Where is any of this taught or explained in the New Testament? The fact is that these definitions, "reasons" to "get baptized," were originally copied from the Mystery Religions. And these "reasons" didn't appear until hundreds of years after the ascension of Christ.
And let's not forget that the Catholic Church used "baptism" as a weapon against the Jews! Over the centuries, the Catholic Church would force Jews to convert by being "baptized" or killed! For a Jew to go through a "Christian" baptism was the most humiliating thing a Jew could do. Forced conversion by baptism was also used against hundreds of thousands of pagans. The Catholic Church always used it against any indigenous people that were conquered by the military and then ruled by the Catholic priests. You can look this up! So much for a voluntary step of faith!
And let me make one thing clear! YESHUA NEVER COMMANDED ANYONE TO BE BAPTIZED! This concept of "baptizing" was not a part of Judaism! It was not commanded by God in the Torah! No O.T. prophet foretold of it. Yeshua never added anything to God's word! It was never a part of Jewish culture, history, or practice! Where do people get the idea that this was something Yeshua commanded? By using the "text proof" method! That is, using one passage, one verse, or part of a verse to "establish" a truth or doctrine. That is impossible to do in Scripture!
And what is the single verse used as the "proof text" that Yeshua commanded all believers to be baptized? Mat 28:19, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
There is only one small problem with this. This verse was added to the text sometime in either the 4th or 5th centuries! This is another thing you can look up. Just because something is in an English translation of Scripture does not mean it is a part of the original text! It doesn't mean that Jesus ever spoke these words! There are three big problems here. 1. If "Christian baptism" was a priority, why would Yeshua not instruct it when he began public work? Why would he wait until just before he ascended? 2. Where do we ever see Yeshua talk about baptism or give instruction before he ascended? In all verses about baptism, where is there mention of being baptized in the Godhead? No book in the New Testament ever brings up anything about baptizing in the name of the Godhead. John the Baptist never baptized anyone in the name of the Godhead. In 1 Cor 1:17, Paul said that Yeshua didn't send him to baptize!
Three things determine the exact meaning of a word, in a specific circumstance, in any language. The first is the definition. The example above shows the need for context, how a word is being used, and what purpose it is describing. And third, what does your culture say the word means?
This is the biggest hurdle for one whose mother tongue is English and who has grown up in a culture of English speakers when reading an English translation of Scripture is to get past our culture and language and to discover the Jewish meaning of things in the N.T., to discover what did the Hebrew/Aramaic words spoken to Jewish people, in Jewish culture, from a Jewish theological perspective based on the O.T. mean. It is very easy to put our understanding of the words we read and to use our understanding to try and figure out what Scripture is teaching. This is one of the biggest problems today across the land. On top of that, the "teaching" has been geared to ignore or strip away the Jewish meaning of the New Testament.
Jeff Benner, an expert on ancient Biblical Hebrew, says, "Proper Biblical study depends on the study of the original Hebraic context of Scripture. Far too many do not understand that to discover the proper, accurate meaning of words, one has to look at the cultural background of words." You ought to check out his books. Very informative and helpful in the study of Old Testament Scripture, which helps in understanding New Testament Scripture.
When I study anything in Scripture, much of my time is spent learning the meaning of words. The three words we need to define in this study are, baptize, repent, and remission and the Greek words they are translated from.
The translators had to find a Greek word that described the physical act of what was going on, starting with event found in Mat 3:7, Lk 3:3, and John 1:28, where full immersion was taking place, a Greek equivalent word to the Hebrew word Tevilah, which describes full immersion, either of people or any utensils to be used in service at the Temple. The Greek word that best fit was "baptizo," which meant to dip, plunge, submerge, or immerse in a liquid, dipping a cloth into die, a flood covering a house or a ship sunk to the bottom. The word, as used in Greek, had no religious significance or nuance attached to it or was used to describe "people" being immersed in water. No pagan religions used this word.
While the word baptizo, translated as "baptize," was never used as a word describing the physical action of a "Christian" ceremony," at some point in time, it did gain that meaning in the Gentile culture. This common Greek word had a spiritual significance attached to it.
In the Greek manuscripts and in Strong's, we find the Greek word baptisma, translated as "baptism." The interesting thing about this Greek word(?) is that it is never used outside of the New Testament, which means it wasn't a word known or used by those who spoke Greek! Baptisma was never used in conversation by the general population or found in any ancient Greek correspondence or documents, which can only mean one thing to me. This is a made-up word, created to give the illusion that the word has a specific meaning, used to describe a made-up Christian rite or ceremony! Otherwise, why would this unknown word in Greek exist? What better way to change something that has been a part of Jewish culture and practice for thousands of years than to alter it and rename it as a "Christian" practice?
I've always thought that one of the biggest tragedies and gross unrighteousness in translating Scripture into English was that no Jewish Rabbis or scribes were involved with the translation work! Do you think King James would have allowed such a thing? I promise you that if there had been any Rabbis or Jewish scribes involved, and if they had had any authority over the final work, the New Testament we have today would look a lot different! They would have rejected the word baptisma, and the English word "baptism" would have never been used!
If you look up the definition of baptisma in Strong's, you will read: from a derivative of bapto; to make overwhelmed (fully wet); USED ONLY (IN THE N.T.) OF CEREMONIAL ablution, especially (tech) of the ordinance of Christian baptism. Ordinance here is used to mean a law, a command, meaning something you must do, something you have to do! Strong calls it a "ceremony!" Another definition is: That which is defined as a RITE of immersion in water AS COMMANDED BY CHRIST!
Isn't "being baptized" one of the big things you must do in the Evangelical/Christian world? After "getting saved" by saying a few words or praying a "sinners prayer," the next, most important step is to "get baptized?" If you have already been attending a particular church building and you get "saved," they will be all over you to "get baptized!" The need to "get baptized" will be mentioned, or you will hear a sermon about it. Many church buildings will schedule a "Baptism Sunday" for all of those who haven't made the crucial step of "getting baptized." Some church buildings will baptize every Sunday. If you travel to Israel as part of a church group, you can rest assured getting baptized in the River Jordan or the Lake of Gallie is on the itinerary. If you switch church buildings and want to be a member, one of the first questions you will be asked is, "Have you been baptized?" And even if you have been baptized, some church buildings will insist that your prior baptism is "no good" and you must be baptized again, under their roof, by one of their staff members.
Why all the fuss? Even though it will be acknowledged that baptism isn't necessary for salvation, it is important because baptism is:
1. A Christian ceremony in which a person has water poured over their head, or the body is completely covered in water for a short time in order to show that a person has become a member of a Church.
2. A Christain Sacrament marked by the ritual use of water and admitting the recipient into the Christian community.
3. A Ceremonial immersion in water or application of water as an initiatory rite.
4. Public declaration of one's faith in Christ and membership in a local body of Christians.
5. As a sign that one has been justified by faith.
6. A public declaration that one is identified with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
7. To represent one's new birth as a Christian.
I think that covers the gamut of reasons. But let me ask one of my favorite questions? Where is any of this taught or explained in the New Testament? The fact is that these definitions, "reasons" to "get baptized," were originally copied from the Mystery Religions. And these "reasons" didn't appear until hundreds of years after the ascension of Christ.
And let's not forget that the Catholic Church used "baptism" as a weapon against the Jews! Over the centuries, the Catholic Church would force Jews to convert by being "baptized" or killed! For a Jew to go through a "Christian" baptism was the most humiliating thing a Jew could do. Forced conversion by baptism was also used against hundreds of thousands of pagans. The Catholic Church always used it against any indigenous people that were conquered by the military and then ruled by the Catholic priests. You can look this up! So much for a voluntary step of faith!
And let me make one thing clear! YESHUA NEVER COMMANDED ANYONE TO BE BAPTIZED! This concept of "baptizing" was not a part of Judaism! It was not commanded by God in the Torah! No O.T. prophet foretold of it. Yeshua never added anything to God's word! It was never a part of Jewish culture, history, or practice! Where do people get the idea that this was something Yeshua commanded? By using the "text proof" method! That is, using one passage, one verse, or part of a verse to "establish" a truth or doctrine. That is impossible to do in Scripture!
And what is the single verse used as the "proof text" that Yeshua commanded all believers to be baptized? Mat 28:19, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
There is only one small problem with this. This verse was added to the text sometime in either the 4th or 5th centuries! This is another thing you can look up. Just because something is in an English translation of Scripture does not mean it is a part of the original text! It doesn't mean that Jesus ever spoke these words! There are three big problems here. 1. If "Christian baptism" was a priority, why would Yeshua not instruct it when he began public work? Why would he wait until just before he ascended? 2. Where do we ever see Yeshua talk about baptism or give instruction before he ascended? In all verses about baptism, where is there mention of being baptized in the Godhead? No book in the New Testament ever brings up anything about baptizing in the name of the Godhead. John the Baptist never baptized anyone in the name of the Godhead. In 1 Cor 1:17, Paul said that Yeshua didn't send him to baptize!
