A New Look at Baptism

In ancient Judea, a person had to be in a state of ritual purity in order to enter into the Temple area. If a person had become ritually impure, he was required to undergo a ritual immersion in water -- t'vilah in Hebrew. The apostle Paul, and early Judean Christians, participated in this ritual (compare Acts 21:23-26; 24:18).

The first mention of baptism, as such, was that of John the Baptist. He came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, calling upon people everywhere to repent of their sins, telling them the kingdom of heaven was at hand. "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins" (Matthew 3:5-6).

In ancient Israel, when a person became "unclean," he or she was required to "bathe" themselves (see Leviticus 15:5, 6, 7,8, etc.). When the High Priest on the Day of Atonement prepared to perform his duties, he was required first of all, before all else, to "wash his flesh in water" (Leviticus 16:5), and then to put on the holy garments. Later the same day, after performing his major duties, involving the cleansing of the sanctuary, the sacrifice of the live goat, and the confession of sin over the Azazel goat, and banishing it into the wilderness, he was required once again to take off the linen garments, and to "wash his flesh with water" in the holy place, and put on his garments, and make an atonement for himself and for the people (v. 22-24).

The person who took the Azazel goat into the desert also had to "bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp" (Leviticus 16:26). Any person who ate something that died of itself, or that was torn by beasts, also had to "bathe himself in water," and then would be ritually "clean" that evening (Leviticus 17:15). Anyone who refused to do this would "bear his iniquity" (verse 16).

The sacrifice of the "red heifer" was a special rite performed only a total of 7 or 9 times during the history of Israel and Judah, till the destruction of the Temple. It was sacrificed on the Mount of Olives, facing the Temple to the west, at the very spot where Yeshua the Messiah himself was later crucified, the red heifer being a "type" of the sacrifice of the Messiah for our sins. The High Priest, upon completing the sacrificial ceremony, was required to "bathe himself in water, and afterward come into the camp" (Numbers 19:7). The one who assisted the High Priest and who performed the actual killing of the red heifer, and who burned her flesh to ashes, also was required afterwards to "bathe his flesh in water" (v. 8).

The word for "bathe" in these verses is the Hebrew word #7364 in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the word rachatz, and means literally "to wash oneself," "to be washed." When one was commanded to "wash" or "bathe" oneself, it required a total bath or immersion in water. For this purpose, the ritual baths, or mikvah, was used. The whole being of the person was to be submerged, immersed in, and overwhelmed with water. This ritual bath later became the ancestral "type" of the New Testament act of "baptism."

When Peter preached that first sermon on Pentecost, in 31 A.D., and 3,000 observant Israelite believers in the Torah repented of their sins, and accepted Messiah Yeshua as their Savior, it is interesting to note that this event was at the "Feast of Weeks" -- called "Shavuot," which occurred seven complete weeks and fifty days (running consecutively) after Passover. This was one of the three pilgrimage festivals, and that is why Israelites from around the Roman Empire were found in Jerusalem at this time. Josephus states that hundreds of thousands came to the festivals at these times.

When the spirit of YEHOVAH descended on those who were gathered "in one place," the Israelite pilgrims from throughout the Diaspora heard those local Judeans glorifying YEHOVAH God in various languages (Acts 2). Peter's call to repent and to be baptized would have been familiar to his Judean audience. When he explained this should be "in the name of Jesus Christ," they understood their repentance and purification would be in the context of the ministry and life of Yeshua, as Messiah.

Since 3,000 Israelites heard the message, and repented, and believed, and were baptized that day, where is it likely that such a crowd would have been gathered, to hear Peter? Where in Jerusalem would there have been sufficient water to baptize 3,000 individuals?

It is very likely that this message or discourse was delivered in the court of the Temple, to the East or South. The baptisms would most likely have been performed in the numerous ritual baths, or mikvahs, located near the entrance to the Temple area. These ritual immersion baths served the needs of the thousands of Israelite pilgrims who streamed into Jerusalem at the three major annual festivals -- Passover, Pentecost (Shavuot), and the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall.

It is surely not beyond the realm of possibility that these ritual immersion baths served the needs of the Messianic Community of the Early Ecclesia, especially on those days when thousands of Israelite converts accepted Yeshua as their Messiah. Three thousand were converted and baptized on Pentecost. A few days later, another 5,000 were added: "Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand" (Acts 4:4).

Thirty years later, in about 60 A.D., when Paul returned to Jerusalem on a visit, James and the other apostles at the headquarters church told him, "Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews [Israelites] there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law" (Acts 21:20). The word translated "thousands" here is murias from which we get the English word "myriads," and means literally "ten thousands." It means "an innumerable multitude," "an unlimited number."

The same word is used in Jude 14 where we read, "Behold, the LORD cometh with ten thousands of his saints" (Jude 14). These could have numbered between 50,000 and 100,000 or more before the Judean-Roman War of 70 A.D., a short ten years later. The ritual baths near the Temple site would have been a very logical place where many were baptized. Many others may also have been baptized in different pools around Jerusalem, such as the pool of Siloam, and many others in the Jordan River.

Even Yeshua the Messiah came to John the Baptist to be baptized by him.

John, as the forerunner of the Messiah, was prophesied in Isaiah 40:3. Matthew quotes that prophesy in Matthew 3:3, identifying John as “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ’Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” While the original prophecy in Isaiah refers to the appearance of YEHOVAH God's Glory at the end of the age, Matthew here applies it to the Messiah.

John was preaching repentance and was baptizing as a sign of repentance. John prophesied in verse 11, that “One greater than me” was coming. When the Messiah arrived on the scene, John recognized him physically because they were cousins and within six months of being the same age. No doubt they had spent many hours together.

However, John apparently did not fully recognize Yeshua as the Messiah until after he was baptized. In John 1:33-34, John the Baptist states, “I did not recognize him, but He [YEHOVAH God] who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the spirit descending and remaining on him, this is the one who baptizes in the holy spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

John did recognize the Messiah as being greater than he and this is why he was taken aback when the Messiah asked John to baptize him. This is why John responded with “You are the greater, I need to be baptized by you.” But the Messiah insisted, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed the Messiah to be baptized.

So the primary reason the Messiah was baptized was to fulfill all righteousness. “Fulfill all righteousness” -- what does that phrase mean? John knew exactly what the Messiah meant, but to us it is a rather cryptic phrase.

It is significant that these are the first words of the Messiah that Matthew records. Righteousness is a major emphasis in Matthew. We read in 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.” In 5:20, the Messiah says, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” And in 6:33, the Messiah says that we are to “strive for God and His righteousness.”

To understand the purpose of the Messiah’s baptism, we must understand the meaning of righteousness. Righteousness originally meant to be straight or right. In essence, righteousness is “the state of him who is as he ought to be” (Thayer). That is YEHOVAH God.

In the bible, righteousness presumes a covenant relationship between two participants. The one who upholds, or is faithful to the covenant is termed, “righteous.” The one who is unfaithful to the covenant is termed “unrighteous.” YEHOVAH’s righteousness is revealed in his faithfulness to his covenant. Israel’s unrighteousness is revealed in his unfaithfulness to the covenant. He is no longer in a “right relationship” with YEHOVAH God.

YEHOVAH’s righteousness is closely related to His salvation, mercy and loving kindness (covenant love). We see this association in many places in the Old Testament. For instance, in Jeremiah 9:24, YEHOVAH God says through Jeremiah, “...I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice and righteousness on earth for I delight in these things.” And in Isaiah 51:5, “My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth...”

The righteousness of YEHOVAH God revealed in salvation must be understood within the context of YEHOVAH’s covenant relationship with Israel. In fact, righteousness means “covenant keeping.” What is right is always stipulated in a covenant. In Genesis 12:1-3, YEHOVAH made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. In the covenant, YEHOVAH God promises, among other things, that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” This is an allusion to the Messiah through which all of Israel will be blessed with righteousness.

The sign of the covenant with Abraham was circumcision. Through circumcision, Abraham established a covenant with YEHOVAH God and through his faithfulness to that covenant, YEHOVAH declared Abraham to be righteous. Genesis 15:6 states, “Then Abraham believed in the LORD and He reckoned it to Abraham as righteousness.” YEHOVAH declared Abraham righteous, not because of his perfect behavior but because of his faith within the covenant relationship.

That covenant relationship was extended through Isaac and Jacob as an everlasting covenant (I Chronicles 16:16). YEHOVAH God renewed that covenant with Israel through Moses. The law of Moses was a covenant. YEHOVAH remained faithful to that covenant even though Israel did not. The covenant did not make sinful Israel immune from punishment but after YEHOVAH God punished Israel, He delivered His covenant people and displayed His righteousness. The apostle Paul says in Romans 3:1-6 that the unrighteousness of Israel did not nullify the righteousness of YEHOVAH God.

The law of Moses made it abundantly clear that Israel could not be perfectly faithful to his covenant with YEHOVAH God. But YEHOVAH had a plan. That plan was to extend His grace and mercy to all of Israel through the Messiah, and make a new covenant of grace that would make it possible for YEHOVAH God to extend His righteousness to all of Israel, declaring them to be righteous, like Abraham, by their faith. The apostle Paul in Romans 3:21-22 makes it clear that YEHOVAH God declares as righteous those of Israel who have faith in the Messiah. This is what the Messiah meant, and John understood, when the Messiah said that he needed to be baptized by John to fulfill all righteousness. It was through the Messiah that YEHOVAH’s plan for the salvation of Israel was to be fulfilled.

So why baptism? How did baptism accomplish the goal of fulfilling all righteousness? First, it anointed the Messiah as the great High Priest. At this time in Israelite history there were three reasons for baptism.

1). Repentance from sin. The Messiah certainly did not need to be baptized for the repentance of sin because he was already sinless.

2). Baptism of conversion. When a Gentile wished to convert to Judaism, he had to be immersed in the waters of baptism. The Messiah did not need the baptism of conversion because he was already a Judahite.

3). Baptism of anointing. This is the baptism associated with the anointing of the priests, and especially the High Priest to consecrate them as priests. In Leviticus 8, YEHOVAH God instructs Moses to consecrate Aaron and his sons as priests. This was a rather complex ceremony that involved animal sacrifices, dressing them in special garments and baptizing or “washing” them with water.

In Leviticus 8:6 we read, “Then Moses had Aaron and his sons come near and washed them with water." This was a baptism or immersion in water. Later in verse 12 Moses poured anointing oil on Aaron’s head. That initiated Aaron’s ministry as High Priest. When Aaron and his sons were washed with water and anointed with oil, they began their priesthood and were empowered to make sacrifices and handle holy things as YEHOVAH God’s representatives. At that point YEHOVAH God put His mark of approval on the ministry of Aaron and his sons.

Now let’s go back to the Messiah and John at the Jordan river. The Messiah has requested that John baptize him to fulfill all righteousness. Like Aaron, the Messiah needed to be washed and anointed so that he could begin his ministry as High Priest.

Let’s see what happened. Yeshua and John went into the water and the Messiah was immersed. When he came up out of the water, the heavens were opened up and the holy spirit in the bodily form of a dove came and rested on the Messiah. The holy spirit is spirit and therefore invisible. The spirit’s descending as a dove was for the benefit of John and the others present.

The dove was a symbol of purity, peace, gentleness, love and truth, all characteristics of the one true God. That John understood that it was the holy spirit descending on the Messiah is made clear by Peter in Acts 10:38 when he is preaching to Cornelius and his family and says, “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the holy spirit and with power...” The Messiah became the "Son of God," but as a fully human being he would need the power of YEHOVAH God given to him in the spirit to accomplish the will of YEHOVAH God here upon the earth.

If we see the Messiah’s own baptism by John as an inauguration to the priesthood, some light can be shed on a few of the details of that event -- especially as recorded in Luke’s account (Luke 3:21-23). First, the question of why the Messiah was baptized at all, especially with a baptism “of repentance for the remission of sins” (3:3), has frequently been answered by saying that the Messiah was identifying himself with his kinsmen Israel. He submitted to baptism as part of his work as the sin-bearing substitute.

This explanation fits very neatly with the view that the Messiah was baptized into the priestly ministry. The High Priest of Israel, after all, was a sin-bearer. Throughout the year, the sins of Israel “accumulated” on the High Priest until they were confessed over the scapegoat and sent out of the camp on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). The Aaronic priests were ordained to bear the sins of Israel, “baptized” into substitutionary ministry. As Duane Spencer points out in his book Holy Baptism, this explains what the Messiah meant when he said that his baptism was part of “fulfilling all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15): The Messiah fulfilled righteousness by undergoing baptism into the priesthood.

Likewise, those called of Israel are also priests of YEHOVAH God and should "fulfill all righteousness" as the Messiah did! In 1 Peter 2 we read:

Since we of Israel are priests like our elder brother the Messiah is also a (High) Priest, we should follow his example and be baptized so that we can have the power to "proclaim the praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light."

The early Church Fathers Tertullian, Ambrose, and Augustine all claimed that baptism inducts the baptized person into membership in the royal priesthood of the church, and Thomas Aquinas said that baptism, by imprinting an indelible “character” on the soul, confers a share in the priesthood of Christ. This was even worked into some ancient baptismal liturgies; the actual water baptism was followed by an anointing with oil, and this was explained by reference to the anointing of priests and kings in the Old Testament.

Second, Luke tells us that immediately after his baptism the Messiah “began his ministry,” being “about thirty years of age” (Luke 3:23). Priests likewise began ministry at the age of 30 (Numbers 4:34-37), following their ordination -- which included a ritual bath.

Third, at the baptism of the Messiah, the Father identified the Messiah as the “Son of God” (Luke 3:22). This can be a royal rather than a priestly title (see 2 Samuel 7:14; Psalm 2:6-7), and it surely carries that resonance in Luke 3. The Messiah is the royal priest, the priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:1-3). But sonship is not unconnected with priesthood. The Levites, who served in a semi-priestly capacity, took the place of the firstborn sons of Israel (Numbers 3:38-51). In Hebrews 4:14 the new High Priest is identified as “Jesus the Son of God,” and in 5:5 the author interprets Psalm 2:7 (“Thou art my Son”) as a prophecy of the Messiah’s glorification as High Priest.

When we read Galatians 4 we learn that those called of YEHOVAH's people Israel are also called "sons of God" -- notice!

So, as "sons" of the Living God we, too, should follow the Messiah's example and be baptized.

Finally, immediately after recording the baptism, Luke gives the genealogy of the Messiah (Luke 3:23-38). By modern standards of literary structure, this does not seem to be an appropriate place to insert a genealogy. 1 Chronicles and Matthew make better sense in opening with genealogies. Once we see that the Messiah’s baptism is the inauguration of his priestly ministry, however, nothing could be more appropriate than a genealogy. Priests of the Old Testament had to prove descent from Aaron, and later from a particular branch of the Aaronic clan, or they were not permitted to serve (Ezra 2:61-63). Throughout the Old Testament, priests are consistently identified as “son of” some previous priest, a sign that the priesthood was tied to physical descent. So Luke, having recorded the Messiah’ baptism into priestly ministry, must now show that the Messiah has a right to this ministry.

Contrary to expectation, the genealogy proves that the Messiah is not a descendent of Aaron but rather from the tribe of Judah. How then can he serve as priest? Luke, in keeping with Hebrews, shows that this Priest is from an older order, but Luke presses the case even further than Hebrews. This Priest is a priest after the order of Adam (Luke 3:38). And as the first Adam, having been given the priestly ministry of guarding the garden, was tested by Satan, so also for this newly ordained Priest ("the second Adam"), who passes through the waters into the wilderness to be tested by Satan (Luke 4:1-13), so that he could be a priest who was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

Various churches have numerous videos posted on YouTube which teach that we apply the blood of the Messiah to our sins by getting water baptized. This is false religion and a doctrine of demons. According to Hebrews 12:24 the precious blood of Yeshua (who is our resurrected High Priest -- Hebrews 4:15-16) was sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat in Heaven (Hebrews 9:12). The Messiah did this in the presence of God the Father on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). It is the blood of Yeshua that washes our sins away, and not water. There is no instance in the Old Testament Temple ritual where water was ever sprinkled on the Mercy Seat!

There is not one verse in the Bible which even remotely hints that water baptism is associated with the Messiah's shed blood. To teach otherwise is to corrupt the Word of YEHOVAH God.

In John chapter 3, where the Messiah is witnessing to Nicodemus, he plainly teaches that being “born of water” refers to the physical birth, and not to water baptism as some heretics falsely claim. John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.” The Messiah is contrasting the fleshly birth to the spiritual birth. This passage of Scripture has absolutely nothing to do with water baptism.

Titus 3:5 is often used by false prophets in a foolish attempt to teach water baptism for salvation:

Being “born-again” means that, being like the Messiah, who is "the first-born of many brethren," we will eventually be "born again" at the resurrection. To be “regenerated” means to be born anew from above by the holy spirit of YEHOVAH God (John 1:13), quickened (or made alive) by YEHOVAH's spirit (Ephesians 2:1). The Bible plainly teaches in Titus 3:5 that we are not saved “by works of righteousness which WE HAVE DONE”!!! Being water baptized is something that WE DO, not that YEHOVAH God does!

The Bible says in John 1:

What a beautiful Scripture. Here we clearly see that we of Israel are saved simply by BELIEVING ON THE MESSIAH'S NAME! Notice that we are not saved because of anything that we have done; but rather, because YEHOVAH God in His mercy, love, and grace has made a provision for our redemption by the sacrifice of His only begotten Son on the tree. Confession, water baptism, forsaking the world, ceasing from sinful living, committing one's life to the Messiah and surrendering our will to serve YEHOVAH God are all futile actions of HUMAN EFFORT. As we just learned in John 1:12-13, salvation is completely of YEHOVAH God. Our part as Israelites, whose names are in the Book of Life, is simply to believe, and then YEHOVAH does all the saving!

Consider that the Bible doesn't mention anyone in the Old Testament being baptized with water for salvation. It is a simple fact that YEHOVAH's Chosen People in the Old Testament -- Noah, Shem, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, and all the prophets, etc. -- were all dead in their sins until the birth of the Messiah and his predicted sacrifice.

Genesis 15:6 teaches that Abram (later to be renamed Abraham) believed YEHOVAH God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Romans 4:3 mentions this event, i.e., Abraham's salvation. We are saved by the imputed righteousness of the Messiah, i.e., the Messiah's righteousness is attributed to our record in Heaven by faith (Romans 4:6). Abraham was saved by simple childlike faith in YEHOVAH God.

While John the Baptist baptized many Israelites in Judea while the Messiah was still alive and had not yet offered himself up, and if baptism was a requirement for salvation, were his efforts totally in vain since they were still "dead in their sins"?

The thief on the tree, who believed on the Messiah, wasn't water baptized. Unless you errantly believe in two different plans of salvation, then the only logical conclusion is that water baptism is NOT required for salvation.

Over and over the Bible tells us that we are saved BY FAITH alone (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Acts 10:43; John 1:12; Galatians 3:26; John 3:16-18). If water baptism were required for salvation, then certainly the Bible would stress its importance for salvation. In fact, the apostle Paul stated the opposite:

Paul proclaimed that the Messiah DIDN'T send him to baptize. There you have it! Paul stated in Romans 10:1 that his heart's desire was for Israel to be saved, so Paul definitely would NOT have made such a statement in 1 Corinthians 1:17 if water baptism were necessary to be saved.

A Church of Christ minister once said that Paul's disciples did the baptizing instead. That is mincing words! It is abundantly clear from the apostle's Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 1:17 that the Messiah didn't send him to baptize, because water baptism is not necessary to receive the gift of eternal life. What if I bought you a gift, but said that you need to take a bath first to receive it? Then it wouldn't be a gift!

There's no mention of water baptism. The Bible is the most misinterpreted book in the world, because most people study it out of context and without the presence of its Author, YEHOVAH God.

The Bible Stipulates Immersion

The Judean ritual of purification by immersion, the mikva, is undoubtedly a forerunner of the practice of baptism. In ancient Judaism, a cleansed leper, a woman after her menstrual period, any ceremonially defiled person, and a convert to Judaism, had to undergo the mikva and be fully immersed in water, prior to being declared "pure" and able to enter the Temple -- or reenter society.

While many "churches" today baptize candidates by sprinkling (usually as babies) the Bible nowhere condones such a practice! Notice what Ted Weiland says in his booklet, Baptism: All You Wanted to Know and More:

Archaeologists have discovered almost fifty ritual baths called mikva'ot -- in the excavations around the southern wall of the so-called Temple mount in Jerusalem.

When John the Baptist appeared offering water in the wilderness, he was claiming to fulfill a number of eschatological promises; the fact that he was baptizing around the Jordan particularly recalled Ezekiel’s prophecies about Israel’s restoration to the land. And in each case, these are promises that YEHOVAH God will cleanse His people. The form of John’s baptism picks up on these prophecies, as well as on the priests’ ordination bath. The eschatological promise is that water and spirit will be poured out in order to form a priestly people from the dry ground of old Israel. That the Judahites understood the meaning of John’s baptism is shown by the questions they posed to him in John 1:19-28.

According to a recent article in the journal Worship, on the origins of baptism, most of the baptismal rites that existed in first-century Judaism involved self-baptism, self-washing. The majority of washings under the Old Testament ceremonial system were likewise self-washings (Leviticus 14:8; 15:5, 7, 10, 11, 13). John’s baptism (and Christian baptism) is determined at least in part by the priestly baptism, not by the baptisms of Jewish or Greek religion in the first century.

The ordinance of baptism is patterned after the ritualistic mikvah or sacred bath. The practice of ceremonial immersion, the forerunner of Christian baptism, was a "self-administered" baptism, in which the person, or priest, walked out into the bath, or pool, and then completely immersed himself (or herself). In light of this, Dr. Robert Lindsey of Jerusalem has suggested that John the Baptist himself did not actually "baptize" people, by putting his hands on them and pushing them under the water. Rather, the baptism was a self-administered procedure to which John bore witness and supervised. Similarly, in the Jewish ritual of the mikvah, the person is forbidden to touch anyone else while in the baptismal pool or bath. Such touching would "contaminate" the process and render it "unclean" and unfit.

How does this relate to the Christian practice of baptism?

Yeshua the Messiah, John the Baptist, and the early apostles were all Judeans. They were well acquainted with the mikvah, and the rites of purification. It is undoubted therefore that baptism, which was based on and patterned on the mikvah purification ritual, should also be performed in a similar fashion, without human hands of another person interfering with the process. Baptism is literally between each man or woman and YEHOVAH God. It should be performed by the person himself, standing in water, and immersing himself! This should be done, of course, under the supervision of the one responsible for conducting the "baptism" ceremony -- but without that person actually "laying hold" on the individual being baptized. Thus, the vast majority of so-called "Christian" baptisms performed down through the years have missed the point, and failed to fulfill this ritual in the strict sense of the word.

To have another human being plunging another beneath the water is contrary to YEHOVAH's intent on two counts:

1) It interposes another human being between each person and YEHOVAH God: yet the word of YEHOVAH says, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5). For one man to literally "baptize" another interposes a fallible human being in the middle of this divine relationship.

2) It interferes with total and complete ritual purity and the symbolism of true and complete "baptism" or immersion: When one man "baptizes" another, pushing him below the water, wherever his hands touch the individual or the clothing of the individual, that spot is not "washed," or "cleansed," but is prevented from being touched by the water. But even more important, baptism is a purely voluntary act, which a person decides to do of his own free will. Therefore, for another person to "plunge him under the water" implies he needs human assistance to do this, and perhaps is even forced or coerced into doing it. This obstructs the "voluntary" nature of the act itself, and contradicts the whole sacred meaning of a person choosing to immerse themselves in the water, to receive extra spiritual power to enable them to carry out their priestly duty in the service of YEHOVAH God.

Baptism is also a symbol of our "death" in the water, and being raised by YEHOVAH to newness of life. In true death, no human being would be touching us. Also, no human being can raise us up to live again, in newness of life -- only YEHOVAH God can do that. Therefore, the symbolism is violated by a man plunging a person into the water, and then a man lifting us up out of the water.

Those in charge of the baptismal ceremony are actually there to SUPERVISE each candidate as they perform their own self-immersion, and to see to it that they do it properly, and go all the way under the water, in complete "burial." They need not touch the individual or his or her clothing in carrying out such supervision. They merely need to be attentive, and to watch carefully, insuring that the person being baptized completely fulfills the requirement.

Writes Ted Weiland --

The candidate and the person "baptizing" should both go into the water, as John the Baptist did with Yeshua, and Philip did with the Ethiopian eunuch, and then on confession of sin and repentance, the candidate should gently lower themselves all the way beneath the water, in a sitting position, and then rise up from that position out of the water. How simple. How plain. How divine and pure and sensible.

Too many times I have seen churches, and ministers of various churches, try to inject themselves, and their systematic theology, into the lives of people, commanding them to be baptized their way, and only in their church, insinuating their self-proclaimed authority over the new Christians. In this way they bring them into a state of religious "bondage" and spiritual slavery to their dictatorial and dogmatic "authority."

Such a system of baptism is definitely not YEHOVAH's way.

Although we at Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH) certainly do not endorse the common type of baptism (sprinkling) performed by most so-called "Christian" churches, we do not condemn baptisms done by immersion if they do not adhere exactly to points mentioned above. Rather, even though such baptisms may not have been "perfect," in a technical sense, still, we believe YEHOVAH God accepts them, and honors them, as real baptism, so long as the person being baptized at the time of baptism, knew and accepted Yeshua as the Messiah, and repented of their sins, and committed their lives entirely to Yeshua as his fellow servants and followers, completely. The inward motivation and genuine sincerity of the individual accepting YEHOVAH God as Savior, and repenting of their sins, and giving their life over to Him in total surrender of self-will and one's entire self, is the most important thing -- not the "mechanics" of the baptism having been performed "perfectly."

We accept such baptisms as valid and do not require "re-baptism" in such cases. However, for those who would like to be baptized over again, as a sort of "confirmation ceremony," that would be all right. Even as some married couples go through a "second" marriage ceremony, later on during their marriage, as a sort of "celebration" of their first marriage, even repeating the nuptial vows, and perhaps even having a "second honeymoon," in the same manner it would not be wrong for a person who has been baptized once to undergo the ceremony again, at a later time, as a "celebration" of their baptism, and as a "confirmation" of it. However, anyone who has been baptized by sprinkling in the past needs to be "re-baptized" by immersion.

And we should reiterate here that baptism is not required for salvation! The Messiah set an example for us to be baptized so that we, as "a royal priesthood," can be imbued with more of YEHOVAH's power to perform the tasks YEHOVAH clearly wants us to do in His service -- just like the Messiah needed that extra "boost" of the holy spirit to enable him carry out his ministry and die an excruciating death on the tree for our salvation.

It is to be realized that baptism and the receiving of YEHOVAH's holy spirit is ONLY for those of the Adamic line -- those descended from Israel. Adam, when he was formed in Genesis 2:7, was given an earnest or measure of YEHOVAH's spirit -- notice!

The most important difference between the mankind of Genesis 1:26 and Adam in Genesis 2:7 is that Adam received the breath of YEHOVAH God in his nostrils. Later, when the procreative power of Abram and Sara was regenerated, the spirit of YEHOVAH God was embedded in their genes -- memorialized by the addition of the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet to their names. Salvation requires that the individual believes YEHOVAH God and that belief is a function of the indwelling spirit, NOT of the natural flesh -- as the Messiah said to Nicodemus "what is spirit is spirit." Hence there was no point in the Messiah dying for people who do not have the indwelling spirit and hence no ability to comprehend and believe the things of the spirit.

When we are “forgiven” we are placed in a position of responsibility where we are told to take heed to (our) “spirit”. The word “our” is not there (is dative). In effect, this means we have to take heed to where we are on the graph, as it were, in regard to “spirit”.

Since we have been placed on the right hand side of the graph since birth, we have the ongoing choice to progress further to the right, or we can revert towards the left hand side. We can become unthankful and we can willfully sin and thus become unholy. If we become unholy and “fall away”, we are no longer on the right hand side of the graph. The justification process may then have to be repeated, but there comes a time, such as the unwise virgins experienced, when they found their lamps had gone out. Then they no longer had any oil in their lamps. Their action was too late. They no longer had “spirit” (This is symbolized by the word “oil”)!

We have the continual ongoing choice to choose whom we will serve. This principle is expressed the same in the Old Testament in Leviticus 10:10, “And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean”. We can revert like the “swine that was washed to its wallowing in the mire”. When this happens we have moved back to the left hand side of the diagram and are in danger of having our names removed from the Book of Life..

Like Aaron, the Messiah needed to be baptized and anointed so that he could carry out his ministry as our High Priest. Similarly, we as the "royal priesthood" need to follow in his footsteps and become imbued with more of YEHOVAH's spirit so that we can carry out the tasks that YEHOVAH God intends us to do. Also, baptism symbolizes a person's "death and burial" of their human flesh and desires, the "old man," and their rising up out of that watery grave having obtained "new life" and becoming a "new man" in Messiah Yeshua. As Paul wrote, "That ye put off on concerning the former conduct the OLD MAN, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and that ye put on the NEW MAN, which after God is CREATED in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Baptism, then, should be an integral part of the Christian-Israelite life. It symbolizes the beginning of a new life -- a life destined to live for all eternity. When those of us of Israel are baptized, having repented of our sins and accepted Messiah Yeshua as our mediator, YEHOVAH God promises to give us more of His own holy spirit (Acts 5:38) -- a part of His very own Being, and Life, within us. From this point on the Messiah and his character is being "formed" in us (Galatians 4:19). And if we grow, and endure, and remain faithful to the end of our lives, then we will inherit eternal life in the Family and Kingdom of YEHOVAH GOD!

Have you been "baptized"? Remember Peter's words:

Have you "repented"? Do you believe on the Messiah's name? Do you wish to follow the Messiah's example as a member of the "royal priesthood"?