When did baptizing show up in the Bible?

[Depleted]

I think it's the original symbolic meaning which might be the clue.

So for example the holy communion was a replacement for pass over.

Baptism may have been the replacement for all that ceremonial washing in
the lathe in front of the temple. Whereby people tried to make themselves clean.

Like Jesus was the replacement for the sacrifices.

Its interesting that the theme of passing through fire and water is repeated in the
bible. Here is an example. I realise the context may imply something different, but
fire and water are often mentioned together.



Isaiah 43:1-2 NKJV
[1] But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who
formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called
you by your name; You are Mine. [2] When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.




Refiners fire burning away the dross, cleansing water purifying, maybe it's always been
that way.

I can see that, but considering Jesus washed the disciples' feet, don't you think it would be more likely we'd be into getting just our feet wet?

 

[Desertsrose]

The month of August is a good month to immerse ourselves—in God first, in His Word, in His work, and, if appropriate, in water. Long before the word “baptism” existed, there was a Hebrew word connected with a Jewish ritual. That word is “tevilah” (pronounced teh-vee-LAH). A regular part of Jewish life was immersion in water as a part of a ritual of cleanliness, purification, and separation. Even today, observant Jewish people immerse themselves at special times of the year, i.e. before Shabbat and the Fall Feasts. Jewish women immerse themselves before marriage, and after their monthly cycle. Converts to Judaism must be immersed in water as well.


In the Tanakh, priests were required to be immersed. The Lord said to Moses, “And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests…And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall wash them with water.” (Exodus 29:1; 4). This was a spiritual cleansing, indicating a change in status as well as a separation unto the Lord. An outward act was required to demonstrate an inward change. Immersion was the first step in the consecration of the kohanim (priests). On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the High Priest experienced multiple washings, or immersions, as he made atonement for the sins of Israel.


There were many laws of ritual purity and impurity that included immersion. God gave no specific reason for these commandments, known as Chukim (pronounced who-KEEM). They were laws to be obeyed by faith, simply because they were given by God.


One example of chukim is the commandment concerning contact with a dead body. “Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person shall be cut off from Israel. He shall be unclean, because the water of purification was not sprinkled on him; his uncleanness is still on him.” (Numbers 19:13) Instructions continue in this chapter, culminating with total immersion in verse 19.


Cleansing from impurity was commanded for anyone having a leprous sore on their body (Leviticus 13), as well as for anyone who had contact with blood (Leviticus 15:19-33).


Immersion in Judaism can be summed up in three concepts: purification, separation, and change in status—with both physical and spiritual aspects. Aryeh Kaplan in Waters of Eden comments on immersion as follows, “The water is not washing away any filth. Rather, the mikveh is changing the individual’s spiritual status from that of tomeh (unclean) to that of tahor (clean).”


Change of status via immersion is seen clearly in the case of conversion to Judaism. Rabbi Kaplan mentions a Talmudic teaching that a convert to Judaism is like a newborn child. Emerging from the waters of immersion is very much like a process of rebirth. Does this remind you of John chapter 3 where Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, had a discussion with Yeshua about being “born again”? Yeshua remarked “…unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (verse five).


The rest of the article can be found at jewish jewels dot org.

 

[Miri]

I can see that, but considering Jesus washed the disciples' feet, don't you think it would be more likely we'd be into getting just our feet wet?

Oh that's a very interesting question all of its own.
Jesus inferred only their feet needed washing as they were already clean everywhere else.
I believe it's because we pick up spiritual dirt as we walk through this world.


I had an interesting dream some time ago.


I won't go into the full details as it was very long, but the main part.
I was in a garden which had an overgrown bit at the back of the garden.
I wondered over to it and suddenly found myself in a very boggy area.
I sank into the mud and it covered my boot and the foot part only.

I pulled out my foot and walked back towards the house. Then a person came out
of the house and also walked towards this boggy area. I tried to warn them
about the mud but they either didn't listen or couldn't hear.

This person however sank right in up to their neck! Then me and a third person had
to pull them out.

In the dream I couldn't understand why they had sank right into the mud, but I had
only got my foot muddy.

Then this Psalm came to mind in the dream!

Psalm 40:1-3 NKJV
[1] I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.
[2] He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set
my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. [3] He has put a new song
in my mouth- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust
in the LORD.


We will never sink right in, no matter what, as we are standing on the rock!

Also Jesus warned that we will get our feet dirty as we walk in this world.
But we have the rock beneath our feet as we walk, so we never need completely
washing all over again.


John 13:8-10 NKJV
[8] Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him,
"If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." [9] Simon Peter said to Him,
"Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" [10] Jesus said to him,
"He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you
are clean".

 

[prove-all]

the Israelites were instructed to prepare the “water of purification”
that was to be used to wash any person who had touched a dead body.


God gave the Israelites an award-winning recipe for an antibacterial soap.
Apologetics Press - God’s Soap Recipe

 

[prove-all]

I can see that, but considering Jesus washed the disciples' feet,
don't you think it would be more likely we'd be into getting just our feet wet?

I believe the feet washing is a leason in humility,
and it had noththing to do with being baptized with water.

 

[valiant]

when John baptised with water he was indicating that the age of Holy Spirit was coming Isa 32.15; 44.1-3; 55.1-13.

He said 'I baptise you with water, but He will baptise with the Holy Spirit'. Mine is the symbol. His is the fulfilment.

That was the essential meaning of baptism.

 

[Meggido]

I believe the feet washing is a leason in humility,
and it had noththing to do with being baptized with water.

Yes it is about humility and being a servant..but Foot washing is more about repentance than many think or know....


[SUP]5 [/SUP]Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. [SUP]6 [/SUP]So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” [SUP]7 [/SUP]Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” [SUP]8 [/SUP]Peter *said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” [SUP]9 [/SUP]Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” [SUP]10 [/SUP]Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” [SUP]11 [/SUP]For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

 

[dcontroversal]

The first two collective immersions (in type) were done unto the church of the firstborn in the wilderness at the Red Sea crossing under Moses and then the Jordan crossing. under Joshua

 

[Sully]

The origin of Baptism has been on my mind lately. I heard a message that depicted the original baptismal process was for conversion from gentile to Judaism....

 

[Nehemiah6]

... when did baptizing even become a thing?

With John the Baptizer.

...AND, why wasn't John a prophet?

Well since the Lord called him the greatest prophet to have ever come, it means he was definitely a prophet, and he had come in the spirit and power of Elijah. When asked directly if he was indeed Elijah, he said he was not (John 1:19-27).

19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
24And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

 

[valiant]

The origin of Baptism has been on my mind lately. I heard a message that depicted the original baptismal process was for conversion from gentile to Judaism....

That was a washing for removing Gentile defilement. It was a full bath, It had nothing to do with baptism

 

[valiant]

Baptism is once and for all. It is not washing. It symbolises the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is not based on OT washings which did not cleanse by themselves and were continuous..

 

[FrankLee]

2 Kings 5:10,13-14 KJVS
And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. [13] And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it ? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? [14] Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Luke 4:27-28 KJVS
And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. [28] And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

Naaman dipping himself in the Jordan is a type of baptism. His leprosy being cleansed. And then we see what Jesus says in Luke. We see here too a foretelling of the gentiles being saved ahead of the Hebrews.

 

[OneFaith]

I know the servants of the Pharisees got upset with John for baptizing people when he wasn't the Messiah, Elijah, or a prophet, but it just dawned on me, (or I'm having an elongated senior moment), when did baptizing even become a thing? I know ceremonial washing was really important, but I thought it was that -- washing yourself carefully and privately, (or semi-privately, depending how busy the nearby stream or spring was that day.) But this is someone else intentionally wetting or dunking with no scrubbing involved.

I did check Strong's Concordance, and no such word as "baptize" in the OT, so how did the servants even have a word for this? Why wasn't it just plain weird to them? Kind of like telling people to look at what's coming and proving it by putting drops in their eyes to see better.

AND, why wasn't John a prophet? He was announcing the Messiah is here. Isn't that what prophets do -- herald the Christ's coming?

When John started baptizing in the wilderness, in order to 'prepare the way for the Lord'- because the Old Testament / old covenant was starting to come to an end. Christ would purchase His church with His blood, and establish it- including the way in. Peter was first to use the 'keys' to the kingdom (church)- 'Repent and be baptized'. Christ shead His blood in His death, we are baptized into His death- where we come in contact with His life saving blood. If we join Him like this in His death, we will also join Him in His resurrection. (Romans 6:3).

This is what the gospel is- the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ- which saves us when we obey it (baptism). "With flames of fire He will take vengeance on those who know not God, and who obey not the gospel of His Son." And in speaking of Noah's ark, the Bible says "This water symbolizes baptism- which now saves you. Not by removing dirt from the flesh, but by a clean conscience toward God.

Belief did not save Paul. Fasting did not save Paul. Praying did not save Paul. Being healed did not save Paul. So what did? Ananias told Paul "What are you waiting for? Arise, be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." During baptism we die to ourself, bury our old sinful self in the watery grave of baptism, and are raised a new creature. Why? Because during baptism we come in contact with the blood- which God uses to perform 'circumcision' of the heart (Col 2).