This word "baptism" is not translated from Greek into English. Rather it is transliterated. This means the Greek letters are changed into English letters but no MEANING is conveyed.
The reason this was done is because the practice of the Roman Catholic church and the Church of England was to sprinkle and baptism does NOT mean "to sprinkle", which the translators knew perfectly well. So to protect their tradition of men the word "baptism" was not translated at all.
Baptism MEANS "to cleanse by dipping". The Jews were very familiar with this concept. You may recall that in the Temple courtyard was a laver. This laver was round with a 7' diameter and stood 3 1/2' high, with the sides going down at an angle toward the center. It was kind of like a big bowl filled with water.
The reason for the laver is that sacrificing animals is a bloody business. Those doing the sacrifices used tools. Between sacrifices they would take these tools to the laver and dip them into the water. Blood, being heavier than water, would sink to the bottom. Thus, tools were cleaned and sacrifices continued.
There are five baptisms found in scripture.
1. water baptism
2. spirit baptism
3. baptism into Jesus Christ
4. baptism for the dead
5. baptism into sufferinig
The purpose of water baptism is to cleanse a person of confessed sin. This requires a person to first acknowledge sin, then repent or change their mind about the wrongness of sin, as well as changing their attitude toward God.
Water baptism is a prerequisite for spirit baptism, which involves being dipped in Holy Spirit by Jesus. God cannot fellowship with sin. Thus someone who wants to respond to God's call out of the world and into fellowship with Him must first be cleansed of sin.
These two baptisms work together to move a believer from the body of Adam to the body of Jesus Christ. People under and in Adam are subjects of Satan. People under and in Jesus Christ are subjects of God. This is baptism into Jesus Christ --- a transfer from one body to another.
I Corinthians 15:29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
This practice of baptism for the dead began in the early church. The disciples evidently felt that baptism was so important that it was necessary for a living person to stand in proxy and be baptized for a dead person who hadn't had the opportunity to be baptized. Although most churches do not practice it this baptism is still practiced by the Mormon church.
Mark 10:38-39 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
Finally, Jesus promised His disciples a baptism into suffering. They would suffer as He had suffered. Although the word "suffer" or "suffering" is not in this verse it is pretty obvious what Jesus meant.
Today's organized churches focus on water baptism only. They pretend, using false doctrine, to be baptized into Holy Spirit by Jesus but they are missing the results of that baptism, namely speaking in tongues, praying in the spirit, manifesting spiritual gifts, maturing as disciples, and turning the world upside down.
The reason this was done is because the practice of the Roman Catholic church and the Church of England was to sprinkle and baptism does NOT mean "to sprinkle", which the translators knew perfectly well. So to protect their tradition of men the word "baptism" was not translated at all.
Baptism MEANS "to cleanse by dipping". The Jews were very familiar with this concept. You may recall that in the Temple courtyard was a laver. This laver was round with a 7' diameter and stood 3 1/2' high, with the sides going down at an angle toward the center. It was kind of like a big bowl filled with water.
The reason for the laver is that sacrificing animals is a bloody business. Those doing the sacrifices used tools. Between sacrifices they would take these tools to the laver and dip them into the water. Blood, being heavier than water, would sink to the bottom. Thus, tools were cleaned and sacrifices continued.
There are five baptisms found in scripture.
1. water baptism
2. spirit baptism
3. baptism into Jesus Christ
4. baptism for the dead
5. baptism into sufferinig
The purpose of water baptism is to cleanse a person of confessed sin. This requires a person to first acknowledge sin, then repent or change their mind about the wrongness of sin, as well as changing their attitude toward God.
Water baptism is a prerequisite for spirit baptism, which involves being dipped in Holy Spirit by Jesus. God cannot fellowship with sin. Thus someone who wants to respond to God's call out of the world and into fellowship with Him must first be cleansed of sin.
These two baptisms work together to move a believer from the body of Adam to the body of Jesus Christ. People under and in Adam are subjects of Satan. People under and in Jesus Christ are subjects of God. This is baptism into Jesus Christ --- a transfer from one body to another.
I Corinthians 15:29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
This practice of baptism for the dead began in the early church. The disciples evidently felt that baptism was so important that it was necessary for a living person to stand in proxy and be baptized for a dead person who hadn't had the opportunity to be baptized. Although most churches do not practice it this baptism is still practiced by the Mormon church.
Mark 10:38-39 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
Finally, Jesus promised His disciples a baptism into suffering. They would suffer as He had suffered. Although the word "suffer" or "suffering" is not in this verse it is pretty obvious what Jesus meant.
Today's organized churches focus on water baptism only. They pretend, using false doctrine, to be baptized into Holy Spirit by Jesus but they are missing the results of that baptism, namely speaking in tongues, praying in the spirit, manifesting spiritual gifts, maturing as disciples, and turning the world upside down.
