Why did John Baptize with water?
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You are right. John baptized with water because he was told to by God in a dream. Now the question is why did the non-Christian Jews go to John to get water baptized? The answer is that water baptism was practiced long before John for spiritual cleansing as prescribed in Leviticus 11. The first Christians were devout Jews who still held to their Jewish traditions and practices. Water baptism for spiritual cleansing is still practiced today by Jews. All the water baptisms performed in the New Testament are done by Christian Jews. Gentiles are not required to follow the Jewish tradition of water baptism because our spiritual cleansing comes from the blood of Christ.
Where did you get that from?
While I agree that water Baptism isn't required for salvation, nowhere does it say that Gentiles should not be Baptized. In fact, there are examples given in Scripture where Gentiles are Baptized.
This is a good article explaining the issue:
Should we be baptized in Jesus’ name (Acts 2:38), or in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)? | GotQuestions.org
You're definitely wrong about baptism not being required for salvation, but regarding your other question pertaining to what phrase to use, i.e.; in the name of. Below is something i recently posted here on another thread that should help to clarify it for you.
REPOST
In Matthew 28:19 it says this
"19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
In Acts 2:38 it says this
"38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
So, which is it? Does scripture contradict scripture? The answer is NO. So, what's the deal?
What does "in the name of" really mean?
The fact is, when the phrase "In the name of is used" such as in the name of the king or queen, or in the name of the ??? anything, it really means by the authority of. So in the case of Matthew 28:19 it's saying by the authority of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, since the actually names are either unknown, i.e., the name of the Holy Ghost, what is it?, or nebulous, such as in the name of God the Father, i.e., do you use Yaweh, I AM, Jehova, or ??? etc., And likewise in Acts 2:38, it's saying 'by the authority of Jesus Christ'. So, once a confession of belief is made, such as the Ethiopian eunuch did in Acts 8, it's immaterial. Either one is OK, or even none at all since the confession of belief in Jesus Christ is sufficient.
John 1: 31-34
PennEd said:
I double dog dare you to find me the Bible verse where it says God didn’t create 3 headed people!
The difference is that there are no 3 headed people, but there were other one headed people at that time. Either they were blood relatives or other created humans.
The Christian Jews continued with their Jewish observances and traditions including getting spiritually cleansed through water baptism. Gentiles were new to Christianity and assumed it was part of Christianity even to this day.
in fact, there weren't any Christians until Jesus died, ushering in the NT, and one could be baptized into Christ, his death, and become part of the body of Christ which is his church.
read about his birth
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. ( reminded of Abram and Sarai )And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias:
for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Luke 1:5-17
Read more
“And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: and she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
Luke 1:41-45
“Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. ( just like gods angel said would happen ) And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.( god named him through the angel ) …..And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
…. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people By the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; Whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.”
Luke 1:57, 60, 63-64, 66, 76-80 KJV
The last writings of the ot prophets
“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me:
and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Malachi 3:1 KJV
The beginning of the gospel appx 300 years later
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Which shall prepare thy way before thee.
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judæa, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins;( Elijah the tishbite ) and he did eat locusts and wild honey; and preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”
Mark 1:1-2, 4-8
The final two verses of the old testsment prophets
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
Malachi 4:5-6 KJV
The lord Jesus after johns beheading by Herod
“For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elijah , which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Matthew 11:13-15 KJV
“And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things.
But I say unto you, That Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.”
Matthew 17:10-13
a John was sent by God and foretold in the prophets to offer israel repentance and remission of sins he baptized for repentance and remission of sins for those who had faith in the messiah before he was declared.
theres a lot more information in scriptire regerding John and Elijah’s prophetic appearance before jesus came and before he returns as well.
So the first Christians were Jews. That is who I mean when I say Jewish Christians.
Call them "Hebrew Christians". That is why we have the book of Hebrews. Yes the first Christians were all Hebrews since the Gospel had to preached to them first. God wanted Israel to be totally saved, but the nation rejected Christ. At the same time thousands of Jews were converted in the early years.
Yes. Jewish Christians but not those that John the Baptist baptized. They were not Christians. If you look at the book of Acts in chapter 19, you see the Ephesians were initially baptized unto John's baptism and when they found out about Christ, they were re-baptized in his name. You find the Gentiles (non Jews) being brought into the church in Acts 10.