Why did so many people get baptized by John the Baptist?
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I can KINDA see a connection to your because of 2 things:
1. The verses that refer to Christians as a kings and priests.
And
2. Because of the idea of removal of sins without going through the levitical oriesthoid
But a mikvah was (to my understanding) only expected to remove physical dirtiness. Whereas John's baptism was not
It wasn't....it was a ritual, ceremonial bath moreso than a bath for the removal of dirt....
The Essenes (the sect that raised John after his parents died) were especially devoted to ritual bathing at least once a week. (Nobody really believed in bathing before this....bathing was believed to make people sick. )
The Essenes were an extreme sect of Judaism. They wore white while John began to wear camel hair. (Dark brown) The white was likely wool but John's camel hair was coarse, scratchy and very uncomfortable as camel hair was tent canopy material....common in middle eastern bedoin life. It did swell in the rain to become water tight....but otherwise breathed well. (You can see through the weave)
The Essenes were also the source of most copies of the Israelite books especially the Torah scrolls. And a likely culprit of some sort for the rift between the Samaritans and the Jews. They lived around the Dead Sea near a water source (we know where today)
There is a very significant question that arrives out of your mention of the rituals of those differing sects....
Was John Baptizing because of the doctrines of MAN (his own, his tribe's or his religious sect's) or because GOD sent him to baptize the way he baptized.
In other words... "the baptism of John...was it from heaven, or of men?
Very true.
Acts 10:43-44
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
God sent John to baptize people for the repentance of sins in order to prepare the people for the coming of Jesus. It's kind of hard to see and recognize TRUTH when people are still sinning.
John the Baptist baptized because he was a prophet of God and told by God to Baptize others...he also was foretold about like all of those "Born from Above" (not "born again" as has been a marketing campaign from mistranslated scriptures for almost a century now)
Sure, along John's life he was taught to ceremonially bathe. How to abstain from all alcohol or grape products and live a very ascetic life. He knew scriptures very well. (How many times had he, himself written/copied out the complete Torah?)
God does not send out his prophets without thorough knowledge or through hallucinated notions. (As has been suggested by others)
God sends his prophets fully equipped and instructed as to what, when, how, and why He wants what He wants. John thought he had done something wrong because Jesus's ministry was still rather small and John was now in Herod's prison. This is NOT how John pictured a world changing event happening. (Nor would anyone except God) So John sent his disciples to Jesus to ask if he had messed up somehow.
It's on this occasion that Jesus tells the apostles that among those born of women there is none greater than John the Baptist. The highest praise possible considering the source. The next highest praise is given to a disregarded Hellenistic Jew named Stephen.
The term "Baptizo" is of Greek origin not Hebrew and refers to the dyeing of yarn or cloth.
Back then dye was made in individual batches....all organically or hand sourced materials too. Meaning that there was no consistency....no computerized color matching systems. One batch of dye was used until it was gone.
This is the essence of "one Lord, One Faith, One Baptism" where this one batch of dye colors everyone that belongs to the family/sect of God.
And I say this because....
People get confused....they believe that the person doing the Baptism can be special....and they matter up to a point. But the dye used to color your soul matters the most. It must be the same dye/blood as the others. Thats why Jesus referred to it as a Baptism and not a Tohorah bath.
And on a separate note....I love "tye dyed" shirts....the patterns available are awesome....especially if you get away from just the tying and rubber bands. (As is customary) lots of options available.
PLUS
When I went to Israel I brought back water from the Jordan for people to baptize their kids in when they did it. It was a special treat....hopefully meaning something to people even if it wasn't so efficacious.
Their national doctrine ( law and prophets ) had them waiting and expecting for a messenger in the desert that would immediately precede the messiah . Announcing salvation and forgivness of sins and the messiah Notice in the gospel around John there’s always prophecy being fulfilled
“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
Isaiah 40:1-8 KJV
this was somewhere around 700 yrs before Jesus came forth in the gospel Israel’s hopes were written on the prophets so the gospel begins as those long awaited hopes are beginning to be fulfilled
“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.”
Matthew 3:1-3 KJV
Other prophecies like this
“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
And the gospel where it’s fulfilled
“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 John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; 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. ( John is preaching about Jesus )
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. ( the son has come forth they were waiting for )
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Mark 1:1-2, 4, 6-11, 14-15
Israel knew the scriptures that were promising a prophet in the wilderness a wild man of sorts who was preaching and announcing the near arrival messiah like he was . Thier hopes we’re waiting for the promoses in thier national doctrine
This is my opinion
That quoted line is honestly my favorite part. Not that it is seemingly of greater doctrinal value... But it hit hard as being a statement of humility.
1 Corinthians 8:2 KJV - And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
For those who wish to consider the topic of water baptism somewhat deeply, I propose the following question.
Do you believe the purpose of water baptism to have been the same throughout each of the following periods... Or do you believe there is a different purpose during each of the following time periods?
Time period #1:
When John was first sent baptizing but before he knew who the Messiah was. (Before he baptized Jesus and saw the sign of the spirit descending upon Jesus)
Time period #2:
After Jesus was baptized but before the day of Pentecost. When both John was still baptizing and the disciples of Jesus were baptizing. (During which period Jesus knew that he, himself is the Messiah)
Time period #3:
On the day of Pentecost, and continuing since that day.
I will volunteer the idea that water baptism has been for the same purpose throughout... that God set up the functioning of that purpose in and during John's baptism... Jesus purposefully did NOT change water baptism during his entire earthly ministry... Jesus did prophesy that one change that would be made to water baptism would be the addition of a NAME, not a changing of the purpose (Luke 24:47)... And that the change took place on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38 baptism showing the addition of the NAME to John's baptism of Mark 1:4 & Luke 3:3). There has been no BIBLICALLY-prescribed change to water baptism since then
Do you believe the purpose of water baptism to have been the same throughout each of the following periods... Or do you believe there is a different purpose during each of the following time periods?
Time period #1:
When John was first sent baptizing but before he knew who the Messiah was. (Before he baptized Jesus and saw the sign of the spirit descending upon Jesus)
Time period #2:
After Jesus was baptized but before the day of Pentecost. When both John was still baptizing and the disciples of Jesus were baptizing. (During which period Jesus knew that he, himself is the Messiah)
Time period #3:
On the day of Pentecost, and continuing since that day.
I will volunteer the idea that water baptism has been for the same purpose throughout... that God set up the functioning of that purpose in and during John's baptism... Jesus purposefully did NOT change water baptism during his entire earthly ministry... Jesus did prophesy that one change that would be made to water baptism would be the addition of a NAME, not a changing of the purpose (Luke 24:47)... And that the change took place on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38 baptism showing the addition of the NAME to John's baptism of Mark 1:4 & Luke 3:3). There has been no BIBLICALLY-prescribed change to water baptism since then
Agreed.
“John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”
Mark 1:4 KJV
“Then 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.”
Acts 2:38 KJV
If we want to know about the inner details and meanings of how this is applicable we would read Paul or an apostle
Jesus died for our sins so ….the wonderful thing is baptisms source is the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the believer
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:
that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death,
we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 6:3-7, 11 KJV
Notice how the death and resurrection of Jesus repeats there
The thing about baptism for remission of sins is it’s relevance is the death burial and resurrection of christ.
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: …as Christ was raised …. so we also walk in newness of life.”
we have been planted together in the likeness of his death,
we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
our old man is crucified with him,…
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
our sins being remitted were paid for by his death and our freedom and new life before the lord was enabled by his resurrection
We’re buried in his name and raised up again from the water …….it’s meant to be an act of faith by a believer
When I read your post I read it as individual verses, each repeating the example of Jesus death, burial and resurrection being mirrored in water baptism.
As odd as this may sound, I didn't even realize you were only quoting Romans 6. I thought you were quoting from all over the new testament and it seemed to me the greatest collection of baptism verses ever assembled. (And it may very well be, lol).
I love it when God quickens his word in us to where we see things differently than we saw it before, even if we've read those passages dozens of times before.
If some reading this haven't experienced that, I highly recommend asking God to grant you that experience... multiple times.
I believe you could have included all the way down to 15 (and likely further).
Romans 6:11-15 KJV - Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Again, he's contrasting our situation before baptism versus after baptism. We are to rise from baptism to walk in newness of life rather than the oldness of sin and death.
Again, water baptism is a baptism of repentance (turning away from) for remission (removal from, creating a separation between, washing away).
What REALLY stood out to me that I'd not seen clearly before is that in verse 14, he's saying that once we've been baptized we're no longer under the law, but under grace.
I'd previously thought that "we" were under grace because it is the TIME of grace.
It's not a situation of time. It's a situation of being dead...to the law and sin.
Wow.
Yes my position is forninstance there in chapter 6 if we just read Paul’s explaination it’s going to teach us about baptisms worth and value and how it applies . Rather than trying to “ figure out and re interpret what he’s saying “When I read your post I read it as individual verses, each repeating the example of Jesus death, burial and resurrection being mirrored in water baptism.
As odd as this may sound, I didn't even realize you were only quoting Romans 6. I thought you were quoting from all over the new testament and it seemed to me the greatest collection of baptism verses ever assembled. (And it may very well be, lol).
I love it when God quickens his word in us to where we see things differently than we saw it before, even if we've read those passages dozens of times before.
If some reading this haven't experienced that, I highly recommend asking God to grant you that experience... multiple times.
If we then search the subject more we find more and more
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Galatians 3:27-29 KJV
We then begin to see how baptism is tied to genesis and Abrahams true children of promise
The apostles really taught clearly about things. my position really is that if we took time and carefully study what they have already explained in the scriptures we can all, everyone begin to hear the word clearly without the confusion and strengthen ourselves in the lord or rather be quickened by his word as you said so we’ll
if we already know everything it’s really hard to learn anything but if we realize “ maybe I can learn from the apostles and Jesus “ it becomes easy to learn from them
God bless let’s keep in his word as we learn to apply it to life as we become able
Yes I would advise anyone to read through sometimes paul goes on for two or three chapters about one subject I was just trying to highlight that the information is already there
“What REALLY stood out to me that I'd not seen clearly before is that in verse 14, he's saying that once we've been baptized we're no longer under the law, but under grace.”
yes thisnisnpauos argument that our baptism in Jesus name , means we’re included with him in his death ( for our sins ) and resurrection for our justification v the accusations of the law.
Remember even John the Baptist was preaching about faith in Jesus before he even appears in the open and announces his name. As he was baptizing for remission of sins remember Jesus blood being shed is the source of remission of sins
“for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Matthew 26:28 KJV
Paul is explaining the doctrine of baptism and how this relates to our faith in his death for our sins and resurrection the source of all of it .
Yes, "once we've been baptized we're no longer under the law, but under grace." Those who believe and obey God's command of water baptism in the name of Jesus are no longer who they were; the person subject to the law because of the stain of sin.
These are some of my observations:
It's fully established that John was sent by God:
John 1: 6-9
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
Since, John was the son of the priest Zachariah, who was serving in the temple when Jesus was conceived, the Jews would have known John. And, since he had taken the vow of a Nazarite (Numbers 6) he would have been hairy. So, the people would have accepted John as a priest in the Levitical order and known he had taken the vow of the Nazarite, the devotion one who was serious before God.
John was sent to bear witness of the Light.
This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
A witness was a legal term of the Sinai law. One could not testify of something unless they witnessed what they proclaimed. In John's case, since he could not testify that Jesus was the Light of God before he started his ministry of water baptism, John's testimony was that "God has shown me the Light is coming and God has sent me to prepare the people for His arrival and make the paths straight for Him."
The people would have recognized that John's message was from Isaiah 40:
The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God."
The corruption out of the temple and of Jewish culture at the direction of the Pharisees and Sadducees was a known quantity. When Jesus publicly condemned their behavior it wasn't an expose like a hard-hitting journalistic piece. The people had been buckling under their unrighteous rule for some time before John and Jesus appeared (The Essenes had been critical of the amalgamation of Pharisaical and Sadducitical leadership for over a century.) What was different was that someone was actually saying something about it with authority AND proclaiming the imminent arrival of the Lord.
In Isaiah 40, the prophet calls out to "Zion" and "Jerusalem" to expect the appearing of God, "Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
So, from all of this, it would seem that the people, for at least three generations, had been victimized by the religious and political powers of their day and were ready for deliverance. When John the Baptist began his ministry ("Prepare the way of the Lord people of Zion and Jerusalem!") many would have been eager to follow him; a "super" priest who had taken the vow of the Nazarite. Couple that with the announcement of the Lord's arrival, John's baptism in water would have been a serious, counter-cultural testimony against the religious and political leaders. It likely exposed them to further abuse by the corrupt leaders who ran the temple and marketplace.
John's ministry likely attracted those who feared the Lord and those who anticipated His arrival. Of course some of them viewed Rome as the ultimate barrier to a full life (and thus expected God to deliver them from Rome) but many were sincere and willing to publicly "testify"m with Johnm that the political and religious practices of their day were not up to the standard of God. The fear of the Lord would have gone before them as they went down into the water to be immersed by John.
It's fully established that John was sent by God:
John 1: 6-9
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
Since, John was the son of the priest Zachariah, who was serving in the temple when Jesus was conceived, the Jews would have known John. And, since he had taken the vow of a Nazarite (Numbers 6) he would have been hairy. So, the people would have accepted John as a priest in the Levitical order and known he had taken the vow of the Nazarite, the devotion one who was serious before God.
John was sent to bear witness of the Light.
This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
A witness was a legal term of the Sinai law. One could not testify of something unless they witnessed what they proclaimed. In John's case, since he could not testify that Jesus was the Light of God before he started his ministry of water baptism, John's testimony was that "God has shown me the Light is coming and God has sent me to prepare the people for His arrival and make the paths straight for Him."
The people would have recognized that John's message was from Isaiah 40:
The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God."
The corruption out of the temple and of Jewish culture at the direction of the Pharisees and Sadducees was a known quantity. When Jesus publicly condemned their behavior it wasn't an expose like a hard-hitting journalistic piece. The people had been buckling under their unrighteous rule for some time before John and Jesus appeared (The Essenes had been critical of the amalgamation of Pharisaical and Sadducitical leadership for over a century.) What was different was that someone was actually saying something about it with authority AND proclaiming the imminent arrival of the Lord.
In Isaiah 40, the prophet calls out to "Zion" and "Jerusalem" to expect the appearing of God, "Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
So, from all of this, it would seem that the people, for at least three generations, had been victimized by the religious and political powers of their day and were ready for deliverance. When John the Baptist began his ministry ("Prepare the way of the Lord people of Zion and Jerusalem!") many would have been eager to follow him; a "super" priest who had taken the vow of the Nazarite. Couple that with the announcement of the Lord's arrival, John's baptism in water would have been a serious, counter-cultural testimony against the religious and political leaders. It likely exposed them to further abuse by the corrupt leaders who ran the temple and marketplace.
John's ministry likely attracted those who feared the Lord and those who anticipated His arrival. Of course some of them viewed Rome as the ultimate barrier to a full life (and thus expected God to deliver them from Rome) but many were sincere and willing to publicly "testify"m with Johnm that the political and religious practices of their day were not up to the standard of God. The fear of the Lord would have gone before them as they went down into the water to be immersed by John.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
used to be a gentile used to be a Jew used to be a slave to sin used to be ….,,,,but who does he say we are now ? Changing the mind from old to new is important and happens as we listen
“if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
and be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Ephesians 4:21-24 KJV
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 KJV