Tag Archives: baptism

Wild Prophet!

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WILD PROPHET!

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey (Mark 1: 4-6)

What a sensation this man must have caused! His appearance, first of all, must have been startling. Camel’s hair clothing! I am sure he had not sat painstakingly weaving cloth from camel hair. He probably wore a tunic roughly cobbled together from a camel hide. His diet sounded revolting – locusts and honey, unless of course he ate the pods of the carob tree, the “locust”, which was what they were called. Perhaps his diet wasn’t quite so out of the ordinary after all. What else could he eat in the wilderness?

His message was equally unusual. Forgiveness of sins? Was he calling people to sacrifice at a rival altar which he set up in the desert? They only knew the forgiveness of sins through animal sacrifice. I don’t think he was setting up a rival religion. Whatever he said to the people drew the crowds. He was swamped by people who wanted to join his movement. Calling them to repentance was familiar to them. God often called His people back to His “way” through His prophets when they had wandered off the path of His instructions and done wicked things in the name of their false gods.

His preaching made a big impression on them because he was making them aware of their sin. Perhaps they had grown so familiar with their never-ending sacrifices that the reality of sin no longer no longer impacted on their lives. He brought the importance of the forgiveness of their sin right up close. Repentance meant returning to the way of Yahweh, to faithfulness to the terms of His covenant with them, to a way of life that reflected who He was in their nation – their God, and to walking in the light of His word.

Why did he baptise them? Baptism or mikvah, ritual washing, was a common practice in Israel. Archeological digs have uncovered baths for ritual washing everywhere. It was a symbol of cleansing, of leaving the old life and starting a new life, of identifying with the one who was leading a movement. Even a young bride-to-be had to go through a washing before her bridegroom concluded the courtship period with a proposal of marriage. She was washing away her old life and starting a new life as a betrothed and soon-to-be-married woman.

Considering what he had to say to them, why was his ministry so popular? He spoke some harsh words to the religious types according to the other gospels, calling people a basket of snakes, for example! Who would want to listen to preaching like that? Not a “seeker-friendly” ministry, I’d say! He didn’t have gentle words for the Roman soldiers either. Imagine that! A Jewish prophet who drew pagan Romans into the mix. There must have been something more than just a charismatic preacher that drew them.

He might have been a lone voice crying in the wilderness from a human point of view, but he was in partnership with the God who sent him and anointed him with the Holy Spirit while he was still in his mother’s womb. He was a miracle child, remember? Born to a childless couple in their old age, he was raised to be a priest and prophet by godly parents. He knew why he was on this earth and he gave his all to fulfill his calling.

His years alone in the wilderness waiting for the cue to preach prepared him for that moment. Trained as a priest, he knew the Torah intimately. God’s word was in his heart. He spent years in the awareness of God’s presence, listening to His voice, hearing His purpose through the coming Messiah. He was so familiar with Messiah in his spirit that he instantly recognised Him when He appeared on the bank of the Jordan River.

His ministry, extraordinary as it was, was owned and empowered by the Holy Spirit from the moment he opened his mouth. He knew what he had to do. He had to introduce the Messiah to the crowds – and they came in droves to meet Him. Their expectation was high. They were tired of the Romans. They were tired of religion. They were tired of being tired! Messiah sounded exactly what they needed to change things for them.

Not even John’s harsh words could keep them away.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Secure In Christ

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SECURE IN CHRIST

In it, only a few, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolises baptism what now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who had gone into heaven and who is at God’s right hand, with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him. (1 Peter 3: 17b-20)

Is Peter really teaching that baptism saves? What does this obscure passage mean?

We cannot make a doctrine out of these verses alone. We have to read this passage in the context of other Scriptures.  When we put Paul’s teachings together with Peter’s, they are definitely not teaching that baptism is the way to salvation as some denominations insist.

Let’s look at the story of the flood since Peter used Noah and the ark to illustrate the meaning of baptism.

Noah and his family did not escape the flood. The deluge of rain fell on them as well as on all the wicked people God wanted to destroy. The difference was that Noah and his family were protected by the ark. It was the ark in the water that saved them from drowning. They were as much a part of the judgment that fell on the earth on all the people who perished as on them, but in the ark they were safe. They reappeared after the earth had been purged of all the wicked people as though they had risen from the dead.

How does this compare with salvation? Although Peter does not specifically mention that those who believe in Jesus are ‘in Christ’, this is the reality that has taken place. Just as Noah was ‘in’ the ark and safe from God’s judgement, so those who are ‘in’ Christ are safe from the judgment that fell on Him. He took the rap for our sins and ‘in Him’ we died to sin and to our old sinful lives and emerged from the judgment alive and cleansed just as He emerged from the grave alive and free from sin’s power to touch Him.

Jesus was God’s perfect Son and spotless Lamb, but as long as He was a human being before His death, He had the potential to sin because He had the nature of Adam before the Fall, innocent but not righteous. Through the course of His earthly life, He had to earn His righteous status before God by being perfectly submissive and obedient to the Father’s will. How did Jesus achieve righteousness? Through suffering.

Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. (Heb. 5: 8, 9)

He did not learn obedience through trial and error because any little thought or act of rebellion or independence against the Father would have plunged Him into the same condemnation as every other human being. He learned obedience by obeying the Father’s every desire. There is not another person who has ever lived who could have thrown out the challenge He did to His opponents:

Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? (John 8:46a)

Just as Noah and his family were secure within the ark, so those who are in Christ are secure in Him. Noah built the ark according to God’s instructions and God Himself shut them in. No one could open the door until God have the word. In the same way, God Himself made the plan and gave His Son the instructions on how to carry it out. Jesus became the ark of safety from all those who put their trust in and obey Him.

It was through the very water that destroyed unbelievers that Noah and his family were saved. The water buoyed the ark up against the wind and rain and carried them to safety when the water receded. Jesus carries us to the Father on the very waves of God’s judgment against sin on the earth.

We have a place of refuge in Jesus, through our faith in Him, and we have the reassurance that, when He comes again to judge the earth, those who have trusted Him will be safe forever because He ever lives to make intercession for us.

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 5: 9)

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

Dunked Into Jesus

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DUNKED INTO JESUS

“‘We’ve never even heard of that — a Holy Spirit? God within us?’
“‘How were you baptised then?’ asked Paul.
“‘In John’s baptism.’
“‘That explains it,’ said Paul.’ John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you’ve been baptised into John’s baptism, you’re ready now for the real thing, for Jesus.’

“And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptised in the name of the Master Jesus. Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that minute on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God’s actions. Altogether there were about twelve people there that day.” Acts 19:2-7 (The Message).

Why did Luke include this incident in his story of the church? Was it because the Holy Spirit knew that in days to come the church’s understanding and practice of baptism would become another issue so contentious that it would split the church and even be the reason for bloodshed? Misunderstanding about baptism and the work of the Holy Spirit have done major damage to the unity of Christ’s body.

It is impossible, in a short article like this, to deal with the subject thoroughly. However, these few verses indicate that there is a close link between truth, belief and experience. Unless the practice of baptism is linked to the truth of its meaning, it becomes just another useless religious ritual.

In the light of Paul’s action when he found believers who had only been baptised into John, we have to question the practice of infant baptism. How is it possible for a baby or young child to understand and believe the significance of baptism into either John or Jesus? It’s not the act of sprinkling or immersing in water that is important. It is the meaning of the action that gives it its power

Baptism was a common practice in Judaism. It signified a washing away of the old life and initiation into and identity with a new movement. Priests were baptised into the hereditary office of the priesthood when they reached the age of thirty, as were rabbis when they had completed their training in the Beth Talmud.

There seems to be a close link between baptism into the name of Jesus and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

To be baptised into the name of Jesus indicated that the initiate had been washed clean of the old life with its sinful practices and embraced Him and His teaching as a new Master and a new way of life. The Holy Spirit sealed this transaction by taking up residence in the new believer and empowering him to become what he had confessed to be.

“Don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:3-4 9(NIV).

There is much more to baptism than being dunked under water. A spiritual transaction takes place in that act of obedience; the old life for a new life, an outward sign of identification with Jesus in His death and resurrection, initiation into a life of discipleship and a sealing of that action by the Holy Spirit’s permanent indwelling. The believer is immersed both into Jesus and into His body, which is the church, by the Holy Spirit.

“For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NIV).

A Strategic Encounter

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A STRATEGIC ENCOUNTER

“After spending a considerable time with the Antioch Christians, Paul set off again for Galatia and Phrygia, retracing his old tracks, one town after another, putting fresh heart into the disciples.

“A man named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a Jew, born in Alexandria, Egypt, and a terrific speaker, eloquent and powerful in his preaching of the Scriptures. He was well-educated in the way of the Master and fiery in his enthusiasm. Apollos was accurate in everything he taught about Jesus up to a point, but only went as far as the baptism of John. He preached with power in the meeting place. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and told him the rest of the story.” Acts 18:23-26 (The Message).

How clever of God to set Priscilla and Aquila up for their encounter with Apollos in Ephesus! They had accompanied Paul on his return journey from Corinth to Antioch but remained in Ephesus while he continued on his journey home. No explanation was given, but God knew that there was to be a meeting with Apollos in Ephesus.

What a treasure Apollos turned out to be! How he came to be a believer from Alexandria is not recorded either. No doubt believers moved about in the empire, taking the message of Messiah wherever they went. Apollos was well trained in the Old Testament Scriptures and a native of Alexandria, a port city in Egypt where he would have grown up in a cosmopolitan culture, meeting people from all over the empire as they brought their goods to trade.

An introduction to the Messiah put a match to the Word, and Apollos was alight with the truth and comfortable in the company of Jew and Gentile alike. His passion and enthusiasm to spread the message took him to Ephesus where he “accidentally” ran into Priscilla and Aquila. They had been in Paul’s company long enough to have an accurate understanding of the gospel. Who better to take him under their wing and bring him up to speed with the things of the Lord?

Apollos was humble enough to be taught by these two “lay” people, sharpening his knowledge and skill as a preacher which he used to great effect in the synagogue in Ephesus, The fact that he was also, like Paul, a Jew who had recognised that Jesus was their Messiah, must have enhanced Paul’s credibility among the Ephesian Jews.

Why was it so important that Apollos be corrected regarding the baptism of John? After all, baptism is baptism, isn’t it? Does it matter into whose name it is done?

Yes, it matters a whole lot because baptism was an initiation into an office or movement, identifying the baptismal candidate with the leader of the movement and what he stood for and practised. John’s ministry was a preparation and introduction to Jesus as Messiah. His baptism was an initiation into and identification with him in what he was preaching. It was a baptism of repentance, preparing his hearers to receive the kingdom of God which Jesus had come to usher in.

The baptism of Jesus was an initiation into and identification with Him and His completed work of atonement for sin and reconciliation with the Father. To be baptised into Jesus meant being identified with the three-in-one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit in what they had done to restore God’s rule in the people’s hearts.

Once Apollos had got that right, he became a fully-equipped and powerful ally of the apostles and the church, using his gift to bring encouragement to the church and enlightenment to his fellow Jews who, in the main, had rejected the gospel and become enemies of God.

Why Can’t I Be Baptized?

Christian Life, , ,

WHY CAN’T I BE BAPTIZED?

“As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, ‘Here’s water. Why can’t I be baptized?’ He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down to the water and Philip baptized him on the spot. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. He had what he’d come for and went off down the road as happy as he could be.

“Philip showed up in Azotus and continued north, preaching the Message in all the villages along that route until he arrived at Caesarea.” Acts 8:36-40 (The Message).

Mission accomplished! The seed of God’s word was sown in the heart of an African man who came to Jerusalem seeking the Lord. He was on his way home, with his feet firmly planted on “The Way” and the joy of the Lord spilling out of him.

Although Philip did not mention baptism, why did the eunuch seem to know what to do to seal his new-found faith in the Lord Jesus? If he was one of people the Book of Acts called “God-fearers”, he would have understood the ritual of baptism in the Jewish faith.

Baptism was a common practice in Judaism. It was a ritual washing (mikvah) in running or “living” water to initiate someone into a new office, e.g., into the priestly office, or into a new phase of his life or identity with a new leader, e.g., the baptism of John. Both John the Baptist and Jesus’ disciples baptized people regularly, according to John 4:1. No doubt this man, being a Gentile, had been baptized into Judaism at some time in his life as a sign that he had embraced the Jewish faith.

Just as He had done with the Passover meal, i.e. revealed its fulfilment in Himself as the Passover Lamb, so Jesus had also infused baptism with a new meaning – His resurrection. When we eat the bread and drink the wine which symbolize His broken body and shed blood, we are expressing our faith in His sacrifice which redeemed us from slavery in “Egypt”.

Likewise, when we are “baptized”, we are immersed in a watery grave as a symbol of our identity with Him in His death and we “rise” to a new life with and in Him. This is a clear and visible statement that we have died to our old way and have risen to a new life of identity with Jesus.

“We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:2-4 (NIV)

The implication of baptism is much more than a ritual initiation into Christianity. It is a public confession of our identity with Jesus in His death and resurrection and a symbol of our cleansing from sin and embracing our new life in him.

“Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3 (NIV).

Perhaps at this stage the eunuch did not understand all the implications of his baptism, but at least he knew that his life had changed direction. He was now on course to follow Jesus and be identified with Him and with all those who had become a part of “The Way”.