So what is this post about? As i told earlier its slightly controversial. In Jewish marriages and community customs there are some regulations that should be followed by a non Jew in entering into Judaism. One was the most obvious - circumcision. But there were other things of which one was this ritual washing. This is mentioned a million times or so in the book of Leviticus. Now those who have read through the book you guys are really brave and I don't know how many coffees took you to get there.
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| modern mikveh – schematic illustration : Wikipedia |
Now, for a second I would like your attention to the ritual washing, also known as Mikveh (Hebrew: מִקְוֶה / מקווה ). This was especially necessary for conversion to Judaism and also Ritual purification of Men and Women. For example, Like in the book of Leviticus, after offerings and diseases the ritual washing is required (Note: it is in most cases but some sin offerings do not specify it). Now, how would you have this washing ? The washing was in 1000 litres or more of water, the person would be fully immersed and would rise. This is also like the full immersion by the Naaman, the Syrian Officer who approaches Elisha, and is asked to wash himself (ritually) 7 times in river Jordan.
{ In other Abrahamaic religion especially, in Islam Mikveh is called Ghusl ((Arabic: غسل ) ) or Ghusal [Note: It is not (Urdu: وضو) /(Arabic: الوضوء) Wudu or Wadzhul , which is partial washing, in which Muslims pour water over their hands and legs before prayers]. }
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| Mikveh in approximately 69AD:Wikipedia |
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| The Mikveh at the American Jewish University. 2010: Wikipedia |
Note, in Mikveh, there is no one to assist in washing and this was also the case of the man at the pool of Bethesda that people of all infirmities be healed, that the person had to go in, and the choice was the persons.
The irony at the pool of Bethesda was every one who wanted healing jumped in and the really sick one got stuck on the banks. The choice to be healed however remained to the sick person.
Now, there is something called as the office or duty of a prophet and John, the baptist or the baptiser took the office of a prophet who lead the people to repentance. Now, John's Baptism was accepted by Jewish people, even though they never had this baptismal culture. Why was this? You see, John was implying that the people be baptised in river Jordan as to wash their sins away, meaning a ritualistic washing, but to the Pharisees and teachers of law, John was strong. He said " You generation of snakes! Do you think you can wash away from the punishment that comes to you? " ,implying that there was more than just washing of the body or assisting in baptism that was done in John's ministry.
John explicitly demonstrated that the baptism he was calling the people of Israel into was not just another Mikveh that the Pharisees took every weekend or after a sin offering, but the return of lost generation to God. This was one of the reasons that John asked Jesus " are you NOT the one to baptise me?". Because John had realised that Jesus was God and the only reason for anyone to be baptised was to reconcile with God. Yet, the strange thing was Jesus took John's ritualistic baptism, which in Jewish is a full immersion, although he was over qualified to baptise the baptiser. What I want to specify is that Baptism is in fact like or is Mikveh and John felt it necessary to tell people to have the Mikveh! and have a changed heart after the Mikveh and not just do it for the sake the Pharisees did it.
So, the things I gathered here are that Mikveh translated to Greek (later as Greek / Roman influenced the region) as baptismos (βαπτισμός) or in English Baptism was a modification of the Mikveh, where full immersion and repentance of sin of the individual (to receive Baptism) was done (by the individual), and this was administered by a prophet or someone in authority to correct the person for the sins he or she did.
This custom of public custom called Mikveh in Jesus times, was required of anyone coming into Judaism and also into Christianity and Jesus in Matthew 28:19 asks his disciples to do the similar things.
1. Tell the community about their sins and cause them to repent and be willing to follow God.
2. Baptise them in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, and tell them the reason why they are going to make such a decision before they do
3. Teach them and train them.
NOTE: "The Son, or Jesus is a key element in the conversion as well as the Holy Spirit indicates the authority of Jesus as more than a prophet or a religious leader but a person who forgives sins and restores"
So, them why did Paul insist on one baptism ? Guess ? If you guessed that people took many baptism like Mikveh, you are right. The new Christians looked at their Jewish Friends, or the Jews who became Christians influenced by the Jewish culture of Mikveh and thought that the Baptism was needed each time they sinned rather than the fact that the Baptism was once and for all and this was what Jesus did and Jesus expect us to do, not return to sin but confess the sin and look to his cross and his grace as means to reconcile not go back to the law and fall into the cycle of sin and Mikveh every week, SIMPLY because true repentance as Jesus said, is inside not outside that needed real cleaning and did not wash the cups when he ate.
The truth that baptism is required is a known fact, as it symbolises more than just washing, but there is more to it. The fact that God is Holy and he dwells with holiness and the picture of Israelites being baptised with cloud and sea as they entered into promise land is because it is how God works. There is cleansing, then teaching and revelation of glory. See the baptism of Exodus, and baptism of Jesus, and baptism of Paul and the teaching and testing that followed it (said in chapters that follows) shows the grace process of God requires more than just the ritual works we do, it requires humility and training in Spirit.Note:
1a. Exodus Baptism : Click Here
1b. Exodus Training :
2a. Jesus Baptism : Click Here
2b. Jesus Training : Click Here
3a. Paul Baptism : Click Here
3b. Paul Training : Click Here.
