Question relative to baptism

Good questions, Percho.

Supplementary Qs -
1. Was there an OT form of baptism?
2. Why was John's baptism readily accepted - except by the authorities? Matthew 3
3. Why did they expect Elijah, the Prophet, or the Messiah to baptise, so disqualifying John ? John 1:19-28
4. Why did Jesus appeal to John's baptism when questioned about his authority to cleans the temple? Matthew 21:23-27
5. What are the various baptisms referred to in Hebrews 9:10 ?

Only Young transliterates βαπτισμοῖς as baptisms
Other English translators translate βαπτισμοῖς as washings ​

6. How does baptism with water represent baptism with the Holy Spirit (& fire) performed by the Messiah? Matthew 3. 1 Corinthians 12:13
7. Vast numbers of faithful believers were baptised as babies or adults by sprinkling. Was & is such baptism valid?

 

Not a final answer, but discussion point .... We all carry out baptism by immersion, but sprinkling or pouring has significance, particularly when we consider the Holy Spirit baptism which God does from above. My thoughts are developed from conversations with evangelical paedobaptists.

I'm not a Hebrew & Greek scholar. I'm using the blueletterbible.org which gives access to Hebrew & Greek, & Strongs numbering system for word search.

Beginning at Heb. 9:10 which refers to OT various baptisms....

9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various baptisms [washings,] and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.​

He immediately refers to the red heifer ritual Numbers 19 for cleansing from contact with dead bodies, contrasting that ceremonial cleansing with the perfect cleansing by Jesus' blood. David alludes to the red heifer ritual in Psalm 51:7 for cleansing from his adultery & murder.

He continues with the OC dedication in Exodus 24, where on profession of obedience, animal blood was sprinkled on the congregation.

OC "baptism" by sprinkling?!? But NC Holy Spirit baptism is thus:

Act 10:45 - And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.....
47 - “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?​

AFAIK the only direct use of the word baptism in the OC is with Naaman, baptising himself 7 times in the Jordan - immersing.

2 Kings 5:14 καὶ κατέβη Ναιμαν καὶ ἐβαπτίσατο....​

The Hebrew word is טָבַל tabal which when searched is used in a number of rituals in the form - the plant hyssop is dipped into sacrificial blood & used to sprinkle or 'paint' - on the door frame in the Passover ritual (Exodus 12:22); cleansing from leprosy (Lev. 14:6-7); the red heifer ritual (Numbers 19:18-19)
The OC dedication in Exodus 24 doesn't mention dipping hyssop in the blood to sprinkle it, but that is the procedure described in Hebrews 9:16-22

Is John given water baptism as a potential NC ritual to say in effect: "the OC baptisms with animal blood left you stained with blood, until you washed. This baptism prefigures the Holy Spirit baptism Messiah will do, which cleanses not just the body but the soul as the sinner comes to God in repentance."

 

Friberg (00952) and Louw-Nida (01131 53.41) lexicons indicate that "baptism" can be symbolic of martyrdom and/or great suffering.

HankD

 

Baptism has a general meaning in terms of human experience - usually a profound human experience.

And yes for the whining Hebrews it was indeed "suffering":

Exodus 14:11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

Numbers 21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

Numbers 14:35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

HankD

 

I think we should understand "baptism" as a positive, faith experience. They were uncertain in their faith, but they did follow Christ in the cloud & through the Red Sea.

The whining & complaining was not a mark of faith but of doubt. As Paul points out, water baptism doesn't save, we need Holy Spirit baptism into Christ. 1 Corithians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-29

John made this very clear when he rebuked those Pharisees who came to his baptism. Matthew 3:7-9

 

Immersion baptism is a sign of death to sin. burial & resurrection to new life. Those at Pentecost who were baptised knew they were being baptised into the name of one condemned & crucified.

Pouring/sprinkling baptism is a sign of Holy Spirit baptism, from Jesus above, & also of accepting the shed blood of Jesus, as the Israelites were sprinkled with the shed blood of the Old Covenant sacrifices.

The martyrdom baptism of the Apostles was a consequence of their water baptism into Christ.

 

As a Christian of Baptist persuasion, I don't see water being poured or sprinkled as fulfilling biblical NT water baptism.

Nor do I see the OT sprinkling of blood as a picture of NT water baptism or the baptism in/of the Holy Spirit.

HankD