Let’s dive into the rite of Baptism. We will also draw some intriguing parallels with another sacred rite that we discussed earlier this year: Circumcision. If you haven’t checked it out yet, be sure to read the linked blog below. Once you do, I look for us to expanding on these ideas together, so after you read this blog please share your thoughts in the comment section.
In a similar manner to our discussion about circumcision, let us now explore the establishment, order, and purposes of Baptism according to Scripture.
And before we go any further, here is another BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): It is ALWAYS a good thing to follow in The Way of The Messiah, and “Be Baptized.”
Alright, let’s get into it:
Let’s begin by examining a few modern definitions and understandings of “baptism” before exploring what Scripture teaches about it. While these definitions are common, they are actually false and represent misunderstandings. However, to start with the more familiar words and meanings, let’s take a closer look:
Did you take a real close look at the highlights?
Unfortunately, most people worldwide would agree that baptizing someone is a Christian/church sacrament or rite of initiation. Also, as highlighted above, some believe that to be fully baptized, one needs to be baptized three times—”once for each person of the Trinity.” It’s important to note that none of those beliefs are supported by Scripture at all. Despite what Scripture says, many individuals, hold the belief that if they are baptized according to their feelings, faith, pastor, denomination, and/or doctrine, they are cleansed from sin in the sight of God. Again, these beliefs are unbiblical! How can I assert this? Easily, all I have to do is look at the Christian Church at large and then compare its practices and doctrines to the Bible. The so-called Christian Church often disobeys and teaches disobedience to numerous Biblical commandments and instructions, while performing baptisms and other rites, assuming that these acts (works) make them righteous. Nowadays, many ministries are baptizing large groups of people, misleading themselves and the masses who celebrate in sin & ignorance. For example, check out the two videos linked below.
As you saw above, twelve thousand people were baptized during that one event— that’s right 12,000 people! However, despite this impressive number and the joy expressed by those misguided Christians, who wholeheartedly might believe that they have been baptized into The Messiah, they have unfortunately fallen victim to a false doctrine regarding baptism. And according to Scripture, they have not been baptized into The Messiah, regardless of how they feel or what they believe. The concept of “Christian Baptism” is unbiblical. Ok, since I keep emphasizing how unbiblical this kind of baptism is, let’s explore the Biblical understanding to help us discern the truth. First, let’s explore the true meaning of the word “baptize” to dispel the modern interpretations of it, which were presented at the beginning of the blog.
What does the word “baptize” mean?
The English word “baptize” was first used in the thirteenth century, which is well after the time when the Scriptures were written. What, then, is the original word, its origin, and its original definition? Please review the attached screenshots, and then we can continue.
Side note: It’s amusing to me how much emphasis is placed on various European languages, while many Biblical and secular scholars, as well as presenters who define and explore the etymology of language and history related to Hebrew Israelite customs, often overlook the significance of the Hebrew language & culture in their discussions… But it is what it is. As you saw above, the original Hebrew word “tabal” was translated into the Greek word “baptizo”, and that’s where we get the English word “Baptize” and its conjugates.
A few quick key Biblical purposes of Baptism:
Obedience to The Messiah’s command: Baptism is an act of obedience to The Messiah’s command to baptize believers (Matthew 28:19).
Forgiveness of sins through symbolic washing: Baptism is associated with the forgiveness of sins, coupled with repentance/turning from sin (Acts 2:38, 22:16), and sin is defined as the breaking of the Torah (1 John 3:4).
Symbolic death & resurrection: Baptism represents the death of the old self & the resurrection to new life in The Messiah (Romans 6:3-5, Colossians 2:12).
Baptism identifies the believer with The Messiah and His body, the set apart children of The Most High (Galatians 3:27, 1 Corinthians 12:13).
Public declaration of faith and identification with The Messiah: Baptism is an outward expression of one’s inner commitment to follow The Messiah & obey The Commandments of The Most High (Matthew 28:19, Romans 6:4, Revelation 14:13).
Why should we be Baptized?
Because The Messiah was Baptized.
“As for me (John), I baptized you [who came to me] with water [only]; but He (The Messiah) will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaQodesh).” In those days Yahoshua (whom the world erroneously calls Jesus) came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.”
Mark 1:8-9
Because The Messiah commanded us to also be baptized, as He was baptized.
“Yahoshua (aka Jesus) came up and said to them (His disciples), “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in THE NAME (singular) of The Father and of The Son and of Ruach HaQodesh, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.””
Matthew 28:18-20 AMP
The Messiah was baptized. If we claim to believe His words and follow Him, we must also adhere to His instructions and example. This means we must be baptized—both in the flesh—by being immersed in water, which represents an outward expression of our obedience & faith, and in the Spirit (Ruach HaQodesh/The Holy Spirit)—through spiritual refining (fire), which is the inward manifestation of the transformation, maturation, and rebirth that comes from genuine obedience to & faith in YAH!
It is important to understand that continuing to live in sin after baptism nullifies the significance of the rite. Baptism does not mean we will never sin again, nor does it require us to be rebaptized each time we fall short. Instead, it calls us to maintain a heart and mindset aligned with our baptism. Life after baptism and a life tied to sin are entirely incompatible; they are in direct contradiction. One way of living fundamentally opposes the other
“And in Him you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Messiah], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power]. In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but by the [spiritual] circumcision of Messiah in the stripping off of the body of the flesh [the sinful carnal nature], having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of YAH, [as displayed] when He raised Messiah from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (worldliness, manner of life), YAH made you alive together with Messiah, having [freely] forgiven us all our sins,”
Colossians 2:10-13 AMP
“What shall we say [to all this]? Should we continue in sin and practice sin as a habit so that [YAH’s gift of] grace may increase and overflow? Certainly not! How can we, the very ones who died to sin, continue to live in it any longer? Or are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Messiah Jesus (corrected: Yahoshua HaMashiach) were baptized into His death? We have therefore been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in newness of life [abandoning our old ways]. For if we have become one with Him [permanently united] in the likeness of His death, we will also certainly be [one with Him and share fully] in the likeness of His resurrection.”
Romans 6:1-5 AMP
HalleluYAH! HalleluYAH! HalleluYAH!
As we look forward to the future, it’s important to reflect on the rich history of the rite of Baptism. While John played a tremendously significant role, we must remember that the true initiator of baptism is YAH. In fact, baptism predates John by a considerable amount of time.
“For indeed Messiah died for sins once for all, the Just and Righteous for the unjust and unrighteous [the Innocent for the guilty] so that He might bring us to YAH, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit; in which He also went and preached to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the great patience of YAH was waiting in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons [Noah’s family], were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that [rescue through the flood], baptism [which is an expression of a believer’s new life in Messiah] now saves you, NOT by removing dirt from the body, but by an appeal to YAH for a good (clear) conscience, [demonstrating what you believe to be yours] through the resurrection of Yahoshua Mashiach,”
1 Peter 3:18-21
“For I do NOT want you to be unaware, believers, that our fathers were all under the cloud [in which YAH’s presence went before them] and they all passed [miraculously and safely] through the [Red] Sea; And all [of them] were baptized into Moses [into his safekeeping as their leader] in the cloud and in the sea;”
1 Corinthians 10:1-2
Baptism and sin do not mix, as discussed earlier in Colossians chapter two. If you have been baptized but then return to a life of sin—meaning you disobey YAH’s commandments found in His Torah (instruction)—then your baptism becomes meaningless. Just as circumcision is no better than uncircumcision if someone who is circumcised lives a life of sin (breaking YAH’s commandments), a baptized person who continues to perpetually and unrepentantly violate the Torah undermines & invalidates their baptism. Read the following verse and then read it again, replacing “circumcision” with “baptism.”
“Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, BUT what matters is keeping the commandments of YAH.”
1 Corinthians 7:19 AMP
Remember how I mentioned at the beginning of this blog how similar circumcision and baptism are? I hope that point is clear now. I hope you understand that both of these rites are important, righteous commands for us to keep. However, neither of them holds any significance if we continue to be disobedient to the Torah. I say again: living in sin (lawlessness or being Torah-less) nullifies the value of both baptism and circumcision.
“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and SIN IS LAWLESSNESS [ignoring YAH’s law by action or neglect or by tolerating wrongdoing—being unrestrained by His commands and His will]. You know that He appeared [in visible form as a man] in order to take away sins; and in Him there is [absolutely] NO sin [for He has neither the sin nature nor has He committed sin or acts worthy of blame]. NO one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship with Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin.NO one who habitually sins has seen Him or known Him. Little children (believers, dear ones), do NOT let anyone lead you astray. The one who practices righteousness [the one who strives to live a consistently honorable life—in private as well as in public—and to conform to YAH’s precepts] is righteous, just as He is righteous. The one who practices sin [separating himself from YAH, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not YAH]; for the devil has sinned and violated YAH’s law from the beginning. The Son of YAH appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of YAH [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because YAH’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] CANNOT habitually [live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of YAH and longs to please Him.” 1 John 3:4-9 AMP
We should be baptized in the flesh and circumcised in the flesh, but the more important matter is to be in right standing with YAH in spirit and truth. This means we must be baptized and circumcised in our hearts and spirits. We are called to obey YAH’s commandments (His Torah) and to maintain our faith in The Messiah as we follow Him as our Savior & King. We must read, understand, and meditate on Revelation 14:12. Additionally, always remember this:
“And in this same way David speaks of the blessing on the one to whom YAH credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed and happy and favored are those whose lawless acts have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered up and completely buried. “Blessed and happy and favored is the man whose sin YAH will not take into account nor charge against him.” [Psalm 32:1-2] Is this blessing only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” How then was it credited [to him]? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before? Not after, but while [he was] uncircumcised. He received the sign of circumcision, a seal or confirmation of the righteousness which he had by faith while [he was still] uncircumcised—this was so that he would be the [spiritual] father of all who believe without being circumcised—so that righteousness would be credited to them, and [that he would be] the [spiritual] father of those circumcised who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had before he was circumcised.”
It is important to recognize that “non-believers”—individuals from various religious backgrounds or none at all—perform their own versions of baptisms and circumcisions. This highlights that the significance of these rites must extend beyond mere tradition and culture; it’s more than skin deep, it is deeper than just surface-level practices. These rites should never be reduced to medical procedures for cleanliness & convenience, or concerns about personal feelings and appearances related to physical & emotional cleanliness. Instead, they must fundamentally focus on loving our Father, obeying His commandments, and uniting with Him as He instructs us. Living in covenant with Him is essential! If we truly love the Father, we must adhere to His commandments. Baptism, like circumcision, is one of those commandments that we must keep and teach properly, in both spirit and truth.
“For the [true] love of God (YAH) is this: that we habitually keep His commandments and remain focused on His precepts. And His commandments and His precepts are NOT difficult [to obey].”
1 John 5:3 AMP
“If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey MY commandments.”
John 14:15 AMP
“IF you keep MY commandments and obey MY teaching, you will remain in MY love, just as I have kept MY Father’s commandments and remain in HIS love. I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing.”
John 15:10-11 AMP
DEAR READER, I have a serious question for you to answer now: Have you, in spirit & truth, been baptized into the newness of life in YAH, in the name of Yahoshua (which means YAH is Salvation/The Salvation of YAH)? If your answer is no, here is another question for you:
“NOW, WHY DO YOU DELAY? Get up and BE BAPTIZED, and wash away your sins by calling on the name of YAH.”
Acts 22:16 AMP
I echo the call above: Do not delay. Desire and seek to be baptized as soon as possible! Get up, find some water, bring along another who lives set apart in agreement with Revelation 14:12, and “be baptized”! You don’t need a pastor, and you don’t need “special water”; you only need a solid and sincere understanding along with a full belief, with all your heart, that Yahoshua HaMashiach is the Son of YAH (read Acts 8:26-39). If the person you bring along with you has also not yet been baptized, you can baptize each other, one after the other. It’s just that simple—be baptized! If you were baptized before, in a church or elsewhere, and you want to be baptized according to Scripture and in spirit & truth, then—be baptized! If you cannot get to a river, lake, or sea, find a pool or fill a tub and—be baptized; you and anyone else who will join—be baptized! Immerse yourself under the water, which symbolizes dying to self and sin, and rise into new life in YAH and His righteousness! What are you waiting for? Live for YAH today! Obey Him while you have time and opportunity.
“Seek YAH while He may be found; Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near. Let the wicked leave (behind) his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to YAH, And He will have compassion (mercy) on him, And to our Elohim, For He will abundantly pardon.”
Isaiah 55:6-7 AMP
Regardless of who you are or how you found this blog, remember that YAH, our Elohim, is inviting you, He is calling you to embrace a renewed life with Him. Respond to His call by walking in His ways, obeying His commands, and loving Him with all your heart and being.
“And now, Yisra’ĕl, what is יהוה (YAH) your Elohim asking of you, but to fear יהוה (YAH) your Elohim, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being, to guard the commands of יהוה and His laws which I command you today for your good? And you shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and harden your neck no more (don’t be hardheaded anymore).”
“Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy grain and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost [simply accept it as a gift from YAH]. [Rev 21:6, 7; 22:17] “Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, And your earnings for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight in abundance. [Jer 31:12-14] “Incline your ear [to listen] and come to Me; Hear, so that your soul may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies [promised and] shown to David. [2 Sam 7:8-16; Acts 13:34; Heb 13:20]”
Isaiah 55:1-3 AMP
And if you’re unsure what to say during a baptism, you can say something like this (as a “repeat after me”, or by yourself):
I confess that Yahoshua is the Son of YAH Elohim, and I am baptized in the name of Yahoshua, through the power of Ruach HaQodesh, into a new of life in YAH! HalleluYAH! Amein!
Until next time, shalom ✌🏾 ~Yahrahn Like, comment, share, and subscribe
PS: For all the years that we have been using Bible Hub for their interlinear and lexicon, they have never gone past the simple word breakdowns as I showed above, well, literally the day after posting the blog and ridiculing them and other sources, they now have given some Hebrew cultural & historical background info, see the difference below. The first pic (same as above) was a screenshot from the day of this blog’s posting, while the second two are from the next morning.
I AM:
Hebrew—by blood
Israelite—by covenant
American—by way of birthright citizenship
Awakened—by The Word & Spirit of YAH
I blog about things that we often all see around us, things that we see in person, online, or on TV— and I offer functional & Scriptural perspectives on such matters. I believe that Scripture is key to understanding this thing we call life:
“ALL Scripture is breathed out by Elohim (God) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for setting straight, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of Elohim might be fitted, equipped for every good work.”
Timotiyos Bĕt (2 Timothy) 3:16-17 TS2009 https://bible.com/bible/316/2ti.3.16-17.TS2009
And that everything we do in life will be judged by The Creator of life, so it's best to understand the conclusion of The Matter:
“Let us hear the CONCLUSION OF THE ENTIRE MATTER: FEAR ELOHIM AND GAURD (KEEP) HIS COMMANDS, for this applies to ALL mankind! For Elohim SHALL bring EVERY work into right-ruling (judgment), including ALL that is hidden, whether good or whether evil.”
Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) 12:13-14 TS2009 https://bible.com/bible/316/ecc.12.13-14.TS2009
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4 thoughts on “Baptism”
Thank you for unintentionally helping me with a homework assignment on baptism! This was GREAT 😊🎯!
Thank you for unintentionally helping me with a homework assignment on baptism! This was GREAT 😊🎯!
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😂🤣 Well look at that! HalleluYAH! Todah rabah.
I pray that “we” get an A on the homework 😎
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Todah Rabbah for the information
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And todah rabah for sharing that. I’m glad you found it helpful. All praises to The Most High!
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