Baptism

6-21-22

Tradition says that the School of the Prophets continued after Elijah through to John the Baptist and afterwards through his disciples. 

John the Baptist was the leader of the School of the Prophets at Quamran. They practiced ritual baths called Mikvahs, regularly for many reasons. Examples are after menstruation, childbirth, touching a dead body, before intercourse, before a ceremony, wedding or sacrifice, or anything that would make you unclean. Mostly it was for women, but in Quamran even the men felt they needed a soul cleansing. In the Tabernacle there was a laver for the priests to bath in as preparation before going into the Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. 

The order of Melchizedek was recreated in Jesus the Messiah. He was born a king a direct descendant of Judah. He was ordained into the priesthood by a priest of that order. (John the Baptist) John the Baptist was baptizing in the Jordan river 8 miles from Qumran. He, Jesus, would also have to be filled with the Holy Spirit to become a prophet. This happened publicly at the water baptism, when a dove descended upon Jesus, and he also became a priest and a prophet. 

Mark 1:4-11 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locust and wild honey; 7 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. 8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. 9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Ummm I don’t think John baptized Jesus for remission of sins. Jesus was sinless. What was John doing? 

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 

John 1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

John 1:32 And John bare record, saying I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 

John 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

The reason John came was to be a witness. What did John witness? Jesus baptism and the dove and the voice. This was a confirmation. 

There is a witness at a wedding. I wonder, if this is going to be a wedding between the bride and body of Christ. I will witness you getting baptized and you can witness me getting baptized.

Here is the punchline. This was a ceremony, a formality, a public statement, an ordination an initiation. Unneccary. John said, I shouldn’t be doing this. I can’t unbuckle your shoes! Jesus said do this because it looks good. And God honored it. Furthermore, Jesus never sinned. So why did John baptize Jesus? Not for the remission of sins. It was  because John was baptizing Him into the order of  Melchizedek. The order of  Melchizedek that was divided by Jacob was now restored in Jesus Christ. 

When John baptized he was baptizing the person into Life and therefore health. Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory (thinking) of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted (buried) together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 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. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more: death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died. He died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  

If you are dead, you can’t die again. So go ahead and die in baptism. This is a soul death. Get it over with so you don’t have to die in your physical body. Your Spirt is already perfect. Get your Soul cleansed so that it can be perfect and then you can get a perfect immortal body. 

This may also be helpful when looking at the circumcision of the heart. Colossians 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 

Here we use the Holy Spirit to save our Soul.

Jesus and John both baptized. Did you know that? John 3:22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in AE-non near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 

Let’s talk about the water. 

Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 

Jeremiah 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. 

 Hope is for body salvation. If you are ashamed, you will be buried. A mikvah originally was mostly for women therefore it is a soul cleansing. You see God is in or above the water.

In Hebrew the word for Spirit is masculine. The word for Soul is feminine. Your body is whatever you were born with. Baptism is a purification for the Soul.

The idea of mikvah is that there is no barrier between the person and the water. This means not only no clothes but also no jewelry, makeup, nail polish, fake nails or beauty products on the hair or skin. In mikvahs run by more observant Jews, an attendant will check to make sure these requirements are met. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/what-is-the-mikvah-all-about/2014/11/07/cdff0784-6696-11e4-836c-83bc4f26eb67_story.html

Thank God we are not under the law. When immersing yourself in the Sutton pool, please wear something. 

There are 3 baptisms. 1. For the remission of sins : Spirit. 2. Baptism of the Holy Ghost : Soul.  And 3. Baptism into the order of Melchizedek : Body

The magazine Biblical Archaeology spring 2021 vol 47 NO 1 has an article on page 44 That implies that a ritual purity bath was accomplished by walking down steps into a pool and using a chalk vessel and pouring water over your head. No other culture uses chalk vessels. They would put chalk dust in your food. The pool was used for Ritual Purity. Never for cleaning the body, dishes, or laundry. There are pictures of these pools, vessels and even a chalk quarry. This is a different method of cleansing than dunking. I think this is the way John baptized Jesus. Therefore this is the way I want to baptize, and be baptized. 

So when we baptized from now on I want you to think about, Life and health and immortality, circumcision of the heart, and an initiation into the order of Melchizedek. 

I pray this will quicken your mortal body.

Funny story, Dad was baptizing a group of people in the Jordan river. Mr. Eshelman came to Dad and said, “I have been baptized 3 times before, but nothing happened. I want a change!” Dad said, “well what do you want me to do?” Mr. Eshelman said, “ well I don’t think the other preachers held me down long enough.” Dad said, “ well How will I know when God is done working on you? How will I know when to let you up? “ “Well why don’t I squeeze your hand?” Dad said, “ all right.” But Dad forgot to tell the people on the bank!!! Mr. Eshelman was a farmer and a very strong man. He could hold his breath for a very long time. The people on the bank started hollering, let him up! Let him up! Finally Dad let him up. It was very funny. Giggle.

Love

Diane Ebaugh Sutton