All of us are aware of the concept of baptism, we might not agree about the importance it holds for the Believer. We're also aware of the disagreements concerning baptism, infant baptism or adult baptism, immersion or sprinkling? Where did "baptism" come from? Did John "invent" the idea of baptism? Is baptism necessary for salvation? Is there one baptism or more than one? What does it mean to be baptized "into" the name of Y’shua and into His death? Those are just a few of the many questions concerning this subject. Like with so many aspects of Christianity, virtually everything goes back to its Hebrew roots. The fact is we serve a Hebrew God. The Scripture has much to say about immersion, or the doctrine of washing/baptisms, but it is still one of the most misunderstood teachings in Scripture. This doesn’t appear to have been a problem for the first century believers, however.
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1 All of us are aware of the concept of baptism, we might not agree about the importance it holds for the Believer. We're also aware of the disagreements concerning baptism, infant baptism or adult baptism, immersion or sprinkling? Where did "baptism" come from? Did John "invent" the idea of baptism? Is baptism necessary for salvation? Is there one baptism or more than one? What does it mean to be baptized "into" the name of Y’shua and into His death? Those are just a few of the many questions concerning this subject. Infant baptism appeared in the Christian church history around the Second Century, coming from the pagan influences of Baal Worship, as we will show later, but it came about as a result of the doctrine of baptismal regeneration - the teaching that baptism is essential to salvation; or, if you want to turn it around, that water baptism saves the soul (or at least is a part of a person's salvation). Consequently, as the teaching of baptismal regeneration started being propagated, it was natural for those holding to this doctrine to believe that everyone, should be baptized as soon as possible. Thus, baptism of infants still in the innocent state (and as yet unaccountable for their actions) came into vogue among many of the churches.
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���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� All of us are aware of the concept of baptism, we might not agree about the importance it holds for the Believer. We're also aware of the disagreements concerning baptism, infant baptism or adult baptism, immersion or sprinkling? Where did "baptism" come from? Did John "invent" the idea of baptism? Is baptism necessary for salvation? Is there one baptism or more than one? What does it mean to be baptized "into" the name of Y’shua and into His death? Those are just a few of the many questions concerning this subject.
Infant baptism appeared in the Christian church history around the Second Century, coming from the pagan influences of Baal Worship, as we will show later, but it came about as a result of the doctrine of baptismal regeneration - the teaching that baptism is essential to salvation; or, if you want to turn it around, that water baptism saves the soul (or at least is a part of a person's salvation). Consequently, as the teaching of baptismal regeneration started being propagated, it was natural for those holding to this doctrine to believe that everyone, should be baptized as soon as possible. Thus, baptism of infants still in the innocent state (and as yet unaccountable for their actions) came into vogue among many of the churches.
Once has to go back to Genesis 10 and 11 where we read of Noah's Great grandson, NIMROD, and his wife SEMIRAMUS, who started the great pagan BABYLON MYSTERY RELIGION at the Tower of Babel. This great pagan religion was later known as 'BAAL WORSHIP' in the Old Testament, simply another name for Nimrod. The great book, TWO BABYLONS by Alexander Hislop gives us a little background on this Babylon Mystery Religion of 'BAAL WORSHIP' started by Nimrod and Semiramus.
In this mysterious Babylonian Religious System, Nimrod and Semiramus, along with their priests, were the only ones who understood 'The great mysteries of God' and since it was the only true religion... all others were false... therefore, only the Babylonian Priests could forgive and absolve sins...and administer salvation. Salvation could be achieved thru various Sacraments performed during the person's life time. These SACRAMENTS were so-called 'Channels of grace' whereby salvation could be achieved.
These Sacraments, necessary to salvation began at birth with Infant Baptism, other sacraments throughout life, ending with a final anointing with oil at death to prepare one for the hereafter. Now Since the Babylonian Priest was the only one who could administer these 'sacraments', the person was 'bound' to the Babylonian system helplessly for life!
The first essential sacrament Semiramus taught was Baptism by water. The fact that such "Baptism" was practiced 2000 years before it was even mentioned and practiced in Christianity is an established fact, and it can be traced right back to Babylon and Semiramus herself! The ancient historian Bryant (vol.3 p2l,84) traces this pagan baptism back to the practice of commemorating Noah and his 3 sons deliverance thru the waters of the flood, emerging from the ark and entering a New life. To commemorate this event, the Priests of Nimrod would 'baptize' new-born infants the fathers chose to keep, and they would become 'born-again' and become members of the Babylonian Mystery Religion. (Hislop,Two Babylons, p134) The fact that the Devil practiced the ritual of Baptism over 2000 years before it was even used in Christianity has truly amazed historians!
Armitage's History (p73) explains the pagan civil law and social customs of that day. These pagans had no standard of morality as you and I have. Their marriage rites were not on the basis ours are. One man might be the husband of a hundred women, and he might be the father of several hundred children. The mother had no right at all to determine whether the child she bore was to live or not, that was le ft up to the FATHER.
Just as the farmer would go down to the pigpen and pick out the pigs he wanted to keep and do away with the runts, so was the father the one who decided if the child was to be kept and allowed to live. The mother could not even name the child if it was kept, the pagan priest did that. If the child was decided to be kept, the daddy would take it down to the pagan priest and the ceremony would be arranged. The Priest first must 'exorcise' evil spirits from the infant by anointing the baby's head with OIL. With the oil the priest puts the occult mark of Tammuz on the child's head by marking a "T" with the oil. (later to become the 'Sign of the Cross)
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The Priest then put SALT and SPITTLE on the baby's tongue to preserve it from future influence of evil spirits. "HOLY WATER" is now sprinkled or poured over the baby's head, and the baby is said to be cleansed from any original sin and is now "born-again" and a member of the Babylonian Religion. This process was known as INFANT CHRISTENING and was practiced hundreds of years before Christ, (Hislop,pl38) and is found NOWHERE in the Bible! There is not a single example of a baby being 'baptized' or 'christened' in the Bible! Knowing what you do now, WOULD YOU WANT YOUR BABY CHRISTENED?
This was called 'Baal Worship' in the Old Testament, and God called it an abomination! The professed conversion of Emperor Constantine in A.D. 313 was looked upon by many as a great triumph for Christianity. However, it more than likely was the greatest tragedy in church history because it resulted in the union of church and state and the establishment of a hierarchy which ultimately developed into the Roman Catholic system. There is great question that Constantine was ever truly converted.
When Emperor Constantine made 'Christianity' the official 'STATE RELIGION of Rome, one of the FIRST LAWS passed was the law decreeing infant baptism as the law of the land in 416 A.D. That simply meant that everybody within a certain age limit had to conform to it.
When they passed that law in 416 that every baby in the Roman Empire had to be baptized at the hands of an authorized Roman priest... OR ELSE! Those who disagreed with teaching and rejected it were soon slanderously called "ANABAPTISTS", and they were persecuted without mercy for not conforming. Historian J.M.Carroll declares, " For 30 miles on the road leading out of Rome were stakes with gory heads of ANAPTISTS...."
Occasionally someone will say, "Don't you think infant baptism is beautiful to look at?" A.A.Davis replies, "If you knew the history of that doctrine, where it came from and the bloodshed that it brought into the world, you would never watch another such service in your lifetime." (THE BAPTIST STORY, p67). He quotes historian J.M. Carroll from his TRAIL OF BLOOD "no other doctrine that ever found its way into Christendom has caused so much BLOODSHED in this world as the doctrine of INFANT BAPTISM." Armitage's History (p7l-73) tells us that in the 6th century, Emperor Justin issued an edict commanding ALL UNBAPTIZED PARENTS to present themselves and their children for baptism at once. Leo III issued, another edict in-A.D. 723 demanding the forcible baptism of the Jews and Montanists (anabaptists).
Toward the close of the 6th century the baptism of--.infants was turned to gain in the shape of FEES ($$$) paid for its administration; but, the charges soon became so enormous that the poor could not pay them.
And yet lest their children should DIE unsaved, the frightened parents strained every nerve to get them baptized." (Armitage's history, p7l) He continues, "Suppose you owned a section of land with an oil well on it; you had a baby born into your home and you went to the priest to get the baby baptized. The priest would say I want the title to that section of land. When the thing was over, the priest would get the title to the land and the BABY would get a few drops of water on its head. He says this is how the Mother Church of Rome come to own Czechoslovakia, Mexico, etc.
At around the 3rd Century, traces of the Babylon Mystery Religion, now known as Baal Worship, infiltrates the Christian Church. Immediately, Bible Believing Christians reject the idea of baptizing babies and Baptismal regeneration - the teaching that baptism is essential to salvation; or, if you want to turn it around, that water baptism saves the soul (or at least is a part of a person's salvation).
These Bible Believing Christians were labeled slanderously as 'ANABAPTISTS' because they rejected this idea of baptizing babies as pagan and not Scriptural. They would 'RE-BAPTIZE these infants when they got older and trusted Y’shua as Savior! Thus the term, ANABAPTISTS...which meant "RE-BAPTIZERS"! It was later shortened to 'Baptists'. So you see, Baptists got the their name at this time, and the issue
that started the name Baptists and separated them was this issue of 'Baby Baptism'!!!! These 'ANABAPTISTS' were persecuted greatly because of this issue! �
���������������� %%%%%%%% ���������������� &&&&&&&&�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������########���������������� Like with so many aspects of Christianity, virtually everything goes back to its Hebrew roots. The fact is we serve a Hebrew God. The Scripture has much to say about immersion, or the doctrine of washing/baptisms, but it is still one of the most misunderstood teachings in Scripture. This doesn’t appear to have been a problem for the first century believers, however. We read in Hebrew 6:1-2: ������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������� ����������� ������������ ��������� ��!�������� � ������� ����"�������� ��������������� ���������������� ������������ ������������� ������������������� ���������������� ���������#�������$�
Two things stand out in this passage. First, the fact that these are "elementary teachings", in other words - something that was (or should be) understood by the newest believers. Secondly, that the word "baptisms" is plural. All the festivals, customs, foods, sacrificial system, and laws of ritual purity, including immersion, were given to the Hebrew (Jewish) people as teaching tools for us to learn more about Messiah. We must always keep Messiah in the forefront of our studies and realize that all things are to give us a better understanding of what Messiah has done for us, and what He will do in the future. The Scripture speaks of numerous things that make a person "tomeh" - ritually unclean, and a number of processes of purification. The one act required in all purification processes was immersion or “mikvah”. The word "mikvah" means "collection or gathering" and speaks of a place where the waters of immersion are gathered. Over the years, the word “mikvah” has come to be used to refer to the act of immersion itself. The earliest biblical usage of the specific word "mikvah" is found in Genesis 1:10 where YHVH called for the collection of the waters during the creation.
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The mikvah/ritual bath was of great importance to the first century Israelites. While it was always possible to have these immersions in a body of fresh or "living" water, (such as a lake or river) it wasn't always practical, so it became common to construct special pools called "mikvah". It was understood that if a community or village had only enough money for a synagogue or a mikvah, the mikvah would be built first. In this time and culture, this was a critical part of life in the daily routine of the Hebrew culture. Women had to undergo the immersion every month after the completion of their menstrual cycle. Men, particularly the religiously observant ones, engaged in the mikvah every dawn, in preparation for morning prayers in the Temple.
The water of immersion (mikvah) in Rabbinic literature was referred to as the womb of the world, and as a convert came out of the water it was considered a new birth separating him from the pagan world. His status was changed and he was referred to as "a little child just born" or "a child of one day".
We see the Brit Kadasha (New Testament) using similar Jewish terms as "born anew," "new creation," and "born from above." In a similar way, Rabbinic literature uses the term "born again" to refer to at least 8 different occurrences, each of them a life changing experience:
• When a Gentile converts to become an Israelite (Hebrew). • Immersion of repentance (John’s baptism), similar to the previous point. • At age 13 when a Hebrew boy chooses to embrace God's covenant and be numbered
with the believers. • When an individual gets married. • When an individual is crowned king • As a disciple of a Teacher/Rabbi, you are immersed in his name to show that you follow
him. • When an individual becomes a Rabbi (Teacher). • When an individual becomes the head of a rabbinical school.
The water is not used to remove any physical uncleanness, but rather as a symbolic spiritual cleansing and rebirth. The mikvah symbolizes moving from one state to another - from ritual impurity to ritual purity, from one phase of life to another. To understand this more clearly we will look at the Hebrew meaning of the word “mikvah” (immersion/baptism) as well as “mayim” (water).
things hoped for, outcome, linen yarn, hope, (faith).
Mikvah comes from the root “mak” �� meaning - decay,
rottenness, to decay, pine away. It is constructed by the letters “Mem”
� (water, Word) and “Qof” � (the back of the head). This gives us
the insight that You will rot away if you turn your face away from YHVH’s Word. Rottenness has to do with leprosy and it is said that leprosy was a condition that came upon man due to unrighteous living. When a leper was cured (only through a miracle), there was a water purification ritual he had to go through, so that he could be accepted back into the community. In the same way we have obtained spiritual leprosy through sin and YHVH cleanses us so that we can be restored back into the Kingdom.
The center of the word “mikvah” is the letters “Qof-Vav” and is the word “kav” �� that means;
cord, line, measuring-line.
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Combining this to the first letter “mem” � (water/Word) and the last letter”hey” � (truth/light),
gives us the following conclusion: You will be measured according to His Word (Mem) and
according to the Light or Truth (Hey) that you have. ��- ���- �
Mikvah also means ‘hope’ that implies faith. Faith is the things hoped of the things not seen. Through faith you become born again and start a new life as a new creation through the
Covenant He made with man. The two centre letters �� “Qof” is facing the “Vav” � (looking at
man) gives us a picture of what this faith means. “Qof” � also means ‘to repent’ and in this
picture it is to turn your head from facing man (Vav) and to look towards His Word (mem �), then
your life will shine as a light (hey �) in this dark world. This is what is signified by going through
the sign of the Mikvah; to repent and turn from man’s ways and to follow YHVH’s Word and His ways.
Water is the medium in which you are immersed into and there is a spiritual meaning if we look at water from a Hebraic point of view.
Water is the Hebrew word “mayim” ���. Water is made up of the
letters “Mem – Yod – Mem” or ‘Water – Spirit – Water’ or ‘Word – Spirit
– Word’ because the letter “mem” � has the meaning of water and in
Eph 5:26 we see that water represents the Word of YHVH, where we as the Bride becomes clean through the washing of the water of the Word.
The “yod” � represents the Spirit of YHVH, and the Spirit and the Word are synonym because it is through YHVH’s Spirit that His Word is written on our hearts (2 Cor 3:3). In Hebrew thought, left means physical and right means physical, and there is a “mem” on the left and a “mem” on the right in the word “mayim” (water). It is the Spirit and the Word that washes us in the Physical (left “mem”) and the Spiritual (right “mem”). In other words; the spiritual water (Word) is designed to ‘cleanse’ thoughts or mind (spiritual) and your actions (physical). Immersing into the water is a beautiful word-picture where you are “immersed” into His Word (water) and He will reveal His Word to you through His Spirit. This will not happen automatically and you have the responsibility to get into the Word so that your actions and your thoughts can be renewed or washed with the help of the Spirit. Baptism or immersion into water is the action where you make a physical statement in faith that you repented and now completely surrounds yourself with His Word and follow and conform to His ways. Your commit to search His Word so that He can reveal the hidden wisdom to you so that you can be cleansed and prepared as His Bride.. Living Water It is required that people are immersed into “living water”. Living water is described in the rabbinical teachings (according to the Rabbis/teachers), by building a mikvah pool, that contains water from a natural source, like rain water, or from a river or lake or from the sea. According to the ancient sages (teachers), Leviticus 11:36 shows us that "living water" cannot be defiled. Genesis 1:9 speak of the waters being "gathered together." The Hebrew word for "gathered together" is “mikvah” and the sea is thus always considered as a valid mikvah with “living water”. In Genesis chapter 7, we have the account of Noah's Flood, where YHVH used "living water" to cleanse the earth, in the same way this living water will cleanse your soul.
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���������������� �������� ���������������� ��������""""""""''''''''�������� �������� ���������������� The role of mikvah continues with the story of the Passover. Israel was enslaved in bondage under Pharaoh. They cried out to Yahweh in prayer and the He heard them and delivered the Israelites. As the people fled the evil ruler, they came to a dead end. Pharaoh was pursuing them from behind and before them was the massive Red Sea. What would happen? The Torah says that the immense waters of the Red Sea parted and our ancestors walked across the deep on dry land. With the walls of water on either side of them, the Israelites experienced a Mikvah. ��%����&�����'��� ������� ��������������������������������������������������������� �������������(�����������������������������������������$��
Passing through waters of separation (Red Sea/Baptism) is your proclamation that you are passing from previous idols and paganism to the one true Elohim (God). You pass from death into life in YHVH through the power of His Spirit (Rom 6:4), passing from the darkness and lies into the light of YHVH's truth, and passing from the religion of the nations to accept the true Elohim (God), following His Word.
�������)��*��������������(����������� ��������������������������������������� ������������ ������������������ �����$ John the Baptist, the one prophesied and sent by YHVH to herald the coming of Messiah, understood the meaning of immersion well. As He went about the countryside preaching YHVH's message, many people responded faith and repentance. Then he confirmed this spiritual transformation with a ceremony very much related to the mikveh. Could this be that he converted people outside of Israel or was this really a rededication and repentance Mikvah for people of Israel? It could be either. John completely immersed the individual under the water
Both Baptizo, the Greek word from which we get baptism, and its Hebrew equivalent t'vilah, mean "to dip." The root meaning of baptizo comes from the way a piece of cloth would be dipped into dye in order to soak up the solution, which is clear picture of immersion as opposed to mere sprinkling. This was to show that, as the cloth soaks up the dye, so you must soak up YHVH’s Word and become another ‘color’, looking different or set-apart (holy).
John’s baptism was known as the baptism of repentance. Why did Y’shua submit to it? Certainly we would all agree! Y’shua had nothing to be repentant of, no sins to confess. However, He was about thirty years of age, the biblically required age of a man to be ordained a priest. John was a Levite, qualified to witness such immersions.
When Y’shua says, "We must fulfill all things righteously," (Matthew 3:15) He is not referring to a baptism of repentance, but rather stepping into the waters of ordination. Y’shua was about to take on his mantle as Messianic Rabbi or Teacher.
The Tabernacle pattern is given to us by YHVH to help us understand the restoration process and how to approach Him. This process is known as “salvation” where YHVH “saves” us or restores us back into His presence where we will live with Him forever.
1. According to the Tabernacle pattern we see that the first step towards salvation is associated with the Brazen Altar, this is the first object you face when you enter the Tabernacle. This is the place is associated with blood and the sacrifices and points to the offering Y’shua made for our sins. Blood always has to do with the Covenant and this is where you enter into His Covenant by the Blood of the Lamb of YHVH. The brazen Altar is also associated with the Sin offering, which is one of the five offerings that were obligated.
2. The second object we find after the Brazen Altar is the Laver, which was used by the Priests to wash themselves before they went into the Holy Place. The Laver is also linked to the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and Paul described this action as a cleansing experience. The Laver represents Immersion or Baptism and is associated with one of the five offerings, the Cleansing Offering, and is also obligated.
3. The Holy Place represents your personal relationship with YHVH because only one person went in on any given moment. Inside is the Menorah, a symbol of the Holy Spirit , the Showbread, a symbol of the Word, and the Golden Altar of Incense, which represents your prayers. You need all three these things to have an personal relationship with Him and it starts with the first two obligated steps as seen in the Brazen Altar and Laver. There are also two offerings associated with the Menorah and the Showbread, which is the Peace offering and the Meal Offering, both voluntary offerings.
4. The last place is the Holy of Holies with the Ark of the Covenant, which represents YHVH’s throne and His Presence. This is the Place where THVH wants to restore us to and we have to follow the process. The last offering associated with the Ark of the Covenant is the Burt or Elevation Offering and was also voluntary.
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Looking at this pattern in relation with the different stages of approaching YHVH and the Offerings, it shows us that you need to do two things which are obligated; the acceptance of the Blood of Messiah (coming into the Kingdom through His Covenant), and the washing at the Laver, which is associated with the Immersion Mikvah or Baptism, which is also obligated. Where else in Scripture do we find this notion?
His Spirit is changing your heart when you accept Y’shua as your Master and Savior and His Blood for the remission of your sins. This is linked to the work done at the Brazen Altar and to the Sin Offering Y’shua did on your behalf. The water is associated with the Laver and Cleansing Offering and relates to the washing of your soul represented by you following the obligated step of Immersion (Baptism) or Mikvah that is part of your salvation.
������������������������ ���������������������������������������������������������������� �������� ########������������������������������������������������ ��������������������������������********""""""""���������������� ��������������������������������%%%%%%%%������������������������######## ��������������������������������++++++++������������������������########�������������������������������� As we have seen in the Tabernacle pattern, the washing at the Laver allows you to enter into the Holy Place where you will find the Menorah. The Menorah is associated with YHVH’s Spirit and His seven attributes. [Isa 11:2]. When we read the Gospels we also see the same pattern when Y’shua was Immersed by John. �������&�����3������������������������������ ����� ����������� �����������������������������1��������!����������������������������$��������3���������������������� ��������������������-������������������1������� ����/���� �����������$�
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The Immersion Y’shua did had two functions; it ordained Him at the age of 30 as a Teacher/Rabbi as was the custom and it showed us the example we have to go through, being baptized in the Name of our Teacher/Rabbi as disciples of Him. The custom was that if you became a disciple of a Teacher/Rabbi, you are mikvah’d (immersed) in his name to show that you follow his teachings. When Y’shua came out of the water, the Spirit of YHVH descended upon Him and this shows us the time of receiving His Spirit in us; at your Mikvah. After a person is immersed, the person assisting should lay hands on him/her and pray for YHVH to fill or baptize him/her with His Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). Then you will move into the Holy Place in a personal relationship with YHVH through the Help of His Spirit (Menorah) and the guidance of His Word (Showbread). The Spirit of YHVH is known by two descriptions; the Holy Spirit or Ruach HaKodesh, and the Spirit of Truth. YHVH’s Spirit will help you to become Holy or set apart for Him and His purpose and His Spirit will also reveal the Truth to you from His Word. Truth is associated with light and it is the light of the Menorah (Spirit of YHVH) that shines on the Showbread (Word) so that you can read it and understand it the way He meant it.
The Spirit of YHVH also do something on your inside; it writes His Law or Torah on your heart and you follow His Law/Torah with passion and zeal and “want to” follow in His ways. What Law did He write in His people’s hearts, a new law or only a portion of the law? He will write the Torah in their hearts, not a simplified Law or any other law. We also see that He made this promise to the House of Israel. If the church believe they have replaced Israel, they got it wrong, they are actually becoming part of Israel. Through undergoing the Immersion into the Kingdom in the Name of Y’shua your Master and Savior, you are actually entering into THIS COVENANT described here and you become PART OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL and you are grafted into the Olive Tree (Israel). Rom 11:16-25. Like Paul states here, “…do not be ignorant of this mystery…”, the mystery that you as a gentile can be grafted into the House of Israel. Israel consists of two words, “Yisrah” and “El” that means “straight or righteous” and “El or Elohim”; that basically means “the righteous people of Elohim”. So, if you become “born again” and take the step of entering into His Covenant through the Immersion into the Name of Y’shua, you are becoming part of the Kingdom, following your King and Teacher, Y’shua HaMasiach, and you are then part of the House of Israel or the “Righteous people of Elohim”. Your Mikvah is this Covenantal step where He will give you His Spirit and empower you to follow Him and walk (halechah) in His Torah that is now written in your heart. His Spirit in you is the seal and sign of the Covenant and that you belong to Him, and the Mikvah is the outward sign. �%������������� ������������������:����������� ������������������������� �����������������#���� �����������;����� ������������-.�����������������1������� �����"�����$
The gift of YHVH’s Holy Spirit begins a process, which eventually culminates in YHVH changing the Believers’ spirit (1 Cor 15:51-54; 1 Thes 4:13-18). That change to spirit is the essence of salvation—being saved from eternal death.
The apostles and the early believers continued the Jewish practice of Mikvah (baptism) as a symbol of conversion. 3�����>��,�0������������������ ���������(������������;����� ��������-.����$��3��������3����� � �����������������?�3�����������������(������� ����� �����������������������������;����� �-�4�$�
It is an important stage in your walk with YHVH and they taught to be immersed in the Name of Y’shua, the One you are following. Paul had the following to say about immersion:
Y’shua died and was raised from the dead (separation), into His new Life (not separated anymore). We go through Baptism to show that we are followers of Y’shua and that we are being joined together in His likeness of His death, and standing up out of the water, showing that we stand up into the newness of Life. We are dead to sin and alive through His Spirit. We are now dead to sin and no longer slaves of sin but alive to Y’shua and servants of the Master Y’shua, the Messiah. An exchange of life and death took place; He took our death on Him for exchange for His life to us. We then took His death to sin on us so that we can live free from sin in this new life. Y’shua was also baptized and showed us the pattern of events and how to follow Him. After His baptism, He received the Spirit through lying on of hands and through prayer. 3���8�����,���@��:��� ������������������<������������������������������������������������������!�������� �"�������������������� �-.����������������������� ���������(����������������� ����$�������� ��� �������������������� ���������� �����������������������������������������1�����$������������������ �� ������������������������ ��������� ���������(��������������������� �����-.����������������$����!�����������������������������������������������������������������1�����$�
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What is the role of YHVH's Spirit in our lives? On our own, we may strive, struggle and pray earnestly for victory over a sinful habit, but still come up short. After baptism and the laying on of hands, the same Spirit that leads us to repentance continues to work in us even more powerfully to help us see and overcome our sins and shortcomings. �
Immersion is the act of entering into the House of Israel through the work of the Messiah on the stake (cross). This House is also referred to as the Kingdom and the Body of Messiah. If you are immersed in the Name of Y’shua, you have clothed yourself with Him and have become part of His Body (Assembly). His Body has many members and is found all across the world but is one in Spirit in Hm. What does it mean to “put on Messiah”? =����+��)��:���������������������-.�������������������������������!������������ �������� �������������� ����� ������
To put on Messiah is to put on His Character that is based upon Holiness (set apartness) and not to follow the lusts of the flesh, but to follow His Word with the help of His Spirit. Paul is actually saying that Baptism is a commitment to stay in the Truth and to learn the Word and to walk in it so that your life will reflect His Character and new life inside of you.
Should we baptize in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit [Mat 28:19], or should we baptize in the name of Y’shua HaMasiach, [ Act 2:38, Acts 10:48, Acts 19:5, Rom 6:3]? Truth is established by two witnesses and the two passages in Acts conforms that we should baptize people in the Name of Y’shua the Messiah, but this contradicts Mat 28:19. Why is this? Mat 28 uses titles and not names; Father, Son and Holy Spirit are titles, YHVH and Y’shua are Names and even Catholics baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Is there something we do not know? Here are statements and quotes of people to confirm that Mat 28:19 had been altered to fit the doctrines of the Catholic Church:
Early Christians were told to be baptized in the name of Y’shua the Messiah. Readers must search the entire context of the Holy Scriptures to see the irrefutable proof that Believers must be baptized in the name of Y’shua the Messiah The first letter in the name Yeshua ("Jesus") is the yod. Yod represents the "Y" sound in Hebrew. Many names in the Bible that begin with yod are mispronounced by English speakers because the yod in these names was transliterated in English Bibles with the letter "J" rather than "Y".
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This came about because in early English the letter "J" was pronounced the way we pronounce "Y" today. Y’shua is the original Aramaic proper name for Jesus the Nazarene, who lived from about 6 B.C.E. to 27 C.E. (A.D.) The word "Jesus" is actually a mis-transliteration of a Greek mis-transliteration. The word "JESUS" had not been "discovered" until around 1530 CE. The Emperor Constantine even mistook Jesus for Apollo, the son of the Greek god Zeus. The name Jesus comes from the Latin word “Iosus” I�soûs, that is very close to the name of the Greek deity of healing - Ieusus (which is a variant spelling of Iesous or the Latin Iesus) This is not the same as the Hebrew Name of Y’shua that means, “YHVH is salvation”. People should be baptized in the real Name, the Name of Y’shua the Messiah, and not in a title like Father and Son or in a Name the Greek translators invented.
������������������������������������������������������������������������ Baptism, Immersion or the Mikvah represents the following:
• It is a physical statement before witnesses that you start a new phase in your life. • It is a sign of entering into His Covenant and that you are now part of the House of Israel
and that you are “grafted into Israel”. You are also now part of His Body. • It is a sign that you have His Torah/Law written in your heart. • It is a sign that you have a new Master and Teacher and you are immersed into His
Name, Y’shua, as prove of it. • It is a sign of repentance and that you have committed your life and have made a new
start. • It is the step after you became “born again” and is obligated for salvation. • It is a sign that you have put in Y’shua and that you are committed to follow Him as your
Shepherd and to listen to His Voice (Word). • It is a symbol of immersing yourself into His Word and to “certainly search” so that you
will know and follow the Truth and not man. • It is the beginning of your personal relationship with YHVH. • It signifies the receiving of YHVH’s Spirit that will give you the strength to follow Him
through obedience of His Commandments. • You commit to follow His Word and not the lusts of your flesh. • You commit to follow Him unto death. • Your Mikvah is the time to receive YHVH’s Spirit through laying on of hands and prayer. • It is a sign that you have received His New Life.
