A Closer Scrutiny of John's Water Baptism!
If we really scrutinize what is said about John the Baptist and the reason for his water Baptism, we will learn it was for no other than the Iraelite Natiion. It was not for any of the Nations outside of the Israelite Nation. John, as we see, from the following was the forerunner to Christ, to, as it says, prepare the way for the Christ, who was to redeem God's People. To give Jehovah's people the knowledge of salvation through the foregiveness of their sins. John was to appear publically only to Israel.
Jehovah was showing his tender mercy to Israel for all of the sins committed while under the Mosaic Law. As revealed by Luke 1:67-80}
67"His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— 72to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." 80And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel." {Luke 1:67-80 NIV}
John himself next reveals exactly why, and to whom, he came publically baptizing:
29"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." {John 1:29-31 NIV}
The Jews had to be made known that now the Messiah was on the scene, not just the savior of Israel but of the entire World of Mankind. They were God's People, who were under the old law covenant; hence had sinned while under it, and needed to be redeemed for commiting those sins. As God's people Jehovah was showing his tender mercy, if they accepted John's Baptism of water, displaying while doing so repentence for their sins committed while under the old law, in recognition that now the Messiah had arrived, to take away their sins; to take them out from under the Old Law, and bring them, all into the New Covenant established as it would be on the Blood of the Christ. Foregiveness would be granted them for all the sins committed under the old law. A rejection of John's Water Baptism, was a rejection of the Messiah, so they would remain in their sin, and die in them; because they refused Jehovah's mercy extended.
These three following scriptures will show that only the Israelite Nation was under old Mosaic Law, so, the only ones who could sin under it, and the only ones who needed to repent of those sins, showing that repentence by submitting to John's Baptism of Water; which was an acceptance of the fact, that it was a recognition that the Christ could cover all of their sins committed under that Law. {Amos 3:1,2} {Psalm 147:19,20} {Romans 3:1,2}
The truth of this is what the Christ himself had to say about to whom he was sent:
24"He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." {Matthew 15:24 NIV}
While John's water Baptism was going on, it was not the time for the Nations to be considered; that would come later, after the ascension of the Christ. He ordered his followers not to go to the Nations, only to the lost sheep of Israel:
5"These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel." {Matthew 10:5,6 NIV}
Jesus himself never took part in John's Water Baptism, the reason being he had not yet been glorified; only after that would his Baptism in Holy Spirit and fire take place. The Baptism that Jesus would do would not require the use of Water; it was by Holy Spirit and fire or simply Holy Spirit, but never any mention of water when the Baptism that Jesus was to do was foretold. Evidenced by the fact, that at Pentecost when tongues of fire sat on the Apostles no water was used, and none mentioned. The account in Acts Chapter Two substantiates that. {John 7:39} {Matthew 3:11} {Mark 1:7,8} {Luke 3:16} {John 1:33}
1"The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples."
As I brought out Paul was Apostle to the Nations, but not sent to baptize anyone, the reason he wasn't was because now the Christ was doing all of the Baptizing from the Heavenly Spirit Realm. Bottom line is this: There is only ONE Baptism now, and only ONE to do it. If you have not been Baptised by the Christ, you have not been baptized at all; and no way in this world could you title yourself a baptized Christian. You are deluding yourself, if you do. Just thought this was a little matter that needed clearing up. {Ephesians 4:4-6} {Romans 11:13}
Amazing isn't it, what you can uncover by a closer scrutiny of a Bible subject?
This means that there are Millions of Water Baptized Christian's, who are really not! They just do not understand, the Water had changed to Holy Spirit, and came into play after the ascension and glorification of the Christ.
What we need now is the water the Christ is able to give us; we need that well of water springing up from within us to give us eternal life. John's Baptism of Water could never do that, not in the first Century and certainly not now.
14 "But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again—ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life." {John 4:14 HCSB} We need those streams of living water flowing from within us; which water is, the Holy Spirit. As Jesus shows us:
38"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." {John 7:38,39 NIV}
At this time the Spirit is being given, because we know that for a fact, because he was glorified in the first Century, and received the promised Holy Spirit, when he sat down at the right hand of his Father, on his Fathers throne, able now to do his foretold baptizing in the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:33 {Revelation 3:21}
So! There's only one who can do any baptizing now. That's the one seated at the right hand of his Father. The one who received the promised Holy Spirit from his Father. No Religious Leader on this earth is in possession of that Holy Spirit. What possible use is a Baptism in water now? No use at all! If you are not Baptized in the Holy Spirit, by the Christ, you are not Baptized at all. I do not know the Body count of all of the Religious denominations and sects of Religious Christendom; but one thing I do know, is, absolutely none of them have been Baptized by the Christ in Holy Spirit. Absolutely none! It doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to figure that out. Just a little serious scrutinizing gets the job done quite nicely. Wannabe
{John 4:1 NIV}The Baptism of the Nations didn't begin until after the ascension of the Christ, when it would be Jesus from then on who would do all of the Baptizing from the heavenly Spirit realm. Equipping all of his Apostles as he did at Pentecost with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, one of which was the laying on of hands; his Apostles by that means themselves could do the Baptizing as he had commanded them just prior to his ascension. {Matthew 28:18-20}
Those that Peter had said: "Can anyone forbid Water so that these might be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?" Peter was mistaken, as he admitted later on. They had already been baptized by the Christ as verse 44 of Acts Chapter Ten informs us. He had forgotten something which in Chapter eleven of Acts verses 15-17 he cleared up. He realized his suggestion to baptize in water was hindering God. Then too, he was overstepping his bounds, because he was only sent to the circumcized, while the Apostle Paul was sent to the Nations; the uncircumcized, and Paul directly told us that he was not sent to baptize. As 1 Corinthians 1:17 bears out. So Peter was way out of line and knew he was. {Galatians 2:7-9}
The Ethiopian Eunuch where water is being used after the ascension of the Christ, can also be cleared up. This one had been down to Jerusalem to Worship, so he was a Jewish convert, and as such would need to submit to John's Baptism of Water. {Acts 8:27,38} So, neither the words of Peter, nor the account about the eunuch establish water Baptism for today. Drowning men grasping at straws will try to use them though.