We need a return to Jerusalem, a fresh look at the teaching and unity that Jesus called for in His prayer, John 17. We need a letter from Jerusalem calling us back to the unity that is in Yeshua, the Messiah.
The Apostles are no longer physically living in Jerusalem, but we still have their teaching recorded in scripture. And God has sent His Holy Spirit to encourage His children, all who have been born again through the gospel of Jesus Christ, Yeshua Messiah.
This information age provides more access for knowing and communicating with each other. Can we use it to encourage each other to go back to Jerusalem, to look afresh at the unity that is in Jesus?
If we could consult the Apostles today, what would they write as practical advice to help us know the role of immersion in water by the authority of Jesus for our salvation?
Perhaps they would first remind us of the washings for ritual cleansing required under the Law of Moses, and ask us to understand that the water did not remove the uncleanness, but that it was a person's respect for the command of the Law that caused God to accept the person as clean.
From Jewish Virtual Library
ABLUTION (Heb. טְבִילָה; "immersion"), act of washing performed to correct a condition of ritual impurity and restore the impure to a state of ritual purity. The ritually impure (or unclean) person is prohibited from performing certain functions and participating in certain rites. Ablution, following a withdrawal period and, in some cases, other special rituals, renders him again "clean" and permitted to perform those acts which his impurity had prevented. Ablution must not be confused with washing for the sake of cleanliness. This is evident from the requirement that the body be entirely clean before ablution (Maim., Yad, Mikva'ot 11:16), but there may nevertheless be some symbolic connection. The ablutions, as well as the impurities which they were deemed to remove, were decreed by biblical law, and understood by the rabbis in religious and not in hygienic or magical terms. This is shown by R. Johanan b. Zakkai's retort to his disciples who had questioned an explanation he gave to a non-Jew about ritual purity: "'The dead do not contaminate and the water does not purify.' It is a command (gezeirah) of God and we have no right to question it" (Num. R. 19:4).Because of the immersion required under the Law of Moses, the people of Israel were familiar with immersion being connected with ritual cleanness. Therefore, when John the Baptist came preaching repentance in preparation for the coming Kingdom of God, he immersed those who believed his message in the Jordan River.
He also immersed Jesus, who is the King of the Kingdom. Jesus was showing His submission to His Father, and He was acknowledged by His Father at the time of His immersion.
Mat 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,[c] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,[d] with whom I am well pleased.”
The disciples of Jesus also practiced the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins in preparation for the then coming Kingdom.
But the baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins in preparation for the coming Kingdom is different from the baptism preached by Peter on the day of Pentecost. Baptism in the name of Jesus, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), is part of obeying the gospel, as Paul taught clearly.
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?[c] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Paul had written earlier in chapter six about the relationship between the gospel and immersion. A penitent sinner who has repented, died to sin, is buried with Jesus by baptism into death, and raised from the death by the glory of the Father.
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
Rom 6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self[a] was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free[b] from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Rom 6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self[a] was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free[b] from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
So we bury a person who has died in his relationship to God because of the sin that separates one from God. God grants forgiveness of sins and gives new life because the recipient has put his/her trust in Him, through faith in the blood shed by Jesus on the cross.
Perhaps part of the reason for putting off water immersion until a convenient time is because it takes some planning and effort to immerse the believer in water. It is easier to have them pray a prayer for which there is no commandment in scripture, and arrange the baptism for a convenient time. So an assumption is made that justification is by faith without water baptism, and the immersion becomes a symbol of something that already happened. Yes, baptism is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. But the converting sinner is to have his/her place in that burial. We bury dead people.
How were three thousand people immersed on the Day of Pentecost following their response to Peter preaching the gospel?
The sermon took place in the morning. After the response to Peter's preaching, likely the responders went with Peter, the Apostles, and other disciples down to the Pool of Siloam.
The pool was 225 ft long with hewn stone steps on three sides. Seventy disciples of Jesus and the Apostles had been practicing immersion of preparation for the coming kingdom. Now they were to immerse penitent believers who had confessed that Jesus is the Christ in His name, by the authority of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
There was ample room in the pool for eighty people to do the immersing, as believers waded out to them in the pool.. So each baptizer would have helped about forty people with their immersion. Three thousand could have easily been baptized within three hours.
As we study the book of Acts, we find that when people confirmed their faith that Jesus is the Son of God, arrangements were made for their immersion that same day. Why was the timing important? Because you bury dead people, and you want them to have life as soon as possible.
No, the water does not take away the sins. The scriptures do not teach ritual baptismal regeneration. But Jesus and the Apostles commanded immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so the one who has faith does it.
God keeps His promises.
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