Some Christians are taught wrongly. It is not because they are evil but that they sadly misunderstand. The premise in the Bible is that even a good thing can be used as a bad thing. Why else, the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?”
Consider baptism. There are two
baptisms, to wit: John said to the people, “He that sent me to baptize with
water, the same said unto me, ‘Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending,
and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizes with the Holy Ghost” (John
1:33).
John baptized with water for what?
Repentance, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but He that comes
after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall
baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Mat 3:11). (Fie would not be
with heat but like a flame in the same manner as the flight of a dove was the
movement of the Holy Spirit. Fire also implies a holocaust, and the death of
Jesus was considered a holocaust, according to Josephus, because He replaced
the burnt offerings which were ‘holocausts.’)
John’s baptism was for repentance
and the medium of baptism was with water. Is there any argument with that?
Jesus’s baptism is for salvation.
His name implies that purpose, “Ya Saves.” The medium of the baptism of
Jesus is not just liquid water as with John but the Holy Ghost… agios pneuma
in the Greek. Agios of course means ‘holy,’ but its verb is ‘to consecrate”
— “to make sacred”
Note that the baptism of John is
not to make sacred but in water for cleansing of the flesh that represents metanoia
— “a change of mind”
The baptism of John essentially
demonstrates a change of mind with the washing of the flesh. On the other hand,
the baptism of Jesus, does what John could not do — He is mightier than I am,
John confessed. Jesus washed what John could not wash; John washed the
flesh, but Jesus washed the soul.
With that said, Christianity has wrongly
created a third baptism; one that washes the flesh and soul with water. There
certainly are not three baptisms; it is either John’s washing or Jesus’s
washing that is efficacious. Tell me, which ‘launderer’ cleanses both the inside
and out?
The point to Christianity is that
only Christ can completely launder ‘filthy rags’ (Isa 64:6) such as us. John
only washed the outside of our fabric, but the ‘Water’ that Jesus would use
would wash even the interstices between each thread of our fabric.
Solomon called the thread of our
fabric (in English), the “Silver thread” (Ecc 12:6), but literally from the
Hebrew, the ‘pale twisted’ material. (I believe the wiseman Solomon was describing
our own fabric; what is now known as DNA, but even then as genetics.)
John would soak the dirty fabric —
the flesh — to clean the person outwardly, then Jesus would finish the job with
a thorough cleansing within. Jesus called His way of laundering “born again’ —
it is not even an inner washing but a slow and sure process that begins with a
washing of the mind. Baptism is the beginning of the Divine Spark that begins
the process, but the ‘fire’ is only ignited, not yet flaming.
Remembering that John’s washing
was a testimony of confession, not a consecration; then water baptism signifies
that the sinful person voluntarily submits to a total cleansing by standing
still in the water in the same manner as the priests of Joshua would do in the
Jordan (Josh 3).
Note that the raging waters when
the Hebrews crossed the Jordan threatened them as they stepped into it with
their feet. They did not get wet except for their feet. The water prepared the
way, and the priests who carried the Ark of God only stood still. They were burdened
with the weight of God on their shoulders. Water would not ease the burden;
unlike Noah’s Ark which would float, the Ark of God must be carried. They were
allegorically carrying the ‘Cross’ as Jesus would do, and indeed they were carrying
the Ark for Joshua who was also ‘Ya Saves.’
What happened? The raging waters
of the Jordan ceased as the priests did nothing but stand there. Then the water
heaped up and they walked through on dry ground. Just as with Noah long before,
it was not the water that took then to safety, but God on the Ark! The same
applies to Jesus. He demonstrated the hope just as He did for Peter when because
Jesus walked on water, so could Peter, if only the faith would carry him.
It is not so much that hope floats,
but faith floats. John’s baptism was more a demonstration of faith, that
they feared God more than water.
The baptism of Jesus demonstrated
perfect faith — certainty. Jesus had no sins and as such no doubts, nor need of
repentance. He merely walked into the water.
Did John baptize Jesus? Not so.
Jesus was baptized by the ‘living water’ from above. John watched! (John 1:29)
because his purpose was only to “Make straight the way of the Lord” (John
1:33). John, as such, did not dunk Jesus in the water of the Jordan, just as
neither the priests nor Jesus was dunked long before. The Ark of God, most
certainly with God on the Mercy Seat, cleared the water for Joshua and the priests,
and as such, those baptized before Jesus were making the Way clear for Jesus’s
baptism.
‘Water’ from above baptized
Jesus. He merely stepped with his feet in the water and stood there with no
help from John. It was in the water, as with the baptism of John, but not His
whole flesh.
That Jesus was actually
baptized BY John is not in scripture. The closest it comes is related by
Mark; Jesus “was baptized of John in Jordan” (Mark 1:9). The word ‘of’
in that passage in the Greek is ‘hypo, or ’under’ the watchful
eyes of John.
Consider the word ‘hypothetic.’ Hypo
in that context is ‘under’ and the thesis is the ‘proposition.’ Nowhere
in scripture is it said that John baptized Jesus; indeed, as it was
demonstrated God, the Father, emanated His Spirit, and the Holy Ghost came down
on Jesus in “bodily shape” (Luke 3:22), and then remained on Him (John 1:33).
Jesus was engendered from God
above; that was the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. That is the literal translation
of ‘born again’
The same goes for baptism. It is put under by ‘John,’ one who God designates. Baptism by Jesus is put under ‘living water’ by Jesus, as the apostle John wrote, “He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). That makes it sound as if the belief in Jesus is the one, true baptism, and that is true:
There is one body, and
one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one
faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through
all, and in you all. (Ephes 4:4-6)
The Holy Ghost is what? The ‘Phantom’
of God placed onto Jesus wherein the Person, Jesus, had the ‘Shadow’ of God given
to Him.
Jesus, at His baptism by God, had
the Image (Hebrew; Selem) of God breathed onto Him as Adam had in the
beginning (Gen 2:7), making Jesus the ‘Last Adam,” or a ‘Living Soul.’
That ‘breath’ was Pneuma
in the Greek. Jesus had the ‘Air’ of God imbued within Him when His Father put
Him under the life-giving Spirit from above.
Water baptism did not change the
converts but baptismal ‘waters’ from above transformed Jesus into the ‘Last Adam’
— a glorified Man!
The Holy Spirit remained
on Jesus, implying that the Spirit of God did not remain on any of the
others.
Jesus was in no need of
repentance. The water did not engulf Him to cleanse His flesh, but He was
infused with the Holy Spirit, making every nuclear cell of His Body the exact
Identity of God.
Jesus was glorified as He died,
but the beginning of the glorification process began with His consecrating
baptism, ending with His death — what Paul would call, “our gain.”
Others that had their flesh washed
desired to be changed, wrongly by the water, but when Jesus came, He showed
them that cleaning the soul requires life-giving water. His was the only
baptism that does that, and as I have shown, the water only cleansed the feet
of Jesus. It was the Spirit of above, a sort of Living Water, that infused
every bit of His Flesh, making Him ‘whole’ with God in Him.
Note that when Jesus made others
whole, it was not with water but with Virtue leaving Him (Mark 5:30). Baptism is
the Virtue (Greek, Dynamis), going from God to us. Water does not make
us whole; it is God. If your ‘god of water’ does that, then your god is
Poseidon!
Now consider what Jesus said to
the apostles: “You shall drink indeed of My Cup and be baptized with the
baptism that ‘I AM’ (‘Yahweh’) baptized with” (Mat 20”23).
Jesus was the ‘Cup’ — the Vessel
— that was filled when God in Heaven baptized Jesus. The baptism of Jesus was
the ‘Baptism of the Holy Ghost,’ filling the soul of the Man, Jesus; “Out of
His Belly shall flow living waters,” as He told the woman at the well. The Holy
Spirit of the soul within Jesus is the ‘Vessel’ from which a Christian must
drink, or be saturated, from their thirst.
Drinking, or partaking of
water; whether flowing, sprinkled, or still is not effective. It must be from the
Cup of Jesus from whom you must drink to be absorbed in Him.
Jesus was baptized by God above,
not by John, and Jesus said that we “must be baptized with the Spirit that I
AM, ‘I AM,’ meaning the Spirit emanating from God above, or ‘born again’
(John 3:7).
Words mean things. It seems that
John did not baptize Jesus and neither did Jesus baptize with water (John 4:2).
Why would He need to, for He was the ‘Cup’ from whose Belly, at the
Crucifixion, brought forth water and blood.
Others baptized under
Jesus (John 3:22). That is significant because I wrote that Jesus was baptized under
John. Just as John did not baptize Jesus, neither did Jesus baptize anybody;
others, however, did so under the Authority of Jesus.
Does it not make sense? Jesus was
without sin, so why would He need His flesh clean? The Devil endeavored to soil
it but failed. Jesus was thoroughly clean and would only need His Blood
clarified. God from above did that, preparing Jesus to be the perfect
sacrifice.
His Blood was the Glory of God (7:39)
and His Spirit — the Water — the ‘Phantom’ of God that was the ‘Image’ in which
mankind was made glorious.
With those explanations, we
should have no confidence in water to be soterial. That grieves the Holy Ghost
and is blasphemy (mat 12:31) and stealing the Glory of God from God.
Now is the time for confession. Sometimes I get it wrong. After restudying this premise overnight, I missed something; Jesus did 'suffer' John the Baptist. However, because of archaic language that was missed. In this age, most would say, "baptized BY John." In this case, Jesus was "baptized OF John." With that statement, the focus was taken off the baptizer and placed on the mode of baptism which was water.
Indeed, I found that everybody was baptized "OF John" — para Ioannes. It was not John who baptized so many after He died, not even his "ghost," but the mode of baptism... in water. On the other hand, baptism of the Holy Ghost is a kind and mode of baptism with no water even needed as Paul so aptly explained:
Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. (1 Cor 1:13-14)
So, let's examine the eunuch which Philip encountered while preaching, "They came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, 'See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?'" (Acts 8:36). As such, "The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip," (Acts 8:39), but apparently did not the eunuch. It takes more than water to receive the Holy Spirit. Only Philip was translated to the heaven by the Spirit.
In that baptism, it says simply, "They went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him" (Acts 8:38). Compare that to the baptism of Jesus. It was Jesus who was baptized and carried away by God, in sense, as Jesus stepped from the water.
The baptism of the Holy Ghost was the Baptism of Jesus. John said, "I indeed have baptized you with water: but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost" (Mark 1:8), so John did baptize Jesus with water, but it was God above, the "He," that baptized with the Holy Ghost.
The point is that Jesus was in water with John, but it was God above who did the baptism. I stand corrected. John may have lowered Jesus into the water, but when Jesus arose from the water, it had done nothing. It was the 'Living Water' from God above who engendered Jesus with His Spirit. In a sense, Jesus was 'born again' at His Baptism since His own birth at been ordinary even though immaculate. Baptism was the extraordinary birth of Jesus, and a second birth, this time spiritual only.
So, who was it that baptized Jesus in reality? Does unworthy John get the credit, as he said himself that he was not worthy? Or was it God the Father who gets the credit? Jesus was the one on whom the Spirit remained (John 1:33). He was the only one, later called, "born again," not in Mary's womb, but of God!
The baptism of John was of no effect except for washing the dipped clean. Nothing within them changed. For Jesus, He alone was engendered with the Spirit of God and the glorification process began, ending at His death (John 7:39).
Technically, therefore, John did baptize Jesus. It was John that immersed Jesus, but it was Yahweh who submerged Him all over with 'Living Water, the Holy Spirit of God.
Just as the water left the eunuch clean but not filled with the Spirit, so it goes with water baptism. Again, there is "one baptism" (Ephes 4:5). Which baptism in the "one"? Was it the water or the Spirit? I submit, that although John literally baptized Jesus, efficaciously, the baptism was of the Holy Ghost in spiritual mode.
"Of," it seems, is a kind of baptism — John's kind compared to God's kind. Your preacher may have baptized you with water, but only Jesus baptizes with His Holy Ghost. Whose 'Ghost' is it that engulfs the believer? The ghost of John or the Ghost of Jesus that He gave up at the Crucifixion to be the proxy for Himself?
I was wrong, and it is tough to admit, but given that there is only one baptism, then John's was not the one that changes a person from a sinner to a 'son (or daughter) of God," and a fellow heir with Jesus (Ephes 3:6).
The preacher cleansing anyone is ceremonial. It is a confession, so to speak, that the person baptized has soiled flesh. The washing inside and out is done, in the absence of Jesus, by the Holy Ghost of that One man, the "One Lord" (Ephes 4:5).
So, I was wrong. John indeed baptized Jesus but not effectively so. Water was not necessary because it was for repentance. Jesus had nothing to repent of, being without sin (2 Cor 5:21). Since the baptism of John was for "repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4), then the baptism of John did nothing, considering that Jesus was without sin.
Yes, I got it wrong, but in so doing, I found the error of my thinking. However, the baptism of John of Jesus was to institute confession; that the flesh is as filthy rags that requires deeper cleaning than we can do ourselves.
Now look at baptism:
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Rom 6:3-4)
The topic therein is not the Baptism of John (water modal) but "Baptized into Jesus" (Spirit modal). It is not the water that buries, but the Holy Spirit. From whence did the Spirit of Jesus come? He gave up the Ghost at His death. Like Philip, the Holy Ghost of Jesus carries Christians away, not to another place, but to another realm where the Spirit never dies.
Care must be taken to understand which mode of baptism is the one of which the writer speaking. Context and time matters. John was beheaded. He had served his purpose... to introduce Jesus. 'Baptism' in general is the 'One Baptism' of the Holy Ghost. During the ministry of Jesus, the Baptism of John was contextual, but after the coming of the Holy Ghost, the spiritual kind of baptism was pre-eminent.
It was not the Holy Ghost of John that Jesus gave up. That was made clear that Jesus was not the 'Elias,' John was. At the Crucifixion, some thought it was the spirit of Elias who Jesus was calling. It was not Elias, or even the one who they believed was Elias (John). It was the Spirit of God Himself that Jesus had suffered at His baptism by the Holy Ghost.
Before Jesus was baptized, He said, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered Him" (Mat 3:15). That has much deeper meaning than many think; John was there to introduce Jesus to the world. He revealed God in the Man, in bodily shape, as Luke wrote. In agony, Jesus suffered as the Holy Ghost left Him as He died. Remember scripture from above? "Many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death."
That is in remembrance of Him and the loosening of the Holy Ghost. It was the death of Jesus that is the mode of baptism, not our own. In a sense, Jesus was rebaptized in blood at his death; the first baptism in Living Water and the second His own blood. Together, they were 'one baptism' and John's was not part of the baptism that was soterial at all.
"This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood."(1 John 5:6). It was not the baptism of water by which Jesus came, but the Living Water with which God baptized Him when He was at the Jordan.
It was not the dirty waters of the Jordan that cleansed Him, but the Spirit emanating from God. Jesus was pretty much 'dry cleaned' by fire after the water got Him wet. That was the type of 'water' of which Jesus was speaking, and the blood was the propitiation that was for "sins that are past" (i.e., genetic, or original sin.) The blood of Jesus is what engenders sinners from above, not water at all, but the blood that Jesus shed for us so that we need not suffer our own!
So, you be the judge; who baptized Jesus; was it John or Father God?
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