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I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you
from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse
you. I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within
you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you
natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and make you live
by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees. You shall live in
the land I gave your fathers; you shall be my people, and I will
be your God. [EZEK 36:25-28] [Note: This passage prefigures
Baptism.] In those days John the
Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea saying,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It was
of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A
voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the
Lord, make straight his paths.'" At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and
were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they
acknowledged their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and
Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood
of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce
good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to
say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell
you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even
now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree
that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the
fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one
who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to
carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his
threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff
he will burn with unquenchable fire." [Taken from MT
3:1-3,4-12]
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by
(John the Baptist). John tried to prevent him, saying, "I
need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?"
Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is
fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed
him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and
behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove upon him. And a voice came from the
heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased." [Taken from MT 3:13-17]
"Where was John's baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human
origin?" They discussed this among themselves and said,
"If we say 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say to us, 'Then why
did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a
prophet." So they said to Jesus in reply, "We do not know." He himself said to them, "Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things."
[MT 21:25-25]
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
[MT 28:19-20]
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'" John
the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. And this is what
(John) proclaimed: "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit." It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon
him. And a voice came from the heavens, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
[Taken from MK 1:2-5,7-11]
Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism
with which I am baptized?" They said to him, "We can." Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared."
[MK 10:38-40]
"Was John's baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer
me." They discussed this among themselves and said, "If we say, 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say, '(Then) why did you not believe him?'
But shall we say, 'Of human origin'?" - they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a prophet.
So they said to Jesus in reply, "We do not know." Then Jesus said to them, "Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things."
[MK 11:31-33]
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does
not believe will be condemned. [MK 16:16]
During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
He went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one crying out in the desert:
'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" He said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance; and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.
John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.
After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened
and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
[Taken from LK 3:2-9,15-18,21-22]
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great
is my anguish until it is accomplished! [LK 12:50]
"Was John's baptism of heavenly or of human origin?" They discussed this among themselves, and said, "If we say, 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' then all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet." So they answered that they did not know from where it came. Then Jesus said to them, "Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things."
[Taken from LK 20:4-8]
They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?"
John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'
I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel."
John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove
from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the
Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of
God." [JN 1:25-27,29-34]
Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can
enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is
spirit." [Taken from JN 3:5-6]
After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing.
John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized,
for John had not yet been imprisoned. Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew
about ceremonial washings. So they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him."
John answered and said, "No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven.
You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease."
[Taken from JN 3:22-30]
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
(although Jesus himself was not baptizing, just his disciples), he left Judea and returned to Galilee.
[JN 4:1-3]
In the first book... I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the
Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for "the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the
Holy Spirit."
[Taken ACTS 1:1-5]
Peter (said) to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call."
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.
[ACTS 2:38-41]
Once they began to believe Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women alike were baptized.
Even Simon himself believed and, after being baptized, became devoted to Philip; and when he saw the signs and mighty deeds that were occurring, he was astounded.
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the
Holy Spirit,
for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
When Simon saw that the Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money
and said, "Give me this power too, so that anyone upon whom I lay my hands may receive the
Holy Spirit."
But Peter said to him, "May your money perish with you, because you thought that you could buy the gift of God with money."
[Taken from ACTS 8:12-20]
The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and join up with that chariot." Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
He replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, "I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?" Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him. As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?" Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing.
[ACTS 8:29-31,34-36,38-39]
There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias... The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying,
and (in a vision) he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay hands on him, that he may regain his sight." But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones
in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name." So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, "Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the
Holy Spirit."
Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength...and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the
synagogues, that he is the Son of God. All who heard him were astounded and said, "Is not this the man who in Jerusalem ravaged those who call upon this name, and came here expressly to take them back in chains to the chief priests?" But Saul grew all the stronger and confounded
the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah
[Taken from ACTS 9:10-22]
"He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the
dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name." While Peter was still speaking these things, the
Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the
word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the
Holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the
Holy Spirit even as we have?" He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
[ACTS 10:42-48]
"Just then three men appeared at the house where we were, who had been sent to me from Caesarea. The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating. These six brothers
also went with me, and we entered the man's house. He related to us how he had seen
the angel standing in his house, saying, 'Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,
who will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.' As I began to speak, the
Holy Spirit fell upon them as it had upon us at the beginning, and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, 'John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the
Holy Spirit.' If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder
God?"
When they heard this, they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying, "God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too."
[ACTS 11:11-18]
From this man's descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'
[ACTS 13:23-25]
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God,
listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us.
[ACTS 16:14-15]
About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew (his) sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, "Do no harm to yourself; we are all here." He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved."
So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once.
He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.
[ACTS 16:25-34]
Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord
along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who
heard believed and were baptized. [ACTS 18:8]
A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the
scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way
of God more accurately. [Taken from ACTS 18:24-26]
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and came
to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to them, "Did you receive the
Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They answered him, "We have never even heard that there is a
Holy Spirit."
He said, "How were you baptized?" They replied, "With the baptism of John."
Paul then said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus."
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid
hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Altogether there were about twelve men.
[Taken from ACTS 19:1-7]
Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;
for you will be his witness before all to what you have seen and heard. Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.'
[ACTS 22:14-16]
How can we who died to sin yet live in it? Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.
For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
[ROM 6:2-6]
For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by Chloe's people, that there are rivalries among you. I mean that each of you is saying, "I belong to
Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Kephas," or "I belong to Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
I give thanks to God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and
Gaius, so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the
cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
[Taken from 1COR 1:11-15,17-18]
Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of
God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor
adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals nor
thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers
will inherit the kingdom of God. That is what some of you used to
be; but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified,
you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the
Spirit of our God. [1COR 6:9-11]
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea,
and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
and the rock was the Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.
[1COR 10:1-5]
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether
Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to
drink of one Spirit. [1COR 12:13]
Otherwise, what will people accomplish by having themselves
baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why
are they having themselves baptized for them? [1COR 15:29]
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ. [GAL 3:27]
I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
[EPH 4:1-6]
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and
handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the
bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the
church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish. So (also) husbands
should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife
loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes
and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are
members of his body. [EPH 5:25-30]
You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also
raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him
from the dead. [COL 2:12]
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded,
slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and
envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. But when the
kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because
of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he
saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy
Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our
savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become
heirs in hope of eternal life. [TI 3:3-7]
Therefore, let us leave behind the basic teaching about Christ and advance to maturity, without laying the foundation all over again: repentance from dead works and faith in God,
instruction about baptisms and laying on of hands, resurrection of
the dead and eternal judgment. [HEB 6:1-2]
Therefore, brothers, since through the blood of Jesus we have
confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living
way he opened for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and
since we have "a great priest over the house of God,"
let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with
our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed in pure water. Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession
that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy.
[HEB 10:19-23]
God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water.
This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a
removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear
conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.
[Taken from 1PT 3:20-22]
For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And
his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by
God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is
our faith. Who (indeed) is the victor over the world but the one
who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who
came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone,
but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and
the Spirit is truth. So there are three that testify, the Spirit,
the water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord. If we
accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf
of his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony
within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar
by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. And
this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is
in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not
possess the Son of God does not have life. [1JN 5:3-12]
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