The word BAPTISM is [Greek: baptizo”-Strong’s #907 = to make fully wet, ceremony of washing, Christian Baptism]. BAPTISM is used only in the New Testament. It is a sign of the New Covenant, spiritual, gospel kingdom that is within believers in Christ. Therefore, BAPTISM is only for believers in Christ.

All born-again Christians in the New Covenant spiritual kingdom should continue to encourage new believers to be BAPTIZED once they testify of their own new life in Christ. It is not a requirement for salvation. It is not a requirement for our Christian life. However, it is a physical act that God established as an outward sign or testimony to show that His believers are set apart from others through faith.

As humans we need something to remind us of the reason for and the beginning of our faith in Jesus Christ. Much more important than the graduation diploma from school is the graduation from being spiritually dead to being made spiritually alive through our new spiritual birth.

BAPTISM is our “diploma”. It is a lasting reminder of the new life that God has provided for us. It is generally done near the beginning of the time we believed in Christ as our Lord and Savior. However, there is no restriction to prevent a genuine “unbaptized” believer from being BAPTIZED later in her Christian life.

BAPTISM began with John the Baptist. His ministry was to call the Old Covenant Jews, and only the Jews, to repent and be BAPTIZED. His BAPTISM of “repentance” to set the believing Jews apart from the unbelieving Jews, who were destined for God’s wrath that was to come in their first century generation. – Matt 3:7; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; 7:29; Acts 10:37; 13:24.

During the beginning of the New Covenant spiritual, gospel kingdom. John the Baptist was declaring that the Jewish people should repent and believe in the coming Messiah, who would come after John. When those Jews in the first century believed in the risen Lord as their personal Messiah, they were BAPTIZED as Christians, and the Holy Spirit came upon them. This is the situation only during the beginning of the New Covenant kingdom in the first century AD.

And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you BAPTIZED?’ so they said, ‘Into John’s BAPTISM.’ Then Paul said, ‘John indeed BAPTIZED with the BAPTSIM OF REPENTANCE, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come AFTER him, that is on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were BAPTIZED in the NAME OF THE LORD JESUS. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” – Acts 19:3-6

The Holy Spirit came upon those foundational believers in the first century AFTER they believed in Christ – Acts 1:5; 2:38; 11:15-18 Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit calls God’s elect and then they believe. Each believer is able to simultaneously respond with saving faith in Christ. This is the spiritual BAPTISM in which the new believers are made alive spirtually; placed into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit; and He indwells each of them forever more. – Mark 1:8; John 1:12-13; 3:3-8; Eph 2:8-9; 2 Pet 3:13.

Christians water BAPTISM is for believers only. It openly declares to all, that he or she believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It was done then and is still done now after 70ad to declare one’s new faith in Christ. In the first century, BAPTISM was an act of bravery by the Jewish believers. They were under extreme persecution from the non-believing Jews for their faith in Christ.

The New Testament speaks of different BAPTISMS. John’s BAPTISM was for the O.T Jews in Israel to show their repentance and belief in the Messiah. -Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts12:23-24. Jesus was BAPTIZED by John, not for repentance, but to fulfill all righteousness – Matt 3:13-17; Jesus told His disciples of His pending BAPTISM through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. – 1 Pet 3:20-21.

The doctrine of the BAPTISMS is considered one of the elementary principles of Christ. It is listed along with repentance from dead works; faith toward God; laying of hands; resurrection of the dead; and eternal judgement. We believers are to certainly understand these things, but we should go on to maturity in Christ. Our focus should be to continually study the word of God and grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles in Christ, let us go unto to perfection, NOT laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God, of the DOCTRINCE OF BAPTISMS, of laying of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement.” – Heb 6:1-2

All my BAPTIZED Love, ❤ Diana X,O, 🙂

Next Topic: BODILY CHANGE

In the bible prophecy, BABYLON refers to the harlot city of Jerusalem. It was a wicked city in the first century generation of Jews that saw Christ’s first coming. Apostle Paul referred to “BABYLON’ as the city in which the Jerusalem church was located. He established the time and location of ‘BABYLON” in prophecy. This was in 63-64 ad, when he wrote First Peter, while Peter and Mark were still alive.

“She (the Jerusalem church) who is in BABYLON, elect together with you, greets you and so does Mark my son.” 1 Pet 5:13.

John wrote in the Revelation that in his vision he saw that “BABYLON” had fallen -Rev 14:8; 18:2. This was describing the city of Jerusalem, which crucified the Lord and killed the Apostles and prophets sent to it. It was where the Diaspora of Jews went annually from all nations for the Old Covenant sacrifices and ceremonies. It was Jerusalem that received the sentences of condemnation from the Lord. It was the first century generation of the Apostles that would see the destruction of Jerusalem.

Jesus said about Jerusalem, “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes, some of them you will KILL AND CRUCIFY, and some of them you will SCOURGE in your synagogues and PERSECUTE from city to city, that ON YOU may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah, son of Berechiah, whom you MURDERED between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, ALL THESE THINGS WILL COME UPON THIS GENERATOIN. “O JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM, the one who kills the PROPHETS and stones those WHO ARE SENT to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but YOU WERE NOT WILLING! See! YOUR house is left to you DESOLATE”. – Matt 23:34-38; Luke 13:34-35

The wrath of God was poured out on Jerusalem (aka: “BABYLON”) and it was totally destroyed in 70ad. – Rev 16:19; 17:5 18:5, 10, 21. The Revelation of John described things that were to happen SHORTLY, NEAR, AT HAND, AND QUICKLY. This destruction of Jerusalem and the temple simplified the passing away of the Old Covenant Jewish religious system and the physical nation of Israel (old heavens and old earth) in God’s redemptive plans. -Rev 1:1, 3; 3:11; 22:6-7, 10, 12, 20. If “heaven and earth” have not yet passed away, then every single jot and tittle of the law is still valid today!

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For ASSURDELY, I say to you, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAYS, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till ALL IS FULFILLED”. – Matt 5:17-18

All my it is finished type of LOVE, Diana ❤ XO, 🙂

Next topic: BAPTISM