Lesson 684

(Lesson 684)(06-04-13) The next three appearances of a form of the term "baptize" are found in John 1:29-34, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God."

This quote depicts John's first meeting with Jesus, "the Son of God". John identifies Jesus as, "This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water." Herein, John acknowledges that God had foretold him of Jesus' coming and that the water baths (baptisms) that he administered was to, according to law, prepare the Jews for that coming.

In the above quote, John clearly identifies Jesus as the source for remittance of sin, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." There is nothing within this statement that presumes that immersion into water is, in any way, responsible for the remittance of ones sin.

There will be those who refer to John's having preached the "baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins" as recorded in Mark 1:4, and Luke 3:3, as being examples of how water "baptism" remits sins. That notion is woefully incorrect.

Indeed, repentance, or the changing of ones mind from belief in the Law of Moses to professing faith in Jesus Christ, remits sins. However the usage of the term "baptism", in the above references, has nothing to do with water, they are clearly used in reference to the message John preached and not the water immersions he administered.

When we engage in bible study, we should ALWAYS determine the intent of the term "baptize" by the context within which it is applied, and not just assume that the term implies water as the medium in to which the "baptism" is to occur.~