JWHVACR
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Baptism - 2005/07/28 09:34
Regarding baptism, please note the following things that this symbolizes:
First Century Christians were baptized:
1. To show that they had repented and to allow for their past sins to be forgiven (Acts 2:38, 22:16, Romans 6:3-5)
2. To show that they have agreed to follow a new way of life (Romans 6:3-5)
3. To ask God for a good conscience (1 Peter 3:21).
4. To receive the gift of the Holy Breath (Acts 2:38, 8:14-17)
5. To accept that they may also have to share in Jesus’ death (Romans 6:3-5, Colossians 2:12)
6. To be resurrected in God’s Kingdom (Romans 6:3-5, John 3:5)
7. To become part of the Promised One’s ‘body’ (1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:27-29).
Note that there are no scriptures teaching that baptism is done to symbolize simple ‘dedication’ of one’s life to serving God. In fact, the Greek word dedication isn’t found anywhere in the Greek Scriptures. The concept of dedication (but not the word) may be found in the Greek word paratitherthoran (eng. put aside for yourselves), may be translated as dedicate at 1 Peter 4:19. But, notice how the term is applied there: ‘So, let those who (by God’s will) are suffering, then dedicate themselves to the faithful Creator by doing whatever is good.’
As you can see, this scripture isn’t talking about baptism, since Peter was addressing Christians who were already baptized. His point was that those to whom he was writing needed to change their way of life (after baptism, not before) and rededicate it to God by doing good things.
So, the implication of all the above, is that baptism symbolizes that a person has repented (turned away from their past life’s course) and that in so doing, he or she has been forgiven by God. Or, as 1 Peter 3:21 says, they have asked God for a ‘good conscience.’ They are also asking God for a measure of His Holy Breath. In addition, the action symbolizes the person’s making himself or herself available to be chosen by God to be part of the heavenly Kingdom government, and by so doing accepts a willingness to suffer a violent death as did Jesus.
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