THE INTENSITY AND THE ASTONISHMENT OF MOST PROTESTANTISM'S
By Rev. Danny R Weku
The word baptism is derived from the original old Greek word “baptiso” . This word has not been translated in any language. The word baptism is the transliteration word, it’s still keep in the original word. The reason why this word has not been translated into the other languages is, because these other languages don’t have a similar such word. Baptism has some insightful meanings. Writers of the books in the New Testament using the word baptism may have various intended meanings; so each sentence using the word must be studied for its contextual meaning.
For instance, if we look at the word baptism in the 1st Corinthians 10:2: “They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea “,it has an insight meaning that the people who enter into the sea without touching with the water were baptized by God Himself; they were protected and saved. In this case the water was the punishment. While all the believers was identified into Moses through and passed the dried sea at the moment that they were baptized without the water; those in the water were destroyed. Here we found the insightful meaning of baptism of salvation to be done by God in a different way for the people of Israel being delivered from Egypt.
Another example is what God had done through his Son, Jesus Christ. According to Luke in his gospel (Luke 12:50) Jesus must receive a second baptism. Most Christians just know the first baptism of Jesus in Jordan. But according to the theology of Luke when Jesus allowed Himself to be hang on the cross that also was called baptism. It can be said that baptism on the cross. Here we meet again with the term of baptism without the use of water.
By these examples let us think or rethink about our understanding of baptism. At least let us realize that the word baptism in English was not intended to only mean to sprinkle, immerse or whatever. Again it has an insightful meaning or a theological meaning and a broad meaning. And through this way we will come to the true intended meaning of the word baptism.
When we come across the world baptism in the Bible we should consider the root meaning. Many Christians think baptism begins with John in the Jordan river. John was not the pioneer of baptism. At that time the people realized what John was doing was actually according to the law of purification in book of Numbers (chapter 19). It was a customarily ritual in those days. But we do have to realize that John was adding something new, the message of the near Kingdom of God or in other words Jesus their Christ was present among them. He was the One who brought the Kingdom. Another thing that was new was that John who was not a priest was doing the purification ceremony. That is why the Jews in the Judean countryside argued with the John’s disciples because they also baptized people (John 3:25).
So the baptism of John, we should realize, continued as a purification ritual especially to prepare people to receive Jesus their Christ or Messiah. Jesus Himself has received this baptism to fulfill the Law. But He had used not this baptism for purifying the people (John 4:2)This kind of baptism was different from the covenant baptism that the Apostles did after the resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 28:19). The baptism of John is the baptism of repentance for purification, again the same that the priest used long-long time before John the Baptist; this baptism had not the elemental covenant. We know and now call it the great commission of Jesus. In the great commission we have a very clear commandment with the element of covenant: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. That is the core of this baptism which is based on what Jesus had done to be the Lamp of Redemption. By His Names the sinners will receive the true and real purification. The apostle Paul re-baptized those who only received the baptism of John which did not have the element of covenant (Acts 19:1-7).As a church we have to realize and to adhere that the example of a baptism is the covenant baptism that join the receiver with Triune God. They did re-baptism because of that reason.
The Covenant Baptism is what the church calls it a Sacrament, that means God has actuated the special promise and the very special action marking His people. It is the almost same sacrament God made with the people of Israel through circumcision, God will actuate on behalf of a Jew man the salvation and the covenant of His people. And so through the Sacrament of Baptism, God made the redemption, the identification, and the promise to the church as His people too, this is the circumcision done by Christ (cf. Colossians 2:11,12). What our Savior has done and will do. It is not about what is the people did and making a promise to God. It is all about Savior. The Baptism, The Covenant, The Sacrament.
We the people or the families are the church of God, the Body of Christ so we have the right to receive the abundance of the grace of that sacrament. Because we believe in His name, to us, to our family, God already has provided this sacrament or covenant through baptism. As Apostle Peter said :”…The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call…” Acts 2:39. Also Paul said: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household” Acts 16:31. Responding to what Paul was saying and teaching, immediately the Jailer and all his family were baptized at that hour of the night (Acts 16:33). The power of the baptism in the name Tri-unity has the similar effect power to the power of circumcision in the Old Testament, to tie every member in one family to be the family of God. Just to men, not to women and girls, were circumcised, but God credited His promise to the household, to the whole family. As humans, we can’t understand this abundance of this sacrament. Our minds are finite. But God does it.
Let’s try to enter the world was called Sacrament. We know our church have two sacraments: Baptism and Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. What Paul wrote in the book of Romans 6:1-11 was the heart of the Redemption which stated and explained about the sacrament. There was revealed about what was God’s thought and way to make the solution of the basic human problem that also it had to be His problem too because of love. The problem is the sin. To solve the problem is: what Jesus has done. The dead and the resurrection are the results of the whole works of Jesus. Jesus himself said :”It’s finished” (John 30:19). We, the human can’t be added these works. More then that God can make possible to transform and manifest it to the believer so they can be a man/woman of Jesus or a man of God (cf. Galatians 2:20; 1st Timothy 6:11). We were identified with Him by his dead and resurrection. We were there on the hill of Golgotha and inside of the tomb but when the stone rolled away we rose from the death too. That is the identification which has a far-reaching consequence because it changes a human from a sinner to be a saint. Oh God, Thy intensity through the sacrament must be an astonishment to tell by the tongues of all creatures and especially those who believe in Jesus’ name. Too higher to think! That’s why is called Sacrament. Mystery of God’s mind, planning and works through Jesus the only Son.
And also there are a specific character each sacrament that had been celebrated and used by the church all along her history in this world. Holy Communion is celebrated repeatedly for remembering and proclaiming the work of the Son (1st Corinthians 11:25,26) while Baptism is practiced once forever for marking and sealing by the Holy Spirit (cf. Ephesians 1:13,14). The one sacrament has been worked by The Son and the other one was operating by The Holy Ghost. And those of them have an aim to save the people and to tie to be one Body of Christ or Church (1st Corinthians 11 :29; 12:13).
In this era of the church, we know one baptism, the covenant baptism or sacrament. It isn’t quite like that of the Jew and the Christian Jew in the early church who practiced some ritual baptisms (cf. Hebrew 6:2). Although we realized the church used the Jew tradition baptism, like John the Baptist and Jesus’ disciples and the leaders of the early church did; from the very beginning the church practiced the way of sprinkling but without using an hyssop anymore, only by fingers ( this ceremony Jews called it “clean by hyssop” Psalm 51:7; Numbers 19:18,19).
Any way, what ever ways the church practiced now we have just one baptism. That is baptism in the Name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Although there are many ways of baptizing a person, but we all should have a broad-mindedness to receive all church’ baptisms as a consequence of what we believe that only one baptism, and one faith, and one Christ as The Lord and Savior.
