Baptism: It's Origin

[Coram_Deo]

May seem like an elementary question, but I'm curious when and where Baptism was first instituted and first happened. I don't see anywhere specifically in the Old Testament where the Levitical Law commands one to be baptized for the repentance of sins. And yet in Matthew 3:15 Jesus is baptized to "fulfill all righteousness". Was this type of Baptism, with water, instituted during the 2nd Temple Period or beforehand? And why was it necesary for Christ to be baptized to fulfill ALL righteousness? Does this in anyway relate back to the cleansing with hysop or anything?
Blessings,
CD

 

[Scott]

Two points. First, the baptism of John the Baptist was expressly ordained by God, although we do not know where. If you will review the various passages on John's baptism, one says that God gave him the ceremony.

The second point is as two how the baptism of Jesus fulfills all righteousness. The answer is that it does this typologically. Below is an excerpt from some Sunday School notes I did on the Spirit hovering over the waters in Genesis 1. This is the first precursor to Jesus' baptism. If you want the full set of notes, let me know and I will email to you.

The story of the Spirit hovering over the waters is the first account of the Bible that associates the grace of God with water. God"(tm)s Spirit is hovering over the formless chaos of the earth and then proceeds over the period of six days to bring order to the earth. The work is God is always described as "œgood."

The Old Testament repeats many times the connection between God"(tm)s grace and water. Note how many of the gracious (and miraculous) divine interventions of the Old Testament involved water or passing through water.

· Noah was saved from the sinful and polluted world by passing through the flood in an Ark.

Â* Moses was saved from Pharaoh"(tm)s edict of infanticide by being placed upon the waters as a baby and being found by Pharaoh"(tm)s daughter. The name Moses means "œdrawn out" and his adoptive mother expressly said she so named him because "œI drew him out of the water."

· God divided the waters of the Red Sea to save Israel from Pharoah.

· God divided the waters of the Jordan so that Joshua could pass from the wilderness to the Promised Land.

Â* God divided the waters of the Jordan for Elijah and Elisha. After they passed through the waters Elisha received a double portion of Elijah"(tm)s spirit.

· Naaman the Syrian was cured of leprosy by dipping himself in water

There are other similar stories. They form a pattern that connects God"(tm)s grace with water. When we see patterns like this, we should take notice. They have meaning. Taken together, these stories point toward a greater event.

That event is the baptism of Christ. His shadow looms over all of it. We also know that the New Testament expressly connects God"(tm)s gracious acts through water in the Old Testament with Christian baptism.
1 Peter 3:18-22. "œ. . . God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him." So, Peter expressly connects Christian baptism to the story of Noah.

 

[Coram_Deo]

Scott if you have those notes handy, I would love to read them. [email protected].
thanks
CD