Cleansing oneself with water to bring about physical cleanliness is as old as human history The transition from water as a means to achieve physical cleanliness to water as a means of achieving spiritual cleanliness is not a huge one In ancient Babylon water was used as a means of spiritual cl ID: 501060
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What is the Context of the Ritual of Baptism
Cleansing oneself with water to bring about physical cleanliness is as old as human history. The transition from water as a means to achieve physical cleanliness to water as a means of achieving spiritual cleanliness is not a huge one. In ancient Babylon, water was used as a means of spiritual cleansing by the cult of Enki. In ancient Greece, a bath in the sanctuary of Trophonion was believed to provide immortality to the initiate undergoing the ritual. There are many other examples of water as a method for spiritual cleansing in many ancient religions
The purification rituals of Judaism (known as
Tvillah
) had some similarity to Christian baptism. In Judaism, there were some acts that would make a person ritually impure and therefore unable to fully participate in the religious life of the community. An immersion in naturally sourced water (
a
M
ikvah
), could restore a person to ritual purity. By the time that Hellenist rulers governed in Judah, the Hebrew term for such an immersion was translated into Greek by the word
baptismos.
This same process began to be required of converts to Judaism after the return from the Babylonian captivity. Male converts had to first undergo the traditional rite of circumcision as well. The immersion ritual followed some days later.
John the Baptist used this kind of ritual as a sign of spiritual cleansing for those who wished to purge themselves of their sins. Christians adopted the ritual to bring about both a spiritual cleansing from the sin of Adam. The gates of heaven were opened to those believers who did as the Apostles commanded on Pentecost (Repent and be baptized)
In Judaism, the
Tvillah
(
baptismos
) could be repeated as often as one became ritually impure, Circumcision only happened once. Christianity took the often-used ritual of Jewish
Tvillah
and gave it the name baptismos but turned
it into a once-only ritual
more like
circumcision. In fact, baptism began to be seen as the Christian circumcision. Baptism not only provided the spiritual cleansing like the
Tvillah
, it also signified membership in the community much like circumcision.
John
the Baptist used baptism
to indicate repentance and spiritual rebirth
.
There is little, if any, information about the details of John’s understanding of his meaning of baptism beyond what is found in Scripture