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[[topics_collection_iv|| Topics Collection iv ]]
======Baptism as Cleaning ...======
Wednesday, Oct 31, 2012. Baptism is an old ritual, which has been used
by many religions. It is a ritual which has its origin much before
Christianity. Even in the Old Testament, baptism was known - when Jesus
lived he was baptized by John, the Baptist, himself.
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**Baptism is like complete cleaning ...**
Baptism is a ritual of cleaning, of washing. In fact, baptism shows the full
cleaning - the whole body is immersed into water. It is an image: the whole
body, the whole existence is cleaned. Something new comes from this process!
In the New Testament we hear about the baptism of John, which is pointing towards
a process which is carried out by Jesus. The main driving force is "sin" -
separation from the holy God and all the actions, thoughts and words which come
from a world separated from what is good and pure. Thus, baptism has to do
with the basic setup of our existence and our world. It has to do with evil -
in and around us.
We hear about the baptism of John, which is (see Acts 19) a baptism of repentence
pointing towards Jesus. But then, we also hear about the baptism in the spirit of
Jesus, the ONE baptism (Ephesians 4:5), which is the baptism into the new existence
which Jesus brings with his death and resurrection. Here, Baptism is a sign of
the transformation, which is brought to us by Jesus.
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The basis of baptism ...
The basis of the New Testament baptism is what God did through Jesus at the cross
of Calvary. He died because of our sin, he died and was resurrected, to establish
new life. The apostle Paul (Collosians 2:12) compares baptism with "being buried
and resurrected". This points to a deeper process, which is going on when someone
comes to faith. The bible also makes clear that it is faith, which is important.
Baptism is a ritual which shows what is going on, but it is not the ritual which
is needed and crucial, but the process below it (Mark 16:16).
Baptism has an element of publicity. It shows what is going on below. It is part
of the process of faith. You cannot believe without making it public. It is
of faith to commit to Jesus, and to tell others that you do. Baptism is usually
celebrated publicly, the church comes together and someone puts on white cloth
and is immersed into water. In ancient days this happened at some lake or river,
today we have modern baptistries, which are part of the church equipment.
Baptism is a somewhat unusual, but at the same time ingenious sign. It points to
purity - the purity of heart, the purity of the mind, the purity of the past.
It points towards forgiveness, which is the basis of any sustainable life. We can
learn a lot from this sacrament, learn for us to take part in the faith and
life of Jesus.
(Roland Potthast)
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