379 Immersion | nazareneisrael2house

Immersion.

As Nazarene Jews/Israelites we believe in the ordinance of immersion after repentance. The Nazarene believer becomes part of the body of Messiah after immersion and by the laying on of hands with prayer, when he/she receives the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim. The reason why we as Nazarenes use the word immersion instead of baptism as used by most modern day Christians, is that most do not understand the concept of baptism as correctly described in the Scriptures, because they do not study the Scriptures to determine the correct way of performing this ordinance so vitally important for eternal life. As a result there are many who jumped half-prepared into a fake baptism that will not do anything for their after-life.

If anybody wants to follow the way of Elohim, they need to first get to know it by learning from those who went through the same discipleship program that Yahshua introduced to His disciples whilst He was on earth. He is after all the perfect example that the Father in heaven sent us to follow. The word baptism as correctly used in the King James Version in the book of Mark and elsewhere, comes from the Greek word ‘baptizo’, meaning to dunk or immerse completely in water. Because people have over the past 2,000 years been misinterpreting the Scriptures the word baptism has come to be used incorrectly by Churchianity. We all know that according to Rav Kepha’s explanation of baptism in Acts 2: 38& 39 that immersion is only performed on those who repented from their sins – lawlessness or the breaking of Elohim’s commandments, in this way: ‘And Kepha said to them (those from the house of Israel who were pierced to the heart for denying Yahshua as their Master and Messiah, when they crucified Him as per verse 36), “Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the name of Yahshua Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit.” (In other words, if we understand this correctly, we will notice that those who seek immersion should be adults who are fully aware what sin and repentance are, before their immersion. Yes, the practice of many in Churchianity where they baptize or worse ‘christen’ little babies to give them their names is not Scriptural, since a baby does not even know what it is to repent. In addition, those who attended such ceremonies know that such little babies are also not even immersed in water, but are simply ‘sprinkled’ which comes from the Greek word ‘r(h)antizo’or in the case of the Roman Catholic Church where water is poured over the head of the baby. The word pour in Greek is ‘balo’.) (39) “For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as YHVH our Elohim shall call to Himself.”’ When most new believers come into the faith they want to ensure that their entire families are saved, because they usually come from religions where they were taught to convert as many as possible to the ‘faith’. When reading this verse, they immediately see that ‘the promise is for us and our children’, but fail to understand that if YHVH does not call our children, even our best examples will not get them to follow the way of Elohim, since our calling is purely depended upon whether Elohim wants us to be His first fruits or not. In addition verse 39 tells us that immersion is only meant for those who have fallen away from obeying Torah – specifically those from the lost ten tribes, since Yahshua came specifically to reconcile us to the Father, but also to Brother Judah (as per Ephesians 2: 11 – 19). The words ‘far off’ as used here, comes from Daniel 9: 7 and is again used by Rav Shaul in Ephesians 2: 13 to mean that it is only applicable to the house of Israel and not to the house of Judah, since the house of Israel is only now being called back to YHVH, as He promised us in Deuteronomy 4: 30 & 31.

Now, some might argue that we make too much of the fact that someone must virtually be dunked into the water, before his immersion is valid. However, when we follow Scriptural examples regarding baptism, we see from Mark 1, where Yahshua’s baptism is also discussed that Yochanan the Immerser immersed ‘in’ and not with water. We read accordingly from verses4–11, as follows: ‘Yochanan the Immerser appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (5) And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. (6) And John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts (kosher eatable insects according to Leviticus 11) and wild honey. (7)And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit (or worthy enough) to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. (8) I immersed you with (the side note against the word with here, tells us that it can mean ‘in’ ‘with’ or ‘by’)water; but He will baptize you with the Set-apart Spirit.” (9) And it came about in those days that Yahshua came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by Yochanan in the Jordan. (10) And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; (firstly notice that Yahshua came up out of the water after immersion. Next before some jump to the conclusion that when you are immersed in the Jordan River {by those who nowadays incorrectly administer such immersion en masse, without afterwards laying hands on the large number of recipients of the ordinance, by convincing their anxious audience to be immersed in ‘Yeshua’s name’ for payment},and there appear one of the specially trained white homing pigeons or ‘doves’ near or on you when you come up out of the water, that you have received the Set-apart Spirit, you are wrong! Many of the imposters who have deceived people in this way have twisted this section of the Scriptures to fit their requirements; but notice again, the final sentence of verse 10 reads specifically ‘and the Spirit like a dove descended upon Him.’ It does not say a dove descended upon Yahshua after His immersion, but the Spirit descended upon Him similar to the way a dove would descend on a person!) (11) and a voice came out of the heavens: “Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased.”’ Yochanan the Immerser immersed people for the forgiveness of sin, and even though Yahshua our Messiah was immersed by Yochanan, He did not need to repent or be forgiven, but was immersed as an example for His disciples whom YHVH called throughout the ages.

Yochanan the Immerser chose the particular spot in the Jordan River for baptizing or immersing believers, purely because there was water available and even though Yahshua was immersed in the Jordan, we need not all be immersed there specifically to receive the Set-apart Spirit. Similarly we need not only worship YHVH, or believe that we may only attend His commanded Feast Days in Jerusalem; but we need to do whatever we do to conform to Torah or the way Yahshua magnified and explained it for us whilst He was on earth. To better understand the concept, let’s turn to John 4 where Yahshua spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well in verses 19 – 24, in this way:‘The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. (20) Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” (21) Yahshua said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father. (22) You worship that which you do not know; we (Yahshua as part of the Jewish race) worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews (as per the correct rendering of Matthew 23: 1 – 3; Romans 3: 1 & 2 and 9: 4) (23) But an hour is coming, and now is (meaning from that time until Messiah returns one day to again make Jerusalem the place of worship),when true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers. (24)Elohim is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”’ In fact we read that Yochanan the Immerser did not only use the Jordan River to immerse his disciples, as recorded in John 3: 23, as follows: ‘And Yochanan also was baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was much water there; and they were coming and were being baptized.’

What is important to notice is that Yahshua could, if He wanted to immerse Himself, but He was immersed by Yochanana Rabbi who taught his own disciples (and who was specifically born for this very purpose), as witnessed in John 3: 24 – 26, in this way: ‘For Yochanan had not yet been thrown into prison. (25) There arose therefore a discussion on the part of Yochanan’s disciples with a Jew about purification. (26) And they came to Yochanan and said to him, “Rabbi, He (meaning Yahshua) who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him.”’ Yahshua showed us clearly by example here, that we cannot simply immerse ourselves, or let a friend immerse us, but a trained Rabbi or Elder should normally do the baptism or immersion. However, ordained deacons are also allowed to immerse people, but the recipient of such immersion by a deacon will not according to the Scriptures receive the Set-apart Spirit, as we read from Acts 8: 12 – 17, as follows: ‘But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of Elohim and the name of Yahshua Messiah, they were being immersed, men and women alike. (13) And even Simon (Simon Magus who formerly practicedmagic and whom the citizens of Samaria gave much attention to saying about him in verse 10 “This man is what is called the Great Power of G-d.”) himself believed; and after being immersed, he continued on with Philip; and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. (14) Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of Elohim, they sent them Kepha and Yochanan, (15) who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Set-apart Spirit. (16) For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been immersed in the name of the Master Yahshua.(17)Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Set-apart Spirit.’ Yes the Set-apart Spirit is only given once a teaching elder or Torah teacher, has laid his hands on the immersed person, as witnessed in 1 Timothy 4: 14, in this way: ‘Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery (meaning the preaching elders of the ecclesia).’ A third witness to this comes from 2 Timothy 1: 6, where Rav Shaul wrote Timothy saying: ‘And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of Elohim (meaning the Set-apart Spirit) which is in you through the laying on of my hands.’

YHVH calls the ones whom He wants as first fruits of His harvest by His word of truth, as Rav Yaa’cov explains in James 1: 17 & 18, saying: ‘Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow. (18) In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.’ Yahshua told His disciples that YHVH only opens the minds of those whom He calls to know the true gospel at this time, saying to them in Matthew 13: 11 - 13 and the first part of verse 19: “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (not called at this time) it has not been granted. (12) For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.(13) Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. (19)When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. “ After immersion and the laying on of hands by a Torah teacher, we are given a portion of the Set-apart Spirit as Rav Shaul wrote in Romans 8: 28 – 30, saying: ‘And we know that Elohim causes all things to work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are called according to His purpose. (29) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; (30) and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.’ Those of us whom YHVH has called and justified through immersion, will one day when Yahshua returns be glorified when we will be like He is as Rav Yochanan wrote in first John 3: 2 & 3, saying: ‘Beloved, now we are children of Elohim, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. (3) And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.’

The ordinance of immersion is immensely important for Nazarene believers in Messiah, since the death, burial and resurrection of Messiah are all called to mind and linked to their own symbolic ‘death’ and ‘resurrection’ from the watery grave to walk in newness of life, as recorded in Romans 6: 3 – 7, in this way: ‘Or do you not know that all of us who have been immersed into Messiah Yahshua have been immersed into His death? (4) Therefore we have been buried with Him through immersion into death, in order that as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, (6) knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; (7) for he who has died is freed from sin.’ This is confirmed in Colossians 2: 12 & 13, as follows: ‘Having been buried with Him in immersion, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of Elohim, who raised Him from the dead. (13) And when you were dead in your transgressions and the un-circumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.’ However, also fundamental in the symbolism of immersion is the promise of the believer’s future resurrection into the Kingdom of Elohim, at Messiah’s return. After immersion the forgiven sinner comes out of the waters of baptism to live a new life in Messiah, free from the death penalty incurred by sin. The waters of immersion have symbolically washed away all the believers past sins, and in this respect immersion is an outward acknowledgement of the believer’s intent to submit his/her life to Elohim’s will and way.

Immersion, which is commanded, must be preceded by belief in the coming kingdom of Elohim (the true gospel that Yahshua preached[1]), as Yahshua said to His disciples in Mark 16: 15 & 16, in this way: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (16) He who has believed (in the coming kingdom of Elohim) and has been immersed shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” The symbolism of immersion shows our willingness to bury our past sinful life, as Rav Shaul continued the discussion about immersion Romans 6: 11, saying: ‘Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to Elohim in Messiah Yahshua.’The point is that our acknowledgment of guilt and the need for Yahshua Messiah to save us from the penalties of sin are of supreme importance. Our repentance characterized by a change of heart and deed is based on a total commitment and personal faith in Yahshua Messiah and Elohim the Father, as Yahshua told the multitude who were going with Him in Luke 14: 26 - 33, saying: “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate (or love less) his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. (27) Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. (28) For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? (29) Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, (30) saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish. (31) Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? (32) Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. (33) So therefore, no one if you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” This confirms that immersion is not something that should be taken lightly and that it should only be entered into by someone who is mature enough to realize that it is a lifelong commitment. It is perhaps for this reason that Yahshua our perfect example started His ministry after His immersion when He was about thirty years old.

As mentioned before, immersion is followed by prayer and the laying on of hands by the Torah teacher who immersed the new believer. The reason why a new believer should be immersed by a Torah teacher is because of the commission given us by Yahshua after His death and resurrection in Matthew 28: 18 – 20, saying: “All authority (or power) has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go therefore and make disciples (or students) of all the nations, immersing them in the name (singular) of the Father and the Son and the Set-apart Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”Baptizing or immersing a new believer is therefore a commitment by the one immersing the believer, to also teach him/her all that he has learnt from Yahshua, or in our case, the teacher who came into the faith a number of years before him/her. It is as Rav Kepha wrote in first Peter 5: 1 – 3, saying: ‘Therefore, I exhort the elders among you as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Messiah, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, (2) shepherd the flock of Elohim among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of Elohim; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; (3) nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.’ However, Yahshua’s commission in Matthew 28 must be understood with His instruction to His disciples in Matthew 10. We are therefore commissioned to go into all the nations, with the specific instruction to preach only to the lost tribes of the house of Israel scattered into the nations of the world. All those who come to repentance through Elohim’s calling as Yahshua explained in John 6: 44 should be suitably immersed in the saving name of Yahshua, as Rav Kepha mentioned in Acts 2: 38 (quoted earlier).But, if some Gentiles come to believe because of our teachings and YHVH indeed calls them, and they eventually keep all of Torah, they should also upon request be immersed and are likewise considered to be first fruits.

The reason why we immerse new believers in the name of Yahshua our Messiah, as instructed by Rav Kepha in Acts 2: 38, is because of Yahshua’s instruction to His disciples in John 14: 26, where He said specifically: “But the Helper, the Set-apart Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” Yahshua continued speaking to His disciples about the Set-apart Spirit in John 16: 7 – 13, saying: ‘But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. (8) And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; (9)concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; (10) and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; (11) and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. (12) I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (13) But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever, He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.’ In addition Rav Kepha tells us clearly in Acts 4: 10 – 12, saying: ‘Let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Yahshua Messiah the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom Elohim raised from the dead – by this name this man stands here before you in good health(a person who was healed by calling on the name of Yahshua). (11) He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone. (12) And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.’

As described by Rav Shaul in Galatians 2: 20, it is through the Set-apart Spirit given to us at immersion that Messiah lives His life in us, as follows: “I have been crucified with Messiah; and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of Elohim, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” It is also through this process that new believers are placed into the spiritual body of Messiah, as recorded in first Corinthians 12: 12 & 13, in this way: ‘For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Messiah. (13) For by one Spirit we were all immersed into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.’ In the parable of the 100 sheep in Luke 15: 3 – 10 Yahshua specifically pointed out in verse 7 that the repentance of one lost sheep will cause great rejoicing in heaven, saying: “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Think about it!

[1]Yahshua our Messiah preached the gospel of Elohim soon after His immersion by Yochanan the immerser as recorded in Mark 1: 14 & 15, in this way: ‘And after Yochanan had been taken into custody, Yahshua came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of Elohim, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of Elohim is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”’