Thoughts on baptizo
Posted: October 31st, 2013, 4:47 pm
Having spent some time looking into ancient church baptism, I cam across a very interesting account of ancient baptism of items that I found quite humorous, solely because they involved cucumbers and pickles.
The temporary dipping vs the sustained immersion in a substance that creates permanent change. My intent isn't to disprove the need for water baptism, I just found the context and terminology interesting in relation spiritual growth and Bednars pickle talk.
When we read the scriptures it talks of 2 baptisms, 1 by immersion in water and 2 baptism in the holy spirit that affects people with permanent change (baptizo) In light of this context that the ancient church would have understood, when scriptures arise like "unless a man believe and be baptized (baptizo), and nicodemus misunderstanding of immersion in water is taken into account, what are people's thoughts on the spiritual aspect taking complete precedence over the physical ritual?The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped' (bapto) into boiling water and then 'baptised' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptising the vegetable, produces a permanent change.
The temporary dipping vs the sustained immersion in a substance that creates permanent change. My intent isn't to disprove the need for water baptism, I just found the context and terminology interesting in relation spiritual growth and Bednars pickle talk.