Trust And Obey

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How important is Baptism?
Does Yahweh really require Baptism?
Does Salvation hinge on whether one is Baptized?

Yahshua's cousin John was preaching.
Approaching John, Yahshua asked to be baptized.
Amazed, John tried to dissuade Him saying,
"I have need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me!?"
"Permit it to be so now," Yahshua answered, "for thus it is fitting
for Us to fulfill all righteousness".{Matt.3:13-15}
"Yahshua's baptism forever gave this ordinance divine sanction.
{Matt.3:13-17 & Matt.21:25}
Baptism is an aspect of righteousness in which All can participate.
Since Yahshua,the Sinless One, was baptizes to "fulfill all righteousness",
we, who are sinners,ought to do the same.

At the end of His ministry,Yahshua commanded His disciples:
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, Baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe All things that I have commanded you".
{Matt.28:18-20}

In this commission Yahshua made it clear that, "He required Baptism",
of those who wished to become a part of His Church,His Spiritual Kingdom.
As,through the disciples' ministry, the Holy Spirit brought people to repent
and to accept Yahshua as their Savior they were to be baptized in the name
of the triune-Father,Son,and,Holy Spirit.
Their baptism would demonstrate that they had entered into a personal
relationship with Yahshua, and were committed to living in harmony with
the principles of His Kingdom of Grace.
Yahshua concluded His mandate to baptize with assurance,
"And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age".

After Yahshua's ascension, the apostles proclaimed the neccessity and
urgency of baptism, {Acts 2:38; 10:48 & 22:16}. In response,multitudes
were baptized, forming the New Testament Church, {Acts 2:41,47; & 8:12},
and accepting the authority of the Father,Son, and Holy Spirit.

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The meaning of the word "Baptize",comes from the Greek verb baptizo,
which implies immersion, since it is derived from the word bapto,meaning,
"to dip in or under", hense, the verb to baptize refers to water baptism,
immersing/dipping a person under water.

In the New Testament, the verb to baptize is used -
1]to refer to water baptism{Matt.3:6; Mark 1:9; Acts 2:41}.
2]as a metaphor of Yahshua's suffering and death ...
{Matt.20:22,23; Mark10:38,39; Luke 12:50}.
3]to the coming of the Holy Spirit ...
{Matt.3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16}.and,
4]of ablutions,or the ritual washing of the hands{Mark 7:3,4; Luke 11:38].
This fourth usage simply denotes washings to cleanse from ceremonial impurities,
and does Not legitimize baptism by pouring.
Scripture uses the noun baptism of both water baptism, and
Yahshua's death{Matt.3:7; 20:22]. The New Testament offers
No evidence that sprinkling-nor-pouring, was ever an apostolic practice,
the evidence all points to it being a late introduction.

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The incidents of water baptism in the New Testiment records,
involved immersion.We read that John baptized in the river Jordan.
{Matt.3:6; Mark 1:5}, and "in Aenon near Salim,
because there was much water there"{Jhn.3:23}.
Only immersion would require "much water"{Mark 1:9,10; Matt.3:16}
The Apostolic Church baptized by immersion also.
When Phillip the evangelist baptized the Ethiopian eunuch they both
"went down into the water" and "came up - out of the water"{Acts 8:38,39}
Baptism's meaning is intimately related to it's mode.
"It is only when baptism is administered by immersion,
that it's full significance is seen".

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As covering by waters symbolized overwhelming trouble and afflictions
{Ps.42:7; 69:2; 124:4,5},so Yahshua's water baptism represented a
prophetic enactment of His suffering death,and burial ...
{Mark 10:38; Luke 12:50}, and His emergence from the water spoke
of His subsequent resurrection{Rom.6:3-5}. Baptism would have had
no significance as a symbol of Yahshua's passion "if the Apostolic Church
had practiced a mode of baptism other than immersion".

Therefore,the strongest argument for baptism by immersion,in water,
is a theological one-commanded by Yahshua Himself.
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