Okay, I had planned to write up this section on the New Testament -- but there's too much there! There are tons more in the Old Testament, too. But I thought I could at least skim over the New Testament and have a just smashing post ready in time for Father's Day. But, no.

I find it fascinating whenever I study a doctrine and then start seeing things from other doctrines I've previously studied. Sometimes those make the current doctrine more clear, sometimes this makes those earlier studied doctrines more clear.

Hermeneutic Tip #637: While Nave's Topical Bible may be a useful tool in studying the Bible, it should never be the only tool used in studying the Bible.

Hermeneutic Tip #638: While a concordance may be a useful tool in studying the Bible, it should never be the only tool used in studying the Bible.

Hermeneutic Tip #639: If you want to get a thoroughly Biblical doctrine of any subject, your best text to study will be Genesis 1:1 - Revelation 22:21. That should cover it.

Hermeneutic Tip #640: In case you hadn't noticed, it's been approximately 1,938 years since the last words were penned by those chosen men inspired by the Holy Spirit. A few things, such as language, culture, politics, etc., have changed since then so some other references will come in handy.

And now back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

I was recently asked to participate in the preparation of our church's baptism manual. I dove into some serious study and was preparing quite the paper, when the request for my assistance was altered: they wanted some graphic design help in the layout. But all was not lost, because I had profited much from my study.

The biggest question in my mind when studying baptism was the baptism of John. I understood that we now administered trinitarian baptism, but John was administering baptism before all that had really been revealed. So what was going on?

I found some insight in this article "The Jewish Background of Christian Baptism" by Marji Hughes at Foundations Ministries:

According to the ancient sages, Leviticus 11:36 shows us that "living water" can not be defiled, which we will discuss in detail a little later on. Genesis 1:9 speaks of the waters being "gathered together." The Hebrew word translated "gathered together" that is used here is mikvah and for this reason, a sea is always considered a valid mikvah In Genesis chapter 7, we have the account of Noah's Flood, when God chose "living water" as the vehicle to cleanse the earth. In Genesis 35:2, Jacob commands his household to destroy their idols and to "purify themselves." The Jewish sages understand this purification as none other than the mikvah

Virtually from the very beginning, this concept of the mikvah and Mayim Chayim - which is Hebrew for "living water", and much more fun to say :) - plays an important role that carries over into the rest of Scripture. In what parallels the "born again" experience of the modern Christian, Jewish theologians look at the crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus 14, as a mikvah As we mentioned earlier, the sea qualifies as a pool of living waters, and the crossing of the Hebrews demonstrated not only God's immense provision, but also a separation from that which defiled them - Egypt - and that which gave the nation of Israel new life - the crossing through the midst of the waters.

So, this mikvah or ritual purification had become a part of the conversion process for proselytes.

I actually found the word bapto several times in the Septuagint.

Exodus 12:22 - And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.

Leviticus 4:6 - The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary.

Leviticus 4:17 - Then the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil.

Leviticus 9:9 - Then the sons of Aaron brought the blood to him. And he dipped his finger in the blood, put it on the horns of the altar, and poured the blood at the base of the altar.

Leviticus 11:32 - Anything on which any of them falls, when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is any item of wood or clothing or skin or sack, whatever item it is, in which any work is done, it must be put in water. And it shall be unclean until evening; then it shall be clean.

Leviticus 14:6 - As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water.

Leviticus 14:16 - Then the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD.

Leviticus 14:51 - and he shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.

Numbers 19:18 - A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, or on the one who touched a bone, the slain, the dead, or a grave.

Deuteronomy 33:24 - And of Asher he said: "Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil.

Judges 5:30 - "Are they not finding and dividing the spoil: To every man a girl or two; For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed [dipped], Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?'

Ruth 2:14 - Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, "Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.

1 Samuel 14:27 - But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his countenance brightened.

2 Kings 8:15 - But it happened on the next day that he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his place.

Job 9:31 - Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me.

Psalm 68:23 - That you may dip your foot in blood, And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.

Daniel 4:33 - That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.

Daniel 5:21 - Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.

While there is certainly a lot of dipping going on, one must admit that it is very often in the context of sprinkling. Interesting.

Also I found some places in the New Testament where baptiso might not be recognized in our English translations:

Mark 7:4 - When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

Luke 11:38 - When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

Hebrews 9:10 - concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

Okay, just some prefatory notes before we dive into John the Baptist.