{"id":7433,"date":"2006-09-13T21:45:32","date_gmt":"2006-09-14T02:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=7433"},"modified":"2024-11-25T19:35:06","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T01:35:06","slug":"what-was-the-purpose-of-johns-baptism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-was-the-purpose-of-johns-baptism\/","title":{"rendered":"What was the purpose of John’s baptism?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

As part of our mid-week bible study, we have been discussing John the Baptist and how he prepared the way for Christ. I understand John’s mission and the importance of baptism, but was it also used to prepare the people for the conversion (burial) into Christ? What was the significance of baptism by John and his teachings?<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

John’s baptism of the people is the first mention of baptism in the Bible. Water was used in the Old Testament for ceremonial cleansing to remove uncleanness (Numbers 19:7), but there is no mention of complete immersion, particularly in connection with the removal of sin. Some have claimed that John was extending an old custom from the ancient days of Israel, but such is not found in the Bible. That baptism was a new rite is shown by the Jews’ question of John, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?<\/i>” (John 1:25). They questioned his right to add a new ordinance if he did not have sufficient authority. They understood that ordinary men cannot change the practices authorized by God.<\/p>\n

John’s purpose was to prepare people for the coming Christ (Matthew 11:10). Paul explained, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus<\/em>” (Acts 19:4). It wasn’t the same as Christ’s baptism. We see this in Ephesus because after Paul explained the difference, the men in Ephesus were baptized again, this time into Christ (Acts 19:5).<\/p>\n

Still, I believe you are right that John’s work did get Israel ready for Christ’s baptism by experiencing a similar rite.<\/p>\n

We recently studied John as a part of a series of lessons going through the Gospels. There is material on the nature and purpose of John’s preaching in the lesson “John’s Ministry<\/a>.”<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: As part of our mid-week bible study, we have been discussing John the Baptist and how he prepared the way for Christ. I understand John’s mission and the importance of baptism, but was it also used to prepare the people for the conversion (burial) into Christ? What was the significance of baptism by John…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[52,396],"class_list":["post-7433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-baptism","tag-john-the-baptist"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":37779,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-baptism-commanded-in-the-old-testament-at-the-time-of-john-the-baptist\/","url_meta":{"origin":7433,"position":0},"title":"Was baptism commanded in the Old Testament at the time of John the Baptist?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Was baptism commanded in the Old Covenant at the time of John the Baptist? I thought baptism was not commanded in the Old Testament for salvation. I have always heard that baptism was not commanded in the Old Testament. Am I missing something here? Mark 1:4 mentions John's baptism\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29030,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-did-baptism-for-the-remission-of-sins-start\/","url_meta":{"origin":7433,"position":1},"title":"When did baptism for the remission of sins start?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 19, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In the \"Articles\" section, under Baptism, \"Answering Arguments Against Baptism\".\u00a0 You state that \"Baptism for the remission of sins did not begin until the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37-38), so the thief (and Jesus) lived under the law of Moses.\" Please read Mark 1:4: \"John came baptizing in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14284,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-was-johns-baptism-different-from-jesus-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":7433,"position":2},"title":"How was John’s baptism different from Jesus’ baptism?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 9, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have some questions about John's baptism. I've read about how it was a fulfillment of prophecy to prepare the way, but I'm really confused about what that really means and what the point of John's baptism was. I am curious about a few things: What does \"preparing the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21273,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-johns-baptism-able-to-save-people\/","url_meta":{"origin":7433,"position":3},"title":"Was John’s baptism able to save people?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 5, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good morning sir, I have been reading about the baptism of John and how he came to make a way for Jesus to come to be accepted, but I am confused about whether his baptism was able to save people before Jesus' baptism in Acts 2:38. If someone baptized\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42999,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-was-the-history-of-baptism-prior-to-john\/","url_meta":{"origin":7433,"position":4},"title":"What was the history of baptism prior to John?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello! I don't know where to look for the history of the baptism of John. I have the understanding that baptism was done since the Babylonian captivity for the conversion to the Jewish faith (a proselyte, but I don't know where to find any documentation to confirm or deny\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1579,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/had-cornelius-heard-johns-teaching-and-perhaps-was-baptized-by-john\/","url_meta":{"origin":7433,"position":5},"title":"Had Cornelius heard John’s teaching and, perhaps, was baptized by John?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 16, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Would you please help me to understand why, in Acts 10:37, KJV, Peter says, \"That word, I say, ye know.\" It sounds as if Peter is aware that Cornelius, and maybe some of the others, had already heard the word, and been baptized with John's baptism. 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