Where did Baptism come from? Man made?

Question

To me it sounds like some kind of ritual. I cannot see how it makes any differents to a person.. I am sure you don't need water to be blessed by God. Sounds man made to me. Can you prove anything of its affects? So where did ritual start?

After the first two answers. I am more convinced than ever. That it is man made.. I

Answer 1

Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

Answer 2

Baptism is a religious ritual, obviously. So yeah, I'd say it was man made - but like all rituals: it means something to people and it does affect those who go through it. To have been baptized has social consequences: to the type of jobs one is eligible for.

The ritual is said to have started with John the Baptist. He baptized a lot of people, including Jesus.

Answer 3

If God does not exist to you, or if there is no covenant that baptism replaces, then then the only argument left is Jesus' commandment, and you must believe that Jesus was God. Other than that, yes, you are correct. Baptism would have to be man-made.

Answer 4

Both Circumcision and Baptism existed prior to their Judeo-Christian adoption. So, in that sense, you are correct in saying they are man-made rituals. Between 500 BC and the time of Christ, baptisms were performed for proselytes (gentiles converting to Judaism). It was a symbolic act of cleansing/initiation into the faith. When John the Baptist came, people didn't ask him "what are you doing"...they asked him, "who gave you AUTHORITY to do this". His baptism wasn't for gentile converts...it was for Jews who were repentant of their ways and wanted to be cleansed/initiated into a new life of faith. This re-adaptation of baptism carried a whole new significance. It was no longer to be just a symbolic act, instead it was the promise of God's grace & forgiveness. Thus;

Baptism is a means of grace, by which the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts.

Baptism is a seal, or sign, of God's covenant with us in Christ.

Edit: with all due respect to responder "Kait", I disagree with your opinions of infants/immersion. Obviously, you feel that you have that "all figured out" and I respect your opinion/devotion to your beliefs. Briefly: In that the Bible does not prescribe an exact age or method for baptism, any such attempts are simply legalism. Baptism becomes mere ritual when legalism dictates how it must be performed to be valid. The focus of baptism isn't on what "we do for God"...rather, it's on "what God is doing for us".

Answer 5

There is much confusion about baptism in the various Christian denominations. However, this is not a result of the Bible presenting a confusing message on baptism. The Bible is abundantly clear of what baptism is, who it is for, and what it accomplishes. In the Bible, only believers who had placed their faith in Christ were baptized - as a public testimony of their faith and identification with Him (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4). Water baptism by immersion is a step of obedience after faith in Christ. It is a proclamation of faith in Christ, a statement of submission to Him, and an identification with His death, burial, and resurrection.



With this in view, infant baptism is not a Biblical practice. An infant cannot place his or her faith in Christ. An infant cannot make a conscious decision to obey Christ. An infant cannot understand what water baptism symbolizes. The Bible does not record any infants being baptized. Infant baptism is the origin of the sprinkling and pouring methods of baptism - as it is unwise and unsafe to immerse an infant under water. Even the method of infant baptism fails to agree with the Bible. How does pouring or sprinkling illustrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?



Many Christians who practice infant baptism do so because they understand infant baptism as the new covenant equivalent of circumcision. In this view, just as circumcision joined a Hebrew to the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants, so baptism joined a person to the New Covenant of salvation through Jesus Christ. This view is unbiblical. The New Testament nowhere connects baptism and circumcision. The New Testament nowhere describes baptism as a sign of the New Covenant. It is faith in Jesus Christ that enables a person to enjoy to blessings of the New Covenant (1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 9:15).



Baptism does not save a person. It does not matter if you were baptized by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling - if you have not first trusted in Christ for salvation, baptism (no matter the method) is meaningless and useless. Water baptism by immersion is a step of obedience to be done after salvation as a public profession of faith in Christ and identification with Him. Infant baptism does not fit the Biblical definition of baptism or the Biblical method of baptism. If Christian parents wish to dedicate their child to Christ, then a baby dedication service is entirely appropriate. However, even if infants are dedicated to the Lord, when they grow up they will still have to make a personal decision to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.

Answer 6

We know that John did it and yes at first glance you would wonder where it comes from. But, for me at least the worry and origin subsides when I see that Jesus thought it important enough to do so and as cited by others commanded it of us.

The Bible can be silent at the most frustrating times. I cannot remember or find any Biblical reference to it pre John. But, as John was called to be the herald of Jesus I believe that it was God inspired.

Answer 7

Baptism is symbolic of washing yourself clean. In otherwords, getting rid of your sin and purifying your spirit etc. The act itself (being dipped in water) to my knowledge was not prescribed by God anywhere in the Old Testament. Jesus said that we must be baptized and born again to enter the kingdom of God but this could be interpreted as washing our sins away (spiritually). Jesus Himself was baptized but he gave as an explanation that he was a Jew and did not want to break with Jewish tradition. I doubt if water itself has anything to do with the purification of ones spirit. It is the act of acknowledging God and Jesus that does that.

Answer 8

It is an order from GOD to man.

MT 3:11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."