Acts 2:23, Be baptized. (Also see notes at Matt 28:19.) The term baptism in Hebrew is tevilah meaning “immersion,” which occurs at a mikveh meaning “a gathering of waters.” For those coming from a Christian background baptism is something that occurs at the beginning of a believer’s spiritual walk and involves baptism (immersion) in water for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom 6:3–6; 1 Cor 15:29; Gal 3:27; Eph 4:5; Col 2:12; 1 Pet 3:21). Yet Paul the apostle talks of baptisms (plural) in Heb 6:2. What are these other baptisms? Evidently, in biblical thought immersion for the remission of sins is but one of many such ritual immersions.
Indeed, in the Testimony of Yeshua we not only read about baptism for the remission of sins, but the baptism of repentance of John the Baptist (Acts 1:5; 10:37; 13:24; 19:4), baptism (immersion) of the Set-Apart Spirit (Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5; 8:16; 11:16), and baptism with fire (Matt 3:11; Luke 3:16). Here we see the four types of immersions spoken of in the Testimony of Yeshua.
The concept of ritual immersion for a variety of reasons stems from commands in the Torah relating to ceremonial washings signifying spiritual and physical cleansing (Lev 14:1–4, 7, 9; Exod 19:10; Lev 8:6; 15:5, 8, 10–13, 16–18, 21; 16:4).
Moreover, the prophet Ezekiel speaks of YHVH sprinkling his people to cleanse them from their impurities, which is a picture of the new spiritual life of which immersion is e a type (Ezek 36:25).
Wow! The more I re-read and study, the more I find there is to read again and study. Thanks for sharing what you have discovered. May Yah continue to bless you.
And the immersion of Yeshua by Yochanon? It was not the same immersion as that of others by him, correct? Those immersions were for the remission of sin and was not the immersion of Yeshua that which was done when entering into the priesthood, like that of Aaron and his sons when they began the ministry as priests?
Yes. Yeshua did not because he needed it, but to set us an example that we need to do it. A good leader leads by example. Moreover, he received the baptism of the Kodesh Spirit at his immersion, again, to teach us that we need to baptized not only for the remission of sins, but of the Set-Apart Spirit as well.