History of Baptism 

Early human worship centered on natural elements, including water. The roots of baptism extend from Babylon and Greek traditions. John the Baptist adapted baptism as a symbol of spiritual cleansing, later modified by Jesus. Baptism's significance evolved from community inclusion to spiritual rebirth. Jesus’ baptism symbolized consecration and to mark the beginning of his public ministry.

Prior to John the Baptist’s imprisonment, none of Jesus' apostles baptized. However, the majority of Jesus' followers had followed John and been baptized before his first year of ministry. Jesus' apostles ultimately adopted baptism as a price for John's followers joining forces. Jesus supported whatever decision these two groups made. Jesus never objected to the apostles performing John's baptism because he expected a church to follow the true spiritual kingdom. He and the apostles taught that faith admits the truth-loving soul to the spiritual kingdom, and at the same time, the apostles taught that such a believer is admitted to the social organization of disciples through the outward rite of baptism.

In the origins of worship, early man venerated the four elements, one being water. It was easy to believe that spirits lived in bubbling springs, effervescent fountains, and hurrying rivers. Baptism became a religious ceremonial in Babylon, and the Greeks practiced the annual ritual bath. A drowning man could be left to his own devices for fear of offending a river god.

Later, puzzled by natural death, there arose fear of what remains when someone dies, presumably, their ghost. Water was considered the best protection against ghosts, providing an unpassable barrier. The top-of-the-line bucket was that in which the priest placed his feet, then deemed holy water. Primitive bathing was a religious ceremony, and not linked to cleanliness.

Baptism had long been a practice among the Jews to allow gentile proselytes into the outer court of the temple, a pseudo welcome into the faith. John the Baptist modified its meaning with his charge to repent and prepare for the deliverer. The Jews were now required to submit to baptism for the repentance of their sins, past and present. John’s fame spread throughout Palestine, and when Jesus spoke favorably of John’s work, even more people went to be baptized.

Jesus initiated his work of the kingdom by first getting baptized. He announced to his brothers, James and Jude, “My hour has come – let us go to John.” On Monday, January 14, 26 CE, John baptized Jesus. This was a major event in the life of Jesus. John discerned a clear difference in baptism, as he later clarified that he can only baptize with water, but Jesus can baptize with the Holy Spirit.

After Pentecost, baptism was the only requirement into the fellowship of believers. There was no organization, only a Jesus brotherhood, and they baptized in the name of Jesus. Twenty years later, this changed to the names of the Trinity. A new term, the “baptism of the spirit,” came into use to refer to the new spiritual power from the conscious reception of the gift of the Spirit of Truth that continues to be poured out over the whole world and received by all God-knowing souls.

In the third century after Christ, the Mithraic and Christian churches were similar, and some worshipers belonged to both. It was always the practice of Mithraic worshipers to dip their fingers in holy water on entering the temple, and the Christian churches in the vicinity of Rome adopted this practice. Both religions employed baptism.

Today, baptism is a sacrament, where sacrament means a physical act – the pouring or dunking in water – to symbolize a higher meaning. In Christianity, the recipient is welcomed into the community of faith “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Some are baptized as babies based on the theology of inheriting the Original Sin of Adam and Eve, which is then washed away. To followers of the doctrine of Paul, baptism wipes away past sins and constitutes the rebirth of the individual into a new life. To some, it is a symbol of being purified, or submergence in the Spirit. Baptism was an important ritual in the early church by the first century CE, and infant baptism appeared around 200 CE.

When Jesus stood in the river Jordan to get baptized, John asked, ““But why do you come down into the water to greet me?” And Jesus answered, “To be subject to your baptism.” John replied: “But I have need to be baptized by you. Why do you come to me?” And Jesus whispered to John: “Bear with me now, for it becomes us to set this example for my brothers standing here with me, and that the people may know that my hour has come.”

Jesus’ presence had nothing to do with repentance or the remission of sins. In a community sense, Jesus sought to emulate the example of many devout followers who hoped, by submitting themselves, that it would prove beneficial for the whole race. Personally, Jesus saw this baptism as the watermark of his having consecrated all his energies to the doing of the will of his heavenly Father. At his baptism, Jesus heard his Father’s approval of the work he had accomplished.

John the Baptist was indeed the herald of Jesus’ work on earth. Jesus enhanced John’s meaning of baptism. When Jesus ordained his apostles, he explained that John preached a baptism of repentance, sorrow for one’s sins. My apostles are to proclaim a baptism of fellowship with God. When Jesus was asked about John’s baptism, he reiterated the sentiment that John admitted – that John baptized with water. Said Jesus, “John did indeed baptize with water, but when you enter the kingdom of heaven, you shall be baptized with the Spirit.”

Jesus’ apostles did not baptize. When Jesus began his first year of public ministry, more than three-fourths of his followers had previously followed John and had received his baptism. Now that John was being held in prison, they were curious about Jesus and what he taught, and suspicious why Jesus made no effort to free their beloved leader.

Following the leadership of Jesus, John appointed twelve of his followers to be apostles. By chance, Phillip and others were out buying food and ran into John’s apostles. They agreed to meet for three weeks to discuss the real possibility of joining forces if John should be put to death. Jesus left all discussions and decisions to these men, who would be out doing the work. In their debates, their greatest difference was the issue of whether to baptize. John the Baptist's followers certainly did, and Jesus’ apostles did not. Jesus emphasized that his role was to address personal and spiritual concerns rather than group and socialization matters. He encouraged them to independently resolve these issues and assured them of his support once they reached a mutual decision.

It was finally decided that both groups would baptize because it had the advantage of being a visible sign of someone entering the spiritual kingdom. Whether repentance should be added was left up to each group. John’s apostles preached, “Repent and be baptized.” Jesus’ apostles proclaimed, “Believe and be baptized.”

Baptism thus became adopted by Jesus’ apostles as the price of John’s followers joining forces. Jesus had agreed to support whatever decision these two groups had determined and did so. Because Jesus anticipated that a social organization, or church, would follow the progress of the true spiritual kingdom, he never objected to the apostles performing the rite of John's baptism. He taught that the truth-loving soul, one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness, for God, is admitted to the spiritual kingdom through faith; at the same time, the apostles taught that such a believer is admitted to the social organization of disciples through the outward rite of baptism.