From time to time, I am with students who desire to be baptized in the Jordan River. Because Jesus was baptized here, they think it would be special and memorable for them to be also. As a river, the Jordan is not particularly impressive, but there’s enough water to be fully immersed, so it qualifies. I have a couple of problems (or questions) with this desire:
1. Shouldn’t baptism be immediate? I read this morning that Saul/Paul was a) blinded for three days during which time he didn’t eat or drink anything; b) received his sight; c) was baptized; d) and only then took some food and regained his strength. These days it seems like we do the opposite – not only eat some food first, but eat about six months or a year’s worth (spread out over the same amount of days, of course). I don’t see that with Saul (Acts 9:18), I don’t see that with the Jewish believers on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41), I don’t see it with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36-39), I don’t see it with Lydia (Acts 16:15). Am I missing something? What biblical basis is there for waiting? If this is so, rather than waiting for our trip to the Jordan River, the person who asks to be baptized should be immersed in the first body of water we can find.
2. It seems to me also, except where conflicting with point #1, that baptism is a public demonstration, ideally done where you live. Baptism is a statement to those who observe (or hear about) it that one’s life has changed, and the commitment is now to Christ. It’s a big deal here in Israel, as that’s the “step” that tells your (Jewish) family that you’re committed and there’s no going back. For many, it means their funeral (they’re not dead, just treated as such). I don’t think I’d counsel an Israeli to go to the other side of the world to be baptized as that public testimony is going to be reduced.
3. Is this risk of spiritual pride (always looking back and saying, “but I was baptized there”) worth it? Maybe for the sake of your continued sanctification, it would be better to be baptized in the swimming pool than in the Jordan River.
Todd,
I became familiar with your blog site via Jim West. I completely agree with you. Baptism should be done very soon. I would think a few days off after acepting Christ (so that one my ponder the importance of the decision) would be appropiate. Otherwise, I would counsel the believer to go ahead with the process.
Please do check out my blog at http://drcatheysblog.blogspot.com it is a bit academic but I am truly a friend of Israel.
Best
Joe
Todd,
I think you got it right. I have conducted more than 30 tours to Israel and have only had one person to be baptized there (in the Sea of Galilee), but it when she determined that she should do so to obey the Lord for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16). Incidentally, we have had several baptisms in our pool here in Florida.
Rather than the typical blog, I note some matters of personal interest under SITE NEWS at http://biblicalstudies.info. I keep a lot of links to your good material.
Best wishes,
Ferrell
Excellent thoughts on baptism and waiting. However, do you think the same line of thinking applies to children. Would you wait for any period of time? Your position seems very dogmatic one way. I would be interested in knowing how you would work through such an issue. Thanks in advance.
Joe – I’ve followed your blog for some months now and I really enjoy it. Many of the blogs I read tend to tilt left, so it’s nice to hear someone who’s right.
Ferrell – your site is full of great material! Keep up the excellent work.
Paul – I don’t want to be more dogmatic than the Scriptures, and I’m quite willing to hear if there are any indications in the Bible to the contrary. I can think of several reasons why I think waiting is better; the question is – does the Bible leave that option for us? As for children, I’m still working through my views on that. Right now, I tend to think that it’s better to “push off” a child’s “decision” until they are older.
All – I just started using comments on blogs. If I’m breaking some rule in responding to several in one comment, let me know.
Thanks Todd,
I’m right there with you…thanks for the balance. BTW: I am a big fan of Bibleplaces.com. Keep up the good work.
regards,
PSL
i am a 33 yr old woman. i was baptized at 12. i had to recant a long list of things i would never do before i was put in the water. i was baptized in the seventh day adventist church of which, since i was 16, have no longer been a part of. nor do i believe in their main teachings which in my opinion are concerned with keeping rules rather than walking in the spirit & having a good heart. that was my families church & i was a part of it because at that age did not have my own personal relationship with christ or my own understanding of the bible. i have since followed my own understanding of the word & not something that i was supposed to believe because my mother said so. anyway i would like to be baptized in the jordan river if god doesn’t have other plans. i have had a strong desire to be baptized for the past 8 months or so & the desire has only grown stronger with each passing day. only recently within the past couple of months or so have i desired to be baptized in the jordan river. and that desire has not left me, but has grown stronger. i believe i will be either baptized there or in the catholic church. i have a stronger leaning towards jordan though. i don’t feel like doing anything rashly and abruptly and just jumping into “the nearest body of water”. i want to make an intelligent, informed & most of all spirit led decision. i don’t want to be baptized into a church which isn’t on the same page with me as far as baptism & i defenitely don’t want to repeat the experience i had when i was 12, being baptized without spiritual understanding of what i was doing & saying a list of things i would never do! that was wrong for adults to make a child promise something that he is unable to perform for the rest of their life! i’d know in my mind, if i was baptized in the jordan, at least i have some biblical reference to the place & that it was the location jesus was baptized in, so it definitely couldn’t be bad or wrong to want to be baptized there. i know it was jesus divine appointment & his path, but i feel led there as well. i don’t think jesus just jumped into the nearest body of water, i believe he went down to the jordan to be baptized & he was appointed to be baptized by john, his cousin, “suffer it to be so now, for thus it fulfilleth all righteousness”. he didn’t do anything out of time, order or season. he was baptized on the exact day that he was supposed to be, at 30 years old and understood what he was doing. i guess i could go down to this chlorinated pool here at this inn, where the kids have been playing in all day & the drunk teens get in at night & be baptized in that, since it is the nearest body of water, but i don’t feel led to do that. i place a higher value on the profound experience of baptism. i believe you can be baptized anywhere the lord leads you to be, you don’t neccesarily have to do it at the jordan river, but if you feel led there nor should you be criticized for following your spirit.