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16 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course Lesson 28

woman and YEHOVAH God. It should be only YEHOVAH God and the Messiah can do
performed by the person himself, standing in that. Therefore, the symbolism is violated by a
water, and immersing himself! This should be man plunging a person into the water, and then a
done, of course, under the supervision of the one man lifting us up out of the water.
responsible for conducting the "baptism"
ceremony -- but without that person actually How Baptism Should Be Performed
"laying hold" on the individual being baptized.
Thus, the vast majority of so-called "Christian" What is the purpose of a man, or minister
baptisms performed down through the years of YEHOVAH God, "baptizing" another? Of
have missed the point, and failed to fulfil this course, ministers of YEHOVAH are
ritual in the strict sense of the word. commanded to "baptize" people who have
1. What does I Timothy 2:5 say? repented of their sins. But what does this entail?
COMMENT: To have another human What does it mean? How is it to be done?
being plunging another beneath the water is Obviously, those in charge of the
contrary to YEHOVAH's intent. It interposes baptismal ceremony are actually there to
another human being between each person and SUPERVISE each candidate as they perform
YEHOVAH God. For one man to literally their own self-immersion, and to see to it that
"baptize" another interposes a fallible human they do it properly, and go all the way under the
being in the middle of this divine relationship. water, in complete "burial." They need not touch
Having a man hold the candidate for the individual or his or her clothing in carrying
baptism under water interferes with total and out such supervision. They merely need to be
complete ritual purity and the symbolism of true attentive, and to watch carefully, insuring that
and complete "baptism" or immersion: When the person being baptized completely fulfills the
one man "baptizes" another, pushing him below requirement.
the water, wherever his hands touch the The candidate and the person "baptizing"
individual or the clothing of the individual, that should both go into the water, as John the Baptist
spot is not "washed," or "cleansed," but is did with Yeshua, and Philip did with the
prevented from being touched by the water. But Ethiopian eunuch, and then on confession of sin
even more important, baptism is a purely and repentance, the candidate should gently
VOLUNTARY act, which a person decides to lower themselves all the way beneath the water,
do of his own free will. in a sitting position, and then rise up from that
Therefore, for another person to "plunge position out of the water. How simple. How
him under the water" implies he needs human plain. How divine and pure and sensible.
assistance to do this, and perhaps is even forced Too many times I have seen churches,
or coerced into doing it. This obstructs the and ministers of various churches, try to inject
"voluntary" nature of the act itself, and themselves, and their systematic theology, into
contradicts the whole sacred meaning of a the lives of people, commanding them to be
person choosing to immerse themselves in the baptized their way, and only in their church,
water, to become cleansed of sin, and to become insinuating their self-proclaimed authority over
spiritually "purified" in the sight of YEHOVAH the new Christians. In this way they bring them
God. into a state of religious "bondage" and spiritual
Baptism is a symbol of our "death" in the slavery to their dictatorial and dogmatic
water, and being raised by YEHOVAH to "authority."
newness of life. In true death, no human being Such a system of baptism is definitely
would be touching us. Also, no human being can not YEHOVAH's way.
raise us up to live again, in newness of life --

Avoid a Counterfeit Baptism!