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conscience; which stood only in meats, and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal
ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation."
In order to appreciate the apostle's teaching here, we must be prepared to give this
passage something more than a passing examination. We can reduce the apostle's
argument to the following heads:
(1)
The Tabernacle and all its service was "a figure".
(2)
This typical service was for a limited time "for the time then present".
(3)
This typical service was imperfect: "it did not touch the conscience."
(4)
This typical service was "imposed until the time of reformation".
For our present purpose we must assume that the reader has no need of a description
of the Tabernacle, or a detailed proof of its typical character. We must come to the case
in point "the washings" or baptisms. The word baptizo occurs twice in the LXX, once it
translates the Hebrew word baath "to make afraid" (Isa. 21: 4), the figure using the word
"to baptize" in the sense of plunging into trouble, being overwhelmed, being greatly
perturbed. The other occurrence is II Kings 5: 14, which reads in the A.V.:
"Then he went down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan."
What the prophet told Naaman to do was "go and wash in Jordan seven times"
(II Kings 5: 10), and in the pleading of Naaman's servant, come the words "wash and be
clean". There can be no possible doubt but that the translators of the LXX equated
"washing" with "baptizing" here. The Hebrew word translated "wash" in these passages
is rachats, and this word is used many times of the ceremonial "washings" referred to in
Heb. 9: 9, 10. There are twenty-one such "washings" recorded in Leviticus, and these
include the washing of the parts of the sacrifice (Lev. 8: 21), the washing of the leper
(Lev. 14: 8), and the washing of the priest (Lev. 16: 4). See also Exod. 29: 4, 17;
30: 19, 21 and 40: 12, 31.
It will be seen therefore that the A.V. is right when it translated baptismos "washings".
These "baptisms" are defined as "carnal ordinances" that were "imposed" as something
in the nature of a burden, a part of the yoke which neither the apostles nor the fathers
could bear (Acts 15: 10). This imposition was for a limited season, "until the time of
reformation", when the needs of the "conscience" would be met.
Just as many believers assume that the dispensation of the Church begins with
Matthew's Gospel, so it is assumed that baptism is a distinctly Christian and church
ordinance. This is far from being the truth. The Pharisees, when they questioned John
concerning the purpose of his baptism, never questioned baptism itself. Here are a few
extracts from Maimonedes in his great register of Jewish customs.
"By three things Israel entered into covenant: by circumcision, baptism, and sacrifice."
"A stranger that is circumcised, and not baptized, or that is baptized and not
circumcised, is not a proselyte."
The reader will probably anticipate our next remark, namely that Paul closely
associates "circumcision" and "baptism" in Col. 2: 11, 12 and that both baptism as well