Baptism

CHAPTER SEVEN
DID JESUS INSTITUTE BAPTISM?
The oft-quoted passage to show that Jesus instituted water baptism and that it
is essential for salvation is found in John
(John 3): "Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he can
not enter into the Kingdom of God."
However a close reading of the text in context cannot validate this
interpretation. This discussion between Nicodemus and Jesus took place long
before Jesus started his ministry. The statement is in the context of
comparison between "that which is born of the flesh" and "that, which is born
of the spirit". The question of baptism was not even remotely intended. A
correct reading of the text simply shows that the words "born of water" simply
means born of the flesh. All flesh was created through water and human birth
is through the water from their mother’s womb. This is the traditional Jewish
expression for human birth. This is the only explanation that is permissible
within the context. The next sentence "That which is born of the flesh is flesh
and that which is born of the spirit is spirit " corroborates it as the usual
parallel literary style of the master.
It is claimed that Christ instituted baptism as He commissioned His Apostles
to baptize, as narrated in John, iii and iv. There is nothing directly in the text
as to the institution. This baptism was called the Baptism by Jesus even
though He himself did not baptize. This was long before death and
resurrection of Christ, that any attempt to associate this baptism with Baptism
connected with the Holy Spirit is out of question. Evidently it was a
continuation of the Baptism of John and the message associated with that
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