Baptism

New Testament we see that all of them were baptized immediately on hearing
the word of God, immediately, within the hour, right there.
This idea is inherent in the Jewish concept of ablutions - mikvah. Hebrew
word for the mikvah the pool of immersion is the same word used for hope as
in Jer. 14:8. It has the root “vue”, which means "to wait for," or, "to have
hope.” So Jewish baptism indeed was an immersion in the hope of salvation.
However the usual meaning of mikvah is "gathering" or "collecting." Mikvah
is a collection or gathering of water for ritual washing. The meaning of
mikvah is simply "gathered together”. Waters also symbolizes nations. The
essential meaning of Christian baptism is to gather together in Christ from all
nations. This is the emphasis of the wording "baptized into Christ” and
"Baptized in the name of " In this sense baptism is the gathering together of
people from all nations into the body of Christ.
A Study of Conversion in the Book of Acts
1. The three thousand baptized on the first Pentecost (Acts 2:38-41).
2. The baptisms that Philip performed in Samaria (Acts 8:12)
3. The baptism of Simon Magus (Acts 8:13)
4. The baptism of the Eunuch (Acts 8:36-38)
5. The baptism of the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:47-48; recounted
in Acts 11:14-18)
6. The baptism of Saul (Acts 9:18; recounted in Acts 22:16)
7. The baptism of Lydia and her household (Acts 16:13-15)
8. The baptism of the Philippian Jailer and his household (Acts 16:33)
9. The baptism of Crispus, his household, and many Corinthians (Acts
18:8; cf. 1 Cor. 1:14)
10. The baptism of twelve men at Ephesus (Acts 19:3-5)
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