River Baptism

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

My grandmother had a brother who caught pneumonia and died after being baptized in the river.  That would probably be why we don't do that anymore.

"Living water" is any water that is running...Jewishally speaking.  Baptistries are made (or are supposed to be made) with a permanently open (though small) drain.  Although, with the loss of that knowledge from society at large, I'm sure there are quite a few baptistries out there that put in the stopper.

Shalom.

[WileyClarkson]

Posted by: Wycliffes_Shillelagh

Baptistries are made (or are supposed to be made) with a permanently open (though small) drain.  Although, with the loss of that knowledge from society at large, I'm sure there are quite a few baptistries out there that put in the stopper.
 

If you really want to get it totally correct regarding  "jewish baptistyr", then you would have to have a source of stored water that could flow only by gravity into another pool that would then flow into a third pool.  The amount of water that flowed from the second pool to the 3rd pool would only have to be a small amount (gallon give or take) because rabinical rule says that a little living water flowing into a pool makes the water in the pool totally living water.  It does not have to flow out of the third pool (the pool used for immersion).  It only has to flow in!

Another tidbit of info.  I read a very interesting article about Qumran when it was under siege by the Romans.  It seems that the latest theory is that what actually killed  the majority of the people was disease that was passed on by the heavy ritual use of the mikvots in that community.  It seems the Essenes were very into the mikvah practice on an a minimum of a daily basis.  The water flowed into the pools which had no outlets and became, as it was so eloquently said in an earlier post, living water full of microscopic life that killed those Essenes who decided to do the proper thing at least once a day! 

[Cliftyman]

Thanks for asking Wiley... I'm doing great.  2 months ago I was blessed by the birth of another healthy son!

Anyway...

In the late 2nd century and probably most of the 3rd Century, baptism was performed naked in rivers and streams.  The church would hold off on baptisms until a number were to be performed and those wanting to be baptized would have special teaching during that waiting period(my references don't say anything about cold weather baptism   ).  Children would be baptized first, followed by the females and then by males.  A naked deacon in the water would always assist the naked person being baptized (a very good reason for female deacons  ).  My references don't say why the practice ended but it lasted for a long time. The reference is to the Roman (catholic) church practices.

So, what your wife says about baptism waiting for warm weather has a very sound historical basis--about 1750 years ago of historical basis!

I didn't realize this... Thank you for sharing.

[WileyClarkson]

congrats on another son.  The closest I will ever get is either a son-in-laws or grandsons.  so far, it's a grandddaughter (and for what it's worth, I do prefer girls over the boys and God made sure that I had plenty of girls in my life to keep me content!).

[Serenity432001]

This thread reminds me of that Randy Travis song, Pray for the Fish.  Here are the lyrics:

   


Everybody gathered where the river runs wider
At the edge of town
To see that Eddie Lee Vaughn baptism
Was really gonna go down
Folks bet their hard earned money
That water wouldn't change a thing
They set the odds at a hundred to one
His soul wouldn't never come clean
Then the preacher said
People take a moment or two
There's something we need to do

Pray for the fish
They won't know what's coming
When the sin starts rolling off the likes of him
Lord be with em, they ain't done nothin'
Please won't you leave them just a little bit 'a room to swim
Pray for the fish

Well the preacher ducked him under
That cool clear water
Then he did it again
Eddie came up yelling
Lord in Heaven Hallalujah!
I'm a brand new man
Well the water got to bubbling
Sky got to rumbling
And the thunder backed up the choir
The fish started jumpin'
It was like they was swimmin'
In a lake of fire
Then Eddie's momma stepped out of the crowd
And started yelling out loud
Pray for the dish
They won't know what's coming
When the sin starts rolling off the likes of him
Lord be with em, they ain't done nothin'
Please won't you leave them just a little bit 'a room to swim
Pray for the fish

He said everybody cross your fingers
Fold your hands
Pray for Ole Eddie
But before we say amen
Pray for the fish

Lord be with em, they ain't done nothin'
Please won't you leave them just a little bit 'a room to swim
Pray for the fish
Lord pray for the fish

[mike]

In the first few centuries, many new converts were enrolled in classes to teach them scripture and doctrine (catechism). Baptism was commonly performed at Easter.

[Bon Voyage]

If you weren't baptized in living water, you weren't scripturally baptized.