by James Bowles

Created on: June 22, 2009

There are all manner of answers to the question, "Is it necessary to be baptized in the name of Jesus?" The answer would certainly be yes, for instance, for those that take baptism as an act of faith.

A QUESTION OF VALIDITY

At the same time, many questions can be posed regarding the correctness of the accounts of the baptism of Jesus in the Gospels of both Mark and Luke.

In the Gospel of Mark, for instance, Mark wrote :: "And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him. And there came a voice from Heaven, saying, "Thou art my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (note 1).

But if one were to examine the historical record, a record preserved in ancient stone and published in modern languages, it would be discover that it was not Jesus that the voice from Heaven was addressing. The phrase was actually 2500 years old when Jesus was born, and they were spoken originally in a recitation by the Egyptian goddess Nut, who was speaking of Osiris. The ancient words read: "The King is my eldest son who split open my womb; he is my beloved, with whom I am well pleased" (note 2 and 3)."

So even the water spoken of in the Gospels (i.e., straightway coming up out of the water) were not the waters of the River Jordan, they were the waters that broke from the womb of Nut at Osiris's birth.

BAPTISM - IS IT SACRED

There are many who question whether baptism is even a sacred ceremony. One source suggesting: "There are many teachings and many traditions regarding the subject of baptism, and (it's) long been one of the most controversial points of doctrine since the church began (note 5)."

Some see mystery associated with baptism. One source, The New Life Mission, by example, speaks of this mystery in a very eloquent manner (note 6):

(quote) In the baptism of Jesus is hidden the mystery of the remission of sin, the mystery of being born of water and the Spirit.

EPILOGUE

So as we bring the mystery of the baptism of Jesus Himself under scrutiny (while keeping the ancient origin of the voice from heaven before us) - so too might we question the modern expression of this sacrament! For the voice from heaven was not speaking of a re-birth - it was acknowledging a "first birth" from the womb.

In effect it was honoring motherhood

NOTES:

1.) Gospel of Mark (1:9 - 1:11) KJV

2.) Dr. R. O. Faulkner, "The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts," Aris & Phillips, Warminister, England UK ISBN 0 85668 297 7, page 1, Utterance 1 (NOTE: it was the "hieroglyphic form" deciphered by Jean Francois Champollion c1821 from the Rosetta Stone that was applied later to decipher the Pyramid Texts)

3.) Nut was the daughter of Shu and Tefenet, sister and wife of Geb, and mother to Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys. Osiris was the elder son.

4.) New Advent, Catholic Encyclopedia

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08486b.htm

5.) "What is the meaning and purpose of Baptism?"

http://www.bebaptized.org/

6.) The New Life Mission

http://www.bjnewlife.org/?gclid=CNaki5rSmZsCFQpgswod syK5ow

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