The Jurisdiction
Historically Baptism had been a regular event among the people of Israel. There was more than one type of Baptism around in the days of John the Baptist. Baptism was not always suggested or recommended as the solution for men who were of a particular status.
Luke 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse [any] falsely; and be content with your wages.
Why?
They were under oath to another king. For them to be baptized might be considered a breach of their loyalty to their king and master. This would not be true if baptism was a purely religious ceremony. There was religious freedom in the Roman Empire. Baptism was a distinctive political act whose history stems back at least to man's separation from Egypt and the ways of its civil power of man over man.
The soldiers did not appear to be baptized nor was it offered to them as an option. They were given an alternative manner in which to seek the kingdom for the time being.
Those bound by oath, such as soldiers, could put on the character of Christ seeking the kingdom and when their oath of office had passed or the 'unrighteous mammon', which they served, failed they would be ready to enter the kingdom. Jesus spoke of the Centurion with great faith and told the people to give to Caesar what was Caesar's. He understood that men are bound often by oaths and swearing, that is why he also said in Matthew 5:34
Later there were Christian soldiers in the Roman army and some may have even been baptized. At first this may not have been a conflict as Rome had recognized Jesus as a king through Pontius Pilate and the ministers of that kingdom were not allowed to exercise authority which in general prevented any conflict of command. We know that many Roman Christian centurions were put to death because they refused to take certain oaths of allegiance and loyalty that were eventually demanded of them by the Emperors in their fight against the terror of the Barbarians.
Luke 16:9 "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations." These statements are still true now.
Baptized into a kingdom of a god
Who began baptizing the people into the kingdom of Heaven on earth before Jesus began his ministry?
Was John the Baptist the first?
It had been a tradition for years to began a new thing or step toward God and His ways to wash. It was not a new idea to the Jews.
Herod had a grand scheme of a vast world wide membership involving the sending out evangelists and missionaries. To prove you were a member of this society of social security run through the temples you had to show a token in the form of a white stone from the river Jordan with your new Hebrew name carved on it. You would receive that stone with your contribution at you baptism. These temple customs and legal systems had taken on many Roman and Hellenistic ideas of control, commitment, enforced pledges and even social democracy
A man named Menahem and his order of Essenes became the of advisers of Herod's kingdom. These Essenes were similar to the Palestinian Essenes "but did not espouse their unworldliness and strict views on morality." They were 'seekers-after-smooth-things'.
Yes, Herod had sent out those Essene missionaries and Pharisee teachers who supported his idea of a vast kingdom of God on earth. It was a system of social security and commercial affluence. He was very successful and built the temple in Jerusalem and many more in other countries. It was a "Great Society".
"Jerusalem was a major city in a cosmopolitan culture. It contained not only the Temple, but also a large arena for chariot and horse races (a hippodrome), a stadium for athletic contests (a gymnasium), and massive Theaters." 2
People needed to be entertained, lulled with security, excitement and pleasured into pacification.
Most people did fine under Herod as most people do fine under existing governments of the world today. Business was good, money flowed and success and prosperity was common if not just around the corner.
Success was good for everyone. These massive building projects financed by contributions and pledges collected from its ever growing membership brought prosperity and prestige. Harbors and roads expanded and those employed in the task prospered with the stimulating expenditures of great wealth flowing through the heart of Judaism, the city of Jerusalem.
Herod had his enemies but they were quickly dispatched, condemned as antigovernment conspirators or generally frightened into silence. Herod's Kingdom was not yet conquered by Rome but was merely a "client Kingdom" of its Pax Romana. Herod continued to enforce a separation between the religious hierarchy and the political power encouraged by Roman ideology. This was popular with the priesthood which had become increasingly corrupt as long as the privilege of exemption allowed them a comfortable affluence. It was during this time that a violent coup had taken place which caused the death of Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist.
Herod was a god and so was Pontius Pilate.
Their are gods many
http://www.hisholychurch.info/sermon/theosgod.HTM
Pilate was god because he was appointed by the Apo Theos of Rome. Herod was a god because he was the ruling judge of the system of corban, tribute and corvee he and his predecessors had created. Those who believed they were faithful to God by being baptized into obedience under the state religious order of Herod and Rome were actually 'Making the word of God of none effect through their tradition' [Mark 7:13].
Love it or leave it
The Love of Caesar
To some Caesar was a great Father of society, the founding father of a new system where society prospered with liberty and justice for all. His promise of returning to the Constitutional Republic, his advocacy of family values, his pledge of welfare reform constantly raised the hopes of the masses. Rome's military success, its system of justice and its golden eagle heralding it as the greatest nation in the world won him great popularity and unquestioning loyalty.
Even the benevolent benefactor of Augustus Caesar was impressive to the people of Judea. He was not the hated tyrant with occupying army. Things were good or getting better. Taxes were getting higher but so were profits as the concept of inflation began to insidiously creep into their lives. Eventually a series of devastating recessions would bring down the economy of Rome and all those who were plugged into its flow of power and affluence but for now things were good.
All Jews did not hate the Emperor (Emperator,7 the commander in chief ) of the mighty multinational military force that kept the peace throughout the world.
Jews did not hate Rome for the most part. Many loved and desired their protection, generosity and social security, besides they were good for business. There were rebels, as always, malcontents and doomsdayers. There were tax protesters, religious zealots and extreme fundamentalists who spoke of moral declines. The Roman system was prepared for these rabble. As long as the people were generally comfortable and busy and divided the local courts and their judges and centurions could handle the riffraff and rebels that resist the progress of society and liberal morals. The annual Temple-tribute was allowed to be transported to Jerusalem, and the alienation of these funds by the civil magistrates treated as sacrilege. As the Jews objected to bear arms, or march, on the Sabbath, they were freed from military service. On similar grounds, they were not obliged to appear in courts of law on their holy days. Augustus even ordered that, when the public distribution of corn or of money among the citizens fell on a Sabbath, the Jews were to receive their share on the following day. In a similar spirit the Roman authorities confirmed a decree by which the founder of Antioch, Seleucus I. (Nicator),[d Ob.280 B.C.] had granted the Jews the right of citizenship in all the cities of Asia Minor and Syria which he had built, and the privilege of receiving, instead of the oil that was distributed, which their religion forbade them to use, [e Ab. Sar ii. 6] an equivalent in money. [Jos.Ant. xii. 3. 1] These rights were maintained by Vespasian and Titus even after the last Jewish war, not with standing the earnest remonstrances of these cities. No wonder, that at the death of Caesar [g 44 B.C.] the Jews of Rome gathered for many nights, waking strange feelings of awe in the city, as they chanted in mournful melodies their Psalms around the pyre on which the body of their benefactor had been burnt, and raised their pathetic dirges.8
The Rulers and Caesars were the protector of the peace, the benefactor of their welfare.
There was corruption, as always with a balancing distribution of reform. But as mires will do the more the people struggled the deeper they sank.
2 Peter 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Herod entertained and cultivated his relationship to Essene prophet, like Menahem, who had predicted his rise to power when he was a boy. There are reports that Herod had even agreed to divide his dominion with the Messiah whose arrival was also expected and prophesied. Herod's popularity, though great, was not universal and as economies stumbled the people look for scapegoats real or imagined.
This magical system of prosperity and social welfare was sweet in the mouth but sower in the belly. All things that are to good to be true eventually come to an end and Herod's Great Society and Social Experiment was no exception to the rule.
Before the end of the century a series of devastating recessions or "dearths"12 had spread across the Roman Empire. Popularity of Rome, along with its comforts and privilege diminished, as the power over its subject and client states shifted from social benefits to compliance and heavy tribute or taxes. To pay for excesses the power of this created authority would only relent after the people were expended, exhausted and oppressed.
Two kingdoms
The other King.
The promoters and ministers of Herod's kingdom of God on earth were not the only evangelists and missionaries of that time who followed the traditions of Israel in the "washing" of new members into the kingdom. There were others who were involved in such baptismal matters with a different paradigm and Essene teachings.
They too were also baptizing with the waters of the Jordan. By another "authority" these people began a journey into a different kind of Kingdom of Heaven on earth. This other king was not Idumean nor a foreigner [Deuteronomy 17:15]. He establish his Kingdom not by Corban schemes of old age benefits and social security nor did he collect the contributions of the people with Mokhes and Gabbai publicans who by the accounting of the scribes and the force of tax collectors filled the treasure house of Herod's Kingdom.
This other King was the Highest Son of the House of David, a righteous king and Son of Adam. He walked amongst the people and his disciples were not of the ruling elite but working men like themselves. This other King operated by faith, hope, charity and love. His ministers were servants of the People who operated on Faith, Hope and Charity under the perfect law of liberty.
He too offered baptism and spoke of white stone.
"To him who conquers, I will give a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it." Revelations 2:17
More on Baptism
Baptism, Washing up
http://www.hisholychurch.net/net/baptism/baptism.asp
http://www.hisholychurch.net/net/baptism/christen.asp
Public Servants
http://www.hisholychurch.net/pdfiles/ministers/clergy.pdf
The book Thy Kingdom Comes
2 Jesus Within Judaism by James H. Charlesworth.
3
Jesus, The Evidence, Ian Wilson
4 The Old Testament World John Roberson and Philip Davies
5 Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 3
6 The Star of Bethlehem by Crag Chester, Imprimis D/96 Hilsdale College.
7 Emperator, emperatoris m. commander in chief. Collins L.E. Dict. '62.
8 Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Chapt. V
9 Living in the Time of Jesus of Nazareth by Peter Connolly
10 The Old Testament World by John Roberson and Philip Davies
11 Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls (1992), p. 170 James H. Charlesworth
12
Acts 11:28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. dearth 3042 limos probably from 3007 (through the idea of destitution); AV-famine 7, hunger 3, dearth 2; 12 1) scarcity of harvest, famine
