Jerry Clower used to tell a story about an immersion/dunking family whose son wanted to marry a sprinkling-sect girl. The family was totally opposed because she hand't been properly baptized, and demanded she undergo the traditional ritual.
The son went to the father and said, "Look, I've worked out a compromise. We'll wade her out until she's hip-deep in the river, and then repeat the sprinkling."
"No, won't do," the father said.
So the son went away and came back and said, "Look. they're willing to go further. She'll wade out neck-deep."
"No, won't do," said the father.
So the son came back a third time and said, "Look, they're willing to wade her out into the river until just the top of her head is still showing."
"No, won't do," said the father.
"I knew," the son answered, "that it was just the top of her head that counted anyway."
The thing is... what if a Pharisee or a Sadduccee or the High Priest of the Sanhedrine of the Tribe of Judah, decided to sprinkle or water immerse somebody, what Holy effect would that have?
Not much.
I mean, it has an effect, the same as when people go into a shower or take a bath, it cleans them and they may have a little bit clearer connection to the Holy Spirit but... it's not nearly on the same power level as the Prophets telling some heathen king to cleanse himself in a river and he will be cured of his leprosy.
I do agree that the sprinkling sect vs total immersion dichotomy is amusing, on some human levels but the rite itself has no benefit unless a person authorized with the power and authority on a soul level, conducts it. That is why John the Baptist, was out in the desert and doing other things. He was given direct mission authority on this matter. This authority is partially divine in nature of revelations and visions, but it is also partially Earth based, in that it is a lineage system like Master-Apprentice. The Essenes had this lineage up to a point.
4 comments:
I saw one like this the other day, but it was a dunking booth, the kind you toss things at from 10 feet away.
Yes, I just got sent one of those by a Baptist friend.
Jerry Clower used to tell a story about an immersion/dunking family whose son wanted to marry a sprinkling-sect girl. The family was totally opposed because she hand't been properly baptized, and demanded she undergo the traditional ritual.
The son went to the father and said, "Look, I've worked out a compromise. We'll wade her out until she's hip-deep in the river, and then repeat the sprinkling."
"No, won't do," the father said.
So the son went away and came back and said, "Look. they're willing to go further. She'll wade out neck-deep."
"No, won't do," said the father.
So the son came back a third time and said, "Look, they're willing to wade her out into the river until just the top of her head is still showing."
"No, won't do," said the father.
"I knew," the son answered, "that it was just the top of her head that counted anyway."
The thing is... what if a Pharisee or a Sadduccee or the High Priest of the Sanhedrine of the Tribe of Judah, decided to sprinkle or water immerse somebody, what Holy effect would that have?
Not much.
I mean, it has an effect, the same as when people go into a shower or take a bath, it cleans them and they may have a little bit clearer connection to the Holy Spirit but... it's not nearly on the same power level as the Prophets telling some heathen king to cleanse himself in a river and he will be cured of his leprosy.
I do agree that the sprinkling sect vs total immersion dichotomy is amusing, on some human levels but the rite itself has no benefit unless a person authorized with the power and authority on a soul level, conducts it. That is why John the Baptist, was out in the desert and doing other things. He was given direct mission authority on this matter. This authority is partially divine in nature of revelations and visions, but it is also partially Earth based, in that it is a lineage system like Master-Apprentice. The Essenes had this lineage up to a point.
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