Jesus, a follower of a Pagan Custom?

Faraon

Hard as I tried, I could not find any reference to baptism in the OT (Old Testament to Christians, Hebrew Scriptures to Jovah's Witless).

I know that previous to John the Baptist, many religions, mysteries and cults baptized their initiates mostly either in blood, or in water. Never the Jews at that time or now. For the remision of sins, they just sent a goat to the desert.

Jesus did not obviously start the baptism thing. He was a follower.

Many questions arise. Was John a follower of a follower? This would make Jesus a follower of a cult that did not adhere to the OT.

I know they call it "dedication", but anyone can see it was a baptism.

Mark 1:4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

If they follow a pagan custom, how come they call just about everything a pagan custom? They initiate their lives as JWs with a pagan custom.

stillajwexelder

This is an excellent question and food for thought and further research

William Penwell

The book "Jesus Mysteries" touched on this subject. You will find most "Christian" customs derive its origins from Pre-Christian or "Pagan" rituals.

Will

gumby

Yes .....the Gospel ~~fakers~~...writers.......borrowed baptism from earlier beliefs and customs. In Mithrasicm, there is told of a baptismal rite of bathing with 2000 swine. Each initiate would take a pig to bath with him/her, and cast his/her sins into a pig, who was then sent over a cliff. Sound familiar?

Jesus blood was supposed to be for the removal of sins betwwen you and him alone.......no need for being dunked in water in front of a bunch of others. Jesus is said to have done it as an example to others. An example of what? It would seem more logical for him to have refused something that stood in place of his sacrafice. He didn't sin, and him being baptised would have countered that claim.

Gumby

Kenneson

Baptism was certainly nothing new, nor do the Bible writers claim that it is. Already the Jews had ritual baths for purification (mikvaots) which was by immersion. The community at Qumran certainly practiced baptism. Then, John the Baptist, came along and continued it and finally, Christians adopted it.

A Paduan

Can't every non-jewish/christian cultural custom can be called a 'pagan' custom ?

A Paduan

And dunking yourself to get clean isn't really a new font of mystical intelligence - not for 'pagans' anyway.

patio34

Sometimes this used to bother me as a dub, too. How it just started out of no traditions it seemed.

Another thing that struck me when I used to read the Bible a lot (personal daily Bible reading that was suggested) was that there is rarely a mention of demons in the entire OT, but when Jesus came along there were demon-possessed people aplenty. This too seemed to spring up from no where.

Pat

garybuss

Ritual nude bathing is a pagan custom not practiced by the Hebrew people. It WAS practiced by the pagan Romans in Rome. Ruins of their bath houses still exist. Baptism comes from the word "bath". Make "bath" your search word and you will be rewarded. Bathing clearly is connected to pagan origins and is linked to immorality and murder. GaryB

Noumenon

Geez so no more baths allowed? Only showers for me from now....

Jesus, a follower of a Pagan Custom?

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