I too remember hearing that baptism was a common Jewish practice, though to be honest I don't remember where I heard that. There are certainly ceremonial cleansings proscribed in Scripture. As for "chapter and verse," might not this apply: And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean." (2Ki 5:10) Now, I want to be clear, I don't think that Naaman's cleansing in the Jordan was exactly the same as John's baptism. But it might be an example of the Jewish practice of baptism. I don't think that Christian baptism is exactly the same as John's. Acts 19:3-4 makes that clear enough. The people in Corinth had received John's baptism "unto repentance" but he still baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus. Interestingly enough, this was also when the Corinthians received the Holy Spirit and not at a subsequent baptism of the Holy Spirit. And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. (Act 19:1-6) On 1/15/06, Pastor Hughes <embc@...> wrote: > chapter and verse please.... > this is a full length mirror.. > > John practiced a ceremonial cleansing by immersion, calling it a "baptism > unto repentance." He was not the first to do this, and therefore, could not > be the first Baptist. > > Pastor Hughes > East Mesa Baptist Church > http://www.eastmesabaptist.com/ > -- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > pastorsforum-unsubscribe@... "In essential > things, unity; in non-essential things, liberty; and in all things, > charity." > > -- Grace and peace, Kevin Sigafoos --------------------- For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Rom 11:36)