Exactly how I feel about jesus freaks.
With a lot more reason.
Anyway, the Jewish concept of ritual bathing was meant to mainly cleanse the body ( not the soul ) of impurities. Unlike xtian baptism which was only done once.... much as the other mystery cults employed it...the Jews were expected to cleanse themselves everytime they came into contact with something unclean.
It's a real stretch to try to make that the forerunner of xtian baptism while the other cults were already there.
And yes, John the "Baptist" was something new in the first century. But you probably don't want to go there.
With a lot more reason.
Anyway, the Jewish concept of ritual bathing was meant to mainly cleanse the body ( not the soul ) of impurities. Unlike xtian baptism which was only done once.... much as the other mystery cults employed it...the Jews were expected to cleanse themselves everytime they came into contact with something unclean.
It's a real stretch to try to make that the forerunner of xtian baptism while the other cults were already there.
And yes, John the "Baptist" was something new in the first century. But you probably don't want to go there.
