More about Baptism

Why do we need our own mikvah at Beth Immanuel? This teaching revists the Beth Immanuel Mikvah Project, reviews the origin and meaning of the mikvah, it's relationship to baptism, and its application for both Jewish and Gentile disciples.

Learn more on the MIKVAH EPISODE of Beth Immanuel's Am Yisrael Chai Podcast.

Donate to the Beth Immanuel Mikvah Porject: DONATE NOW.

Count the Cost

What does it mean to be a disciple of Yeshua? Before you go into the water, you should know what it is you are agreeing to. Yeshua cautions us to "count the cost" first. Listen to the audio and/or download the PDF version of the teaching below.

Baptism into Messiah

What does it mean to be "baptised" into Messiah? What is the Messianic Jewish view of baptism? What do we mean when we say that we are "dead to sin"? This study in Romans 6 begins with an overview of the Jewish concept of immersion in the mikvah as a backdrop for Paul's discussion about immersion into Messiah, the new life, and the resurrection.

The Initiation

The elementary principles include the subject of baptism and instructions regarding immersions. In this teaching, we look at the evidence from early Christian documents. Find out how the second-century Christians welcomed new converts into the body of Messiah. This teaching contains quotations from Justin Martyr's First Apology, from the Didache, and from the Apostolic Constitutions. The quotations are available in the PDF document below titled Initiation Texts.

Six Foundations

What are the fundamentals? Discover the six basic teachings of Messianic faith from Hebrews 5:11-6:3. This sermon presents an introduction and overview of:

... repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (Hebrews 6:1-2).

This is the sermon that sidetracked us into a series which eventually became the book Elementary Principles.

Instructions About Washings

Hebrews 6:1-3 identifies instructions about washings as one out of six fundamental, elementary teachings about the Messiah. Does this refer to baptism? Are these instructions about how to baptize? Learn about the Jewish practice of immersion in a mikvah and discover evidence of early, apostolic-era catechism prior to immersion. This teaching includes a short introduction to the Didache.