Today we’re going to look at the true Biblical meaning of baptism, and were going to use a lot of scriptural stories to prove it that it doesn’t mean dunking your head under water. By the end of it all I’m fairly confident you’ll be a Biblical expert on the subject. This will be a two part series, using the New Testament for the first post and the Old Testament for the second post.
We’re going to begin with a very important but often overlooked verse by the writer of Hebrews. I remember some of my former pastors reading over this verse, but they never went into the details and it always bothered me. It should bother you too if you’re thinking something isn’t right with traditional Christian doctrine. I quote below:
“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundations of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1-2).
I have put in blue some important words above which we’ll examine closely. But first reread that verse. What!? Whoever wrote Hebrews is telling us to leave behind doctrines like repentance and baptism! I’m not saying that he totally disregards them, but he phrases the verse as if it’s all baby stuff, and we need to move on to perfection, where the real liberation is!
Did you get that? What Christian doctrine teaches is the foundation of everything today, the writer of Hebrews says to leave it all behind! In other words, it’s only a precursor to the real thing. So what’s the deal here?
There are two things we need to understand. First, the Greek word for principles defines the context of what is really being said. The principles he is referring to are the literal understandings of these doctrines. The principle, or origin of the meaning of the doctrine of baptism is to cleanse. But what needs to be cleansed? Is is just the physical body, or does the writer of Hebrews understand that it is something more important that needs to be cleansed? Of course it is something more important. You only need common sense to understand that – It’s the mind that needs to be cleansed, not the fleshly body. How does literal water cleanse the spiritual (mind) part of us? It can’t! And it’s ridiculous to think that it could. When a person dunks his head under the water to fulfill the doctrine of baptism, they are simply doing the equivalent of taking a bath. In other words, let’s leave this literal principles of physical baptism and get to the real baptism! Going on to perfection is the act of going into a spiritual baptism, which leads to a renewed mind. We’ll get to how that’s accomplished in a moment.
The other thing I want you to understand here is that the writer of Hebrews is clearly a Gnostic, just as I am sure Paul was. Out of all my studies of Biblical, historical, and other philosophical texts there is an obvious reason why this is true. First of all, NO writer who believed in the traditional Christian interpretations we have been taught today would write the verse in Hebrews 6:1-2 UNLESS they were a Gnostic. That is because some Gnostic groups worshiped with two types of Christian: the babe, who followed literal doctrines, and the one who experienced gnosis, which understood the perfection, or higher spiritual meanings beyond the literal text. Gnostics often worshiped with babes because they would look for those babes who were ready for initiation into the higher mysteries, and when found, would begin teaching them the higher meanings of scripture.
Now that we have that cleared up, I am going to show you throughout scripture why the writer of Hebrews was able to write that verse in good conscience. What did the Gnostics understand about the body and soul? Namely that there were five levels of human consciousness within the fourfold nature of humanity.
- The physical body
- The emotional body
- The mental body (often divided into two parts, lower mental body and thought, and upper)
- The spiritual body (causal body, the true self)
This is also true of Greek philosophical and spiritual thought. Think about it. The New Testament was written in Greek by the way 🙂
Let’s break this down by Gaskell, who did extensive study and research on the subject. Once you understand the chart below, it will give you much insight to interpret Jesus’ miracles, and all the people he interacts with.
- Earth = The physical body, including the brain
- Water = The astral body, which is our emotions
- Air = The mental body, which represents our thoughts
- Fire = The upper mental plane, which the Holy Spirit (Fire) cleanses the mind
- The Good Mind = The highest state of consciousness, represented by pure light.
I’m about to walk you through scriptures that will show different levels of meditation based on the Greek understanding of human consciousness above. Although the scriptures may appear to be about water baptism, it is symbol for the baptism and cleansing of the mind.
Let’s begin with John the Baptist and Jesus. Matthew chapter 3 gives us the purpose of John the Baptist’s ministry. His job was to begin to fulfill, according to scripture, the first step in coming into righteousness. People were baptised by him in the Jordan River. Is this meant to be taken literally? Not at all. Let’s break down some symbols.
John the Baptist symbolizes the moral nature which is the forerunner of our higher spiritual nature, our Christ nature. In order to fulfill righteousness, John the Baptist (our moral nature), must come first. Therefore John represents the first stage we enter into to cleanse the mind, which happens in meditation. So it would be broken down as thus:
- Earth = The physical body, including the brain
- Water = The astral body, or where our emotions are processed
So as John the Baptist begins baptizing, this process symbolizes using our mind to enter into meditation on the second level, which is water, where our emotions are stabilized and healed. Remember that Paul also stated the Israelites were baptised in the Red Sea as they left Egypt. Did they get wet? No. They simply walked on dry ground, but Paul still says it was a baptism. Why? Because Egypt, which they left, signifies the lower mind. The lower mind and the desires thereof, when we indulge, always causes emotional trauma. Crossing of the Red Sea was the FIRST step into the meditation process where the Israelites needed to clear all that oppressed emotional junk from (Egypt) from their minds. There’s a little more to it than that, but I want you to see that the Israelites crossing the Red Sea is one big allegory explaining the first stage of baptism, which eventually goes to the fourth stage of fire. So the entire baptism experience is about entering within and being cleansed (our emotions) so that we have a renewed mind! The Christ mind!
Let’s look at another scripture and familiar story which might make more sense to you now. Remember Jesus walks out on the water towards the disciples on the lake?
“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them walking on the lake…Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus” (Matthew 14: 25-30).
Dawn symbolizes the rising sun, the rising inner Christ. The sun / son is about to rise through the steps of meditation within you, first clearing out negative emotions. Peter symbolizes the natural man (always doubting and screwing up), who doubts when he sees the wind, and the boat is a symbol for the mind (causal body). The entire story illustrates again the second stage of meditation in water where the Christ takes away the lower emotions of fear etc. as the water (truth) begins to cleanse the astral / emotional nature. No one really walked on the water here. 🙂
Sidenote: Meditating is one way to begin to balance our emotions. This has been proven in many scientific studies. Specifically, it stimulates the glandular system and balances the survival aspect of our brain. In essence, it calms our emotions.
Now let’s go to the third step of meditation, symbolized by air.
- Earth = The physical body
- Water = The astral / emotional body
- Air = The mental / thought body
Paul gives us a good illustration of this in two places. One is where the saints will meet Jesus in the air.
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
So here we have an example of the third level, according to Greek thought, of meditation, which is symbolized by air. This stage of meditation symbolizes touching the mental body and our thoughts, which control the emotions. Remember also that Jesus himself tells us to take NO THOUGHT for the morrow. In other words, in a deeper stage of meditation, we further cleanse the mind by removing the thoughts of the lower mind. In the East it is a common teaching that in deeper meditation we relish the gaps between our thoughts, where the essence of healing and touching the divine happens. If you’re having trouble understanding how this process works, don’t be alarmed. It has to do with chakras being cleared and the endocrine system becoming more balanced in the body. Healing thoughts and emotions are the result. But Paul is not talking about literally meeting the saints in the clouds. We could write an entire blog post on all the problems with this. For example, if this were literal, how could people on the other side of the earth even see Jesus coming in the clouds? It’s all symbolic of what happens in the stages of meditation.
Let’s look at another scripture that deals with the 3rd level of meditation and the air.
“I knew a man in Christ above 14 years ago (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth); such a one caught up to the 3rd heaven” (2 Cor. 12:2).
Notice how Paul said this man entered the 3rd heaven. I use to wonder what the 3rd heaven was. For example, what was the first and second heaven? Well now we have our answer. The 3rd heaven is the third level of meditation. In this deeper level of meditation, Paul says he didn’t know whether he was in his body or not. In other words, meditation can alter consciousness to the point of being out of the body. This Greek way of thinking shouldn’t come as a surprise. They believed that consciousness also left the body through our dreams. Some people claim astral projection works the same way.
So now let’s jump to the fourth level of meditation which is shown in the New Testament.
- Earth = The physical body
- Water = The Astral or emotional body
- Air = The mental body
- Fire = The upper mental plane (holy spirit touches this in Christian literature)
Let’s return to where John the Baptist is baptizing at the Jordan. Now remember before Jesus comes to him John said there would be one to come more worthy than he that would baptize with fire. When Jesus finally comes to be baptized, John replied, Lord I have need to be baptized by you! Jesus’ reply is very important.
“Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).
Why would Jesus, the Christ, need to be baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness? Is it just to fulfill a prophecy, or is there something more important to glean here?
Jesus himself says that he will be baptized because you can’t skip the second level of meditation and immediately go to the fourth. It’s a process that fulfills righteousness in all of us. The emotions must be cleansed, as well as the thoughts. And the order, according to Greek thought, must be followed.
Please remember that the ancient way of explaining things is not an exact science. When you enter into yourself, the kingdom within, and meditate, you don’t have to concentrate on reaching the stages in order. It will naturally take place, but the Gospels provide a sort of formula that is happening behind the scenes of your intellect and conscious mind.
We also have a good example of the fourth level of baptism or meditation happening in the books of Acts:
“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues as of fire, and it sat upon each of them” (Acts 2:1-2).
There are so many symbols here and in former verses that speak about what’s going on, but for the sake of the length of this blog post we are only going to touch on a few. First off, notice that they were all sitting (as in meditation). It is also known that they were in the “upper room” in the “house” or “temple.” Scholars have argued over where this actually took place, but they have missed it because whether it’s a house or the temple they both represent the physical human body, and the “upper room” is the brain, and more specifically, the upper mental plane. The fire symbology here represents the fourth level of meditation. What’s more, cloven tongues of fire that sat above each of their heads is the symbol for the serpent (cloven tongue). In the east kundalini is the same as the Holy Spirit, symbolized by a serpent. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent on the rod (spine), so must Jesus be lifted up and come as the inner Christ that baptises us with fire in meditation. It’s all a scriptural process. And yes, for those of you new to this blog, the Bible is full of Eastern concepts.
The culmination process ends in the “good mind” as the Greek philosophers explained it. The good mind is the mind who has reached the state of Nirvana and bliss, whose ego has been crucified and transformed. This is the marriage supper of the Christ, where the lower and higher mind are in union with one another.
As you can see, baptism has nothing to do with dunking your head in water. Physical water cleanses the physical body, but it cannot cleanse the mind. That can only be done by going within.
In the next post we’ll use Gaskell’s levels of meditation to show that the story of Noah’s flood shows the entire meditation process from beginning to end as the earth, or human body, goes through baptism.
Part 1 / Part 2
Thank you Josh,
The Spirit of the Scripture is making it easier to spread the word of the Bible as allegory.
Looking forward to the next post.
Blessings
Tony
Tony…
You’re very welcome.
A tremendously enlightening expansion on the meaning of baptism beyond the conventional church ritual. Baptism is described as cleansing at the various successively deeper levels of spirituality and these levels spelled out very nicely using Gaskill’s categories. You mentioned that you thought is was common in the early church for Gnostics to circulate through the church assembly seeking initiates. Was this just in Gnostic churches or did Gnostics have an underground in non-Gnostic churches?
Robert…
It is known that Valentinus and his followers frequently worshiped with what they would refer to as the uninitiated. It would be akin to a Gnostic today going into a Baptist church.
A mystery is revealed when the question is asked…”What was the context of Baptism when John appeared?”
There was not a “Christian church” with baptism doctrines. How and why were people drawn to John? What kind of experience did they have and what was the root of this experience? Elijah/John in Malachi has a message which is hidden in the Mountain (Horeb). This message was related to the tabernacle pattern given there. Within the seven pieces of furniture is the laver where water is used to cleanse the hands and feet of the Priest. Elijah in Malachi is said to reveal “no root or branch” and then turn the hearts of the Fathers to the children and the children to the Father. His voice speaks in the wilderness “prepare ye the WAY”…What are the mysteries here?
My heart speaks the following….The entire metaphor is about a pathway to the Divine through spirit meditation. The seven pieces of furniture all represent a place to come in mediation to be opened spiritually to our spiritual identity as Sons of God. The First place we come is from our wilderness of earthly thinking. We enter the gate of the tabernacle (our body) from the altar of sacrifice. Our gonad/ovary endocrine gland where the blood is shed. The blood of the Lamb…Elijah speaks..”behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Thus the mystery of the baptism, the message of Elijah is rooted in the tabernacle pattern. The blood is shed and we enter this experience sharing in the suffering of the lamb. We go into the death in this altar in mediation and confront the serpent of fear within us. We take ahold o the serpents tail and lift up the rod of Aaron even as Moses did and Jesus did in his dying. We die in Him and our meditation brings us into this death as we come to the eternal peace of death to the root and branch of our fallen state in the tree of knowing good and evil. We proceed to the laver where we are washed and a burial of our false self is experienced. We take ahold of the serpent and the Pharaoh (asp) is drowned in the water of life flowing from our stomach (ledig gland). We rise in meditation into the consciousness of the Christ arising within us and as us. The Christ son of God born in us..the Son of Man. Joined within our body in mediation.
All the followers who heard John were Jewish and knew the tabernacle pattern well. The entire early church were jewish and celebrating Pentecost in the upper room (upper room metaphor for going up into christ consciousness in mediation). After pentecost they daily visited the temple to meditate on the tabernacle. They saw inwardly the mystery of the lamb slain. They must have had kundalini experiences in their responding to John. It was no outward, but a deep inward revelation of consciousness which drew them to John and then to Jesus as the Lamb. To make this short..Baptism is revealed as a mystical revealing stirring of christ consciousness. Not a ritual to take care of bad behavior (sin)….Jesus takes away the idea and consciousness of sin, not cleansing bad behavior. In taking ahold of the rod of Aaron, we take ahold of our seven pieces of tabernacle furniture within our bodies and lift up our rod (spinal chord into our brain). The WAY we are to see in order to prepare of the appearing is this seven step mediation within our body. In John’s revelation, when he enters this mediative sate….in the Mountain….His mind, he is told “the tabernacle of god is with men”…All the mysteries of mediation and christ consciousness are hidden in the tabernacle within.
Steven…
Thank you for the additional thoughts and information. The 7 pieces also stand for the chakras. Great comment.
Exactly Josh, This is so rich and beautiful…The final two chakra’s..Coronochakra (or crown chakra),
Frontochakra (or third eye are the (crown) are revealed in the final two pieces of tabernacle furniture. The crown chakra being the Pineal gland and in the tabernacle the Mercy Seat/throne. The third eye chakra being the Ark of the covenant, Pituitary gland. These two are one in purpose, one being the presence, the other the “cover or seat” place of sitting in rest. “. The two wheels/chakras in the vision of Ezekiel, a wheel within a wheel being where the throne is awakened to within the brain. When we align these chakras in mediation within the tabernacle, we experience the heavenly places, the angelic cherubim come live within our mind.
Steven, I think I can follow you. You are interweaving three concepts: (1) the biblical narratives that are in preparation for the coming of the Messiah (John the Baptist, Malachi) with (2) the pattern of the physical tabernacle furniture, and with (3) the steps of spiritual growth initiated and developed through meditation. You are showing how they explain the birth and step-wise development of the divine nature, what you refer to as the I AM nature of God, the Christ, that arises within.
What I am interested in is what you say about being drawn to John the Baptist and then as a result of that, being drawn to Christ. John the Baptist, the forerunner, baptized for forgiveness of sin, for transgressing the moral law, freeing up blockages in self-awareness, the first step to further enlightenment.
Robert…”Baptizing for forgiveness of sin, and transgressing moral law freeing up blockages in self awareness”…is a way to see what John did…What I see is John the Baptist not knowing who Jesus was…until the dove descended…then He recognized who he was. This revelation John received caused him to say “Behold the Lamb, who takes away the sin of the world” This shift in consciousness and “beholding” was an experience which caused him to see the Lamb. The lamb is a deep mystery of 12 flocks in the beginning of time. The source and beginning of every man. This lamb was there and the plan (slain lamb) was there at the foundations of the earth. All we, like sheep have gone astray, we have turned to our own way. Where did we stray from? this flock we were in at the foundation of the earth. We see in this baptism the revelation of our sonship as spiritual beings. The Christ is thus born in us once again…born again. We enter back into the eternal dwelling place of our spiritual identity. The way is revealed …prepare ye the way. So any breaking a moral law fades in importance and our awakening to our eternal holiness and our acceptance as sons of God becomes the focus of this baptism. PS Robert, I am daily open to change and seeing things different than yesterday..trying to live in the realm of the fresh manna of each breath rather than yesterday’s manna…so here is the manna I am eating today…
Thanks for the detailed response.
WOW…mind blown. Love, love, love this site!
Another great article, Josh. I just want to add here to your exposition on Hebrews 6:1-2, which states: “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundations of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1-2).
It is critical to lay the foundation before the rest of the building can be built (and of course, the external church lacks the understanding of what these foundations really mean), but we have to continue our labor after the foundation has been laid. In other words, we can’t continue to harp on the foundation. The law leads us to Christ (Rom. 10:4). But we can continue striving to keep the law, and cease to continue on our journey.
The perfection spoken of here, and the perfection towards which we should be moving, the way I see it, is the marriage of God and man, which is when man is created male and female. In order to achieve this, we must, once the foundation has been laid (and the foundation must be laid first), continue building the temple, which is the “building fitly framed together grow[ing into] an holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:20-21).
Again, another great article.
Every time I read a post I get a new and fresh insight to the Scriptures, Josh. We’re quick to forget that the New Testament is a fusion of Eastern and Greek thought. We cannot read the Scripture with the literal Western eye, or we get frustrated; a reason why Christianity in the West appears shallow and trite.
Only with that metaphorical Eastern eye we will fully understand what “thus saith the Lord” and will mature into the full beings we were created to be.
Another great post, Josh. Looking towards the follow up to this. Peace.
Before cleaning the house one has to throw out the foreign devils. They slip back in unless you smear the doorposts of your house with blood (in preparation of the departure of slavery, no more leavening, start do things). It means one has to establish a firm foundation. Protection from top to bottom. Once this is established and maintained the security system works autonomous.
Then the cleaning can really be effective, foreign substance is warded off.
With every deep breath we give life to our body, elements start to become alive and interact. Let the communication be done with the Intelligence based in the 6th chakra. That intelligence doesn’t automatically fire up responses, it takes a neutral stance. No amigdala hi-jack. Take it from there.
As a counter note IMO meditation is absolutely NOT a first step.
Most meditation forms AVOID emotions. Why did the Buddha left his meditation and returned to the people ? He was frowned upon by his colleague meditators.
Because meditation is lacking real life, interaction, devils, daemons, angels, the good, the bad, the ugly. All of that stirs us, make us grind, cf the churning of the ocean of milk.
In Jungian terms meditation feeds the shadow function. Yes it feels good as long as we are in our own secluded part. Outside the world gets worse and worse, cf ‘participation mystic’ and transferal in the chimera.
Wow.. this has satans name written all over it. The twisting of words and scripture since the beginning.
Baptism is literal water baptism, as JESUS did it himself, along with all his disciples. And when Moses and the people went through the Red Sea and it was above and over them, to show they were under the water, it’s is symbolic in the Old Testament to show forth things that were to come in the new covenant which came at the death and resurrection of JESUS Christ.
Baptism is symbolising the death of your old life, the old life of sin which is what Egypt represents, the life of sin and pleasures there in.
Meditation has nothing to do with GOD, but Satan uses it as a tool to be connected to people and use them as his tools of his deception to spread his lies about the BIBLE.
The serpent that was lifted up by Moses was one that was later destroyed because it became an idol. The reason they had to look upon it was to show their faith in the word that was spoken. If they looked upon the serpent idol then they would not die from the actual serpents. When JESUS said the son of man shall be lifted up and likened it to this, he was saying who ever looks upon me and believes and has their faith in me shall not die.
The scripture in Hebrews 6 you have taken out of context.
Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3 And this will we do, if God permit.
Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
In other words he is saying, you already know these things, it is our foundation that started everything for us in our belief in Christ. But let us go on to perfection, in other words, let us grow and get it right in the LORD. Don’t let us start over again and again, having to lay this foundation again and again. So he’s not saying get rid of this at all. He is saying we know these things, we know that this is what is required and necessary for our salvation but let us not go back to a sinful life that we have to restart this process over and over again.
For he who was was once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, if he falls away and puts Christ to shame because JESUS changed his life by the power of the Holy Ghost, and now he has reverted back to a life of sin, it is impossible to renew him again.
But all things are possible with GOD. And GOD is not unrighteous to forget our good works and the love we have ministered to his saints and for his name as it goes on to talk about.
You are taking it out of context, and literally have no idea about the word of GOD and its truth. And unless you repent be baptised and receive the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues you will not make it.
A day of judgment is coming and it’s coming soon. Get yourself right with GOD. Stop spreading the lies and deceit that Satan has blinded you with and bound you to. You are stuck in your sin. Only GOD can redeem you. There is no other name in heaven or in earth by which man can be saved other than the LORD JESUS Christ. Not some teibetan monk.
The serpent represents Satan, kundalini is all Satan.
Every religion talks about and points to JESUS. But JESUS says I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the father except by me.
When JESUS was born, GOD spoke, and he was brought into being in the womb of Mary.
That same word created the heavens and the earth. This world will burn. And he will fold the world up as we know it as a garment the Bible says. And a new earth will come down from heaven. No one can comprehend or understand what GOD has on offer, yet it is revealed to us by his Spirit. We now see through a glass darkly. But then we shall see him face to face.
Gods word is the only thing that matters or has power. You’re corrupting it because Satan has a hold on you.
Gods word endures forever. It doesn’t matter what man says or does. On the day of judgment every eyes shall see. And everyone will be without excuse.
Hi Adam…
Thanks for your comment. Paul also told a group of his followers that he wanted to teach them the higher mysteries, but could only feed them milk and not meat even though they believed everything you have stated above. It is up to the student to go past dogma, man’s doctrine, and fake history to uncover greater truths. We cannot be mentally lazy. Unfortunately, the carnal mind is naturally geared towards the traditions of men, and we make GOD an idol in man’s image.