Why We Immerse in Yahshua’s Name

Why We Immerse in Yahshua’s Name


Introduction
The subject of immersion has long been called a great issue and no doubt has been made such by many assembly leaders of the past and present. In our study of it, let us first consider its importance, or the necessity of being immersed.
The Importance of Water Immersion
Messianic immersion is an ordinance instituted by Yahshua HaMashiach. If it is not important in the plan of Elohim, why did Yahshua command it in Mattityahu 28:19? And why did Kepha follow up by saying, "Be immersed every one of you," and by commanding the Goyim to be immersed (Acts 2:38; 10:48)? We must remember two points about the importance of water immersion. First, whatever Mashiach definitely established and ordained cannot be unimportant, whether we understand its significance or not. Second, Mashiach and the apostles showed the importance of this ordinance by observing it. Yahshua walked many miles to be immersed, though He was without sin, saying, "For thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness" (See Mattityahu 3:13-16.)
It is true that water itself does not contain any saving virtue, but Elohim has chosen to include it in His plan of salvation. Kepha explained, "Immersion doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward Elohim) by the resurrection of Yahshua HaMashiach" (I Kepha 3:21). According to Luke 7:30, "the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of Elohim against themselves, being not immersed."
The Mode of Immersion
According to the Scriptures, the proper mode of immersion is complete immersion. "And Yahshua, when he was immersed, went up straightway out of the water" (Mattityahu 3:16). "And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he immersed him" (Acts 8:38). "Therefore we are buried with him by immersion into death" (Romans 6:4). A corpse is not buried by placing it on top of the ground and sprinkling a little soil on it, but by covering it completely.
According to the World Book Encyclopedia, "At first all baptisim was by complete immersion" (vol. 1, p.651). And the Catholic Encyclopedia states, "In the early centuries, all were immersed by immersion in streams, pools, and baptisteries" (vol. 2, p.263). Immersion was not convenient after the Catholic church instituted infant immersion; thus the mode was changed to sprinkling. (See Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., vol. 3, pp.365-66.)
Repentance identifies us with the death of Mashiach, and immersion identifies us with His burial. Coming forth from the watery grave of immersion and receiving new life in the Ruach HaKadosh identifies us with His resurrection.
The Formula for Immersion
Yahshua commanded His talmidim to "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Ruach HaKodesh" (Mattityahu 28:19). He did not command them to use these words as a formula, but He commanded them to immerse in "the name." The word name is used here in the singular, and it is the focal point of the immersion command. The titles Father, Son, and Ruach HaKadosh describe Elohim's relationships to humanity and are not the supreme, saving name described here, which is Yahshua. "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Yahshua is the name in which the roles of Father, Son, and Ruach HaKadosh are revealed. The malachei of YHVH instructed Yoseph, "She shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name YAHSHUA: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Mattityahu 1:21). Yahshua said, "I am come in my Father's name," and, "The Comforter, which is the Ruach HaKodesh,...the Father will send in my name" (John 5:43; 14:26). Thus by baptizing in the name of Yahshua, we honor the Mightiness. "For in him dwells all the fullness of the Mightiness bodily" (Colossians 2:9).
Luke 24:45-47 records that just before His ascension, Yahshua opened the talmidim' understanding. It was necessary that their understanding be opened, and many today need this same operation in order to understand the Scriptures. Then Yahshua said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Mashiach to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day." The talmidim had their understanding opened so that they could grasp the vast importance of the death, burial, and resurrection of Mashiach. Verse 47 describes the commission that Yahshua then gave: "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations [Jews and Goyim], beginning at Yerushalayim."
Kepha was one of that number to whom Yahshua had spoken and whose understanding had been opened. After having listened to these instructions, a few days later he was inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh to preach on the Day of Shavuot. The hearts of the hearers were pierced and, feeling condemned, they cried out to Kepha and the other apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). Kepha did not hesitate but boldly answered, "Repent, and be immersed every one of you in the name of Yahshua HaMashiach for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh" (Acts 2:38). "Then they that gladly received his word were immersed, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41).
Some say that Kepha told them to be immersed in Yahshua' name because they were Jews and this immersion was to make them acknowledge Yahshua Mashiach. But let us go with Kepha to the house of Cornelius 15 years later. Cornelius and his household were Goyim, yet there again Kepha "commanded them to be immersed in the name of the Master" (Acts 10:48). (Most translations actually say, "In the name of Yahshua Mashiach.") If Kepha was wrong on the Day of Shavuot, he surely had ample time to be corrected before he went to the house of Cornelius.
Was Kepha wrong on the Day of Shavuot? When the hearers were prickled in their hearts, they spoke to Kepha and to the rest of the apostles (Acts 2:37). This included Mattityahu, who wrote Mattityahu 28:19. Moreover, when Kepha preached, he stood up with the eleven Acts 2:14). Mattityahu was there, yet we find no words of correction from him. He surely would have spoken up if Kepha had disobeyed YHVH. But all the apostles understood and carried out Yahshua’s commission. As Yahshua said in prayer, "I have manifested thy name unto the men [the apostles] which thou gave to me out of the world...and they have kept thy word" (Yochanan 17:6).
The Samaritans, who were not Jews, were also immersed in the name of Yahshua. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Mashiach unto them...."But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of Elohim, and the name of Yahshua HaMashiach, they were immersed, both men and women.... They were immersed in the name of the Master Yahshua" (Acts 8:5, 12, 16).
Let us see how Sha’ul, the apostle to the Goyim, immersed. He went to Ephesus many years after the Day of Shavuot and found some talmidim of Yochanan the immerser there. "He said unto them, Have ye received the Ruach HaKodesh since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Ruach HaKodesh. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye immersed? And they said, Unto Yochanan's immersion. Then said Sha’ul, Yochanan verily immersed with the immersion of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Yahshua HaMashiach. When they heard this, they were immersed in the name of the Master Yahshua" (Acts 19:2-5). Although these talmidim had already been immersed, the name of Yahshua was so important as to cause them to be reimmersed in His name.
We do not believe that Sha’ul changed the formula or mode of immersion when he immersed Lydia and her household (Acts 16:14-15) or the Philippian jailer. The latter came trembling and fell down before Sha’ul and Silas, saying, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Master Yahshua HaMashiach, and thou shall be saved, and thy house. And he took them the same hour of the night [shortly after midnight], and washed their stripes; and was immersed, he and all his, straightway" (Acts 16:30-33). How can we doubt that Sha’ul immersed these people using the same mode and formula that he used elsewhere, that is, immersion in the name of the Master Yahshua HaMashiach?
Sha’ul was not with the apostles when Yahshua gave his finial instructions to them in Mattityahu 28:19 and Luke 24:47, yet Sha’ul immersed in the name of the Master Yahshua. How did he know what to do? He said that his gospel was not a tradition of men but a revelation from Elohim. "I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Yahshua HaMashiach" (Galatians 1:11-12). Sha’ul was chosen to bear Yahshua' name to the Goyim, and he wrote many divinely inspired epistles to the assemblies. To this apostle, Elohim revealed the mystery of the assembly, "which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it now revealed unto his kadosh apostles and prophets by the Ruach" (Ephesians 3:5). Sha’ul claimed to have divine authority: "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of YHVH" (I Corinthians 14:37). And Sha’ul wrote, Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Master Yahshua, giving thanks to Elohim and the Father by him" (Colossians 3:17). Water immersion is done in both word and deed. We cannot afford to overlook this command to the church.
The church is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yahshua HaMashiach himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians 2:20). The apostles not only preached immersion in Yahshua' name, but they practiced it. Nowhere can we find that they immersed using the words "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Ruach HaKodesh." Instead, we find them immersing in the name of the Master Yahshua HaMashiach. In immersing in Yahshua' name, they fulfilled the command of the Master in Mattityahu 28:19.Sha’ul said, "But though we, or a messenger from the heavens, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8). Let this be a solemn warning to us.
Some say that they will accept the words of Yahshua in Mattityahu 28:19 but not those of Kepha in Acts 2:38. But Kepha spoke on the Day of Shavuot under the anointing of the Ruach HaKodesh. Kepha was one of the apostles, and to him had been given the keys of the kingdom, so we have no right to discredit his words.
In Mark 7:8 Yahshua said, "Laying aside the commandment of Elohim, ye hold the tradition of men." History tells us that it was not until many years after the apostles that the mode and formula of immersion in the name of Yahshua Mashiach were changed. (See Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 1, p.241.) Which means more to you, the command of the Master Yahshua or the tradition of men?