Definition of Terms:
1. Mikveh was a bath for ritual purification. Whenever an Israelite became defiled, part of the cleansing process involved a mikveh (Lev. 15:16-19)
2. T'vilah was another term for complete immersion, as in Naaman's immersion in the Jordan. In Yeshua's day, t'vilah was used for the conversion of gentiles (proselyte immersion). John the Baptist in Hebrew was called Yochanan Ha-Matbil and the immersions he performed were not mikveh (a bath for ritual purification) but t'vilah (becoming immersed as a sign of repentence).
3. "Baptize" comes from the word baptizo which means "to dip or immerse." Baptism is a good term but not especially helpful in a Messianic Jewish context because of forced conversions and baptisms of Jewish people (in the year 1492, that was one of the "options" in Spain and Portugal).
WHY GO THROUGH T'VILAH?
1. The short version - Yeshua commanded us to do so ourselves and immerse others who will accept him through our testimony, (Mt. 28:19-20).
2. The early believers were immersed as soon as they accepted Yeshua. It was a "no brainer." When 3,000 Jews acepted Yeshua, they were immersed that same day (Acts 2:37-41; also, the Ethiopian official, 8:36-37; Cornelius' household, 8:47-48; the Philippian jailer 16:31-34).
WHAT DOES T'VILAH "DO FOR US?"
1. There is a range of opinion among believers today on what t'vilah means. Some view it as being necessary for salvation.
2. Others (such as ourselves at CYT) view t'vilah as an external, public testimony to what already took place inwardly. We interpret Romans 6:3-6 as figurative: "buried with Yeshua through immersion, raised with Him in newness of life."
3. Viewing t'vilah as an external symbol does not minimize it. It is a requirement for membership at CYT. Why? It is a relatively simple act of obedience to Him. It conveys to the L-rd, to ourselves and to others that we are serious about following Him as His disciples.
