I have heard some people say that being immersed (baptized) in water is not a requirement anymore and that believing in YESHUA is all that if you have to do. Again, this shows how the world is taught that YESHUA has done it all and there is nothing left for the believer to do but play church. So, we will look at scripture to answer, do you have to be immersed in water? Can you receive the RUACH HA’KODESH before water immersion? And also, do you have to speak in tongues when you receive the RUACH HA’KODESH?
Being immersed in water is a symbolic action that represents washing your sins away preferably in living water (mayim chayim) which is a body of water like a river, etc.
Acts 22:15-16
“Because you (Paul) shall be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now, why do you delay? Rise up, be IMMERSED, and WASH AWAY YOUR SINS, calling on the Name of YAHWEH.”
Although, we know that only ELOHIM can remove the sins from anyone, the act of water immersion is a part of the process, it is obedience to YAHWEH and is something that ALL believers should do. The water expresses the already repentant heart that the believer wants to turn away from their sins to YAHWEH! Peter says this in:
Acts 2:38
“And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be IMMERSED in the Name of YESHUA HA’MASHIACH for the forgiveness of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the RUACH HA’KODESH.”
Water was always a way to purify ritual uncleanness by bathing in water (a mikveh) a bath that contained water from a water source. An example of this:
Leviticus 15:13
“And when he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and shall wash his garments, and shall BATHE his flesh in RUNNING WATER, and be clean.”
Being immersed in the RUACH HA’KODESH and with fire means that He will change your nature so that you are not the same person you were beforehand. The kind of change that people say “They don’t recognize you anymore” or they think you in a cult or are too extreme in your love and zeal for YAHWEH! And with fire is the divine purification process to purge you of sins and making you acceptable to ELOHIM! Even though the power of ELOHIM is working within us we see that immersion in water is a necessity.
The act of immersion brings a spiritual regeneration where you die to your old self and your sins as YESHUA died for us; and be raised a new creature living for YESHUA with the expectation to be raised to eternal life. As Paul says in:
Romans 6:1-6
“What, then, shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, to let favor increase? Let it not be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that as many of us were IMMERSED into Messiah YESHUA were IMMERSED into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through immersion into death, that as Messiah was raised from the dead by the esteem of the Father, so also, we should walk in newness of life. For if we have come to be grown together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also of the resurrection, knowing this, that our old man (sin nature inherited from Adam) was impaled with Him, so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, to serve sin no longer.”
Make no mistake there is only ONE immersion, and that immersion is to be in the Body of Messiah as a citizen of Yisra’el with the native-born and gentiles grafted in as ONE; and Paul makes that clear as well as he addresses that there is only ONE belief/faith.
Ephesians 4:4-6
“One Body and One Spirit, as you also were called in one expectation of your calling, one Master, One belief, ONE IMMERSION, one ELOHIM and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Do you have to be immersed in water?
The perfect scripture to show that immersion is a process involving water found in Acts when Phillip immersed the Kushite eunuch will set the stage for all the scriptures that follow:
Acts 8:35-39
“And Phillip opening his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, brought to him (The Kushite eunuch) the Good News: YESHUA! And as they were going on the way, they came to some WATER. And the eunuch said, “Look, WATER! What hinders me from being IMMERSED?” And Phillip said, “If you believe with all your heart, it is permitted.” And he answering said, “I believe that YESHUA HA’MASHIACH is The Son of YAHWEH.” And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Phillip and the eunuch went down into the WATER, and he IMMERSED him.”
Mathew 28:19-20 (Parenthesis mine)
“Therefore, go and instruct ALL (not some) the nations, IMMERSING, them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the RUACH HA’KODESH, teaching them to guard all that I have commanded you.”
Mark 16:16
“He who has believed and has been IMMERSED, shall be saved, but he who has not believed shall be condemned.”
John 3:5
“YESHUA answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of WATER and the Spirit, he is unable to enter into the reign of ELOHIM.”
Acts 2:38
“And Peter said to them, Repent, and let each one of you be IMMERSED in the Name of YESHUA HA’MASHIACH for the forgiveness of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the RUACH HA’KODESH.”
Acts 8:12-14
“And when they believed Phillip as he brought the Good News about the reign of ELOHIM and the Name of YESHUA HA’MASHIACH, both men and women were IMMERSED. And Simon himself also believed. And when he was IMMERSED he continued with Phillip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which took place.:
Acts 9:17-18
“And Hananiah went away and went into the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Paul, the Master YESHUA, who appeared to you on the way as you came, has sent me, so that you might see again and be filled with the RUACH HA’KODESH.” And immediately there fell from his eyes, as it were scales, and he received his sight. And rising up, he was IMMERSED.”
Acts 16:14-15
“And a certain woman named Ludia, a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, worshipping ELOHIM, was hearing, whose heart the Master opened to pay attention to what Paul said. And when she was IMMERSED and her household, she begged us, saying, “if you have judged me to be believing in the Master, come to my house and stay.” And she urged us.”
Acts 16:30-33
“And having let them outside he said, “Masters, what do I have to do to be saved? And they said, “Believe on the Master YESHUA HA’MASHIACH, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the Word of YAHWEH to him and to all who were in his house. And taking them in that hour of the night, he washed their wounds, and immediately he was IMMERSED, he and all that were his.”
Acts 18:7-8
“And having left there he (Paul) came to the house of a certain man named Yustos, who worshipped ELOHIM, whose house was next to the congregation. And Krispus, the ruler of the congregation, believed in the Master with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were IMMERSED.”
Do you have to be immersed to receive the RUACH HA’KODESH?
Acts 10:44-47
“While Peter was still speaking these words, the RUACH HA’KODESH fell upon all those hearing the Word. And those of the circumcision (native-born Jews) who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the RUACH HA’KODESH had been poured out on the gentiles also, for they were hearing them speaking with tongues and extolling ELOHIM. Then Peter answered, “Is anyone able to forbid WATER, that these should not be IMMERSED, who have received the RUACH HA’KODESH- even as also we?”
Here we see that the gentiles received the RUACH HA’KODESH before being immersed in water; however, afterwards they were still immersed in water in obedience to the command. So regardless if you receive Him before or afterwards, immersion in water is still a requirement.
Sometimes required the laying on of the hands!
Sometimes even after the immersion process of water it took the laying on of hands for them to receive the RUACH HA’KODESH.
Acts 8:14-18 (Verse 13 shows they were already immersed in water)
“And when the emissaries who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of YAHWEH, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them to receive the RUACH HA’KODESH, which had NOT YET fallen on any of them, but they had only been immersed in the Name of the Master YESHUA. Then they LAID HANDS on them, and they received the RUACH HA’KODESH, and Simon seeing that through the LAYING ON OF THE HANDS of the emissaries the RUACH HA’KODESH was given, he offered them money.”
Acts 19:1-6
“And it came to be, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper parts, came to Ephesus. And having found some disciples, he said to them, “Did you receive the RUACH HA’KODESH when you believed? And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard that there is a RUACH HA’KODESH. And he said to them, “Into what then were you immersed?” And they said, “Into John’s immersion.” And Paul said, “John indeed immersed with an immersion of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the One who is coming after him, that is, in Messiah YESHUA.” And when they heard this, they were immersed in the Name of the Master YESHUA. And when Paul had LAID HANDS on them, the RUACH HA’KODESH came upon them, and they were speaking in tongues and prophesying.”
Do you have to speak in tongues when you receive the RUACH HA’KODESH?
Most in Christianity teach that if you do not speak in tongues then you do not have the RUACH HA’KODESH! Is this true? Let’s look at examples from scripture to show why this is false.
Firstly, speaking in tongues means to speak in other languages that is unknown to the speaker, but known to the hearer. Examples of this:
Mark 16:17
“And these signs shall accompany the ones who believe: In My Name they shall cast out demons, they shall speak with renewed tongues…
The word renewed tongues is the Greek word “Glossa” #G1100, which means the LANGUAGE or DIALECT used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations. So this makes sense when we see what YESHUA said in verse 15 “Go into ALL THE WORLD and proclaim the Good News to every creature.”
So being that they were Galileans who spoke Aramaic, how could they preach the gospel to other nations, when there would be a language barrier? We see the fulfillment of this happen on Shavuot.
Acts 2:1-11 (Parenthesis mine)
“And when the Day of the Festival of Shavuot had come, they were all with one mind in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from the heavens, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and settled on each one of them. And they were all filled with the RUACH HA’KODESH and began to speak with other tongues (Glossa/languages), as the Spirit gave them to speak. Now in Jerusalem there were dwelling Jews, dedicated men from every nation under the heavens. And when this sound came to be, the crowd came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his OWN LANGUAGE. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying to each other, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how do we hear each one in our own LANGUAGE (#G1259 Dialektos where the word dialect comes from) in which we were born? Parthians and Madites and Eylamites, and those dwelling in Aram Naharayim, both Judah and Kappadokia, Pontus and Asia, both Phrugia and Pamphulia, Egypt and the parts of Libue around Kurene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts, Kreteans and Arabs, we hear them speaking in our own TONGUES, the great deeds of ELOHIM.”
Another example is the Lashon Ha’kodesh (The Holy tongue is the Hebrew language):
Jubilees 12:25-26
“And YAHWEH ELOHIM said, “Open his (Abraham’s) mouth and his ears, that he may hear and speak with his mouth, with the LANGUAGE which has been revealed.” For it had ceased from the mouth of all the children of men from the day of the overthrow (Tower of Babel). And I opened his mouth, and his ears and his lips, and I began to speak with him in HEBREW in the TONGUE OF THE CREATION.”
Isaiah 36:11
“Then Elyakim and Shevna and Yo’ach said to him, speak to your servants in the ARAMAIC TONGUE; for we understand it: and do not speak to us in Yehudit (Hebrew): and why do you speak in the ears of the men on the wall?”
2 Kings 18:26
“And Elyakim the son of Chilkiyahu and Shevna and Yo’ach, said to Rav-Shakeh speak now to your servants in the ARAMAIC LANGUAGE, for we understand it…”
So as we see, the account in Isaiah is the same account found in 2 Kings, but notice how one passage says tongue and the other says language? That is because they are interchangeable! Tongues in scripture is always languages!
So do you have to speak in other languages when you receive the RUACH HA’KODESH? The following scriptures show that when they were immersed that there is no mention of them speaking in tongues at all.
Acts 9:17-18
“And Hananiah went away and went into the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Paul, the Master YESHUA, who appeared to you on the way as you came, has sent me, so that you might see again and be filled with the RUACH HA’KODESH.” And immediately there fell from his eyes, as it were scales, and he received his sight. And rising up, he was IMMERSED.”
Acts 16:14-15
“And a certain woman named Ludia, a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, worshipping ELOHIM, was hearing, whose heart the Master opened to pay attention to what Paul said. And when she was IMMERSED and her household, she begged us, saying, “if you have judged me to be believing in the Master, come to my house and stay.” And she urged us.”
Acts 16:30-33
“And having let them outside he said, “Masters, what do I have to do to be saved? And they said, “Believe on the Master YESHUA HA’MASHIACH, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the Word of YAHWEH to him and to all who were in his house. And taking them in that hour of the night, he washed their wounds, and immediately he was IMMERSED, he and all that were his.”
Acts 18:7-8
“And having left there he (Paul) came to the house of a certain man named Yustos, who worshipped ELOHIM, whose house was next to the congregation. And Krispus, the ruler of the congregation, believed in the Master with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were IMMERSED.”
Numbers 11:15 (When YAHWEH took from Moses’ Spirit and placed upon the 70 elders)
“And YAHWEH came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him (Moses) and placed the same upon the seventy elders. And it came to be, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, but did not continue.”
So here we see them prophesying and not speaking in tongues. I know that this was before the immersion process in the New Testament, but I wanted to make a reference of not everyone speaking tongues (languages) when the RUACH HA’KODESH falls upon them.
Lastly, I would like to add this concerning the tongues:
1 Corinthians 12:7-12
“And to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for profiting, for to one is given a word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, and to another belief by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, and to another operations of powers, and to another prophesy, and to another discerning of spirits, and to another KINDS OF TONGUES, and to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these, distributing to each one individually as He intends. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is HA’MASHIACH.”
So, most in Christianity says that if you don’t speak in other languages that you don’t have the RUACH HA’KODESH and from the scriptures above that is shown not be true, but also that it is a gift that that NOT EVERYONE will receive. The RUACH HA’KODESH distributes these gifts as He intends, and we all will not have the same gifts.
As always, may our Father YAHWEH bless you all in YESHUA’s Name!