Baptism in the Old Testament? The Ambivalent Symbol of Water Interpreted in the Light of Christian Baptism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21906/rbl.3768Keywords:
baptism, water, passage, biblical typology, creation, flood, exodus, Jordan, Naaman, purification, covenant, salvationAbstract
The article examines the symbolism of water in the Old Testament as an ambivalent sign of life and death, interpreted in the light of Christian baptism. It analyzes key texts concerning creation, the flood, the crossing of the sea and of the Jordan, and Naaman’s cleansing. The intertwined motifs of water and passage reveal a consistent pattern of divine action: through chaos and threat, God leads to life, purification, and covenant. In the light of the New Testament, these events acquire a typological dimension, pointing to baptism as a passage through death into new life in Christ.
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