What does the Bible say about Holy water

[missmuffet]

The Bible is silent about Holy water the way it is used today. For Baptism the Bible speaks of "Baptizing with water for repentance" Matthew 3:11. The Bible no where instructs Christians to use "Holy water" in any way. The RCC use of Holy water is not biblical.

[Sower]

3 hours ago, missmuffet said:

The Bible is silent about Holy water the way it is used today. For Baptism the Bible speaks of "Baptizing with water for repentance" Matthew 3:11. The Bible no where instructs Christians to use "Holy water" in any way. The RCC use of Holy water is not biblical.

In the Bible,
Numbers 5:17 describes a ritual performed by a priest to determine if a man's suspicions about his wife's faithfulness are valid:

"And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water"    Numbers 5:17

[Mr. M]

53 minutes ago, Sower said:

In the Bible,
Numbers 5:17 describes a ritual performed by a priest to determine if a man's suspicions about his wife's faithfulness are valid:

"And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water"    Numbers 5:17

Formula for the water of purification for the unclean.

Numbers 19:1 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

2 This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:

3 And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:

4 And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:

5 And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:

6 And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.

7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.

8 And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.

9 And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.

[missmuffet]

1 hour ago, Sower said:

In the Bible,
Numbers 5:17 describes a ritual performed by a priest to determine if a man's suspicions about his wife's faithfulness are valid:

"And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water"    Numbers 5:17

A closer parallel to the modern use of holy water would be God’s laws in the Old Testament, which required cleaning ritually unclean things with water to purify them before one could touch them (see Leviticus 15, 16, and 17:15). See also a specific reference to ritually unclean people in Numbers 19:17.

We now have a New Testament and Covenant.

[Sower]

1 hour ago, missmuffet said:

A closer parallel to the modern use of holy water would be God’s laws in the Old Testament, which required cleaning ritually unclean things with water to purify them before one could touch them

               **New Testament cleansing**

      "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you"  John 15, 3

      "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
    that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
            that she might be holy and without blemish"

Thanks, MM

 

[missmuffet]

27 minutes ago, Sower said:

               **New Testament cleansing**

      "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you"  John 15, 3

      "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
    that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
            that she might be holy and without blemish"

Thanks, MM

 

Your perspective.

[Sower]

7 hours ago, missmuffet said:

Your perspective.

God's Words, God's scripture, not mine.
Thought you might appreciate what He says about new testament cleansing.

[missmuffet]

4 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Hi, If one is to make an accusation or a dismissal OF ANOTHER'S UNDERSTANDINGS AND BELIEFS perhaps there is also obligation to present from a representative of the accused their view of matters too. To that end a short excerpt follows:

...."The charge persists that holy water is not found in Sacred Scripture and is an invention of the Church. This is not the case, as there are a handful of biblical references to blessed water and its effects.

The first is actually in the beginning of the Bible: “The Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:2). Emerging from the void, God’s first act was to move across the waters of the earth he was prepared to form, first being sure to bless the waters for the goodness of his creation and the coming forth of all other matter. The Catechism acknowledges this: “Since the beginning of the world, water, so humble and wonderful a creature, has been the source of life and fruitfulness” (1218). 

We even have a recipe for holy water in the Old Testament, not distant from that found in today’s rituals: “The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water” (Num. 5:17). Later in this same book, we find instructions pertaining to one defiled by touching a corpse: “He who touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days; he shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean” (19:11-12).  

The ancient Jews, then, truly knew the importance of blessed water. After the sacrament of baptism is revealed to the apostles, we see holy water become an important sacramental of the Catholic Church. The Church encourages us to use holy water because it can yield many graces and blessings in our lives:  

• It helps us to overcome temptations. The rite of providing holy water in the Roman Ritual includes an exorcism prayer: “May all evil fancies of the foul fiend, his malice and cunning, be driven afar from the place where you are sprinkled. And let every unclean spirit be repulsed by him who is coming to judge both the living and the dead and the world by fire.”  
• It drives away sickness and future illnesses. Holy water can help keep away illnesses of the body, mind, and soul. One of the prayers of blessing a priest says asks that the water become “a medicine for body and soul for all who make use of” it.  
• It removes venial sins. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “By the sprinkling of holy water the debt of venial sin is wiped out; but not always, however, are all temporal punishments relinquished.”
• It drives away the devil. St. Teresa of Avila once said, “I often experience that there is nothing the devils flee from more, without returning, than holy water.”

Any Catholic may use holy water to gain these corporeal and spiritual benefits. A clean and suitable container may be brought to a Catholic parish, where holy water is almost always available in a large container, typically near the sacristy or confessionals. Catholic stores also sell a variety of vials, and it is a beautiful tradition among pious Catholics to have holy water fonts in the entrance to their homes and in common rooms. God chooses the simple things of the world for his purposes (1 Cor. 1:27), and holy water is his unique gift to fight the spiritually unclean with the spiritually clean.'..." From https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/the-bibles-recipe-for-holy-water

As for myself I didn't even know there are "recipes"  for holy water. I knew of one parish that sold it  for 25 cents a gallon out of the tap in the narthex wall, money to be dropped in the poor box.

---

 

Your perspective.

[missmuffet]

12 hours ago, Sower said:

               **New Testament cleansing**

      "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you"  John 15, 3

      "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
    that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
            that she might be holy and without blemish"

Thanks, MM

 

In the New Testament they cleansed themselves by confessing and turning away from sins

that polluted or soiled them. They did not use holy water. They prayed.

[farouk]

15 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

In the New Testament they cleansed themselves by confessing and turning away from sins

that polluted or soiled them. They did not use holy water. They prayed.

'The washing of water by the word' (Ephesians 5.26) is indeed a distinct idea, right, @missmuffet ?

:)