Hebrews 6:2 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The doctrine of baptisms,— Dr. Sykes and many others think the reason why the sacred writer speaks of baptisms in the plural number to be this: He writes to the Hebrews, who had not only several sorts of baptisms enjoined in and by the law, but who had had John, whom all looked upon and acknowledged, baptizing into the belief of one who was to come after him, and into a baptism of repentance. When a Jew was converted, he was baptized into the profession of Jesus's being the Messiah, he already believing in the other great preparative doctrines. When John made use of the rite of baptism to all such as became believers in the Messiah, who was soon to appear, he declared repentance to be necessary, as a preparatory work for all the blessings of the gospel: after this, our Saviour coming, declared the same, and baptized disciples in his own name, as being the Messiah himself actually come. When a Jewish disciple therefore was to be baptized, he was particularly to be instructed in the difference between the Jewish and Christianbaptisms; and hence the apostle speaks here of the doctrine of baptisms. Lord Barrington understands this of the baptism of water, and the effusion of the Holy Spirit, by which the first disciples amongthe Jews, and the first converts among the devout and idolatrous Gentiles were initiated. He also explains the laying on of hands, as referring to the immediate communication of the spiritual gifts by means of the apostles. These he thinks were first principles, as baptism was the first entrance into the church, and laying on of hands the great evidence of it; and so repentance and living faith include the whole of Christianity; and a resurrection and eternal judgment are the great motives leading men under the grace of God to embrace it. Of laying on of hands must be understood as if he had said what was the use and purport of this practice; for anciently they were wont to lay on hands as soon as the persons were baptized, to give them the Holy Ghost; Acts 8:17; Acts 19:5-6. Sometimes they used this ceremony to appoint persons to offices; Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3 sometimes to heal, as Acts 9:12; Acts 9:17. This custom then being so variously applied to such different purposes, it was explained to the person to be initiated by baptism.