Hebrews 6:2 and 9:10 use the plural of baptismos, the less common form for baptism, and are the only two verses in Hebrews in which the word baptism is found.
Many English versions translate baptismos in Hebrews 6:2 as baptism, but questions arise about what is meant by the plural "teachings of baptisms," especially since this is foundational knowledge of Messiah. Some take it to mean the water baptism supposedly commanded by Messiah, together with Spirit baptism. Others add R. John’s baptism, and still others add all the Jewish baptisms of the Torah, cf. Hebrews 9:10.
On the other hand, some English versions render baptismos as "washing" or "ablution" or some similar word. In fact, F.F. Bruce remarks on Hebrews 6:2,
"Doubtful whether Christian baptism is directly in view here at all. (They are) instructions about cleansing rites (as found in the NEB). The prophet Ezekiel in earlier days had used the terminology of old ceremonial ablutions to describe God’s inward cleansing of His people in the age of restoration: 'I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you’ (Ezekiel 36:25)."1
Now if Messiah never commanded a new water baptism, and since R. John’s baptism was Israel’s only, then the best understanding of "teachings of baptisms" is that there are nothing but Jewish baptisms in mind, there simply are no others.
The author, writing to Jews, described Jewish purifications commanded to Israel. Through them readers might learn of true purification accomplished by Messiah in His New Covenant, cf. Hebrews 9:11-23, comparing it with all previous rituals, including R. John’s baptism promised by Ezekiel.
Immediately after "instructions about baptisms" is the "laying on of hands." The Greek word te between the two ideas indicates a close connection.
Many commentaries mention that laying on of hands here refers to the distribution of the Spirit, such as seen in Acts. Not every person must have hands laid on them to receive the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:1-4 and 10:44 make this clear, still, receiving the Spirit was widely accomplished with laying on of hands. Yet the practice was not a "religious ordinance," it was a means of assisting a person to receive the Holy Spirit.
Then the truth of all the types of purification, including the sprinkling of blood commanded to Israel in the Torah, becomes real and alive to the Jewish disciple, i.e. he is enlightened.
"But Messiah came as High Priest of the good things to come,...with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all having obtained eternal redemption...How much more will the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason His is Mediator of the New Covenant..." Hebrews 9:11-15.
At the same time the author of Hebrews encourages his Jewish audience to;
"Draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water," Hebrews 10:22.
22 προσερχώμεθα μετὰ ἀληθινη̃ς καρδίας ἐν πληροφορία̨ πίστεως ῥεραντισμένοι τὰς καρδίας ἀπò συνειδήσεως πονηρα̃ς καὶ λελουσμένοι τò σω̃μα ὕδατι καθαρω̨̃
Many exegetes see this as a direct reference to water baptism, even if the Greek verb baptizo is not used expressly, but instead louo.2
Here a clear distinction is made between cleansing of conscience and cleansing of body. In fact on the face of it, the "pure water" in Hebrews appears to refer to the "pure water" in Ezekiel 36:25 which is also distinguished from the inner work of God’s Spirit. F.F. Bruce remarks on Hebrew 10:22:
"Behind this passage (of God sprinkling the repentant to cleanse from impurity) from the Qumran Rule of the Community, as indeed behind the thought of the writer to the Hebrews and other New Testament writers, we may discern such an Old Testament prophecy as that of Ezek. 36:25f., where the terminology of the ancient ritual ablutions is used to describe God’s inward cleansing of His people in the age of restoration."3
In Hebrews the end-time baptism with pure water to put away defilements is combined with the Spirit baptism which saves.4
In contrast in other epistles for all believers, Jewish and non-Jewish, Spirit baptism is emphasized and has nothing to do with putting away defilements.
Any apparent confusion is resolved when we realize that for all believers Spirit baptism saves. For Jewish believers there is also a ritual washing of body with pure water.
The author of Hebrews clearly has a "Jewish" baptism of the flesh in mind in Hebrews 10:22. Since he is writing to Jews, why not?
In any event, the pinnacle of the instructions about baptisms, together with the laying on of hands, is that Messiah’s blood, now eternally mixed with the Living Water of the Holy Spirit, purifies, "enlightens," the conscience to be able to serve the living God.
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1F.F. Bruce, Hebrews, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Wm B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, reprint 1984, pp 114-5. See also A.M. Stibbs, 'Hebrews,’ The New Bible Commentary: Revised, p 1201. Paul Ellingworth lists a number of ideas as to the meaning of "teaching of baptisms" and writes that "many scholars" say it means "Jewish ceremonial washings" without relating to John's baptism or Christian baptism. The Epistle to the Hebrews, A Commentary on the Greek Text. By Paul Ellingworth. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, MI, and Paternoster Press, Carlisle. p 315.
2"Almost all commentators, with the notable exception of Calvin (cf. Lang), see here a reference to baptism..." The Epistle to the Hebrews, A Commentary on the Greek Text. By Paul Ellingworth. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, MI, and Paternoster Press, Carlisle. "The reference in v22b is almost certainly to Christian baptism, which replaces all previous cleansing rites..." Word Bible Commentary, Volume 47b, Hebrews 9-13. By William L. Lane. Word Books, Publishers. Dallas, Texas. 1991.
3Ezekiel 36:25 from the Greek Septuagint reads, "kai hrano ef humas hudor katharon, while Hebrews 10:22 reads, hrerantismenoi tas kardias apo suneideeseos poneeras kai lelousmenoi to soma hudati katharoi; Bruce, Hebrews, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, pp 249-52, Hebrews 10:22; Beasley-Murray, Baptism, pp 247-250, (Hebrews 10:22-23 is related to Ezek 36:25.); Flusser, Judaism and the Origins of Christianity, p 52, "There still is an indirect connection between moral purity and the significance of baptism in Heb X. 22," (similar to Josephus and Qumran). "By submission of his soul to all the statutes of God his flesh will be cleansed, that he may be sprinkled with water for impurity and sanctify himself with water of cleanness."
4cf. Hebrews 6:4-5, "who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come."