HOW SHOULD YOU BE BAPTIZED?
Long before “the
prayer of salvation” and “asking Jesus into your heart” were introduced to the
religious world in the 1800s, the big issue was:
Should a person be baptized by
sprinkling or by immersion?
It was such a divisive issue that several
denominations in Europe would drown those who preferred adult immersion over
sprinkling of children. “You like water… we’ll give lots of water.”
But the question for
honest students of Scripture isn’t whether religious leaders believe in
immersion or sprinkling. The question is… what does the word “baptism” really
mean?
In John 3:23 we
read, "And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, BECAUSE THERE
WAS MUCH WATER THERE: and they came, and were baptized."
In Mark 1:9-10, we
read, "Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in
Jordan. And straightway COMING UP OUT OF THE WATER, he saw the heavens opened,
and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him"
And Romans 6:4 says,
"Therefore WE WERE BURIED with him by baptism into death."
·
Cardinal Gibbons, an American, was the author of
several books on Roman Catholicism. He stated, "For several centuries
after the establishment of Christianity, baptism was usually conferred by IMMERSION;
but since the 12th Century the practice by sprinkling has prevailed in the
Catholic Church, as the manner is attended with less inconvenience than baptism
by immersion."
·
John Calvin, Presbyterian: "The word
baptize signifies to IMMERSE. It is certain that immersion was the practice of
the primitive church."
·
Martin Luther, Lutheran: "Baptism is a
Greek word and may be translated IMMERSE. I would have those who are to be
baptized to be altogether dipped."
·
John Wesley, Methodist: "Buried with him in
baptism-alluding to the ancient manner of baptizing by IMMERSION."
The Jews built pools
throughout Judea to hold sizable amounts of water. These were called “mikvehs”
(a word meaning “immersion pools”). In fact, recent archeological excavation on
the south side of Jerusalem have uncovered over 60 of these mikvehs where
priests and worshippers would immerse themselves to wash away impurities before
entering the Temple. If a Jew were to purchase an item from a Gentile (who they
considered “unclean”) they would take it home and immerse it in a mikveh to
wash away the impurities of Gentile hands.
The word “baptism” is actually an anglicized version of the Greek “bapto” or “baptizo” and it always means “to immerse.” For example, Josephus use of baptizo included to “sink” a ship; to “drown” an enemy; to “plunge” a sword into someone.
By contrast, the Greek
word "rantizo" means to sprinkle.
The word for “pour” is “epicheo”
(to ‘pour upon’) and is found in the story where the good Samaritan “bound up
his wounds, POURING on oil and wine...”
(Luke 10:34). And the Greek “Nipto” is
the word for “washing” (especially the hands or the feet or the face); found in
Matthew 6:17; John 9:7; John 13:6.
Thus, there are
words in the Greek for sprinkling, pouring and general washing with water, but
if “baptize” doesn’t mean immersion… there’s no other word in that language
that does.
In AD 753, Pope
Stephen was driven from Rome by Adolphus, King of the Lombards. He fled to
Pipen. While he was there, he was asked by the monks of Cressy, in Brittany,
if, in the case of necessity, baptism poured on the head would be lawful, in
place of immersion. This was 723 years after the beginning of Christian baptism
in AD 30 (Acts 2:38). Even then, it was allowed only in the case of extreme
emergency. The common practice remained immersion.
In 1311 AD, the
Counsel of Ravenna declared sprinkling or immersion to be valid. There was no
claim that sprinkling was scriptural. The change was made by a majority vote of
the College of Cardinals. It was the product of the superstitious theology of
the Middle Ages which had long since lost sight of the Biblical reasons for
baptism. (P.H. Welshimer in his tract “Why I Did Not Baptize The Baby.”)
In passing a
Methodist camp meeting one day in September, a preacher named Raccoon John
Smith stopped to watch a young Methodist preacher baptize a howling, rebellious
infant by sprinkling water on the squirming body. When the service was
concluded, he stepped to the front of the crowd and, identifying himself, took
the preacher firmly by the arm and attempted to lead him toward the creek a few
yards away.
"What are
you trying to, Brother Smith?" the young preacher protested. "Are you out of your mind?"
"What am I
trying to do?" John affected deep
surprise. "Why, sir, I going to
baptize you by immersion into the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord
Jesus Christ, according to His commandment."
"But I have
no desire for such baptism. I know of
you; you are called 'The dipper.' But you are not going to dip me. I'm a Methodist; let me go!"
John tightened
his hold on the man's arm while the crowd watched, some in dismay, others in
amusement. "That is a scoffer's
blasphemy of a holy ordinance," he said sternly. "Are you a
believer?"
"Of course,
I'm a believer," the preacher said indignantly. "But I'm not willing to be
immersed. It would do no good for you to
baptize me against my will. It would be
wrong."
"I don't
understand," John said. "Only
a few minutes ago, you baptized a helpless baby against its will, although it
screamed and kicked. Did you get its consent first? Come along sir, we will have no more of this
foolishness."
The crowd broke
into open laughter, and John gave the young preacher a quick pull toward the
creek, and then as suddenly released him.
He waved to the people for silence.
"Brethren
and friends, I shall be in the neighborhood for a little while visiting among
you; let me know if this poor, misguided man ever again baptizes another
without his consent. For you have heard
him say that it would do no good, that it would be wrong."
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