Baptism

Introduction

Baptism has been a part of Christianity from its beginnings. In Acts 2:38, Peter called for a response to the first gospel message, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Nearly all Churches recognize that baptism is a part of the conversion process. On this point there is unity. However, there is disagreement on, among other things, the mode of baptism. Some Churches immerse, some pour water over the head and still others use a sprinkling of water on the head.

At Cross Road, we realize that people come to our Church from different denominational backgrounds and traditions. We also realize that the mode of baptism is not a matter of salvation because we are saved by grace alone (Eph. 2:8-9). However, we do believe that part of an obedient life in Christ is seeking to follow Him as completely as we can. Our solemn responsibility is to declare to the best of our knowledge and abilities what the Bible teaches. With that in mind, here is why we practice baptism by immersion only and why we encourage all of our members toward this practice. May God guide your thoughts as you read.

The Meaning Of Baptism

Anytime we are studying the Bible we must seek to understand it in context. In other words, what meaning did the writer intend to convey and what meaning did the original audience most likely assign to the written words? This process of understanding is called “hermeneutics” or the interpretation of Scripture. Part of this process involves the meaning of words. What did the word “baptism” mean to the writers of the New Testament and how would their audiences have understood their use of the word?

In the Greek language the word “baptisma” is very clear. Consider the meaning as stated in several Greek dictionaries. “Baptism, consisting of the processes of immersion, submersion and emergence.” Or the verb form, “to baptize… was used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing of a garment or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another.”¹ Or consider another source, “to dip repeatedly, immerse, submerge.”² And finally, in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, “to dip in or under, to dye, to immerse, to sink, to drown, to bathe, wash.”³

From this we conclude that both the writers of Scripture and their audiences would have understood baptism to mean immersion. Consider the example of Philip and the Ethiopian in Acts 8:36-39. After Philip has explained the gospel we read,

“As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went away rejoicing.”

First, notice that there had to be enough water present for both Philip and the Ethiopian man to go down into the water. Second, there is no reason to go down into the water unless Philip’s intention was to immerse the man. It would have been easier to stay on the bank dip water out if Philip only wanted to pour the water over the eunuch’s head. Third and most important, the eunuch understood from the word baptize that enough water would be needed for immersion. His caravan would have been carrying some water for their needs but more would be needed to immerse a man. The point is that this man understood the word “baptize” to mean immersion.

New Testament Examples of Baptism

There are several examples of baptism in the New Testament. Some of these examples point towards immersion as the common procedure used. First, notice the baptism of the Lord as recorded in Mark 1:9-10. Jesus was baptized by John “in the Jordan,” (v. 9) and “was coming up out of the water” (v. 10). Most scholars would concede that this text shows Jesus to have been immersed in the Jordan River.

Second, this seems to have been the practice of John the Baptist. In John 3:23 we read, “Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.” When we add to this the example in Acts 8 of the Ethiopian eunuch, the example that we are given is one of immersion.

Third, it is important to notice that there are no examples that point toward any procedure other than immersion being used. None of the language of the New Testament would naturally allow for baptism in a form other than immersion. Therefore, we agree with Wayne Grudem of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School,

The practice of baptism in the New Testament was carried out in one way: The person being baptized was immersed, or put completely under the water, and then brought back up again. Baptism by immersion is therefore the ‘mode’ of baptism or the way in which baptism was carried out in the New Testament.⁴

The New Testament Teaching

At this point, we have seen that the word “baptism” refers to immersion. We have also seen that the New Testament example points toward baptism by immersion as well. But is there teaching that would indicate immersion is to remain the practice of the Church? In other words, is the practice of immersion an authoritative example for us today? Do we lose any of baptism’s meaning by using other forms?

One passage of Scripture that helps us understand what baptism means is Romans 6:3-4:“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Baptism is a symbol of our union with Jesus Christ. We have become participants in His death and resurrection and that is richly symbolized by our immersion in water

Theologian George Beasley-Murray writes: Despite the frequent denials of exegetes, it is surely reasonable to believe that the reason for Paul’s stating that the baptized is buried as dead, rather than that he died (as in v. 6), is the nature of baptism as immersion. The symbolism of immersion as representing burial is striking, and if baptism is at all to be compared with prophetic symbolism, the parallelism of act and event symbolized is not unimportant.⁵

Baptism, by any other form, loses something of the intended meaning. Paul is teaching that in our baptism, we declare ourselves to be dead and buried with Christ and, by our rising up from the water, are unified with His resurrection. Because of this teaching, baptism by immersion is an important symbol.

Theologian Millard Erickson writes: Baptism is a powerful form of proclamation of the truth of what Christ has done; it is a “word in water” testifying to the believer’s participation in the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 6:3-5). It is a symbol rather than merely a sign, for it is a graphic picture of the truth it conveys. … Baptism is a symbol, not a mere sign, for it actually pictures the believer’s death and resurrection with Christ. … But if, as we stated in our discussion of the meaning, baptism is truly a symbol, and not merely an arbitrary sign, we are not free to change the mode.⁶

The New Testament teaching is that baptism by immersion symbolizes something very important. It symbolizes that believers have been unified with Christ in His death and resurrection. That which is symbolized is proclaimed again and again each time a person goes under the waters of baptism and comes up again to live a new life.

Baptism in Early Church History

We have looked carefully at the New Testament’s example and teaching in describing the mode of baptism. We will conclude this paper by looking at the early Church’s understanding of baptism. While we do not look to church traditions as authoritative sources, it is instructive to see how earlier generations of believers interpreted the Bible’s teaching on baptism. Did the early Church fathers interpret the Scriptures on baptism as immersion or did they use some other form of baptism? Below are several quotations from third and fourth century Christian writers on the subject of baptism. These quotes are taken from Early Christians Speak by Everett Ferguson in chapter four: “Substitutes for Immersion.”

Tertullian: “Baptism itself is a bodily act, because we are immersed in water, but it has a spiritual effect, because we are set free from sins.” Cyril of Jerusalem: “For as he who plunges into the waters and is baptized is surrounded on all sides by the waters, so were they also baptized completely by the Spirit. The water, however, flows around the outside, but the Spirit baptizes also the soul within completely.”

Cyril of Jerusalem: “For as he who plunges into the waters and is baptized is surrounded on all sides by the waters, so were they also baptized completely by the Spirit. The water, however, flows around the outside, but the Spirit baptizes also the soul within completely.”;

Ambrose: “So therefore also in baptism, since it is a likeness of death, without doubt when you dip and rise up there is made a likeness of the resurrection.”

Baptism in Early Church History

John Chrysostom: “Exactly as in the tomb, when we sink our heads in water, the old man is buried, and as he is submerged below, he is absolutely and entirely hidden. Then we lift our heads up, the new man again comes up.”

Most Church History scholars would agree that baptism by immersion was the common mode of the early Church. However, there are two examples when another form, pouring water over the head, was permitted. One exception is when there is no water available. The Didache, an early teaching document, specifically mentions that if no other water is available then it is acceptable to “pour out water three times on the head ‘in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.’” The second mention of this practice is by Cyprian, a Christian bishop, who was asked if someone who was gravely ill could have water poured over the head if they could not be moved to where there was water. Cyprian gave his approval in this instance. The point is that the norm was baptism by immersion and only in extreme circumstances was another mode permitted. This would seem to indicate that the early Church fathers held to immersion as the accepted mode.

When Did Other Forms of Baptism Begin to Be Used?

As was mentioned above, we have evidence from the second and third centuries indicating that in certain extreme instances pouring water over the head was accepted as baptism. However this practice did not become common until the rise of infant baptism in the fourth century. Infant baptism was practiced within churches long before it became the official Catholic Church’s position. There is a great deal of uncertainty concerning how this practice emerged but it clearly was influenced by a number of factors.

First, the Catholic position was that saving grace was conveyed by the sacrament of baptism. This meant that one had to receive baptism in order to be saved. This explains why there were questions concerning those who were gravely ill. It was better to receive some form of baptism than to die without it. This teaching used John 3:5 as a proof-text, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” However, evangelical scholars have pointed out that water in this context does not refer to Christian baptism but to purity. The point is spiritual rebirth is a pure and spiritual work that God alone can do. It can not be accomplished by any human work.

Second, the doctrine of original sin was developing at this time. A great concern developed among Christians for children that died in infancy. Would these children be in heaven without having experienced the sacrament of baptism? This led to the practice commonly known as infant baptism. Infant baptism was done by sprinkling water on the head of the newborn. As a matter of convenience, this method began to be applied for adult converts as well.

Conclusion

Baptism and Communion (the Lord’s Supper) are sometimes described as “ordinances.” This means that the Lord Jesus ordained these practices for the Church. With that in mind, our desire has been to try and maintain these practices as Christ intended them. We are not trying to comment on the salvation of those who were baptized by other means, nor are we trying to comment on the sincerity of those who disagree with our position. Our desire is to align ourselves as closely to what is revealed in Scripture as we can.

If you were baptized by sprinkling or pouring but you agree with the position presented here, we ask you to consider being re-baptized as a point of obedience. This in no way implies that you were not saved before or were not really sincere when you were baptized. However, as our knowledge of God’s Word grows we should seek to apply that knowledge to our lives. Our heart in presenting this position is that we will all grow together in our knowledge of God’s Word and will. We hope that all who read this will prayerfully consider what the Bible says about baptism. Our prayer is that God will help each of us to walk in humble obedience before Him.

1 The Expanded Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, pg. 88-89.  2 Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, pg. 94.  3 Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume, pg. 92.

4 Bible Doctrine, pg. 377.

5 Baptism in the New Testament, pg. 133.

6 Christian Theology, Second Edition, pg. 1110, 1113.