Expert: Marvin Howard - 5/10/2003

Question
Why do some people say baptism is done only by immersion, and others say by either sprinkling, pouring, or immersion?

Answer
Hi!

I am glad I have my mailbox nearly cleared. You are the second person to ask me a question today!

I can answer the first half of the question with scripture, and the help of a good Greek Lexicon. The second half will have to be speculation only.

Consider these verses:

Hebrews 6:2 (baptisms)

Matthew 28:19 (baptizing)
John 1:28
John 1:31
John 3:23

Matthew 3:11 (baptize)
Mark 1:4
Mark 1:8
Luke 3:16
John 1:26
John 1:33
I Corinthians 1:17

Matthew 3:6 (baptized)
Matthew 3:13
Matthew 3:14
Matthew 3:16
Matthew 20:22
Matthew 20:23
Mark 1:5
Mark 1:8
Mark 1:9
Mark 10:38
Mark 10:39
Mark 16:16
Luke 3:7
Luke 3:12
Luke 3:21
Luke 7:29
Luke 7:30
Luke 12:50
John 3:22
John 3:23
John 4:1
John 4:2
John 10:40
Acts 1:5
Acts 2:38
Acts 2:41
Acts 8:12
Acts 8:13
Acts 8:16
Acts 8:36
Acts 8:38
Acts 9:18
Acts 10:47
Acts 10:48
Acts 11:16
Acts 16:15
Acts 16:33
Acts 18:8
Acts 19:3
Acts 19:4
Acts 19:5
Acts 22:16
Romans 6:3
I Corinthians 1:13
I Corinthians 1:14
I Corinthians 1:15
I Corinthians 1:16
I Corinthians 10:2
I Corinthians 12:13
I Corinthians 15:29
Galatians 3:27

Matthew 3:7 (baptism)
Matthew 20:22
Matthew 20:23
Matthew 21:25
Mark 1:4
Mark 10:38
Mark 10:39
Mark 11:30
Luke 3:3
Luke 7:29
Luke 12:50
Luke 20:4
Acts 1:22
Acts 10:37
Acts 13:24
Acts 18:25
Acts 19:3
Acts 19:4
Romans 6:4
Ephesians 4:5
Collosians 2:12
I Peter 3:21

There are some repititions within these verses. All together, there are 97 uses of these related words in 85 verses. This appears to be quite an important topic. Would you care to guess how many different Greek words are used to express these thoughts? There are exactly 3. They are:

baptisma {bap'-tis-mah}:
1) immersion, submersion

a) of calamities and afflictions with which one is quite overwhelmed

b) of John's baptism, that purification rite by which men on confessing their sins were bound to spiritual reformation, obtained the pardon of their past sins and became qualified for the benefits of the Messiah's kingdom soon to be set up. This was valid Christian baptism, as this was the only baptism the apostles received and it is not recorded anywhere that they were ever rebaptised after Pentecost.

c) of Christian baptism; a rite of immersion in water as commanded by Christ, by which one after confessing his sins and professing his faith in Christ, having been born again by the Holy Spirit unto a new life, identifies publicly with the fellowship of Christ and the church.
++++
In Rom. 6:3 Paul states we are "baptised unto death" meaning that we are not only dead to our former ways, but they are buried. To return to them is as unthinkable for a Christian as for one to dig up a dead corpse! In Moslem countries a new believer has little trouble with Moslems until he is publicly baptised. It is then, that the Moslems' know he means business, and then the persecution starts. See also discussion of baptism under No. 907.

baptizo {bap-tid'-zo}:
1) to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk)

2) to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe

3) to overwhelm
++++
Not to be confused with 911, bapto. The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped' (bapto) into boiling water and then 'baptised' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptising the vegetable, produces a permanent change.

When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism. e.g. Mark 16:16. 'He that believes and is baptised shall be saved'. Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle! Bible Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989.

baptismos {bap-tis-mos'}:
1) a washing, purification effected by means of water

a) of washing prescribed by the Mosaic law (Heb 9:10) which seems to mean an exposition of the difference between the washings prescribed by the Mosaic law and Christian baptism

Notice this last definition, taken from the Hebrews 6:2 passage, speaks of the difference between Christian baptism and Mosaical baptism, drawing the conclusion that it is a false doctrine to continue teaching the old. This is the only use of the word where the primary meaning is "to wash." The rest all mean "submersion" or "immersion" in one form or another.

What is practiced by sprinkling or pouring is not baptism, but rhontism. There are four instances of the use of this word. All of them refer to the sprinkling of blood under the law of Moses. If you need follow up on these, feel free to ask.

The answer to the first part of your question is:

People who say baptism is only by immersion are following scripture.

My answer to the second part of your question is:

People who administer a sprinkling are using a false doctrine based on lack of knowledge. They claim the word means "wash." Maybe they are taking the definition from Hebrews 6:2 which is used only one time (proven to be about false doctrine) to the exclusion of the 96 other uses of the words and their definitions.

In His Service,
Marvin Howard
preacherman_1962@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/preacherman_1962/sermons.index.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Study-God_Logically