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BAPTISM
Baptism is a positive command. On the authority, subject, action and design, the Scripture is plain. Read them and be convinced. We do not believe baptism is any more important than faith, repentance, or good works. Neither do we believe there is any virtue in the water. But we believe baptism is an act of obedience commanded by Christ to receive salvation. |
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AUTHORITY FOR BAPTISM
Christ walked about sixty miles to be baptized in Jordan. When he went up straightway out of the water, the Spirit fell upon Him and God said: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3: 13-17). Christ commanded the apostles to baptize (Matthew 28: 19). All through the Acts of the Apostles it is shown that wherever persons came to Christ they were always baptized (Acts 2: 38; 8: 12-38; 9: 18; 10: 48; 16: 15-33; 19: 5). Read Galatians 3: 27; Romans 6: 3-5; 1 Peter 3: 21; Colossians 2: 12.
SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM
All believers are subjects for baptism. Christ said, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16: 16). No person is commanded to be baptized unless he is capable of being taught. We are not aware of any account in the Bible of infants ever being baptized. If any person knows of such a passage, he is courteously invited to call our attention to it. Study carefully again the conversions recorded in Acts, as given above, and you will see that the person baptized was always capable of receiving gospel truths.
The nature of baptism makes it impossible for it to apply to infants, since it is declared in 1 Peter 3: 21 to be the “answer of a good conscience toward God,” and the infant has no conscience in the transaction.
Infant baptism was not introduced until over one hundred years after the death of the last Apostle. Therefore, it is without Scriptural authority.
THE ACTION OF BAPTISM
The meaning of the word should determine this. The Greeks had, and still have, a word for immerse, one for sprinkle and one for pour. Baptizo means dip or immerse, baptizo means to sprinkle, and cheo means to pour. This is now the meaning of these words in Greek, and was also the meaning when Christ was on earth. Now, if Christ had desired the disciples to go forth and sprinkle, He would have used the word that meant sprinkle; if He had desired them to pour, He would have used cheo, which meant pour; if He had commanded them to use water, regardless of any special action, He would have used the word hudraino; but He wanted them to practice immersion, therefore He used the word baptizo.
Paul said in Romans 6: 4 and Colossians 2: 12 that we are buried with Christ by Baptism. Can it be possible that Paul was mistaken in this matter? If baptize means to sprinkle, you can insert the word “sprinkle” in place of “baptize” wherever it is used in the Scriptures, and it will in every case have to make good sense. Try it on Colossians 2: 12. It will not work here, because there is no sense in the expression, “buried with Christ in sprinkling.” So, as it fails to work in even one case, it must be dropped.
If baptize means immerse, then we can insert the word “immerse” wherever we find “baptize,” and it will not spoil the meaning, but make complete sense. Try it on every passage of Scripture in the New Testament relating to baptism and you will find it works everywhere; there is not a single exception.
Let us see what baptism requires and represents in the New Testament. We will then see what immersion and sprinkling require and represent. If we learn that either one requires and represents the same as baptism does, then that must be the meaning of baptize. Be sure to read the following references in this connection:
BAPTISM REQUIRES
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Christ walked about sixty miles to be baptized in Jordan. When he went up straightway out of the water, the Spirit fell upon Him and God said: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3: 13-17). Christ commanded the apostles to baptize (Matthew 28: 19). All through the Acts of the Apostles it is shown that wherever persons came to Christ they were always baptized (Acts 2: 38; 8: 12-38; 9: 18; 10: 48; 16: 15-33; 19: 5). Read Galatians 3: 27; Romans 6: 3-5; 1 Peter 3: 21; Colossians 2: 12.
SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM
All believers are subjects for baptism. Christ said, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16: 16). No person is commanded to be baptized unless he is capable of being taught. We are not aware of any account in the Bible of infants ever being baptized. If any person knows of such a passage, he is courteously invited to call our attention to it. Study carefully again the conversions recorded in Acts, as given above, and you will see that the person baptized was always capable of receiving gospel truths.
The nature of baptism makes it impossible for it to apply to infants, since it is declared in 1 Peter 3: 21 to be the “answer of a good conscience toward God,” and the infant has no conscience in the transaction.
Infant baptism was not introduced until over one hundred years after the death of the last Apostle. Therefore, it is without Scriptural authority.
THE ACTION OF BAPTISM
The meaning of the word should determine this. The Greeks had, and still have, a word for immerse, one for sprinkle and one for pour. Baptizo means dip or immerse, baptizo means to sprinkle, and cheo means to pour. This is now the meaning of these words in Greek, and was also the meaning when Christ was on earth. Now, if Christ had desired the disciples to go forth and sprinkle, He would have used the word that meant sprinkle; if He had desired them to pour, He would have used cheo, which meant pour; if He had commanded them to use water, regardless of any special action, He would have used the word hudraino; but He wanted them to practice immersion, therefore He used the word baptizo.
Paul said in Romans 6: 4 and Colossians 2: 12 that we are buried with Christ by Baptism. Can it be possible that Paul was mistaken in this matter? If baptize means to sprinkle, you can insert the word “sprinkle” in place of “baptize” wherever it is used in the Scriptures, and it will in every case have to make good sense. Try it on Colossians 2: 12. It will not work here, because there is no sense in the expression, “buried with Christ in sprinkling.” So, as it fails to work in even one case, it must be dropped.
If baptize means immerse, then we can insert the word “immerse” wherever we find “baptize,” and it will not spoil the meaning, but make complete sense. Try it on every passage of Scripture in the New Testament relating to baptism and you will find it works everywhere; there is not a single exception.
Let us see what baptism requires and represents in the New Testament. We will then see what immersion and sprinkling require and represent. If we learn that either one requires and represents the same as baptism does, then that must be the meaning of baptize. Be sure to read the following references in this connection:
BAPTISM REQUIRES
- Water ---- Acts 8: 38; Acts 10.
- Much water ---- John 3: 23
- Going to the water ---- Acts 8: 39; Mark 1:9.
- Going down into the water ---- Acts 8: 38.
- Coming up out of the water ---- Matthew 3: 16; Acts 8: 39
- Form of birth ---- John 3: 5.
- Form of resurrection ---- Romans 6: 4
- Form of burial ---- Colossians 2: 12.
- Form of planting (covered up) ---- Romans 6: 5.
- Washing of the body ---- Hebrews 10: 22
- Water ---- yes
- Much water ---- yes
- Going to water ---- yes.
- Going into water ---- yes
- Coming out of water ---- yes.
- Form of birth ---- yes.
- Form of burial ---- yes
- Form of resurrection ---- yes.
- Form of planting ---- yes.
- Body washed ---- yes.
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