Food for Thought –

Concerning Baptism

     Most denominations practice baptism in one form or another, for one reason or another. Some baptize infants based upon a statement of faith by their parents or some other stand-in. Some refuse to baptize infants stating the necessity for one to express their own faith in order to be baptized. Some baptize to follow the example of Jesus when He was baptized by John. Others baptize in order for one to identify with their denomination. Still others view baptism as the "doorway" which leads to salvation. Some baptize because one is saved; some baptize in order to be saved. Some baptize three times, once each in the name of the Father, and the name of the Son, and the name of the Holy Spirit. Some baptize by immersion, some by sprinkling, some by pouring water. Some view baptism today as a strictly spiritual experience without any reference to water.

     With so much diversity among those professing to follow Jesus, it is no wonder that many people are confused about baptism. Many of the practices we find today are not found in the Scriptures. Such is readily admitted by many who practice sprinkling or pouring as the method of baptism. The evolution of the practice of baptism can be observed by all who choose to examine church history. 

     Even a cursory examination of the New Testament reveals that people went down into the water and came out of the water in baptism. The Biblical record shows that Jesus came up out of the water following His baptism. (Matthew 3:13-16; Mark 1:9,10) When the Ethiopian was baptized, again the Biblical account records that they went down into the water and came up out of the water. (Acts 8:38,39) While some artists and screenwriters show people being baptized by pouring water over them while standing in a river or pool of water, such was not the practice in the New Testament. 

     Our English Bibles have used the words "baptize" or "baptism" for many, many years. These words are transliterated, as opposed to translated, from the original Greek language of the New Testament. Transliteration refers to taking the sound of a letter from original language and expressing it with the same or similar sounding letter of the second language. For example, the Greek beta (b) is transliterated to the English "b," the Greek alpha (a) to the English "a," the Greek pi (p) to the English "p." The resultant word is a new word initially. As such it can be defined however those transliterating it originally so chose. We today have a family of words (baptize, baptism) which do not necessarily have the same meaning as the original Greek word.

     The Greek word baptizw meant in Jesus' day, and in ours, to immerse, to submerge, to plunge beneath some element. It is used in non-religious writings of soldiers who were "baptized" (using the English transliteration) up to their arm pits as they forded a river. That was its common every day meaning. It was not a religious word, but an ordinary word. When we translate from one language to another, our responsibility is to accurately bring the words of one language into the second language. If the Greek word baptizw was translated in our Bibles today, it would read like this: And Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38) Or again, like this: For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were immersed into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Galatians 3:26,27) Or as this: And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been immersed shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. (Mark 16:15,16)

     If the practice had not changed from immersion, there would not have been an occasion to create a "new word" to be used in these and other passages. God's word still reads immerse. Have you been immersed into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins?

      One of the questions that must be considered is whether God sanctions the change in how baptism is administered. Does it matter if one is immersed, or sprinkled, or has water poured upon them calling it baptism? Can one change what God has said in His word with impunity, without fear of inviting God's wrath? Let us obey God, and not those who have altered His Divine record, the Bible.