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WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL PURPOSE AND METHOD OF "BAPTISM"? |
PRIMARY TEXTS: Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:16; John 3:3-5; Acts 2:37-41; 8:12-13,35-39; 9:17-18; 10:47-48; 16:14-15,30-34; 18:8; 19:1-6; 22:1-16; Romans 6:1-11; 1Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:26-27; Ephesians 4:4-6; Colossians 2:11-12; 1Peter 3:20-21. SECONDARY TEXTS: 1Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:25-27; 2Timothy 2:11-13; Titus 3:3-5; Hebrews 10:22; 1John 5:6-8; Revelation 1:5; 7:14. First understand that the Bible records several different types of "baptism." There is John's baptism of repentance that was in effect during John's lifetime and prior to Jesus' sacrifice {Matthew 3:1-11; Mark 1:4; Acts 19:1-6}. We are not discussing the baptism of John in this lesson. There is the baptism of Jesus' persecution and crucifixion {Matthew 20:22-23; Luke 12:49-50}. We are not talking about that baptism. There is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which the Bible records as having happened twice {Acts 1:4-5; 11:15-17} (contextually referring to the bestowal of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit directly from heaven without a human intermediary as in Acts 8:18-19; 19:6). We are not discussing that baptism. There is the baptism of fire which contextually refers to those who will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Gehenna, Hell) {Luke 3:16-17}. Again, we will not be addressing that baptism. There is reference to the crossing of the Red Sea (in the Old Testament book of Exodus, chapter 14) as Moses' baptism {1Corinthians 10:1-2}. We are not dealing with Moses' baptism. Finally, there is baptism into Christ Jesus, drawing its meaning from His death, burial, and resurrection {Matthew 28:19; Acts 19:5; Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:1-11}. When Paul wrote Ephesians (ca. A.D. 60's), he stated that there was only one baptism at that time {Ephesians 4:4-5}. The baptism of John had ended with his death. Jesus' crucifixion was past. The baptism of the Holy Spirit had been given as promised and was not performed by men. The baptism of Moses was a one time event that happened long ago. The baptism of fire must await Judgment Day. Therefore, the one baptism that was in effect, in place, functioning at the time Paul wrote Ephesians was and is the baptism into Christ Jesus. It is this baptism we will be discussing as recorded in the primary texts listed above. A. LINGUISTIC CONTEXT:"Baptize" is not a true translation. It is an anglicized spelling of the Greek term (replacing the letters of the Greek alphabet with letters from the English alphabet) baptizo = baptize. Such a process obscures the meaning of the word. A true translation is "to submerge, immerse, dip, wash, dunk, plunge; metaphorically--to overwhelm" [consult Greek Lexicons in the bibliography]. If a Greek speaker wanted to say "sprinkle" he would use rhantizo. Should she wish to convey the idea of pouring she would say ballo or epicheo. If the idea was to apply water only to part of the body, the correct term was nipto. Baptizo's secular uses included references to drowning, to sunken ships, and to dyeing cloth by immersing it in a vat of dye. By way of analogy, the NT compares baptizo to a burial (entombing) {Romans 6:1-6; Colossians 2:11-12} and to the global flood of Noah's day that covered even the highest mountain {1Peter 3:20-21; Genesis 7}. We have several explicit statements (commands). Jesus commanded us to go and teach and immerse (the meaning and proper translation of the term) all nations {Matthew 28:18-20}. Peter commanded the Pentecost crowd to repent and be immersed for the remission of their sins {Acts 2:38}. Peter ordered Cornelius' household to be immersed {Acts 10:47-48}. Ananias commanded Saul (who would later be know as the Apostle Paul) to rise and be immersed and wash away his sins, calling on the name of the Lord {Acts 22:16}. The linguistic context is quite clear. "Immerse" is the meaning of the word. Burial and flood are descriptive (analogous) to the action. Jesus and the disciples commanded (the verbs are in the imperative mood) people to be, not sprinkled (rhantizo), not poured (ballo), not partially washed (nipto), but immersed (baptizo). As a side note, the eunuch was a veteran desert traveler on a desert road {Acts 8:26-39} heading from Jerusalem to Ethiopia in Africa. Only an inexperienced fool would make such a journey without carrying a supply of drinking water. It is virtually certain that the eunuch's entourage carried water in skins, jars, or some other container. If immersion is unnecessary, why did they wait until they came across a body of water large enough for the two of them to go down into and come up out of the water? Why not just use a dash of water from the canteen? Why not kneel by the shore of the pool and just dip their hands in? Because the Biblical injunction is immersion. B. THE MEDIUM:We have explicit statements that water (genuine H2O) is the Biblical medium {John 3:5; Acts 10:47; Hebrews 10:22; 1Peter 3:20-21; Ephesians 5:26}. We have examples that water is the Biblical medium {Acts 8:36-39; 10:47-48}. C. THE BIBLICALLY STATED PURPOSE(S) OF THIS IMMERSION:What does the Bible say is the purpose(s) of this immersion? First, it is part of making one a disciple of Jesus Christ {Matthew 28:18-20}. It is in order to receive the forgiveness of our sins--"Let everyone of you repent and be immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." {Acts 2:38}. This sentence is grammatically parallel to Matthew 26:28. We also learn from Acts 2:38-39 that those who repented and were immersed would receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is described as washing away our sins {Acts 22:16}. It is described as being baptized into Christ's death wherein the body of sin is done away with and we die to sin {Romans 6:3-8}. It is described as putting on (clothing ourselves in--Greek is enduo) Christ Jesus {Galatians 3:28; see Matthew 22:11-14; Romans 13:12-14; Ephesians 4:23-24}. It places us in the body of Christ Jesus {1Corinthians 12:13}. It is characterized as a "putting off the body of the sins of the flesh" {Colossians 2:11-12}. This same passage describes it as an act of faith in the working of God. Baptism "saves us" as a good conscience request/appeal (Greek = eperotema) to God {1Peter 3:21}. D. HISTORICAL/CULTURAL CONTEXT:Background. Concerning historical/cultural context, other Jews and Jewish groups performed ritual immersion for purification purposes before Christ and His followers did. The deep pools they built for this purpose were called "mikveh" and were often situated in a house or close to synagogues. The Essene community immersed their disciples. John the Baptist baptized where there was "much water" {John 3:23}. Those baptized by him went "down into and came up out of" the water {Mark 1:9-10}. Concerning geographical context, the Jordan river was a frequent site for immersions in the Gospels. There were many large pools of water in Jerusalem in which to immerse the people who responded to the Gospel on the day of Pentecost {Acts 2:37-41}. There was the Sheep Pool, the Pool of Israel, Tower's Pool, Serpents Pool, the Pool of Siloam. Some of these were larger than modern public pools. Lydia was on the banks of the Gangites river near Philippi when she decided to be baptized {Acts 16:13-15}. Most Roman and Jewish style houses had cisterns or bathtub sized pools. Foreground. Architecturally, the earliest structures built specifically for Christian worship included a baptistery designed for immersion. This was so even in desert environments where water was quite scarce and at a premium. Historically, the earliest reference to sprinkling or pouring in place of immersion appears in the Didache, a 2nd or 3rd century document of uncertain origin. It is a mixture of orthodox and Judaizing beliefs (it does not acknowledge the apostleship of Paul, requires fasting on Wednesday and Friday, insists on three daily prayers, sings praise to the God of David, identifies prophets as high priests for the church). Even, so it does not use the term baptizo to describe the act of sprinkling or pouring. It has a stated preference for immersion in moving water. Outside of the Didache the next earliest testimony for the practice of sprinkling or pouring instead of immersing can be found in the writings of Cyprian (Epistle 75:12) from the mid-third century. At that time it was only done in emergency situations (a person lay dying in bed). The almost total replacement of immersion by the other forms did not take place until the middle ages. As to the purpose of this immersion in water, the uniform view of Christian writers from roughly A.D. 100-222 was that it marked the moment of regeneration when a person's sins were forgiven and they received the indwelling of the Spirit:
"`Sir,' I said, `I have heard from certain teachers that there is no other repentance beyond that which occurred when we descended into the water and received forgiveness of our previous sins.' He said to me, `You have heard correctly, for so it is.'" [Shepherd of Hermas, Mandate 4, 31:1-2 (37:3-6)]. "I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to God when we had been made new through Christ; lest, if we omit this, we seem to be unfair in the explanation we are making. As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live accordingly, are instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting, for the remission of their sins that are past, we praying and fasting with them. Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated. For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water. For Christ also said, `Except ye be born again, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.'" [Justin Martyr, Apology I.61]. "Happy is our sacrament of water, in that, by washing away the sins of our early blindness, we are set free and admitted into eternal life!" "The prescript is laid down that without baptism, salvation is attainable by none' (chiefly on the ground of that declaration of the Lord, who says, `Unless one be born of water, he hath not life.')" [Tertullian, On Baptism, I,XII]. "Yea, again I say, great indeed is Baptism, and without baptism it is impossible to obtain the kingdom." [John Chrysostom, Homily III.6.14, on 1Cor 1:10] More could be brought to bear from the writings of Melito, Theophilus, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, but these should suffice to show that the early church believed that forgiveness of sins and regeneration took place at one's immersion. BIBLIOGRAPHY:Avi-Yonah, M., ed. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS IN THE HOLY
LAND. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1976-1979. |