The question of baptismal mode is as big a question as the
question of who is to be baptized. There are basically three modes of baptism,
immersion, sprinkling and pouring. Most credos hold to immersion only to them
it is not a valid baptism unless the person has been completely immersed within
water. The issue between this side and the Reformed is the word “only”. The
reformed general say that any of these 3 modes are a valid baptism, in other
words baptism is not about quantity. Immersion-onlyists would generally
encourage anyone not immersed to be baptized again. I think it should be noted
that to the Reformed any baptism performed in the name of the Trinity is a
valid baptism. So a person baptized as a Roman Catholic (despite major
differences) seeking to join a Presbyterian church would not be required to be
baptized in our church, the same goes for Baptist, Pentecostal, and so forth. I
myself was baptized as a child, later on when I become a Christian being heavily
influenced in the Baptist church I was baptized by immersion. I now believe
that my original baptism as a child was the valid one and my “second” baptism
was merely an unfortunate dip in a small pool. Again my rejection of my second
baptism is not because immersion is an inferior mode but because baptism is a
onetime only thing.
We hold this conviction from Ephesians 4:4-6 “There is one body and one Spirit—just as
you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one
faith, one baptism,6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all
and in all.” No Presbyterian or Reformed Christian would say immersion
baptism is invalid only that is is unnecessary.
Many immersion-onlyists use Romans 6:4 as a proof text for
Immersion but Baptism signifies not only our death, burial, and resurrection
with Christ, but also a cleansing from sin by the blood of Christ (Sprinkling):
"And he shall
sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease.
Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the
open field." Leviticus 14:7
"Thus you shall
do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and
let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse
themselves." Num 8:7
"I will sprinkle
clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and
from all your idols I will cleanse you." Ezekiel 36:25
"For if the blood
of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a
heifer, sanctify[a] for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will
the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without
blemish to God, purify our[b] conscience from dead works to serve the living
God." Hebrews 9:13-14
"For when every
commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took
the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and
sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the
blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he
sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the
shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." Hebrews 9:19-22
"let us draw near
with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean
from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
Hebrews 10:22
"according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for
obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be
multiplied to you." 1 Peter 1:2
Baptism also signifies the reception of the gift of the Holy
Spirit who is poured out upon us:
“And it shall come to
pass afterward,
that I will pour out
my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall
dream dreams,
and your young men
shall see visions." Joel 2:28
“‘And in the last days
it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out
my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men
shall see visions,
and your old men shall
dream dreams;
18 even on my male
servants[a] and female servants
in those days I will
pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy." Acts 2:17-18
"Being therefore
exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the
promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are
seeing and hearing." Acts 2:33
I think through this cursory glance that baptism is also
used in the context of pouring and sprinkling as well. What is important to
grasp here is the classic distinction between the sign and the thing signified in
baptism. The sign is the outward element, while the thing signified is the
spiritual reality being portrayed. So what is the sign in baptism? Is the sign
of baptism the water or the way the water is applied? We can answer this
question by asking another what does our Lord Jesus Christ's institution of the
sacrament of baptism in Matthew 28:19 have to say about the mode of baptism.
Jesus says nothing. The sign of baptism is the water, not the mode of the
waters application. The quantity of water does not matter what matters is that
water which is the sign be used.
Most immersionists will say that the NT clearly teaches
immersion but this is simply not true, all instances that are used immersion is
implied. Take for instance Matthew 3:16 “
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold,
the heavens were opened to him,[a] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like
a dove and coming to rest on him;” this verse does not say that those
baptized were immersed, but this is assumed by immersion onlyists. Francis
Schaeffer in his Article on Baptism says this concerning this passage:
“The Baptistic
argument that "Jesus went down into the water and came up out of the
water" means nothing. One year we took our vacation at the seashore. one
of my little daughters went down into the water and came out of the water
every' day, but she would not put her head under for all our coaxing. The
simple fact is that the meaning of this passage is altogether fulfilled if
Jesus went down until His feet were in the Jordan.”
One other passage is Acts 8:38 which tells of the baptism of
the Ethiopian Eunuch: “And he commanded
the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the
eunuch, and he baptized him.” the phrase "and they both went
down" simply means that they stepped down from the chariots to the water
below. As well, Acts 8:38 says both Philip and the eunuch "went down into
the water." This cannot mean baptism by immersion, or else Philip baptized
the Eunuch and himself! This would mean that when we baptized, if we are to
follow this example, both the person being baptized and the Pastor baptizing
would have to go under the water.
Immersion-onlyists will fall on the Greek word for baptism,
"baptismos" which translates to mean immerse/washing. However if we
look at times when "baptismos" is used immersion certainly can’t be
meant. Take for instance “washing" in Mark 7 which uses the word
"baptismos"
"And from the
market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which
they have received to hold, the washing of cups, pots, brazen vessels, and of
tables." - Mark 7:4
Are we then to fully immerse our furniture in the swimming
pool? This passage follows directly after discussing the Jewish ritual of
hand-washing. Such hand-washing is not immersion, but pouring. This practice
has been preserved in Judaism until the present, here is a video demonstration:
All that being said I think the case against immersion only
baptism can be heavily made, and is not as cut and dry as credos might make it
seem. Although all modes are fine I personally prefer pouring or sprinkling, I
think most cases of baptisms in the New Testament can be argued to be this.
Also the universality of baptism in this matter I think speaks for itself. If
we are to only immerse what then do we do with those that become Christians in
deserts or glaciers like regions, or those on their death bed. Are we to turn
them away? Pouring and sprinkling allows baptism to all people everywhere. I
could go on more about different things I find compelling but this post has
gone on long.
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