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This is often referred to as the “mode” of baptism.
Is it sprinkling of water upon someone, or pouring water upon someone, or is it the act of immersion, or a fourth option might be, does it really matter?
Again, I know of no place to look for the answers other than the place that teaches us about baptism, and that is scripture. Perhaps by looking there we can find just how it was done at the beginning of the Christian church and the Christian age and how they carried out the command to “baptize them”.
One of the first places I ask you to look is Jn. 3:23 which reads as follows; “John was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there to be baptized.” (Jerusalem Bible)
In this verse there are two points to notice and consider;
1. Biblical baptism requires plenty of or much water.
2. The people came to where the water was located.
Now of the three views we mentioned at the beginning, sprinkling, pouring, or immersion, which does this verse most readily describe?
Notice the following please;
- Sprinkling and pouring require but little water.
- In practicing sprinkling or pouring the people do not have to come to where the water is located. The water can be taken quite easily to where the people are already.
- Immersion requires plenty of or much water and the people have to come to where the water is located.
In many other scriptures we find that when baptism was performed “they went down into the water”, which is certainly indicative of immersion and not effusion or aspersion.
One such case is found in the 8th chapter of the Acts where we find a man reading what we know as the 53rd chapter of Isaiah as he was traveling through the desert in his chariot or carriage. After the evangelist Philip preached Jesus to him from that text, he believed, and wished to be baptized. He said to Philip as they rode together in the carriage; “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him”. (Acts 8:26-40 N.L.T.) If this was anything other than immersion the “going down into the water” is illogical, immaterial, and totally pointless.
As this was a desert place there was no doubt a jug or skin of water on the carriage that could have been used for sprinkling or pouring. Some one has suggested that this was the case and it was the jug that the man was speaking of when he said “Look! There’s some water.” Verse 38 however precludes that interpretation; “they went down into the water” would have to read “they went down into the jug.” NOT LIKELY!
Numerous other passages point to baptism as a burial—Rom.6:4—Col.2:12 for instance are a couple.
This should be sufficient to help us understand WHAT biblical baptism really is.
The last view is, does it really make any difference?
I would remind you just here that others who raised that same question about some of the other appointments of God wound up in a heap of trouble when they thought it made no difference.
- See Lev. Chapter 10—When some thought it made no difference and used fire , but not the fire God had said to use.
- See Num. Chapter 16—When some thought they could use a unlimited priesthood and it would make no difference even though God had told them to have a limited priesthood.
I pray these thoughts will help bring some clarity to your mind if you are wondering about what constitutes biblical baptism.
May Gods’ blessings be upon you and may you seek to walk with Him!
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