Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Daily Reading
Another teaching of man that contradicts the Bible is the idea that sprinkling and pouring are acceptable forms of baptism. This, however, cannot be true since the meaning of the word “baptise” is immerse, dip, or plunge. The Apostle Paul describes baptism as a burial in which one dies to the guilt of sin (Romans 6:1-7). Examples of baptism also show it is an immersion in water. Concerning the Ethiopian eunuch’s conversion, the Scriptures state, “And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him” (Acts 8:38). Pouring or sprinkling water on the Ethiopian’s head would not have required both men to go down into the water. There is no doubt that immersion was practiced here.
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1 comment:
Mr. Lonnie,
In a discussion with one of my friends on baptism being immersion and not sprinkling or pouring, I found on an online Greek Lexicon this very definition that helped me out tremendously.
Baptivzw or Baptizo (Transliterated word)
1. to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk)
2. to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe
Not to be confused with 911, bapto.
The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped'(bapto) into boiling water and then 'baptised' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptising the vegetable, produces a permanent change. When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism. e.g.Mark 16:16. 'He that believes and is baptised shall be saved'.Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle! Bible Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989.
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