Baptism by sprinkling

[George]

How do you view it?

 

[Lamb]

The amount is never indicated in scripture. It's water and God's Word that makes a baptism.

 

[George]

The amount is never indicated in scripture. It's water and God's Word that makes a baptism.

I mean between full immersion and sprinkling, some Christians view sprinkling as not baptism.

 

[Lamb]

I mean between full immersion and sprinkling, some Christians view sprinkling as not baptism.

That's because they've been told by their pastors that baptism can only mean immersion, yet, when it's pointed out to them that there are verses in scripture that speak of "baptizing" a table, it means that it is being washed, which is what happens in baptism. Our sins are washed away. So the amount of water is not necessary and if it were, God would have made it abundantly clear.

 

[Josiah]

How do you view it?

Scripture is silent. We should be, too.


Interesting side note: I think it was St. Ignatius in 110 who wrote that baptisms are often done by sprinkling. He was a friend and student of St. John. Evidently, folks then had no problem with it..... don't know why we should. On the other hand, if someone wants to drive from a 200 foot tall board into an olympic pool - that's okay with me, too.

 

[psalms 91]

Personal choice for me is immersion as I think that is more like what John the Baptist did but I also dont think that there is anything wrong with spruinkling

 

[visionary]

baptism symbolic.. immersion

Faith sprinkled is nothing like faith immersion.

 

[TurtleHare]

Baptism isn't immersion only because oh my if you miss a spot and have a dry place, then you didn't do it right. You know I'm being sarcastic. Baptism is God's work and why does everyone want to focus on the water instead of what God does for us in baptism?

 

[MoreCoffee]

baptism symbolic.. immersion

Faith sprinkled is nothing like faith immersion.

Baptism isn't immersion only because oh my if you miss a spot and have a dry place, then you didn't do it right. You know I'm being sarcastic. Baptism is God's work and why does everyone want to focus on the water instead of what God does for us in baptism?

Baptism is not symbolic either

 

[visionary]

Water baptism by immersion is the biblical method of baptism because of its symbolic representation of the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua.

 

[visionary]

Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

 

[visionary]

Baptism makes an excellent symbol of the process of starting one's life over as if buried in the water and pulled out by the baptizer. But this passage also seems to make baptism instrumental in the process: "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that…we too might walk in newness of life." It would seem that baptism, therefore, is a vital cog in the mechanism Paul proposes for us to be right with God.

 

[visionary]

When the believing, penitent non-Christian allows him or herself to be lowered into the watery grave of baptism, a parallel to Christ’s redemptive work is taking place. Baptism is into Christ’s death and resurrection. It is stating you believe it too.

 

[visionary]

Sinner taps into that redemptive power in the act of water immersion. The “newness of life” follows baptism. It is a commitment before God and man that from henceforth you have whole hardily given over your life to God.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The “old man of sin,” the “body of sin,” is eliminated in the waters of baptism.

Being immersed in water “buried with him in baptism” you are following Him no matter where it leads you. If it turns out that you have to die for Him so be it.

It is equivalent to “you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered”

Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

The act of emulating Yeshua’s atonement in the waters of baptism, is one “set free from sin”.

Seven significant achievements occur at the point of water immersion:

(1) baptized into Christ;
(2) baptized into Christ’s death;
(3) united in His death;
(4) newness of life;
(5) old man/body of sin crucified/done away;
(6) no longer slaves of sin;
(7) freed from sin.

 

[visionary]

Col 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.

 

[visionary]

Romans 6
(6:2) “we died”
(6:8) “we died with Christ”
(6:4) “buried with Him/baptism”
(6:4) “Christ raised from dead”
(6:4) “Walk in newness of life”
(6:2) “live any longer in it”
(6:4) “Walk in newness of life”

Colossians 2 & 3
(3:3) “you died”
(2:20) “you died with Christ”
(2:12) “buried with Him/baptism”
(2:12) “raised Him from dead”
(3:5) “put to death your members”
(3:7) “when you lived in them”
(3:1) “Seek things above”

Both passages teach that people are dead in sin and lost until they access the benefits of the death of Christ by being buried in water baptism. At that point, a person becomes dead to sin in the mind of God. Coming up out of the waters of baptism is a type of resurrection that signals a change in the way that person now lives life.

 

[visionary]

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

Peter compared those flood waters with the water of baptism. The water of baptism is the dividing line that God has designated to distinguish between the lost person and the saved person. Those who have been baptized by immersion know the feeling.

 

[Lamb]

Baptism makes an excellent symbol of the process of starting one's life over as if buried in the water and pulled out by the baptizer. But this passage also seems to make baptism instrumental in the process: "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that…we too might walk in newness of life." It would seem that baptism, therefore, is a vital cog in the mechanism Paul proposes for us to be right with God.

But you see it as only symbolic, so why does it matter?

 

[MoreCoffee]

Water baptism by immersion is the biblical method of baptism because of its symbolic representation of the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua.

Baptism is not symbolic. Since you start with an error you're going to end in error.

 

[psalms 91]

Baptism is not symbolic. Since you start with an error your going to end in error.

Yup we all die literally, right?