Pouring and sprinkling are not how it was done, no such teaching in the Bible. If you want to get particular about it, a person would be baptized and fully immersed while there was flowing water to symbolically wash their sins ‘away.’
However, the Ethiopian, when wanting to be baptized, saw some water, probably well water-drinking water, and not flowing water, because of where they were on the road to Gaza was in the desert. Philip still baptized him in that water.
Acts 8:26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road–the desert road–that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
Acts 8:36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”
As for Catholics and other denominations such as the ones Calvinists belong who do infant baptisms, we know this is not scriptural, since baptism in water is for the remission of sins. One must voluntarily want to be saved, confess, and repent of sins; and babies cannot do that.
John the baptizer prepared the way for Jesus. He came preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 1:76-80).
We are still to confess that we are sinners, and to repent, to prepare the way for Jesus Christ to live in our heart.
Acts 20:21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
Acts 26:20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
The Bible tells us before people were baptized-they repented.
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 1:5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Acts 19:18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.
Christians are to be water baptized, even after having received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:47 Then Peter said, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”
Baptism represents how a believer equates his life with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Our old person is to die to the sins of the world and be buried with Jesus through baptism into death. We are buried with the water, and raised out of the water, raised to live a new life through Jesus.
Picture how baptism looks…the believer comes to make the pledge to God, to die to the sins of the world; so now standing in the water the believer falls back, as if dead; then, the believer goes under the water, buried; then, the believer rises up out of the water, raises up to live a new life.
Romans explain this perfectly.
Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Water baptism is when the person makes a promise of a good conscience to God in a ceremonial type of way. The person has already made the conscientious acknowledgement to God to stop sinning, but now follows through with obeying God by getting water baptized, by doing the ceremonial act of the promise.
Water baptism is a symbol of what has already happened in one’s heart. See 1 Peter 3:21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Infants cannot make a promise, and children are not not required. The infant’s parents can make a promise for their child, nor can anyone make a promise for anyone else.
The kingdom of heaven already belongs to little children such as the ones brought to Jesus; children taught about God.
Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Matthew 18:3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
John 9:41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
Infant baptism interferes with people knowing and obeying the Truth. Infant baptism confuses non-Christians and those who want to be a Christian.
Many people baptized as an infant do not understand why they do not really know the Lord. Those baptized as infants do not usually walk the path that Jesus teaches. Infant baptism has been confusing millions of people for years. It is more serious of an issue that most even realize.
Nowadays a person privately confesses to Jesus and repents of their sins before Jesus saves them, then, later or at the same time be baptized in water. Jesus can give the Holy Spirit before, during, or after the water baptism, as shown in the scriptures. I believe you can have someone you know help lower you in the water and help you come back up out of the water. I would not join a denomination to have this done, knowing what I know now. I would even baptize myself if I knew no one to baptize me. I would baptize myself in any body of water I had access to, even my bathtub in my home, as has been done in the Bible times. It is a ceremony where you promise to God. It makes a difference like saying things aloud makes a difference sometimes.
