The Ordinance of Baptism

Baptism is an outward sign of an inward change. It is symbolic, yet also carries with it a spiritual component. Baptism is a practice of the church which employs a variety of methods which differ between various denominations. All methodology can be debated and many forms might be seen as interchangeable to a degree, so long as the heart and content behind the symbolism remains Biblical. With that said, methodology should always be informed by the most accurate theology. And if one form of symbolism can more accurately teach biblical theology, then that methodology should take priority over other methods. As previously stated, baptism (baptizo in the Greek) is a word meaning to wash through immersion. It was also a word used when referring to the sinking of a ship. This is yet another indication that baptism is meant to be fully immersive in the water. Baptism in general was used in other religions to indicate someone being included in that religion. In that sense baptism is a way of identification with the Body of Christ. It is not the method by which we are included or saved, but it is symbolic of full participation in the life of the church.

The first form of baptism in scripture is that of John the Baptist. John’s baptism was a call to repentance (Matt 3:2). He was calling people to turn away from their sinful practices and turn their hearts back to God. Going under the water represented the death of the old behaviors and coming out of the water represented the new life of obedience. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry we see Jesus himself being baptized by John. Jesus did not need to repent of anything, but by being baptized he accomplished a number of things. First, in the sense of inclusion, Jesus was including himself in the ministry of John and affirming his message. Second, Jesus was setting an example for his followers, and later the church. Third, Jesus saw it as necessary for his ministry. In Matthew 3:15 Jesus said, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Scholars debate the exact meaning of Jesus’ statement, but what is clear is that this was necessary for Jesus to do.

The second form of baptism in scripture continues the symbolism of the first form, but adds with it a new meaning. As we go under the water, we remember the death of Christ and as we come out of the water we remember the resurrection of Christ. We see this reflected in Romans 6:4 which says, “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.” It is also now symbolic of inclusion of life in the church. We see this reflected in 1 Corinthians 12:13 where Paul refers to us being, “baptized into one body.”

Many people have falsely taught that baptism is required for salvation quoting verses like Mark 16:16 which states, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” What we see in this verse is that baptism and salvation are closely linked but not the same thing. At the moment of justification a person is now included in the body of Christ. Baptism was a way to show this inclusion. It is an identification with Jesus as one of his followers. It was often done immediately or in very close proximation to the actual moment of conversion. This is why in Acts 2:32 Peter tells the people to, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” They are so intertwined that people mix up the moment of salvation with baptism. The reality is that baptism should follow closely after salvation. We see this with the Ethiopian eunuch in Act 8, with all the believers in Acts 2, and with others as well. Jesus commanded this form in the great commission in Matthew 28:19 saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We see examples of the disciples carrying this out. Peter actually uses the same imagery as John when he calls people to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38). John 4:2 indicates that Jesus himself did not baptize with water but his disciples did. If the great commission is seen as instructive for all believers then all believers have the responsibility of not only making disciples and teaching obedience, but also baptizing. The practice of baptism is not exclusively reserved for pastors and elders.

As for the mode of baptism, what forms are acceptable to practice? First is the issue of sprinkling versus immersion. It is clear that the use of the word in other historical writings as well as the meaning of the word, indicates full immersion into the water. The second issue is in regards to who can be baptized. In many traditions infants are baptized as a way of dedicating them to the Lord. All of the scriptural evidence for this stance is identified with the practice of circumcision as a way of identifying a child as part of the family of God. This would seem to fly in the face of election since there is no guarantee that this child is in fact elect. There is no Biblical example of infants being baptized in scripture. The only example in scripture is of believers who have repented from their sins. Baptism is therefore exclusively for believers.

The next issue is the number of times a person is to be immersed. Some traditions baptize three times to pay homage to each person of the Trinity as referenced in the great commission. They refer to it as one baptism with three dunks in the same way that there is one God with three persons. While there is no scriptural evidence that this was a practice in the early church, there are historical references to this being a practice at least by the time immediately following the apostolic age according to the Didache, “a short early Christian manual on morals and Church practice.” The actual text says this:

But concerning baptism, thus shall ye baptize. Having first recited all these things, baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit in living (running) water. But if thou hast not living water, then baptize in other water; and if thou art not able in cold, then in warm. But if thou hast neither, then pour water on the head thrice in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The text clearly shows a triple action if baptism necessitated a pouring, but it does not explicitly refer to three immersions if practicing in a body of water. Justin Martyr, an early Christian apologist at the time of the Didache writes, “For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water.” His statement does not indicate trine or single immersion explicitly, but most would agree that he is referring to trine immersion. The debate between single and trine immersion revolves around the interpretation of Matthew 28:19-20. The great commission in Matthew 28:19-20 says to baptize in the name, and the word for name (ὄνομα) onoma is singular. The phrase “in the name of” can be understood to mean “by the authority of.” A single immersion done in the singular authority of all three persons of the Trinity seems to make more sense then separating out three separate immersions each based on the distinct authority of a different person of the Trinity. The question then, revolves around the word for baptize. Does it indicate more than one immersion? The authors of the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia write that, “The meaning of the word βαπτίζω, baptízō, is ‘to dip repeatedly’ ‘to submerge.’ If they are correct in saying that it means to dip repeatedly, then that gives more credence to a repeated action. Scholars, however do not agree on this. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says, “The NT uses βάπτω only in the literal sense, in Lk. 16:24; Jn. 13:26 for “to dip in,” and in Rev. 19:13 for “to dye”; on the other hand it uses βαπτίζω only in the cultic sense, infrequently of Jewish washings (Mk. 7:4 K D for ῥαντίσωνται in Lk. 11:38), and otherwise in the technical sense “to baptise.” Another text says, “to use water in a rite for purpose of renewing or establishing a relationship w. God, plunge, dip, wash, baptize.” Many scholarly resources are not consistent on this issue and do not clarify the meaning.

John’s baptism would have certainly been single immersion because there was no understanding of the Trinity at that time. Jesus would have been baptized once and his followers would have seen it. It follows that they could have practiced it in the same way. Ephesians 4:5 refers to the fact that we have, one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God. We could continue in saying that Jesus died one death, once for all. In communion we drink one cup. There is one resurrection and we are born again once. We also have examples in scripture that refer to people being baptized into the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38, 8:12, 8:16, 10:48, 19:5). These verses point to a singularity even if the Trinitarian formulation would have been used. The Word Biblical Commentary on Matthew explains, “The narrative of Acts notes the use of the name only of “Jesus Christ” in baptism (Acts 2:38; 8:16 10:48; 19:5; cf. Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27) or simply “the Lord Jesus” (τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ; Acts 8:16; 19:5). Baptism εἰς, lit. “into,” the “name” (the singular ὄνομα, “name,” points to the unity of the three).”

The clearest reference to trine immersion comes from the church father Tertullian who writes, “Hereupon we are thrice immersed.” Historically, the first explicit mention of single immersion is from Eunomius around 360 AD. This practice was condemned, not because of the mode of his baptism, but rather a heretical view that he held of the Trinity. “Eunomius taught that the Father and the Son were different in substance and unequal in power. The Father produced the Son who, in turn, produced the Holy Spirit. Eunomius baptized in the name of the Creator, not in the name of the Trinity.” If his practice had lined up with orthodox doctrine, this may not have been the case. Gregory the Great allowed single immersion to be practiced in the church in Spain with the proper Trinitarian formulation in 691 AD. By the time you get to Thomas Aquinas in the early 1200’s he writes, “both single and trine immersion are lawful considered in themselves; since one immersion signifies the oneness of Christ’s death and of the Godhead; while trine immersion signifies the three days of Christ’s burial, and also the Trinity of Persons. But for various reasons, according as the Church has ordained, one mode has been in practice, at one time, the other at another time.” Aquinas recognized single immersion as valid, but also that it was not the dominant practice of the church at that time. While the dominant form in his day was trine, it was also infant. He wisely wrote, “If, however, the intention were to confer one Baptism at each immersion together with the repetition of the words of the form, it would be a sin, in itself, because it would be a repetition of Baptism.” So whether single or triple immersion is employed, there is an importance in recognizing the act as being one baptism.

Then there is the question of the direction of baptism. In going forward it signifies Christ bowing his head as he gave up his life. In going backwards it represents Christ’s dead body being laid in the tomb. When Christians are buried today we are also laid in a coffin in the same way, on our back. Coming out of the water backwards carries with it no specific symbolism. But coming out of the water forward more clearly depicts rising up, at least in today’s culture. It shows the resurrection, not only of Christ, but also the reality of the way we will resurrect one day as well. We also see that in Mark 1:10 it says, “when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open.” This could imply that the direction Jesus was facing had heaven in view. The symbolism, theology and tradition I was raised in, as a Southern Baptist, form the rich underpinnings of the single backward immersion practice that I myself prefer. But ultimately baptism is not about us. It is about jesus Christ. Theologian J. I. Packer wrote, “The root reason for the practice of baptizing is to please Jesus Christ our Lord.” In his book What is Baptism? R. C. Sproul concludes by saying, “The bottom line is that everyone is trying to say basically the same thing through whatever mode is employed—that the recipient is included in the body of Christ and that he or she has been cleansed from sin. The mode that we use should not be a cause of divisions in the church.”

Sources

F. L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, eds., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 482

Joseph Barber Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers (London: Macmillan and Co., 1891), 232.

Justin Martyr, “The First Apology of Justin,” in The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, ed. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, vol. 1, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1885), 183.

Daniel Webster Kurtz, “Trine (Triune) Immersion,” ed. James Orr et al., The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), 3011.

Albrecht Oepke, “Βάπτω, Βαπτίζω, Βαπτισμός, Βάπτισμα, Βαπτιστής,” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 529-530

William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 164.

Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 14–28, vol. 33B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 888.

Tertullian, “The Chaplet, or De Corona,” in Latin Christianity: Its Founder, Tertullian, ed. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, vol. 3, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1885), 94.

George Thomas Kurian, Nelson’s New Christian Dictionary: The Authoritative Resource on the Christian World (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001).

Daniel Webster Kurtz, “Trine (Triune) Immersion,” ed. James Orr et al., The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), 3012.

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne, n.d.).

J. I. Packer, Growing in Christ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1994), 97.

R. C. Sproul, What Is Baptism?, First edition., vol. 11, The Crucial Questions Series (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2011), 58.