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McKay also pointed out that the Greek preposition εἰς, here translated as "into", is the same as is used when Peter is told to go ''to'' the sea and take the first fish that came up ({{bibleverse||Matthew|17:27}}) and in other passages where it obviously did not imply entry of the kind that submersion involves, and similarly with the preposition ἐκ, here translated as "out of".<ref>McKay, pp. 48-49</ref>
McKay also pointed out that the Greek preposition εἰς, here translated as "into", is the same as is used when Peter is told to go ''to'' the sea and take the first fish that came up ({{bibleverse||Matthew|17:27}}) and in other passages where it obviously did not imply entry of the kind that submersion involves, and similarly with the preposition ἐκ, here translated as "out of".<ref>McKay, pp. 48-49</ref>


For the meaning of the word ''baptizo'' in the Greek of the [[New Testament]], where it is used also of partial immersion of the body, as in {{bibleverse||Luke|11:38}} and {{bibleverse||Mark|7:4}}, see [[Baptism#New Testament meaning of the word|New_Testament meaning of the word]]. "The word, as used in the New Testament, does not indicate a particular mode",<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.vi.xvi.html Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (translated by Henry Beveridge), chapter XV, P. 2524, footnote 626]</ref> and "total immersion ... only came into general vogue in the 7th century."<ref name=EB1911>[[s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Baptism|The 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica, art. ''Baptism'']]</ref>
For the meaning of the word ''baptizo'' in the Greek of the [[New Testament]], where it is used also of partial immersion of the body, as in {{bibleverse||Luke|11:38}} and {{bibleverse||Mark|7:4}}, see [[Baptism#New Testament meaning of the word|New_Testament meaning of the word]]. [[John Calvin]] claimed "The word, as used in the New Testament, does not indicate a particular mode",<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.vi.xvi.html Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (translated by Henry Beveridge), chapter XV, P. 2524, footnote 626]</ref> and the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica article on baptism claimed "total immersion ... only came into general vogue in the 7th century."<ref name=EB1911>[[s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Baptism|The 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica, art. ''Baptism'']]</ref>


The burial symbolism of Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 is seen by others as a reference not to the manner of baptism in water but to "a spiritual death, burial, resurrection, and new life".<ref>[http://www.bibleviews.com/baptism-lh.html Leland M. Haines, Baptism]</ref>
The burial symbolism of Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 is seen by others as a reference not to the manner of baptism in water but to "a spiritual death, burial, resurrection, and new life".<ref>[http://www.bibleviews.com/baptism-lh.html Leland M. Haines, Baptism]</ref>

Revision as of 16:52, 27 October 2010

Immersion baptism in a painting by Masaccio, 15th century, Brancacci Chapel, Florence.
Baptism by submersion in a river

Immersion baptism (also known as baptism by immersion or baptism by submersion) is a method of baptism whereby a person is submerged in water, as opposed to having water simply poured or sprinkled on the head (which is defined in scholarly literature as 'affusion').[1][2][3][4][5] Immersion is the noun form of the late Latin Verb immergere (in- "into" + mergere "dip")[6], and like the verb 'immerse', it is defined in the context of Christian baptism as submersion in standard English dictionaries.[7][8] One example of immersion baptism is that required by the 1689 Baptist Catechism:

Baptism is rightly administered by immersion, or dipping the whole body of the person in water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit[9]

indicating that the whole body must be immersed, not just the head.

Differentiation of "immersion" and "submersion" by some Christian groups

Look up immersion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Some Christian groups identify baptism by submersion as placing the whole body beneath the water, while identifying in immersion baptism as pouring water over the head of someone standing in water.[10] This is the meaning attached to immersion baptism in a statement of the policy of the North American United Methodist Church[11] This form of baptism was employed by Christians from at least the second century and is still found in the Eastern Church.[10]

Especially but not exclusively among Baptists,[12] "immersion" is often used to mean specifically "dipping or plunging the whole body into water" (emphasis added), i.e., submersion.[13] This is the meaning attached to "immersion" by the Southern Baptists, the largest Baptist denomination in the world, with 16 million members.[14]

This form of baptism is also presented in the Key of Truth, the text described as the manual of the old Armenian Baptists, which lays down that the person to be baptized "shall come on his knees into the midst of the water" and there make a profession of faith to "the elect one", who "instantly takes the water into his hands, and ... shall directly or indirectly empty out the water over the head".[15]

Claim of Biblical support for full immersion (submersion) baptism

A river baptism, by submersion, in North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century
Look up βαπτίζω in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Christian theologians such as John Piper use several parts of the New Testament to support full immersion (submersion) as the intended symbol:

1) The meaning of the word baptizo in Greek is essentially "dip" or "immerse," not sprinkle, 2) The descriptions of baptisms in the New Testament suggest that people went down into the water to be immersed rather than having water brought to them in a container to be poured or sprinkled (Matthew 3:6, "in the Jordan;" 3:16, "he went up out of the water;" (John 3:23, "much water there;" (Acts 8:38, "went down into the water"). 3) Immersion fits the symbolism of being buried with Christ (Romans 6:1–4; Colossians 2:12).[16]

Baptism by submersion in a North American church

Piper asserts that baptism refers to the physical lowering into the water and rising in faith in part because of the reflection of this symbol in Colossians 2:12 which says "having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."[16]

Examination of the claim

Other Christians[17] claim that a form of immersion, but not necessarily submersion, is implied by the references to "going down into the water" and "coming up out of the water" in Acts 8:38–39, where these actions are ascribed to both the baptizer and the baptized and the act of baptizing is distinguished from the going down into the water: "They both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water ..." Rev. W. A. McKay wrote:

Where is the evidence that the eunuch was dipped? "Why," cries the Baptist, "he went with Philip into the water and came out again." But is not such reasoning trifling with common sense? Do not thousands go into the water and come out again without going under the water? Is it not said that Philip went into the water and came out of it as well as the eunuch? They "both" went. If then they prove that the eunuch was immersed they prove also that Philip was immersed.[18]

Look up εἰς or ἐκ in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

McKay also pointed out that the Greek preposition εἰς, here translated as "into", is the same as is used when Peter is told to go to the sea and take the first fish that came up (Matthew 17:27) and in other passages where it obviously did not imply entry of the kind that submersion involves, and similarly with the preposition ἐκ, here translated as "out of".[19]

For the meaning of the word baptizo in the Greek of the New Testament, where it is used also of partial immersion of the body, as in Luke 11:38 and Mark 7:4, see New_Testament meaning of the word. John Calvin claimed "The word, as used in the New Testament, does not indicate a particular mode",[20] and the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica article on baptism claimed "total immersion ... only came into general vogue in the 7th century."[21]

The burial symbolism of Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 is seen by others as a reference not to the manner of baptism in water but to "a spiritual death, burial, resurrection, and new life".[22]

Representation of baptism in early Christian art.

Normative mode in Apostolic Christianity

The Didache or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, an anonymous book of 16 short chapters, is probably the earliest known written instructions, outside of the Bible, for administering baptism. The first edition was written c. 60–80 AD.[23] The second, with insertions and additions, was written c. 100–150 AD.[23] This work, rediscovered in the 19th century, provides a unique look at Christianity in the Apostolic Age. In particular, it describes the two foundational sacraments of Christianity: the Eucharist and baptism. It indicates a preference for baptizing by immersion (which it differentiates specifically from affusion), in "living water" (i.e., running water seen as symbolic of life)[24] or, if that is unavailable, in still water, preferably at its natural temperature, but considers that, when there is not enough water for immersion, it is sufficient to pour water on the head.[25][26][27][28][29]

Members of some modern churches claim there are different interpretations of what is supposed to be implicit in the Biblical descriptions and metaphors concerning baptism.[30][31]

See also

References

  1. ^ 'It is a somewhat curious fact that if the evidence of the written texts, whether ancient canons or writings of the early fathers, be studied by themselves, the natural conclusion would seem to be that immersion was the almost universal form of administering the rite; but if the witness of the earliest pictorial representations be collected, then we must infer that affusion was the usual method, and that immersion was exceptional; for the pictorial representations, almost without exception , display baptism performed by affusion, i.e., the recipient is seen standing in water while the minister pours water on the head.' (Stanley J. Grenz, 'Theology for the Community of God', 1994)
  2. ^ 'The best parallel we have for the baptism of John may be the immersion of the Ethiopian eunuch by Philip, which was clearly not a case of pouring but of going underwater in a natural flow or reservoir encountered by the travelers on the road between Jerusalem and Gaza.' (Joan E. Taylor, 'The Immerser', 1997)
  3. ^ 'Presumably D5 and D6 apply to men and women alike; after completing the immersion (D5) - that is, after submerging totally in the water and emerging - the convert, whether male or female, is deemed to be like an Israelite in all respects (D6).' (Shaye J. D. Cohen, 'The Beginnings of Jewishness', 2001)
  4. ^ 'The baptism of John did have certain similarities to the ritual washings at Qumran: both involved withdrawal to the desert to await the lord; both were linked to an ascetic lifestyle; both included total immersion in water; and both had an eschatological context.' (Maxwell E. Johnson, 'Living Water, Sealing Spirit: Readings on Christian Initiation', 1995)
  5. ^ 'The fact that he chose a permanent and deep river suggests that more than a token quantity of water was needed, and both the preposition "in" (the Jordan) and the basic meaning of the verb "baptize" probably indicate immersion. In v. 16 Matthew will speak of Jesus "coming up out of the water." The traditional depiction in Christian art of John the Baptist pouring water over Jesus' head may therefore be based on later Christian practice.' (R. T. France, 'The Gospel of Matthew', 2007)
  6. ^ http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=immersion
  7. ^ ' im•mer•sion \i-ˈmər-zhən, -shən\ noun 15th century : the act of immersing or the state of being immersed: as a : baptism by complete submersion of the person in water', Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.)
  8. ^ 'immerse ■ verb 1 dip or submerge in a liquid.', Soanes, C., & Stevenson, A. (2004). Concise Oxford English dictionary (11th ed.).
  9. ^ John Piper (ed.). "1689 Baptist Catechism". Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  10. ^ a b Cross, Frank Leslie (2005). "Immersion". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. p. 827. ISBN 0-19-280290-9. OCLC 58998735. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "In immersion, the candidate stands with part of his body submerged in the baptismal water which is then poured over the remainder. This form is the most prevalent depicted in early Christian pictorial representations. Submersion is the form in which water completely covers the candidate's body" (Study published on the website of Pinehurst United Methodist Church).
  12. ^ L. Russ Bush, Tom J. Nettles, Baptists and the Bible (Broadman & Holman, 1999), p. 3
  13. ^ Talbot W. (Talbot Wilson) Chambers, Samuel Macauley Jackson, Frank Hugh Foster, "Immersion," The concise dictionary of religious knowledge and gazetteer, (New York: The Christian Literature Co., 1891) pg. 399
  14. ^ Official Website of the Southern Baptist Convention Basic Beliefs, subheading "Baptism & the Lord's Supper". Retrieved 2009–04–08.
  15. ^ The Key of Truth, a Manual of the Paulician Church of Armenia (reproduction 2009 ISBN 978-1-110-36174-8), p. 97
  16. ^ a b John Piper, Sermon on May 25, 1997, "What Baptism Portrays"
  17. ^ W.A. McKay, Immersion proved not to be a Scriptural Mode of Baptism but a Romish Invention (Toronto: The Canada Publishing Company, 1881), p.47
  18. ^ W.A. McKay, Immersion proved not to be a Scriptural Mode of Baptism but a Romish Invention (Toronto: The Canada Publishing Company, 1881), p.47
  19. ^ McKay, pp. 48-49
  20. ^ Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (translated by Henry Beveridge), chapter XV, P. 2524, footnote 626
  21. ^ The 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica, art. Baptism
  22. ^ Leland M. Haines, Baptism
  23. ^ a b Funk, Robert Walter (1993). "Stages in the Development of Early Christian Tradition". The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus : New Translation and Commentary. New York City: Macmillan Publishers. p. 128. ISBN 0-02-541949-8. OCLC 28421734. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ Strang, Veronica (1997). "Water in the Church". The Meaning of Water. Berg Publishers. p. 91. ISBN 1-85973-753-6. Fonts and baptisteries were constructed with taps and channels to ensure that they were supplied with moving water,which, as Schmemann points out, is symbolically crucial: 'The early Christian prescription is to baptize in living water. This is not merely a technical term denoting running water as distinct from standing water… it is this understanding that determined the form and theology of the baptismal font… The characteristic feature of the "baptistery" was that water was carried into it by a conduit, thus remaining "living water".' {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ "(7:1) Concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. (7:2) But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. (7:3) But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit." Didache, chapter 7.
  26. ^ Metzger, Marcel (1997). "The Order of Baptism in the Didache". History of the Liturgy: The Major Stages. Collegeville Township, Minnesota: Liturgical Press. pp. 25–26. ISBN 0-8146-2433-2. The Didache recognizes the superior value of running water for the baptismal immersion but does not impose it as a necessary condition… The regulations of the Didache also forsee the case in which immersion is impossible for lack of water and prescribe baptism by pouring water three times on the candidate's head. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ Lacoste, Jean-Yves (2005). Encyclopedia of Christian Theology: G – O. Milton Park: Routledge. p. 1607. ISBN 0-5795-8250-8. According to the Didache (1st century), baptism should be done by a triple immersion in running water. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  28. ^ Meeks, Wayne A. (2006). "Baptism: ritual of initiation". The Cambridge History of Christianity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 160–161. ISBN 0-521-81239-9. The Didache, representing practice perhaps as early as the beginning of the second century, probably in Syria, also assumes immersion to be normal, but it allows that if sufficient water for immersion is not at hand, water may be poured three times over the head (7:3). {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |editors= ignored (|editor= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ Dau, W. H. T. (1995). "Baptism". In Geoffrey W. Bromiley (ed.). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: A – D. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 419. ISBN 0-8028-3781-6. This seems to say that to baptize by immersion was the practice recommended for general use, but that the mode of affusion was also valid and enjoined on occasions
  30. ^ "To restate what is absolutely clear, we know the Bible prescribes for baptism to be with water in the name of the Holy Trinity. The Church is to baptize, and Christians are to be baptized. Not so certain is the mode or manner" (David A. Banks, The Church and Baptism - Modes and Symbolism).
  31. ^ David A. Banks, The Church and Baptism - Modes and Symbolism"it is not self-evident that what is described is definitively prescribed."

External links

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