Today we look at what is Baptism. The word baptism comes from the Greek root word, “bapto”. This word means “to dip”. The implication is to completely dip or submerge. From “bapto” we get the Greek noun, “baptisma” which is to be immersed or to be submerged. We can see that “sprinkling” is not included in baptism.
So then where did the idea of being sprinkled with water is baptism. It appears to have started in the second century of the church. This teaching comes from the “Didache”. Chapter VII is the instruction for baptizing. In this document, there is included permission to sprinkle, however this is only if there is not enough water to submerge the person. Later in 1643 AD, the Westminster Confession of Faith said that infants of believing parents are to be baptized. The common practice was to sprinkle them twice with water on the head. No where within the scriptures is sprinkling used in conjunction with baptism.
Growing up within the church, I was taught that baptism was a public confession of the person’s commitment to Christ. The person confessed he or she was a sinner and needed Christ’s forgiveness. While this may sound good, and theologically correct, it falls short of what baptism really is and means. Let us look at the two principals associated with baptism.
First, we have John the Baptist. His baptism was a baptism of repentance. People confessed their sins and were then baptized, submerged, in water which signified there were now cleansed and made clean. The cleansing by water was found in many of the Jewish rituals and understanding of the time. Mark 1:4, “John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness
of sins”. Luke 3:3, “And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. We clearly see that the baptism by John was for the forgiveness of sin. Jesus had not yet been crucified, buried, and resurrected so John’s baptism was to make ready the way of the Lord. John’s baptism was a precursor to the redemption to be had in Christ. John’s baptism was bridging the gap until Christ had fulfilled His ministry. There is a lot more to be learned regarding this but suffice to realize that for now that John’s baptism and being baptized in the name of the Father, THE Son and the Holy Spirit are different. Acts 18:24-26, “Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John., and he began to speak in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately”. Here we see that there is a difference in the baptisms. So, what is the difference? Also note that Paul baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, even though they had been baptized into John’s baptism, Acts 19 3-5. After being baptized into Jesus they were also baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:11, “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”. Mark 1:8, “I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”. So why are we baptized in water? Note that Jesus Himself was baptized in water by John. Luke 3: 21-22, “Now it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased”. Also, after the Holy Spirit had been given to Cornelius and his household, they were then baptized in water. This is found in Acts 10:1-48. Pay special attention to verses 47 and 48. We see that the Apostles held to baptism in water and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus commanded baptism in water. So is there another reason for water baptism other than a public declaration and our cleansing from repented sin?
Here is the spiritual explanation of baptism. In 1 Peter 3:20-21, “who once were disobedient, when thepatience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is eight persons were brought safely through the water. And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”. What does this mean? Jesus referred to His trial, crucifixion as His baptism. After which He was raised from the dead. When we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, spiritually we are baptized into Christ’s death and are born again of the spirit. Romans 6:3-4, “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in the newness of life”. Colossians 2:12, “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead”. Here is why baptism is so very important and why Jesus commanded us to be baptized and to baptize. I Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jew or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit”. Baptism unites us with Christ’s death and His resurrection. This is what is happening spiritually. So, are there two baptisms? Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all”. This fits with Jesus saying that He is in us and we are in Him. It also explains how we partake or share in the sufferings of Christ.
Written August 26, 2025