THE BIBLICAL BELIEF AND PRACTICE OF BAPTISM

King-priest Derek

• 4 min read

The subject of baptism is so much held in high esteem as a "revered sacrament" paramount amongst the belief systems of christiandom and certainly the most controversial with diversified approach to it's practice. This has inevitably brought in divisions and rifts among the major groups in christiandom; amongst whom we can cite the Roman Catholic and the Protestants, including the so called Pentecostal movements. The two main Baptismal types being:

  • sprinkling or aspersion: sprinkling of water mostly on the head of the one being baptized by an ordained Roman catholic priest or ordained Protestant pastor.
  • immersion: the immersion or submersion of the one being baptized by the ordained minister.

Almost all Pentecostal movements adopt the immersion type for only children above twelve years, while the Roman Catholic and a few Protestants like the Methodists and Presbyterians cling to sprinkling or aspersion encouraged for infants as a rule.

The main aim of this article is not to determine biblically which practice is correct but to rather propose a substitute for the kind of baptism to be practiced today in christiandom using understanding from relevant Christian Bible verses.

It's true baptism refers to immersion (or dipped into) from the Greek baptizo. In a baptism called "John's baptism", introduced by the prophet John the Baptist - the greatest prophet that ever lived, his disciples were required to take the "John's baptism" in the river Jordan where he immersed his disciples as sign of the repentance he preached

And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 3:2 KJV

In the old system of biblical belief (Old Testament), men were expected to follow what theologians call today the practice of types, symbols and ceremonies especially in sacraments. John's baptism was one of such sacraments where water was a type of the Holy Spirit and John in a ceremony at the Jordan dipped or immersed men into water.

Be informed that John the Baptist was specially born in a manner almost similar to his cousin Jesus. The story of his birth was in a mystery such that he fills the role of a fore runner to the great gospel of Jesus being the gospel of the Kingdom. John was regarded in the Scriptures as the last and greatest of the prophets in this wise. John therefore was preaching and practicing the gospel of the Kingdom in the old dispensation or old system of biblical belief (Old Testament). It is said of John the Baptist

Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Mathew 11:11 KJV

The above scriptural verse shows that John the Baptist never entered the kingdom of heaven he was preaching - because the kingdom was yet to come after the death and resurrection of Jesus. But we know John the Baptist ended his ministry with these two pronouncements

He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30 KJV
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Matthew 3:11 KJV

These Scriptures reveal that the baptism of John was:

  • an old testament practice.
  • done away with by the coming of Jesus Christ.

Jesus therefore continued baptism of His own disciples (of whom we are in this chosen generation) with the Holy Ghost and with fire and Jesus didn't continue the "John's baptism", but thereafter his death and resurrection encouraged the baptism of the Holy Ghost immersion of men into the Holy Ghost as means of accessing the kingdom of heaven preached by John in the old dispensation (OT) and to be continued after His death and resurrection NT)

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 3:5 KJV

The "born of water" in this verse doesn't refer to John's baptism but the washing of water by the word of God - before the Holy Ghost baptism the word must have wasted your conscience to accept to be immersed into the Holy Ghost.

Jesus accepted (by Himself) the baptism of John as a way to confirm the preaching of the concept of Kingdom by John which He echoed

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mathew 4:17 KJV

Jesus had this to say as to why He took that baptism (with the understanding that one of His roles was to fulfill the righteousness of the law

But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mathew 3:14
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him
Mathew 3:15

John 4:1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John
John 4:1 KJV Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples
John 4:2 KJV

Jesus never practiced the baptism of John by Himself though His disciples were still at the time grabbing with the two opinions certainly because the Holy Ghost had not yet been given, and were yet to understand that they were to cling to the new dispensation of the Holy Ghost, after the death and resurrection of their master Jesus.

The same quest for understanding is still common among present day disciples of Jesus whom we are.

Final opinion

The baptism of the Holy Ghost by Jesus and with fire has substituted the baptism of John by water. When men continue with the baptism of water and sometimes mix it with the baptism of Jesus (as most Pentecostals do), they do not only despise the baptism of Jesus but make it of non effect

Do you agree?