16. Baptism

There are three things to consider in baptism: — 1. The action commanded to be done; — 2. The subject specified; — 3. The meaning or purpose of that action. Jesus commanded a certain character to be the subject of a certain action, for a specific purpose or design. The questions, then, are, What is that action? What is that subject? What is that design?

Of The Action of Baptism

The action is indicated by a word as definite, clear, and unequivocal as any word in any language ever spoken by the many-tongued sons of Adam. Besides, in all laws and institutions, and especially in those that are of a positive, rather than a moral nature, all words having both a literal and a figurative meaning, a common and a special signification, are to be understood in their literal and common, and not in their figurative and uncommon sense and acceptance. So have all judges of law and language decided, from time immemorial.

That definite and unambiguous word, as almost universally known in these days of controversy, is baptisma, or baptismos, anglicized, not translated, baptism. The primary means by which the meaning of this word is determined are the following: 1. The ancient lexicons and dictionaries; — 2. The ancient and modern translations of the New Testament; — 3. The ancient customs of the church; — 4. The place and circumstances of baptizing, as mentioned in the New Testament; — and 5. The allusions to this ordinance and the explanations of it in the apostolic epistles. To each of these we will do little more than simply refer on the present occasion.

1. The ancient lexicons unanimously give immersion as the natural, common, and primary sense of this word. There is not known to us a single exception. Nor is there a recognized lexicon, ancient or modern, that ever translates this word by the terms sprinkling or pouring. And as there are only three actions allowed to be Christian baptism; and as the original words, both verbs and nouns, are translated immerse and immersion in all lexicons, and never sprinkle or pour; does it not follow, then, that neither sprinkling nor pouring is Christian baptism? The question is not whether these words are ever, like other words, used figuratively: whether they may not metonymically mean wetting or washing; for these may be the effects of either sprinkling, pouring, or dipping. The question is not whether these words may be so used: but the question is whether the action commanded in baptizo is sprinkling, pouring, or immersing a person. All authorized Greek dictionaries, ancient and modern, unanimously affirm that action to be immersion; and not sprinkling or pouring.
2. All Latin, English, German, and French versions which we have seen, and we believe on the testimony of others, all that we have not seen, sometimes translate these words, their derivatives, or compounds, by words equivalent to immersion: but on no occasion ever translate them by sprinkling, or pouring, or any other word equivalent to these terms. This is evidence of great importance: for if these versions have nineteen times out of twenty been made by those who practice sprinkling or pouring in the name of the Lord; and if these words occur about one hundred and twenty times in the New Testament, is it not very strange that never once have such translators rendered the words by sprinkling or pouring? A decisive proof in our judgment that it could not be so translated. Indeed, a mere English scholar, who has only heard that baptism is a Greek word, may indubitably ascertain that it means neither sprinkling nor pouring, by substituting the definition of the term and trying its sense in all places where the ordinance is spoken of. This is an infallible rule of interpretation. The proper definition of a term substituted for it will always make as much sense as the term itself. Now, if an English reader tries sprinkling or pouring in those places where he finds the word baptism, he will soon discover that neither of these words can possibly represent it, if the above rule is true. For instance, we are told that all Judea and Jerusalem went out to John and were baptized by him in the Jordan. Sprinkled them in the Jordan! poured them in the Jordan! immersed them in the Jordan. Can anyone doubt which of these truly represents the original in such passages? I may sprinkle or pour water upon a person; but to sprinkle or pour them into water is impossible. It is not said he baptized water upon them, but he baptized them in water, in the river.
3. The ancient church, it is admitted on all hands, practiced immersion. It did so, Roman, Greek, and English historians being worthy of any credit.
4. The places where baptism was anciently administered, being rivers, pools, baths, and places of much water, show that it was not sprinkling or pouring. They went down into the water, and came up out of it, etc. And John baptized where there were many waters or much water. And even Paul and Silas went out of the Philippian jail to baptize the jailer at night, rather than send for a cup of water!
5. It is also alluded to and explained under the figure of a burial and resurrection, as relating to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, etc. Rom. 6 and Col. 2.

From these topics many clear and conclusive arguments may be drawn, on which it is not now our business to dwell. If, indeed, any one of these five topics is correct, the action that Christ commands is forever decided. How much more, when they all agree in asserting the same interpretation! There is, then, but one baptism, and not two under the Christian administration.

The Subject of Baptism

Characters, not persons, as such, are the subjects of baptism. Penitent believers — not infants nor adults, not males nor females, not Jews nor Greeks; but those who profess repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ are the proper subjects of this ordinance. "To as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believed in his name, who were born not of flesh, nor of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God." "He who believes and is baptized — not he who is baptized and then believes, shall be saved." "Many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptized," not many of the Corinthians were baptized and then believed, and finally heard the Gospel! "For without faith it is impossible to please God," etc.

The Meaning of Baptism

"In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." "And Jesus said that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Therefore, Peter said to the penitent Pentecostals, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, for the forgiveness of sins." Again, "As many of you as have been baptized or immersed into Christ have put on Christ, have been immersed into his death;" "have risen with him."

Baptism is, then, designed to introduce the subjects of it into participation in the blessings of the death and resurrection of Christ; who "died for our sins," and "rose again for our justification." But it has no abstract efficacy. Without previous faith in the blood of Christ, and deep and genuine repentance before God, neither immersion in water nor any other action can secure to us the blessings of peace and pardon. It can merit nothing. Still, to the believing penitent it is the means of receiving a formal, distinct, and specific absolution, or release from guilt. Therefore, none but those who have first believed the testimony of God and have repented of their sins, and who have been intelligently immersed into his death, have the full and explicit testimony of God assuring them of pardon. To such only as are truly penitent do we say, 'Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling upon the name of the Lord;' and to such only can we say with assurance, "You are washed, you are justified, you are sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God." But let the reader carefully examine our special essay on the Remission of Sins, in which this much-debated subject is discussed at considerable length.