DAY 267
CHALLENGE
“People should be baptized only by immersion: (1) In Greek the word for “baptize” (baptizein) means ‘to dip’; (2) immersion better fits the symbolism of Jesus’ burial (Rom. 6:1–4; Col. 2:12); and (3) when Jesus
was baptized, he ‘came up out of the water’ (Mark 1:10) and the Ethiopian eunuch ‘went down into the water’ (Acts 8:38).”
DEFENSE
These arguments do not show immersion is the only means of baptizing.
First, baptizein doesn’t simply mean dip: “The word that invariably means ‘to dip’ is not baptizein but baptein; baptizein has a wider signification; and its use to denote the Jewish ceremonial of pouring water on the hands (Luke 11:38; Mark 7:4) . . . shows that it is impossible to conclude from the word itself that immersion is the only valid method of performing the rite” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia 1:419).
Second, although we are familiar with graves dug down into the ground, Jews were commonly buried in tombs cut sideways into cliffs. Jesus was buried this way (Matt. 27:60; John 20:4–8). The downward motion of immersion, therefore, does not perfectly correspond to how Jesus was buried. Also, the Holy Spirit descended at Jesus’ baptism (Matt. 3:16), and when baptism is administered by pouring water on the head, this corresponds to the Holy Spirit being “poured out” on the disciples (Acts 2:33, 10:45).
Third, the statements about Jesus and the Ethiopian eunuch coming up out of and going down into the water only show where they were standing when the baptism occurred. They don’t describe how it was performed.
When Jesus is said to come up out of the water, it means he climbed out of the Jordan River, not that he broke the surface of the water after being immersed. Similarly, we read that the eunuch “commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.” Both Philip and the eunuch “went down into the water,” meaning that they were standing there when Philip baptized him.
The fact that people were standing in water when the baptisms were performed doesn’t prove immersion. Christian art from the early centuries commonly depicts those being baptized standing in water and having water poured on their heads. This understanding may also be indicated by the Didache (see Day 308).