The Truth in Print Vol. 21 Issue 6, July 2015
A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
There Is No Such Thing as
“Sprinkling” or “Pouring” for Baptism
In the past I’ve dealt with the above
topic as it relates to the teaching of the Catholic Church. You may read this
article at http://www.yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/baptism-catholicencyc.htm
. I’m certainly not aware of any changes that the Catholic Church may have made
that would contradict the Catholic Encyclopedia.
However, the Catholic Church does not stand alone in the errors of using
sprinkling or pouring for baptism. Here is a recent newspaper article that
illustrates the flaw in many “church manuals” among denominations.
There Is No Such Thing as “Sprinkling” or “Pouring” as Options
for Baptism
Many members of Christ’s church have come
out from human denominations in order to be such. For some, they came to
understand that modes of baptism other than that taught in the New Testament
are additions to God’s word and do not save. In denominations offering options
for baptism “church manuals” override immersion by stating baptism may be
administered to believers by sprinkling, pouring or immersion. Many falsely
view baptism as a “sacrament” and not what it is, i.e. an initial step of
obedience necessary for the forgiveness of sins. This explains why some wait
until they have a group they can so baptize.
When men asked what to do they were told:
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins…” (Acts 2:37-38). Those who gladly received the Word were
baptized, and about three thousand souls made up the beginning of the church
Christ promised to build (Acts 2:41; Matt. 16:18).
One "calls upon the name of the
Lord" when he arises and is baptized as the disciple of Christ told Paul
in Acts 22:16. Paul had believed in Christ for three days, he had been praying,
but he had yet to have his sins washed away (Acts 9:18, 22:16). He did not receive forgiveness until he was
baptized (not sprinkled or had water poured over his head) for the remission of
his sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16). You may read about the fundamental steps of
obedience unto salvation at http://www.yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/churchthree.htm . Feel free to contact us for questions or study.
Valley
Church of Christ
2375
W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928)
782-5058 ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes
~10:00; Assembly 10:50 am; Evening: 6:00 pm
Wednesday
evening – 7:00 pm
Before going on let me state that this brief
article belongs rightly with the preceding newspaper articles for the past
months of January through May of 2015. You may read them collectively under
“Various Errors Concerning Salvation” at
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/newspaper13.htm
Again, as stressed in the above brief
article, the New Testament command to those who heard the gospel preached was
“be baptized... for the remission of your sins,” and the word baptized means to
be immersed (Acts 2:38). The word used with this command is defined properly as
immersion not pouring:
1. Strong’s definitions ~
G907 bap-tid'-zo From a derivative of G911; to make
whelmed (that is, fully wet); …”
2.
W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says: “baptism,”
consisting of the processes of immersion, submersion and emergence (from bapto, "to dip"), is used (a) of John's
"baptism," (b) of Christian "baptism," (A-1,Noun,908,baptisma).
The element of water certainly has a place in baptism for the scriptures
teach that the element for such is water (Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5; Cp. I Pet.
1:22, I Pet. 3:21). Concerning John’s baptism which preceded the baptism “into
Christ” the Bible says, “And John also was baptizing in Aenon
near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were
baptized” (John 3:23). Thus with the mention of “much water” one sees the clear
idea of the physical act of immersion (being overwhelmed or completely
covered). Concerning the conversion of the eunuch when Philip the evangelist
baptized him into Christ — why not let the Bible say it and just accept what it
says:
Acts 8:34-39 (KJV)
“And the eunuch answered Philip, and said,
I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? [35] Then Philip opened
his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. [36]
And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch
said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? [37] And Philip
said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God. [38] And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and
they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized
him. [39] And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord
caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way
rejoicing.”
You will kindly note that the eunuch had Christ preached to him by
Philip and then upon his own confession of Christ (this was based upon his own
belief in Jesus as the Son of God, thus deity) he was baptized, just like Jesus
instructed in Mark 16:16. This example of conversion explains how baptism
necessitated their both going down into the water, and he baptized him, and
then they came up out of the water.
The word baptized, as shown, means to be immersed. This was not
sprinkling (Rhantizo) or even pouring (Cheo or Ekcheo) some water on the
head of the eunuch for the Greek word for “pouring” (Cheo)
is a different word altogether than the word for baptism. Moreover there is no
blessing of the water here or anywhere else in the accounts of baptism into
Christ for the remission of sins in the New Testament. The baptism that Jesus
commanded through His apostles is the baptism in the New Testament that puts
one into Christ and is for the remission of one’s sins! (Gal. 3:26-27; Acts
2:38).
Concerned reader, do not let such manmade documents as “church manuals”
and human “creeds” keep you away from
the clear teaching of the New Testament scriptures.
Why not read the composite of short articles I’ve recommended above
titled “Various Errors Concerning Salvation” and note the errors in what so
many today have been told by man to accept in such things as the so called
“Sinner’s Prayer,” and in “Infant Baptism,” or in thinking that I Jo. 1:9 is in
order to become a Christian when it was for those already Christians, and also
errors in “The Altar Call”?
As stated in the included article, feel free
to contact us for questions or study.
Valley
Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 782-5058 ~
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00;
Assembly 10:50 am; Evening: 6:00 pm
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
By Bob Lovelace
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To learn
more call, visit or visit our website at:
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com