Bethel

For a long time during my baptist days, I accepted the false assumption that the Greek word baptizo meant immerse. With others who make this assumption, I just ignored verses that did not support my views. There are many such verses in the New Testament, but here are two examples:  Mark 7:4, where tables are said to be baptized and   Hebrews 9:10 where the various sprinklings of the Mosaic Law are referred to as baptisms.  The word used in both verses is a form of the Greek word baptizo and clearly could not mean to immerse.

Another assumption that I made was that those down through history that practiced baptism by sprinkling or pouring, were ignorant of what baptizo meant and were captive to their traditions. In reality, my pride led me to believe in my superiority over these ignorant ancients.

The reality is much different. The early church fathers who preached the Gospel throughout the empire and often gave their lives for Christ, were men of great faith and tremendous intellect.  The surprising thing, then, is that they taught and practiced infant baptism by sprinkling. Giants of both intellect and faith like Augustine, argued carefully for infant baptism.

A turning point for me was the influence of the Westminster Assembly that met in the mid 1600s. The Assembly was composed of 120 or so men from many countries and different denominations who sought to hammer out a unified statement of biblical teaching. These were men of recognized intellect and scholarship. Men who read the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures easier than I read English. Men who were godly and upright in their lives and faith. These were men of God whose shoe strings I am not worthy to untie. These men discussed theology and the Christian faith for ten years, producing one of the great works of history, the Westminster Standards.

And what did these scholars conclude that the Scriptures taught regarding baptism? “Dipping (immersion) of the person into the water is not necessary; but baptism is rightly administered by pouring, or sprinkling water upon the person. (citing Hebrews 9:10-21) Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one, or both, believing parents, are to be baptized.” WCF 28.3-4

And I came to reject my misplaced pride and assumptions and embraced the teaching of these godly giants of the past and the historic practice of the church of Jesus Christ.  As with the old covenant, the children of God’s covenant people are to be included with the visible people of God and given the covenant sign and seal of baptism.