Thomas1

RyanThomas
Mr.CosminRitivoiu
English102
1February2015
TheTrueMethodofBaptism
ThroughoutthecenturiesofChristendombaptismhasalwaysbeenpracticedinthe
Christianchurch.Baptismistheactofimmersioninwaterorapplicationofwaterforthe
purposeofinductingsomeoneintothechurchandtocleansethemoftheirunrighteousness.This
practiceofthechurchisfollowedbecauseJesusChristwasbaptizedbeforehestartedhis
ministryhereonearthasourexample.JesusChrististhefounderoftheChristianfaithafterhis
deathandresurrectionhisdisciplesspreadthegospelacrosstheworld.Sincethereweresomany
newconvertstothefaithitwashardtocontrolthewaypeopleworshippedGod.Manyofthe
newconvertsintoChristendomhadtheirownmethodsofworship.Thuspracticessuchasinfant
baptismandsprinklingcameintothechurchandeventuallybecamemorepopularwiththe
majorityofbelieversthatishowovertimetheybecamedoctrineinmanychurchestoday.
However,Jesuswasnotbaptizedbyanyapplicationofwater,buthewasplungedunderthe
water.TheSeventhdayAdventistchurchfollowsthemethodofimmersionfoundintheBible.
Baptismbyfullimmersionistheonlytruebiblicalbaptism.
Baptismsareessentialtochurchgovernmentbecauseitishownewmembersareinitiated
intothechurch.Sincethisisthewaypeopleareinductedintothechurch,thechurchofficials
havetofigurewhatformofbaptismwouldbethemostaccepted.Baptismisapublicdisplayofa
personschoicetofollowJesus,andhasasignificantimpactonthenewconvert,soitisvery

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crucialtohaveapositivefeeltowardstheactofbaptism.Nomatterwhichchurchpeopleattend
orwhichbeliefspeoplehold,baptismwillalwayshaveaplaceinchurchgovernment.Overthe
yearsmanydifferentgroupsofpeoplehavemoldedbaptismintowhattheywantittobe.This
hashappenedbythemeansofcultureandtraditionsthathavebeenheldbythesedifferent
groups.
Therearethreemainwaysbaptismisconducted,whichincludethefollowing:affusion,
aspersion,andimmersion.Allthreeareverydifferentfromeachother.Eachisheldsacredtoa
majorgroupofChristians.However,notallofthesearefoundinthebiblicalmanuscriptssome
ofthesehavebeenaddedintothedoctrinesofthechurchesthatfollowthatparticularteaching.
Butallofthesebaptismtypeshavebiblicaltextsthatcouldpossiblysupportthattypeofbaptism.
AffusionisoneofthekindsofbaptismsthathasfounditswayintotheChristianchurch.
Affusionisbaptismbypouringwaterontothesubjectwhoisbeingbaptized.Thistypeof
baptismbecameprevalentduringthe10thcenturybasedonthefollowingtext.
Anditshallcometopassinthelastdays,saithGod,IwillpouroutofmySpirituponall
flesh:andyoursonsandyourdaughtersshallprophesy,andyouryoungmenshallsee

visions,andyouroldmenshalldreamdreams.
Andonmyservantsandonmy

handmaidensIwillpouroutinthosedaysofmySpiritandtheyshallprophesy:(
King
JamesVersion,
Acts2:1718)
Sometheologiansinterpretthistexttosaythatbaptismcanhappenbythemethodof
pouringsincetheHolySpiritwaspouredouttoallflesh.TheyalsousethetextinActs10:45.
Andtheyofthecircumcisionwhichbelievedwereastonished,asmanyascamewithPeter,
becausethatontheGentilesalsowaspouredoutthegiftoftheHolyGhost.(Acts)This

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exampleofpouringoutisalsousedinreferencetotheHolySpirit,alsoknownastheHoly
Ghost,butnottothebaptismofahuman.Thisisnottheonlymethodofbaptismthathasfound
itswayintotheChristianchurch.
AspersionbaptismwasalsofoundinmanyChristianchurcheswithinafewhundred
yearsafterthedeathofJohntheRevelator.Baptismbyaspersioniscompletedbysprinkling
waterontheheadorbodyofthepersonbeingbaptized.Thismannerofbaptismwasperformed
merelyforthesickorthoseinprisonwhenimmersionwasnotpossible.Sometheologiansuse
thistextinEzekielinsupportofaspersion.
ThenwillIsprinklecleanwateruponyou,andyeshallbeclean:fromallyourfilthiness,
andfromallyouridols,willIcleanseyou.AnewheartalsowillIgiveyou,andanew
spiritwillIputwithinyou:andIwilltakeawaythestonyheartoutofyourflesh,andI
willgiveyouanheartofflesh.(Ezekiel36:2526)
Versetwentyfivestatesthatsprinklingcleanwateruponsomeonewillmakethemclean
fromalltheirfilthiness.NowthistextisreferringbacktotheoldLeviticalwatercleansing.
Numbers8:7showsthatthistextinEzekielisnottalkingaboutbaptismatallbutisawayto
cleanthebodyofimpurities.Thismeansthatthesprinklinghasnothingtodowithbaptismatall,
butjustaceremonyperformedtosymbolizethecleaningofimpuritiesofthebody.
ThistypeofbaptismispracticedbymanyCatholicsintheworldtoday.Howeverthere
arealsosomeMethodistChurcheswhichconductbaptismbyaspersion.Thismethodofbaptism
isalsocommonlyusedbyRomanCatholicsonEasterforrecommitmentsandrenewalof
baptismalvows.Nowthereisanotherformofbaptismthathasbeenusedlongerthanaffusion
andaspersion,thisisbaptismimmersion.

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Immersionisthebaptismthatinvolvesbeingcompletelysubmergedinthebaptismal
water.JesusChristwasbaptizedbyJohntheBaptistbyimmersion.Christtaughthisdisciplesto
baptizebyimmersion.Philip,adiscipleofChrist,usedthismodeofbaptismwhenhebaptized
theeunuch.
AndPhilipsaid,Ifthoubelievestwithallthineheart,thoumayest.Andheansweredand

said,IbelievethatJesusChrististheSonofGod.
Andhecommandedthechariotto

standstill:andtheywentdownbothintothewater,bothPhilipandtheeunuchandhe
baptizedhim.Andwhentheywerecomeupoutofthewater,theSpiritoftheLord
caughtawayPhilip,thattheeunuchsawhimnomore:andhewentonhiswayrejoicing.
(Acts8:3739)
PhilipfollowedtheexampleofChristandhebaptizedtheeunuchonlyafterhehadfully
puthisbeliefinJesusChristtheSonofGod.Hisbaptismwasnotbyaspersionoraffusion,it
wasbyfullimmersion.Philipstoppedthechariotonthehighwaysothatthisbaptismcouldtake
place.Nowthereisavariantofimmersionthatispracticedbyafewdenominationspartial
immersionisthebaptisminwhichapartofthebodyisdunkedintothewater,butneverthe
wholebodyatonetime.Thiswouldincludehavingtheheadorarmsimmersedinwater,butnot
atthesametime.Mosttechniquesofbaptismhavewhatseemstobebiblicalsupporttoback
theirclaims.
Evenwithorwithoutbiblicalsupportmanypeoplesaythatanyformofbaptismisbetter
thannoneatall.Earlychurchofficialsfromthelatefirstorsecondcenturywhilesupporting
baptismbyimmersion,evidentlychangedtheirstandardtomakeaccommodationsforsituations

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whereimmersionwasdifficult.Accordingtothebook,
Didache
whichisalsoknownas
The
TeachingsoftheTwelveDisciples,
therewereasetofstrictinstructionsforbaptism.
Andconcerningbaptism,baptizethisway:Havingfirstsaidallthesethings,baptizeinto
thenameoftheFather,andoftheSon,andoftheHolySpirit,inlivingwater.Butifyou
havenolivingwater,baptizeintootherwaterandifyoucannotdosoincoldwater,do
soinwarm.Butifyouhaveneither,pouroutwaterthreetimesupontheheadintothe
nameofFatherandSonandHolySpirit.Butbeforethebaptismletthebaptizerfast,and
thebaptized,andwhoeverelsecanbutyoushallorderthebaptizedtofastoneortwo
daysbefore.(DidacheCh.7)
Theearlychurchwastryingtofindnewwaysthattheycouldbaptizeanyoneatanytime.
Sothisrulewasmadetoensurethatbaptismalprotocolwasfollowed.Thisiswherechurch
leaderssteppedinandsaidwhatisacceptableandwhatisnot.Thistopichasbeenarguedabout
forcenturiesandthesewaysarestillbeingconsidered,eachsidenotbudging.Yetthereisa
churchwhichfollowsthewordsofGod.
TheSeventhdayAdventistchurchasawholebelievesthattheexamplethatChristgave
shouldbefollowed.

Whatshallwesaythen?Shallwecontinueinsin,thatgracemayabound?
Godforbid.

Howshallwe,thataredeadtosin,liveanylongertherein?Knowyenot,thatsomanyof
usaswerebaptizedintoJesusChristwerebaptizedintohisdeath?Thereforeweare
buriedwithhimbybaptismintodeath:thatlikeasChristwasraisedupfromthedeadby
thegloryoftheFather,evensowealsoshouldwalkinnewnessoflife.(Romans6:14)

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Christdiedfortheworldandhewasburiedinthetomb.Threedayslaterherosefrom
thegraveandwasonearthforfortydays.Hedidallofthisworksothatthosewhochoseto
followhimnolongerhavetowalkinthewayofsinanddeath.Noristhisgracehegivesabuffer
sothattheworldcancontinuetosin.Thistextshowsthatthebaptismistobelikeadeathtothe
oldselfandabirthtoanewlife.WithoutthatnewlifeonecannotenterintothekingdomofGod.
Salvationisbyfaithnotworks,butworksarearesultofthenewlifeinChrist.TheSeventhday
Adventistchurchhas28FundamentalBeliefsthatsummarizetheofficialchurchbeliefs
includingbaptism.
BybaptismweconfessourfaithinthedeathandresurrectionofJesusChrist,andtestify
ofourdeathtosinandofourpurposetowalkinnewnessoflife.Thusweacknowledge
ChristasLordandSaviour,becomeHispeople,andarereceivedasmembersbyHis
church.BaptismisasymbolofourunionwithChrist,theforgivenessofoursins,andour
receptionoftheHolySpirit.Itisbyimmersioninwaterandiscontingentonan
affirmationoffaithinJesusandevidenceofrepentanceofsin.Itfollowsinstructionin
theHolyScripturesandacceptanceoftheirteachings.(28FundamentalBeliefs)
ThispassagestatesthattheSeventhdayAdventistchurchacknowledgesJesusChristas
LordandSaviorthroughtheactoffullimmersionaccordingtotheBible.Baptismisapublicand
solemnritualproclaimingthedesireofthepersonbeingbaptizedtosurrenderhisorherselfish
natureandletJesussperfectpeaceandselfsacrificefillhisorherlife.ThelifethatJesusgives
offersforgiveness,unity,peace,andfreedomtoenjoylifetoitsfullest.
BecausebaptismissuchanimportantandpivotalexperienceinthelifeofaChristian,
andbecauseitsignifiesaveryseriousstepintheChristhumanrelationship,closeadherenceto

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thebiblicalexamplesetforthbyChristhimselfisthefirststepinalifelongjourneyoffollowing
hisexampleinallthings.Althoughitmayseemconfusingtofigureoutwhichtypeofbaptismis
thecorrectandtruemethod,weneedtotakeourstand:Notwithstandingthetraditionsofman,
butratherfollowingthewordofGodstatedintheBible.

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WorksCited
SeventhDayAdventistChurch.(2013,January1).RetrievedFebruary10,2015

Kirby,Peter."HistoricalJesusTheories."
EarlyChristianWritings
.2015.9Feb.2015