Baptism – Why ONLY Immersion Is Right & More

Posted By Kent Owen on Dec 23, 2013

Baptism: the Do’s and Don’ts In Matthew 3:6 the people were baptized of John in Jordan, confessing their sins. [baptized] – G0907 = to immerse, submerge; to make whelmed (i. e. fully wet).  It NEVER means to get partially wet, therefore “sprinkling” is not “baptizing”.  Why does it matter?  Because being immersed into water symbolizes death and burial with Christ (Rom 6:4 & Col 2:12), sprinkling doesn’t. Why Immersion Is Baptism In Acts 8:27-39, a rich eunuch traveled on a chariot and learned the gospel from Phillip, and though it’s not written, it’s understood that Phillip explained that to be saved, the eunuch must be baptized.  The rich eunuch must have been carrying food and water on his chariot for the journey since he was traveling all the way from Ethiopia to Jerusalem.  So when he learned of the requirement to be baptized, why didn’t he say to Phillip, “Hey, I’ve got some jugs of water in the chariot that you could sprinkle me with”?  BECAUSE THAT’S NOT BAPTISM!  He saw a body of water (Acts 8:36), they went DOWN INTO the water (Acts 8:38), Phillip “immersed – G0907” the eunuch, then they CAME UP OUT OF the water (Acts 8:39).  The language and situation all imply submersion and never even hint of sprinkling or that sprinkling is acceptable even...