By Jim Mettenbrink
In the last article, we reviewed statements by protestant reformation leaders Calvin and Luther who acknowledged that baptism in the early church was immersion. However, the churches that follow the teachings and innovations of these men sprinkle or pour water on people rather than immerse them. Has the meaning of the first-century Greek word (original language of the New Testament) bapto (transliterated into English as “baptize”) changed?
In the late 1970s, I encountered a Greek immigrant who had just spent the summer in Greece. She excitedly told me that she had her three-year-old child baptized by the Greek Orthodox priest. I asked her to describe Orthodox baptism. She said it was by immersion because the Greek Bible uses the word bapto. Even though the first century Greek is a dead language, the word bapto has not changed in its meaning – immersion – in 2000 years. What happened that men would supplant immersion with sprinkling and pouring?
The earliest recorded digression from immersion is that of Novatian (between AD 230-250), who was bedfast, near death, and wanted to be baptized. Those present, being desperate and obviously not trusting God enough to follow His word, decided to pour water on Novatian. However, sometime later, when Novatian was to be appointed as an elder in the church, many objected because he had not been immersed. In other words, pouring as a substitute for immersion was not valid to become a citizen of Jesus’ kingdom, receive the forgiveness of sins, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. About AD 255, Bishop Magnus wrote to Bishop Cyprian of Carthage regarding the validity of Novatian’s baptism (baptism by affusion [pouring] in time of sickness). These records of inquiry show the digression and consequent controversy that began about the mid-third century. The necessary question is “By what authority can people change God’s commanded method of baptism?”
No one can! Indeed, if we do not honor God enough to follow what He has commanded, why not throw the whole Bible away and be like rebellious Israel – “…everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25)? “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).