Baptism is a Picture

The subject of baptism is one of the most miss-taught and miss-understood of all Bible teachings. Different types of churches will practice different modes of baptism. Some will sprinkle, some will pour, and some will immerse. Some will baptize infants while others will only baptize older children and adults. The Mormons will even baptize on behalf of the dead. Still others will tell us that baptism is not important and they will not practice baptism at all.

History reveals that baptism has been the most divisive issue throughout the present age of grace. Our Baptist forefathers paid dearly for their stand upon the Bible truth of baptism. Millions of them were cruelly put to death just because they refused to have their children sprinkled.

They were killed for the stand that they took. For Example:

Michael Sattler took his and paid with his life. He was arrested in 1527 in Germany for his Anabaptist preaching and the court sentence read: "Michael Sattler shall be committed to the executioner. The latter shall take him to the square and there first cut out his tongue, and then forge him fast to a wagon and there with glowing iron tongs twice tear pieces from his body, then on the way to the site of the execution five times more as above and then burn his body to powder as an arch-heretic."

I am thankful that we do not face such persecution today over the issue of baptism, as did our forefathers. But we should be willing to take the same stand upon the truth of the Bible as they did.

The Bible makes it very clear what baptism is, what it is for, and how it is to be practiced.

Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

How many kinds of Scriptural baptisms are there? One.

The Picture of Baptism

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The Bible speaks of baptism as being Buried.

Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:

Romans 6:5 tells us that baptism pictures a Planting.

In your understanding, what action pictures a burial or a planting? Pouring, sprinkling, or immersion?

When you go out and bury someone do you consider them buried if you sprinkle some dirt on them? What about if you pour a pitcher of dirt on them? You do not consider them buried until they are completely covered.  So if baptism is to picture a burial it must be done by immersion.

Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:

In the likeness of his death. The likeness of. That means it is not literally a death but is in the likeness of. Or in other words it is a picture of his death.

That is why you go down under the water. Now if you do not think that that is a picture of death. Just stay down there and see what happens.

I am thankful that we do not only picture the death of Jesus with baptism, but we also picture the resurrection.

Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:

Baptism is also a picture of resurrection. That is why when you are baptized that you are buried in the water and then you rise again. The language in Romans 6:5 is definitely symbolic. “in the likeness of his death” and “in the likeness of his resurrection”

Baptism is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is a picture of the Gospel.

The Gospel is defined for us in:

1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

The Gospel is defined in the Bible as the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Baptism is a way of showing forth outwardly the gospel (death, burial and resurrection) that you have accepted on the inside. Baptism is a way to show the world that you have personally identified with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Baptism is the Biblical symbol of Christianity. Baptism is a picture, and you cannot picture a death, and a burial, and a resurrection by sprinkling or by pouring. Therefore the only way for baptism to show the picture is if it is done by immersion.

If this is the case, then we will see the examples of baptism in the Bible done by immersion.

Biblical Examples of Baptism

Mat 3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

John the Baptist baptized in the Jordan River. He did not baptize on the bank of the river. Why go into the river if all you are going to do is sprinkle or pour.

Joh 3:23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

In this verse we find that the reason that John baptized in Aenon is because there was much water there. It does not take much water to sprinkle or pour. One canteen of water can do several people. John went there to baptize because he needed much water so that he could immerse people.

Mar 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

When Jesus was baptized he came up out of the water.

In Acts chapter 8 Philip was sent to witness to the eunuch and after he believes he gets baptized.

Act 8:34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

Act 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Act 8:36 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?

If the mode of baptism was sprinkling, then they would not have had to come to a certain water, and he would not have said “See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?” Even the eunuch understood that baptism was by immersion.

Act 8:37 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.

Act 8:38 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.

Act 8:39 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.

Notice that they both went down into the water and after he was baptized they came up out of the water.

So we have biblical examples of getting baptized by immersion. Not only do we have what baptism pictures supporting baptism by immersion only, and we have biblical examples of baptism by immersion, but we also have language on our side also.

The Meaning of the Word Baptize

The word baptize means to dip, plunge, immerse, submerge.

The meaning of the language makes it clear that baptism is to be done by immersion.

What baptism shows as a picture can only be shown by immersion.

And all Biblical examples of baptism were done by immersion.

There is no room in the Bible for any other method.

So where did sprinkling and pouring come from.

They had to come from somewhere and they did not come from the Bible. It was Pope Stephen II that declared the practice of pouring for baptism was valid in the case of the sick in 754 A.D.

In 1311 A.D. the Roman Catholic Council of Ravenna gave the first official sanction of sprinkling.

We have looked at the Right Mode of Baptism and seen that the Right Mode is by immersion, and that sprinkling or pouring is not biblical.

We have also looked at the Right Meaning of Baptism and seen that it is a picture of the Gospel. Baptism is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.