Doctrine

How to be Baptised?

Have you ever wondered... Is there a right way to be baptised?

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7 min read

Contents

What are the different types of baptism?

As a result of differences in interpretation of Biblical text, there exists three general modes or methods of water baptism in Christian churches today.

The three main modes are: 

  1. Immersion – total or partial submersion of the body in water

  2. Aspersion – sprinkling of water over the head

  3. Affusion – pouring of water over the head

Various denominations remain divided on the question of what the most proper or truthful mode of baptism is – the mode of baptism that is the most faithful to Biblical records, and whether or not all three modes are to be deemed as acceptable. Moreover, within these three general modes of water baptism, the step-by-step procedure in execution is flexible / adaptable and even less concrete.

Why practice immersion in water baptism?

Immersion is practiced by denominations such as Baptists, Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witness. These denominations draw evidence to support the mode of baptism from the English translation of the original Greek text, where the Greek word ‘baptizo’ means to plunge, dip, or immerse something. Commonly referred to Bible verses include Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3: 16 and the Ethiopian eunuch’s baptism in Acts 8: 38-39. From these Biblical records, these denominations strongly believe the need for full or partial immersion into large bodies of water in order for the baptised to go down into and come up from.

They also share the belief that immersion in water baptism seems to best symbolise baptism into Jesus Christ’s body, that is the church (1 Corinthians 12: 13), and His death and resurrection (Romans 6: 4), stepping into a new life and new covenant in Christ after baptism.

Their respective procedures of baptism, however, are not as homogenous. Several denominations baptise in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, with the baptised heads facing upwards and in man-made bodies of water, e.g., swimming pools, believing that any water body or source of running water is acceptable in Christian baptisms. They are not adamant about the type of water or stringent methodology of baptism as they believe that the core of baptism is but the intent of the heart of the baptised and their witnesses.

Why practice aspersion in water baptism?

In keeping to Old Testament ordinances that required sprinkling to symbolise cleansing, and where such sprinklings were once acknowledged as ‘baptisms’ (Hebrews 9: 10), notable denominations that practice aspersion include Lutherans, Anglicans and Presbyterians. 

Selectively quoting from Bible verses such as Leviticus 14: 7, “And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field.”, Exodus 24: 8, “And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.””, and Ezekiel 36: 25-27, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”, these denominations draw parallels between purification rituals in the Old Testament and the significance and effectiveness of water baptism in the New Testament.

These denominations argue that sprinkling, especially having taken into consideration plausible physical constraints, such as the health of baptism candidates and limited access to bodies of water, is still an approved mode of baptism. They believe that, when necessity compels and since God has freely bestowed His pardon and divine benefits upon all who believe, the mode of baptism by sprinkling remains valid and should not be hindered because of strict adherence to mere Biblical recordings.

Why practice affusion in water baptism?

The least common mode of water baptism practiced by the Amish and some Catholics, is affusion. They argue that the action of pouring best captures the image of the descent of the Holy Spirit onto believers, referring to repeated Biblical texts in Joel 2: 28-29 and Acts 2: 17-18, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”.

Further evidence validating the practice of pouring as a means of baptism was discovered from ancient drawings in catacombs, depicting people being waist deep in water, having water poured onto them.

Diversity in and deviation from the true and accurate mode of baptism stems from the understanding of the Bible in totality. Regarding the institution of mandatory sacraments and their methodologies, the Bible may not be as clear or straightforward as in its establishment of Old Testament laws, but the onus is on us, as believers of God, to diligently search and seek the truth spread across all corners of the Bible, instead of settling for the universal blanket statements to justify the efficacy of any and all purposes of and approaches to baptism.

How does the True Jesus Church baptise / conduct baptism? 

In the True Jesus Church, the mode of water baptism is completely faithful to scripture, modelled after examples set by Jesus and His disciples and apostles.

Water baptism must first and foremost be performed in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4: 10-12), not in the names of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly proclaimed to the people of Israel that salvation is in no one else except Jesus Christ, that there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4: 12).

This is highlighted in the Acts of the apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 38), during the baptism of believers at Samaria (Acts 8: 16), and the baptism of Cornelius and his household (Acts 10: 48), just to list a few.

The original Greek text of Matthew 28: 19 does not pose as a contradictory perspective but indicates singularity in conveying to readers the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, revealing that God is one and not three. Jesus is one with the Father (John 10: 30) and is the Father manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3: 16). Thus, Jesus is God’s name (John 17: 6, 11-12, 26). The Holy Spirit is then the spirit of the Father and the Son (Romans 8: 9, Acts 16: 6-7). 

Secondly, baptists are to baptise the baptism candidates with their faces / heads bowed down. It is key that we understand the spiritual significance of physical baptism. Outwardly, baptism is to bear the likeness of Jesus’ death on the cross (John 19: 30), burying us and our old sinful inward selves with Jesus into death and, just as Jesus resurrected, raises us from the dead into a new life (Romans 6: 3-5, Colossians 2: 12). Additionally, the bowing of the head demonstrates repentance and humility, a resolve to turn from sin as forgiveness is granted through baptism (Luke 18: 13, Ezra 9: 6).

Finally, water baptism requires full body immersion in living water. Aside from the original Hebrew translation of the word (that is, to dip / immerse), there is no lack of written records in the Bible of these two requirements. As aforementioned, to be baptised is to be buried with Jesus. Apostle Paul emphasises in his epistles that ‘to bury’ implies the need for coverage of the entire body, and that if the mode of full body immersion in water is not applied, baptism’s spiritual significance cannot be expressed and fulfilled (Colossians 2: 12, Romans 6: 3-4), causing the baptism to be invalid. Genesis 8: 2, Zechariah 13: 1, Micah 7: 19, and John 3: 23 reveal the need for baptism to be conducted only in natural sources of water such as rivers, streams, springs and oceans.

Old Testament prefigurations of water baptism include the salvation of Noah and his household, and later, the Israelite nation (1 Peter 3: 20-21, 1 Corinthians 10: 1-2, Isaiah 51: 10). During the flood, Noah’s ark was completely surrounded with water (Genesis 7: 17-24). When crossing the Red Sea, the waters of the Red Sea were as high walls on the right and left sides of the Israelites, overwhelming them (Exodus 14: 21-22). New Testament examples of water baptism include that of Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 3: 16, John 3: 23) and those in the Apostolic era (Acts 8: 38). 

Consistent with God’s immutable nature, He instituted only one true baptism (Ephesians 4: 5); any other modes or means by which baptism is conducted is false, so, those who have received the wrong baptism must be baptised again according to the truth (Acts 19: 2-7). God’s commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5: 3) as He desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of His truth (1 Timothy 2: 3-4). Therefore, may all who earnestly seek God be granted all understanding.

Related Topics

Baptism

See Also

Should We Conduct Infant Baptism?

Should We Conduct Infant Baptism?

Some argue that as infants are unable to believe, they should not be baptised. They quote the incident of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, where Philip told him that if he believed with all his heart, he could get baptised (Acts 8:36-37). However, the True Jesus Church believes that we should, in fact, conduct infant baptism! While it is true that water baptism is an act of faith, it is more than just a confession of one’s faith, but also carries with it important spiritual implications. Let us look at it from a few angles. Firstly, water baptism is necessary for salvation. We can see this from Jesus’ command to the disciples to preach the gospel and baptise people. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16 NKJV Some argue that it is the faith that saves and not baptism. However, in 1 Pet 3:21, Peter mentions explicitly that baptism saves! “There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” I Peter 3:21 NKJV Baptism saves, because through it we now have a good conscience before God. That means our sins are forgiven! And this is corroborated by Acts 2:38 and Acts 22:16. “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 NKJV “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’” Acts 22:16 NKJV From these verses, we can see that water baptism is necessary for salvation, because our sins are washed away through baptism. The Bible tell us that death came into the world through the sin of Adam. And death spread to all man, because all sinned! Death is a result of sin, and all are condemned because of Adam’s offence. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—” Romans 5:12 NKJV “And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.” Romans 5:16 NKJV All humans, from the point of their birth, are subject to death. That is a reflection of the sin that is in us. We are, by default, because of Adam’s sin, sinners as well, and subject to eternal condemnation. That means that if an infant dies, he/she will also be condemned eternally! As such, water baptism should also be conducted for infants for the remission of their sins. Infants also need salvation! Secondly, it is through baptism that we become part of the body of Christ. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” I Corinthians 12:13 NKJV “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” I Corinthians 12:27 NKJV Paul also links the idea of the body of Christ to salvation, saying that Jesus Christ has reconciled both Jews and Greek, in one body, to God. “and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” Ephesians 2:16 NKJV Without baptism, infants are not part of this body of Christ that is reconciled to God. How then, can they be saved without baptism? Thirdly, baptism in the new testament, is likened to circumcision in the old testament. “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Colossians 2:11-12 NKJV Interestingly, circumcision was also a requirement to be considered a part of God’s people! Even foreigners who want to be included as God’s people, and keep the Passover, also have to be circumcised. “And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”” Genesis 17:14 NKJV “And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.” Exodus 12:48 NKJV We can see from the above verses that circumcision was very important, and was a requirement to be the people of God. But, what was the significance behind the action? Was it just a physical act, or a work of the law? “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.” Romans 4:11-12 NKJV Paul explains that circumcision was a sign given to Abraham of his righteousness, as a result of his faith in God! And that he might be a father of faith, to those who believe (but are uncircumcised), and those who are not only circumcised, but walk in faith! That is to say, circumcision is actually a sign that one is a descendant of Abraham, the father of faith, and likewise walks in faith in God. When then is circumcision performed on the Israelites? When they are merely 8 days old! “He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.” Genesis 17:12 NKJV Even though it is a sign of faith, we can see that God commanded the Israelites to be circumcised when they were only eight days old, an age where it is basically impossible for these neonates to show any signs of faith. God wants these children to be part of His people as early as possible! Since baptism is likened to circumcision in various ways, namely an act required to be part of God’s people, and also a sign of faith in God, why should infants be denied baptism, the way of entry into the body of Christ, simply because they are too young to confess their faith? The Bible places an importance on parental faith. In the case of the Philippian jailer, by his faith, his whole household was saved. That would have included his children as well. “So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.” Acts 16:31-33 NKJV We can also see how Jesus saved the children of the nobleman and the Canaanite woman, because they both had faith in Jesus. “The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.” John 4:49-50 NKJV “Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” Matthew 15:28 NKJV The Bible also tell us that it is the parent’s responsibility to train up children in fearing God. “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 NKJV “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NKJV Therefore, children of believers, who are not old enough to understand the concept of faith, should still be baptised, if their parents have faith. In fact, they need to be baptised to be part of the body of Christ and to have their sins forgiven! The responsibility of teaching them how to fear God and walk in faith thereafter, lies with their parents. In conclusion, let us remember that Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God (Mk 10:13-16).” Let us not deny these children from being a part of His body and salvation.

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