All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
TO SPRINKLE OR IMMERSE ?
A problem I come across, particularly in Infant Sprinkling, is that most people use the term "The Baptism of babies." when in fact we should be saying: "Sprinkling a Baby"
Some may argue: "What difference does it make?
Well as we all know, how wrong terminology can create confusion.
The only church I know of, that baptizes (immerses) babies, are the Greek Churches.
They do this to follow a distinct command:
<b><i>"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, <b>baptizing</b> them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Mat 28:19</i></b>
Who knows better than the Greek when he reads "<i><b>Baptizo</b></i>". There is no doubt in their minds what they have to do. They immerse their babies.
Whether immersing babies as well as adults is correct? That is another discussion - We will leave that for another day.
It is a pity that the Translators of the New Testament when translating the term <b>"Baptizo"</b>did not use the correct term "Immerse" as written in the Greek.
I believe, that by the time manuscripts were gathered in order to have them all in one book in order to translate them from the Koine Greek into English; People had already started Sprinkling their babies.
The reason why, was that families became concerned as to what happened to their babies that had died and had not been Baptised (Immersed)? The practice was then born, and Babies were possibly at first immersed and then for convenience or to ease a mother's fears of her baby drowning, they started to Sprinkle.
This all took place before these manuscripts were translated into English.
The Translators did not want to get into heavy theological arguments over the correct terminology regarding the term "Baptizo", so rather than correctly translate the word to "Immerse" they "Anglicized" the word to "Baptism"
Hence today we have millions of people, Christians and Non Christians Going against God's Word
Sprinkling their babies, which God never instructed them to do.
This change has broken down the true ramifications of Immersion and gone against the Commandment God gave us and that is to Immerse Believers as a sign of Being buried with Christ and raising up out of the watery grave to a new life.. Other than this Baptism (Immersion) has no hidden "extras" that God will bestow on people. It simply shows obedience to God's instruction which was given to all who believed.
Amongst all Baptists and many other denominations, this is known and called "Believers Baptism" because it requires Believers to understand and accept what they are doing and what they have personally committed themselves to. Babies are unable to make this commitment and parents can't do it for them.
In Addittion:
Should one wish to take a baby to the Church font and Sprinkle the child, or get into a discussion on the subject, they hjave every right to do so. But unless the right terms are used on the subject; namely baptize or Sprinkle, the observer or reader becomes confused. Simply because both parties are giving different arguments on Baptism,and both continually use the same word: "Baptism". Little wonder there is so much confusion on this subject.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ron Payne on
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Hi Yael,
Your statement: "God accepts baptized infants because of the faith of their parents." is definitely not a Biblical statement. Search the Bible as much as you want and you will not find it.
A statement like that begs the question to be asked: "Will God therefore reject a child who dies, because the parents were Unbelievers?"
Christ said : "Let the children come to me for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven." Mat 19:14
Quite rightly God Loves children in their innocence but the time comes, when God expects that love to be returned. He expects and wants us to return that love with a show of obedience.
Throughout this conversation on Baptism by immersion there was and still is, a need to ask: Would there have been all this heavy discussion on immersion or Sprinkling, if the early church had simply translated the Greek word "Baptizo" to what it really means in the English language, namely "Immerse".
But instead, to avoid confrontation and arguments (as Children were already being sprinkled) they anglicised the Greek word "Baptizo" (Immerse) and translated it to it "Baptise" which in English could mean anything you wanted it to mean.
Ask any Greek if the term Baptizo means to merely "Sprinkle" or does it mean to "Dip" "Immerse" "Submerge"? The answer will definitely not be "Sprinkle" Further proof of this is that the Greek Orthodox Church "Immerse" babies that are brought to be "Baptizo" namely immersed.
Sadly this is also not correct because babies can't believe. Therefore the "Cart has been placed in front of the horse" The Lord's plan for our salvation must be to FIRST believe and THEN to have that old body of unbelief, "buried" "immersed" etc.
"We were buried with him by Baptism (Immersion) into death,, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead, by the glory of the Father we too might walk in newness of life." Roman 6:4
see too Col 2:12.
I also believe that no one is able bury anyone in 5 or 6 drops of water.....
Ron...
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Permalink Reply by Yael Levi-Bénédict on
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Dear Ron,
Sorry for my delay... I havent had a chance to come here in a long time, and now I have very little time to reply to you properly, but let me say this quickly, my dear friend,
Do agree that parents have a God given authority over their children? Do agree that the 4th commandment testifies for this authority ?
Orthodox Christians, like myself think so or else, why would God command us to honour our father and mother? and not only that, why would this command be the only one that carries a promise attached to itself - he who obeys his father and mother will live a long life ?
God give us parents according to his plan and will. Parents have an divine authority over their children and the responsability to teach them about God, we see that throughout the OT.
Would God then refuse parents the gift of the Holy Spirit to their infants when the come before Him and baptize their offspring because the child does not understand what baptism is?
In this case, why would God himself ask the Jeswish people to bring forth their infants of 8 days old if they "must" understand what their are doing? Did God change His mind?
Parents authority is biblical. Apostolic Tradition is INSPIRED because it comes from the Apostle who lived with the Lord and learned from Him and the Holy Spirit. If 1st century Christians got this right, why cant modern Christian do the same?
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The Catholic Church also immerses. In fact, immersion is the 'prefered' way to baptize according to the Cathechism... ( sorry , I dont have time to search the catechism here to quote what it says) , but I assure you that sprinkling is not the norm, but the alternative practice.
In my opinion, it matters little to nothing if it is sprinkling or else. I had my baby baptized - praise Jesus - December 17th, 2011. I wanted her to be 'celebrate' christmas as a Christian, so we baptized her in the Catholic Church. It was a solememn mass in which all readings seem so appropriated - I selected the day for the baptism carefully so as to pick a Mass in which the Vatican had determined at least one or two readings that meantioned baptism- so, it was beautiful and my baby was sprinkled....When the priest prayed over the water evoking God's promise, blessed the water and prayed to God to pour out His Holy Spirit on the baby, and the he poured the water saying ' I baptize you Maria, in the name of the Father .....' It was beautiful! The baby turned her head to the congregation and smilied!
We all felt Gods presence and the church was filled with joy! I will never forget that day...
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Permalink Reply by Larry M. on
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Biblical Christians should live by biblical examples, For the Bible is our guide in all aspect of this life. Immersion has the clear biblical examples so why follow the sprinkling which has not. Bible has the answer to all lifes questions in all aspect. the Bible is not silent. God is just so wonderfully and marvelously gracious and merciful. just IMHO. tnx
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Dear Ron Payne,
The Catholic Church - this includes all Eastern Catholic Churches such as Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Greek Catholic Church, Russian Catholic Church, etc. As well as the Maronites, Chaldeans, Ethiopian Catholic Church, Coptic Catholic Church, Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Syro-Malanka Catholic Church, which are in COMMUNION with ROME and therefore are ONE Catholic Church, under the Potificate of the Roman Catholic Pope - also baptize infants by IMMERSION.
The Catholic Church, in fact, teaches in her Catechism that immersion is the PREFERED FORM for baptism - or the Sacrament of Faith - both for infants and adults.
The Greek ortodox comes from the SAME tradition, which is why they baptize by immersion!
Pax Domini
Yael
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