Baptism in Water: The Dunking
Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Recite the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
- Two words in our English New Testament have not been translated, rather they have been transliterated since those responsible for the King James version of the Bible insisted they could not be. These words are “baptizo“ and “ekklesia.” The first word means “dunk” or “immerse” and the second means “called out ones.”
- Problem was the church in control then did not immerse new believers in water but rather “baptized” infants by means of sprinkling “holy water” on the candidate’s head. And instead of “called out ones” the identity was “church.”
- Following the Reformation in the 16th century, Christians who wished to follow the Scripture, immersed or dunked in water those who were born again of the Spirit of God. These became known as “Anabaptists” and the “ana,” which means “re,” dropped off the word so that we have the designation “Baptist” like in Miller Avenue Baptist Church.
- By examining the passages here: Matthew 3:13–17; 28:18–20; Acts 2:37–41; 8:34–38; 10:44–48; 16:11–15; 16:25–34; Romans 6:3–4; 1 Corinthians 12:12–12-13, (and there are dozens of others passages that could be cited) it becomes clear that Jesus intended that new believers were to be dunked or immersed in water following their conversion.
- And why? When a person is immersed in water it pictures the dying to sin, and that sin being forgiven. This forgiveness has already happened. Then laid in the water, like in a grave, symbolizes that the sin is removed, gone forever. The coming out of the water symbolizes the resurrection that we have in Christ. Baptism then is a testimony, a sermon presented.
- Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and then is raised from the dead. This is the story of biblical baptism.