Mode of baptism: sprinkling

Why I believe sprinkling is the correct mode of water baptism.

As stated in this post http://av1611studyblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/immersion-pouring-sprinkling-baptism.html the word "baptize" does not mean "immerse" in neither English nor Greek. The word baptism does not have one single meaning. You must look at the context.

I believe that water baptism in the Bible is by sprinkling, not immersion.

Baptism was a figure of the washing away of sins, though it did not literally wash them away. It was the "answer of a good conscience toward God", therefore it was for people who were already saved because you cannot be obedient to God in works nor answer Him with a good conscience if you are lost.

1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Titus 1:15-16 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Obviously water baptism was for saved people, water baptism only saved in a "like figure". A figure not being real salvation, "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh". Water baptism was for someone that already had a good conscience toward God.

What was water baptism a figure of? Some say that it represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, but I have never seen that in the Bible. It is the baptism by the Holy Spirit, an operation of God, that spiritually joins the believer to the Lord making them "one spirit"....united in Christ's death/burial/resurrection (1 Cor. 6:15-17, 12:12-13, Col. 2:10-13, Gal. 3:26-28).

Water baptism was a "like figure" of the "putting away of the filth of the flesh"....Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Water baptism was figurative of the washing away of sins. A symbol of purification.

So was this by immersion or sprinkling? The cleansing brought about by the blood of Christ is associated with sprinkling, not immersion.

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,


1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

As you can see, Christ's blood is what makes Israel saved under the New Covenant and it is said to be sprinkled on the believing Jews.....and that washing was what water baptism was a figure of. Therefore I conclude that water baptism was by sprinkling. Notice also this reference in Hebrews, though not directly mentioning baptism, it does mention the conscience and a washing with water which causes me to believe it is speaking of water baptism. (cross reference 1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ)

Hebrews 10:19-22 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

The Jews got their hearts "sprinkled from an evil conscience" when they put their faith in Christ, His blood being applied to them and being sanctified by the Spirit (1 Pet. 1:2).

The Hebrews were sprinkled with blood under the Old Covenant that God made with them: Exodus 24:8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

Israel was also sprinkled under the New Covenant both spiritually by the blood of Christ and figuratively by water baptism.  (notice the word "conscience")

Hebrews 9:
[11] But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
[12] Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
[13] For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
[14] How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
[15] And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Notice those words "the purifying of the flesh" in regards to the Old Covenant blood of bulls and goats. The Bible calls water baptism "purifying" in John chapter three.

John 3:
[22] After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
[23] And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
[24] For John was not yet cast into prison.
[25] Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
[26] And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
[27] John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
[28] Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

The question that John's disciples and the Jews had about baptizing is what the Bible calls a question about "purifying". In Numbers 19 we read about the sprinkling of water as a symbol purifying (Numb. 19:1-22).

Another reference linking water baptism with sprinkling is found in Isaiah 52.

Isaiah 52:14-15 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Christ being wounded/bruised, His visage being marred more than any man, is connected with Him sprinkling the nations. There is also a prophecy in Ezekiel of Israel being brought under the New Covenant after the Tribulation and it is said that He will "sprinkle clean water" upon them (Ezek. 36:25). The gospel of the Kingdom (Matt. 4:23, 9:35, Mark 1:14) was to go to all nations in the Tribulation (Matt. 24:13-14, 28:19-20), again connecting baptism with sprinkling.

The Jews were expecting the Christ to baptize when He came (John 1:25), apparently they thought that He would be doing the sprinkling Himself rather than through the apostles (John 4:2). 

Another reason why baptism was probably by sprinkling is that God's plan for Israel was to for them to be a holy nation of kings and priests (Exod. 19:6, Isa. 61:6, Hos. 1:5-11, Rev. 1:5, Rev. 5:10, 1 Pet. 2:5, 1 Pet. 2:9-10) and a priest had to be sprinkled (Num. 8:5-7, Lev. 8:4-6, Exod. 29:4).

Some say that since John baptized where there was "much water" that the mode of baptism must have been by pouring or immersion. However, it makes since that if you have hundreds of people that you are baptizing that you would stand in the water and let them line up to be baptized. Else you would have to have people going back and forth drawing buckets of water. Joshua 3:11-15 shows that phrases such as "into Jordan" and "in the waters of Jordan" can refer to those who are only "dipped in the brim of the water".

Though there is no scripture that directly states that water baptism was by immersion or by sprinkling, I believe that the Biblical evidence proves sprinkling to have been the mode of water baptism.

--Eli Caldwell