Immersion?

The Baptists and "Church of Christ" (Campbellites) all use references to baptism into Christ as found in Romans 6:3-4, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Colossians 2:10-12, and Galatians 3:26-28 to teach that water baptism was by immersion (or "burial"). However, none of those references are to baptism with water, they are all said to be baptism into Christ. Christ is not a tank of water, therefore baptism into Christ has nothing to do with water.

Baptism into Christ is done by God the Holy Spirit

"By one Spirit are we all baptized into body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13)

"Now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him" (1 Cor. 12:18)

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

The Holy Spirit joins a believer to the Lord making us crucified, buried, risen, and seated with Christ (1 Cor. 6:15-17, Eph. 2:6, Rom. 6:3-4, Gal. 2:20, 3:26-28).

Water baptism has nothing to do with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. There is not one verse in the Bible that says water baptism pictures the death/burial/resurrection. The 12 apostles baptized (John 4:2) without even knowing about the death/burial/resurrection (Matt. 16:21-23, Mark 9:9-10, 9:31-32, Luke 9:44-45, 18:31-34, John 20:6-10).

Water baptism was said to be a "figure" (1 Pet. 3:21) of the washing away and remission of sins (Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3, Acts 2:38, 22:16). The washing away of sins is done by the SPRINKLING of the blood of Christ, not by immersion (Heb. 9:13-14, 10:22, 12:24, 1 Pet. 1:2, Isa. 52:14-15). Clearly then water baptism was by SPRINKLING as a "figure" (Heb. 10:22, 1 Pet. 3:21).

Water baptism was a Jewish "purifying" (John 3:25-26) that the Priests and Levites knew about (John 1:19) and expected the Christ to perform (John 1:25). Why did the Jews expect Christ to baptize? Ezekiel 36:25 says that Christ would come and sprinkle clean water upon them. Why did the Jews send their Priests and Levites to question John about why he was baptizing? Because they performed baptism all the time....(Num. 8:5-7, Lev. 8:5-6, Exod. 29:4, 30:20, 40:12). The Gospel of John calls baptism "purifying" in John 3:25, every other reference to purifying is a Jewish cleansing (John 2:6, 11:55, Num. 8:7, etc.).

Christ's death baptism is called a pouring (Luke 12:50, Ps. 22:14, Isa. 53:12).

The baptism with the Holy Ghost was called a pouring, falling, shedding, etc. (Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:17-18, 2:33, 8:16, 10:44-45, 11:15).

The baptism unto Moses had two phases, in the cloud and in the sea (1 Cor. 10:1-2). The baptism in the cloud was a pouring out of water (Ps 77:16-20) and the baptism in the sea was dry, none of the Jews got wet.

Baptism cannot be defined as "immersion", different baptism are done in different ways

baptism with water was a sprinkling
baptism unto Moses (two phases) was a raining and then dry
baptism with the Holy Ghost was a pouring/falling/shedding
baptism with fire will be a raining (Luke 17:29-30)
baptism into Christ is an immersion
baptism with death/suffering was a pouring

--Eli Caldwell