A Study on Baptism
Prof. M.M.Ninan

Chapter One

INTRODUCTION

The question of Baptism had been a constant source of fighting within the Christian groups.  This is a very sensitive subject and therefore we need to study this with absolute objectivity.  There are varying points of views based how one look at the scripture, its hermeneutics, authority, meaning, significance, etc. This study is my own journey into the problem of baptism. I have read through many books and articles that I have lost count of and lost original references. It included varying viewpoints. I myself have been actively involved or closely associated with the Pentecostal Churches to Catholic Churches. What is expressed here is the result of the search looking for these basic questions: What is baptism? Is baptism a condition for salvation? What is the scriptural form of baptism? Is the baptism to be adult believer’s baptism or infant baptism? If they indeed affect my final destiny they are very important and I should seek for an answer through the scripture and through the history. I have tried to remove all emotional factors and concentrate on the core realities.

To understand what baptism really means we first look at the word baptism or its Greek and Hebrew original word itself.  What does it mean? 

What is the meaning of the original Greek word?

  
The word Baptism is derived from the Greek word baptismos.  The verb in Greek is baptizo.  It's meaning commonly is given as "to dip or to immerse".  I have seen people arguing over the proper mode of baptism based on this meaning. However this is not the primary meaning of the word in Greek.  It is only a secondary derived meaning.  The word came into existence from the smithy of Greece. The primary meaning of the word implies a sudden change, which I believe, is the correct implication of the word.  It is explained as what happens when a hot iron is dipped in cold water.  The state of the material is changed drastically and permanently cast.  Those who are familiar with the old style smithy will understand this well. When a piece of iron is to be remolded into a tool such as axe, knife etc, it is first heated to near melting point and then put on the anvil and is shaped while the iron is red hot. (We got the expression, "strike while it is hot" from this method of recasting) In that condition it is dipped in cold water where it crystallizes and is permanently cast. When the smith is satisfied with the shape and sharpness of the tool it is once again heated to full glowing red heat and plunged into cold water and brought to normal temperature in a short time. It will then keep the shape and temper for a long time. It can withstand the outside rough world sharply.

The word itself does not imply "immersion in water" as wrongly asserted by many Christian Groups. Either they are ignorant of the other meanings or deliberately hide the other meanings to prove their point.

The word is also used in cases where a cup is dipped in to get wine.  More literally it means to put a vessel into a liquid in order to lift some out.

Another meaning of the word is "to dye" where the cloth or thread is given a new color.  The processes of dyeing usually involves dipping the material or thread in a dye. There are many other methods of dyeing and the word does not specify any particular mode. 

But the basic idea is "to change totally".  This meaning is borne out by Jesus as he refers to baptism in the following passages. 

Mark 10:38-39    "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"   "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with," 

Evidently Jesus was not referring to his baptism in Jordan by John the Baptist.  There were several disciples who had that baptism before Jesus.  There is no question that Jesus was referring to the torture, suffering and death he was going to go through.  Jesus was simply telling his disciples that there was going to be a sudden change from their current comfort and popularity into a drastically new situation. The essential meaning of baptism therefore is the same as being born again into a new creature.  It does not imply the mode of this creation or the method. 

We should remember that the command to baptize was given to Jewish disciples.  How did they understand this command?  To get some idea of the meaning of Baptism we should know what were the different types of baptisms that were used in or known to the Jewish culture.  Some are directly referred to in the scripture and there are others that are not really mentioned in the Bible but were clearly in existence at that time.  Jewish nation was under the Roman domination and the interaction with gentile religions also brought in meanings that are often not recognized by us.

Baptizo sometimes means bathing the whole body - as when Naaman, at Elisha's direction, "went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan" (2 Kgs. 5:14).  The Hebrew word for immersion is tevilah and means literally immersing in a ritual bath known as a mikvah

Sometimes it means washing up, as in  Luke 11:38 where Jesus went to dine with a Pharisee and "The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash [the Greek word for "washed" is baptizo] before dinner."  No one in ancient Israel practiced immersion before dinner, but the Pharisees "do not eat unless they wash their hands" (Mark 7:3). In fact  some early manuscripts of Mark 7:4 state that the Jews baptized (bapto) couches.  We can be sure that Jews never immersed couches; they were only ritually sprinkled.  These are ritual purification methods that are still practiced by the Kerala Brahmins called Nampoothirees. (St. Thomas Christians of Malankara claim their descend from this group) Though no real research had been done into these similarities they are astonishingly similar.

In essence, the word does not define a definite mode. Its meaning is spread over several possible modes and practices. But they have all two things in common.
1. It was a ritual ceremony .
2. It was indicative of purification in all cases and sudden change – a rebirth – in many cases.