Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-05-13
DtSCAS'S GOSPEL LESSONS.
REPLY No. 10.

OF oaptlzing by sprinkling? Where
Is 1t taught in the New Testament
either by precept or example? Give
Us chapter and verse. Give me the
name of any standard photographer
that translates the Greek word bapti-
20 by the English word sprinkle MS
q" prnm ,ry meanin4 nl the word
In replying to this question l will
say first. No lexicon that Ihave ever
Seen or heard of gives the New Tes-
lament use of any Greek word as the
primary meaning. Most of the lex
icographers have lad some knowl-
edge Of the Greek language and lit
erature, and they knew that Greek
was a written and spoken language
many centuries before the New Tes-
lament era. They also knew that
there had been a great decline in the
language after the time of Alexander
tue Great. And more-alI lexico-
graphers know that the Greek of the
New Testament is very far from be
ing pure classic Greek, because mixed
up with the Hebrew idioms, derived
from the septuagint Greek of the Old
Testament, which was used by Christ
and the Apostles. So that no lexi-
cographer, unless he was a crank or
Il ~lunatic, would ever think of giving
any important New Testament Greek
word the meaning it usually had in
the primary heather Greek. And no
man who had even a smattering
knowled~ev2sGtIte hau in vfeW !
they invited me to read a paper I
asking .na. patv "a Mi, u question.
The only logical authority that
[ need to quote now Is that of the
great S%chleusner. After giving
what he considered the meaning in
heather classic Greek, viz: "'To
merse in, to ~submerse," he says: '.In
hdc antem ~Signifcationie nanquam IN
". T. legitur." "But in this signif-
cation it is never used in the New
Testament The New Testament
meaning given by S~chleusner is dbluo
laUo, aga pergo-'to wash, to cleanse,
to purify with water" l find similar
New Testament meanings given by
near a dozen other lexicons that |
have at hand. l attach but little
Importance to the ~lexlcons, as all the
leading clippers have abandoned the
lexlcons and appealed to the use Of
the word baptizo in the classics. We
have found, both last year in the
discussion with disciple and this
year in the bout with Mr.. D. hat
1 there is absolutely no ''dip' in bap-
tho anywhere in Greek literature
and in the Greek, older than the New
Testament, baptizo always moves the
element or baptlzing agency-nevel
e the object. In every baptism, Older
: than the New Testament, the person
or thing baptized is represented a:
passive, stationary and receptive
o while the haptiziug agency or instru
= mentality is brought upon, or in con
tact with, the person or thing bap
tized. This has been demonstrated
by an examination of every Greel
sentence older than the New Tesla
: ment, where baptizo is found, ant
the proof published in Appendix
No. of my book, And if any on'
has. ever attempted to meet my argu
ment | have not heard of it. An.
!; as l have given and sold copies O
- that book to quite a large number O
prominent ministers among the Dis
ie ciples and Baptists, and M effor
. has been made to meet that argumen
/ take it that that much is settled.
.. then baptizo never moves its objet
ne there is no moving of the perso
. baptized from one clement into al
iother. That annii,iiates Mr. DIS SAT
O. ton Of baptism
We have before shown that ther
are four different Greek words, katt
IpOnti:0, kutdduno. dunO, and 6uthi7'
ct. used in the Greek Of the Old an
New Testament nine times, and Il
rendered into Latin by the wor
merge and its compounds. So thi
- if the Lord had desired to use a wol
meaning immerse or submerse he ha
plenty of Greek words at hand
he he express that idea. He used none
- the four, but chose baptizo, a woi
that at that time never had been use
ty. in that sense.
In the Law of Baptism (Mat
I2S:19,20) the Savior says; $50
is therefore and make disciples of
the gentiles, baptizing them" q
: Now what did he mean by ''baptl
ing" in that law? Again | call Il
On readers attention to the fact that
Inc order to understand the meaning
any law we must know and consid
the facts and circumstances surrou
'tic ding the PRONUNCIATION of the Ia
Christ Jesus was, and is, the gre
baptizer. John the baptizer wi
yn-
attic water said Mark 1;S,l II indie
rave baptized You with water On
dati," without any ''en"); but He
,,n e., Jesus, the CHRISTI shall bapti
!. you with the Holy Spirit And
Acts 1:5 we hear Jesus saying, IF
ling John truly baptized with water; /
the ye shall be baptized with the He
Spirit not many days hence" N