The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-05-31
CONTRIBUTION BOX
BAPTISM DOES NOT MEAN I'M
MERSION

In The Star Mirror for May 27
1919, DR.. Marshall gives the impress
sion that "baptize" means immersion
He gives the advice to ask the Greel
sinner. This time l shall leave the
Greek authors, Greek authorities
church fathers, and reformers out
shall also pass by the "Greek shin
ers.' | shall try to be brief and only
ask the Greek Testament to give us
some information on the meaning OF
'baptlze. Let US begin with the
baptism of Christ. Was Christ bap-
tized by immersion? 1t seems to
me hear all the Baptists of Moscow
shout out in one accord eyes, certain
ly!" All right, let US look at the tes-
tlmony in the case. In Mathew 3:16
it is written :"And Jesus, when he
was baptized, went up straightway
from the water" This does not prove
immersion. We do not read about
John waiding out into the water, and
there grabbed hold of Christ and i'm
mersed him. 1t is only one we read
about that was in the water How
could John immerse Christ when he
was not in the water? No Baptist
can prove by the Bible that John was
in the water. You Baptists will say
that Jesus went up from the water"
Therefore he was immersed. No, by
no means When Jesus went up from
the water he only went up on the
beach from which he had gone down
into the water. A Lutheran pastor
once in the east baptized a young
man in the water. The young man
stood a few inches into the water,
bowed his head Harvard and the pas
tor took water in his hand and
poured water on his head, but he was
not immersed. And he also went
up from the water" but no dip.
st. Luke is the Greek sinner" in
the New Testament and in Acts 1:5
Jesus says: For John indeed baptiz-
with water" And in Luke 3:16 John
says: Indeed baptize you with wat
err" This expression with water" is
the natuhe of means or nature of in
strument. And if DIR. Marshall is
Greek sinner" then he knows that
this expression will not admit i'm
mersion into water. If "Baptize"
means to immerse then we could sub |
stitute immersion for "baptize," then |
it means "immerse with water" To I
with watetr is something I
which no Baptist minister ever has
lone, for the simple reason it is impos-
,ible to immerse with water. If yon
10 not believe it, just try if you can
10 it. There is a painting in the
.atecomb of Rome which represents
he baptism of Christ. There John
stands on the shore, Jesus stands a
'ew inches into the water and he
axes water in his hand and pours
N the head of Jesus. This painting
with the text of Mat.
':16. This painting is from the year
OF. There were then people living
whose parents lived at the time Je-
[esus was baptised. If Jesus had
,een baptized by immersion then this
painting could not have been painted
he way it was. The people would
lave protested.
Was Paul baptized by immersion?
n Acts Oil we read that Paul was
|:18 we read: "And he arose and
vas baptized" The Greek word for
arose" does not mean Ito come for
yard" as we read in The Star-Mirror
bout the two pews full of people
n the Baptist church. 1t only means
o arise, to stand up. Paul had been
lifting or lying on bed. He was
aptized while standing on the floor
4 the house of Judas. All people in
1oscow can see how Paul could be
aptized by pouring OF sprinkling
yhile standing, but | do doubt that
here is one person, even at the uni
ersity, who can see how Paul could
e immersed while standing on the
Ioor in the house of judas. The evil
ences in the case are all against
ne theory of immersion.
Were the "about three thousand"
t Penticost in Jerusalem baptized
v immersion? If they were INNER
ed where was the lake or river?
, is not said that they all departed
,r baptism. Were they immersed
the pool called Bethesda. That
DOL was so small and deep that DR..
arson, the greatest Baptist defender
{ immersion must confess that it was
, difficult to get into it that he could
Of prove that two could enter at |
nee. That pool was a receptical of
God of the animals sacrificed so the
ews did not feel inclined to be bap
zed in such place even if it had
zen possible. Kedron was quite a
stance away, and that was often
". If the 5000 had been baptized
' immersion then it would have
zen impossible to have them all bap
zed Sin that day." But by sprink
ng and pouring they could easily
,tain the water and baptize them all.
he evidences in the case are all
roinrt immersion
Was the jailer baptized by INNER
on? Not if we shall go by the
licences in the record. =