I. Ordering Paul's Epistles 1 - Hope of the Glory

(4) There are many water ceremonies in the Old Testament (Heb 9:10). We
will mention and comment on these ceremonies and how they were performed.
(a) The ceremonies mention sprinkling of things and people
(Lev 14:51) And he shall take 3947 (853) the cedar 730 wood, 6086 and the hyssop, 231 and the scarlet, 8144,
8438 and the living 2416 bird, 6833 and dip 2881 them in the blood 1818 of the slain 7819 bird, 6833 and in the
running 2416 water, 4325 and sprinkle 5137, 413 the house 1004 seven 7651 times: 6471
(Num 8:7) And thus 3541 shalt thou do 6213 unto them, to cleanse 2891 them: Sprinkle 5137 water 4325 of
purifying 2403 upon 5921 them, and let them shave 5674, 8593, 5921 all 3605 their flesh, 1320 and let them
wash 3526 their clothes, 899 and so make themselves clean. 2891
(Num 19:18) And a clean 2889 person 376 shall take 3947 hyssop, 231 and dip 2881 it in the water, 4325 and
sprinkle 5137 it upon 5921 the tent, 168 and upon 5921 all 3605 the vessels, 3627 and upon 5921 the persons 5315
that 834 were 1961 there, 8033 and upon 5921 him that touched 5060 a bone, 6106 or 176 one slain, 2491 or 176 one
dead, 4191 or 176 a grave: 6913
(Num 19:19) And the clean 2889 person shall sprinkle 5137 upon 5921 the unclean 2931 on the third 7992
day, 3117 and on the seventh 7637 day: 3117 and on the seventh 7637 day 3117 he shall purify 2398 himself,
and wash 3526 his clothes, 899 and bathe 7364 himself in water, 4325 and shall be clean 2891 at even. 6153
(Eze 36:25) Then will I sprinkle 2236 clean 2889 water 4325 upon 5921 you, and ye shall be clean: 2891 from
all 4480, 3605 your filthiness, 2932 and from all 4480, 3605 your idols, 1544 will I cleanse 2891 you.
(b) We MUST conclude that the procedure was that of sprinkling
(c) Where do people get the idea of INSISTING it is immersion? Here
is one argument 33
Next we turn to Acts 8:36-39. The evangelist, Philip, had been teaching the gospel or good news of Christ to
an Ethiopian eunuch while they were riding along in a chariot. Then in verses 36-39 we read: "Now as they
went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, See here is water, what hinders me
from being baptized? And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and
the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the
Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way
rejoicing." Here we see that the baptism that God has authorized in the Bible requires the "coming to some
water", "going down into the water," and after a person is immersed it requires "coming up out of the water."
How much clearer could the Bible be on the mode of baptism? Also notice that after the eunuch was baptized,
"he went on his way rejoicing." Why? Because he was now saved and all of his sins had been taken away.
This is certainly something to rejoice about.
Romans 6:4 says, "Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death." Here we see that baptism is a
burial, which is what is done when one is immersed. Sprinkling is not a burial; it is only sprinkling. Neither is
pouring a burial. Both are unlawful substitutions made by man which will cause many people to be lost.
Colossians 2:12 says that we are "buried with him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him." Here
again God requires the one being baptized, to be buried and raised when he is baptized. When we bury a
dead person in the cemetery, we do not lay him out on the grass and sprinkle a little dirt on him. No, that would
be absurd, and it is just as absurd in trying to substitute sprinkling for baptism. Sprinkling for baptism is foreign
to the scriptures. God did not authorize it. There is not one instance anywhere in the Bible where anyone was
sprinkled for baptism.
(i) First note that in Acts 8, they BOTH went down into the
water.
(a) Were they both immersed?
(b) Were they both baptized?
(c) A running stream is an obvious place to sprinkle
water on another
(ii) In the light of 1 Cor 12:13 and Eph 4:4-6, we would conclude
that the Pauline references aren’t water anyway.
(a) If either Romans 6:4 or Col 2:12 meant water, it
would prove that baptism was for salvation.
(b) In Col 2:11-15 is clearly conversion. It is
accomplished by faith not by water.
33 This quote is from http://www.bible.ca/interactive/salvation-19-baptism-is-immersion.htm
Galatians Page 24 November 22, 2008 10:05