Is baptism by immersion valid?

Answer:

The word "baptized" transliterates the Greek word baptizo, which means "immersed." By its very definition, it means to immerse oneself in some medium (usually water). It is the word the Greeks used when saying a ship sunk at sea, or when you were dying cloth. Thus, in the Bible, there is only one mode of baptism -- immersion. Sprinkling and pouring of water were innovations that came many years after the Bible was completed. The article "Immersion, Pouring, and Sprinkling: A History" traces the history of how people transitioned from immersion to other methods.

Take a look at Paul's illustration of the purpose of baptism:

"Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin" (Romans 6:3-7).

Since baptism represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, as well as the believer's death to sin and resurrection to a new life, which mode of modern-day baptism carries out this symbolism? Do we bury a person by sprinkling a little dirt on top, or is the body completely covered over? Only immersion demonstrates the symbolism.

Taking verses out of their context often leads to a misunderstanding.

"When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land.' But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the Lord GOD, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God" (Ezekiel 36:20-28).

God is speaking to the Israelites and not about Christians. The Israelites did not act as God's people, but God declared that He would purify them from their uncleanness caused by their idolatry. The sprinkling refers to the act of purifying the unclean. "A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there, and on the one who touched the bone or the one slain or the one dying naturally or the grave. Then the clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify him from uncleanness, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and shall be clean by evening" (Numbers 19:18-19).

If you want to claim that this refers to cleansing from sin in the New Testament, which it doesn't, then you'll have to wait for God to decide to sprinkle water on you because it says nothing about one man sprinkling another man in Ezekiel.

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure" (I Peter 1:1-2).

Notice that Peter talks about being sprinkled with Christ's blood, not water. He is speaking symbolically, not literally. Since sprinkling was the Old Testament method of being purified from uncleanness (Leviticus 8:30), Peter is saying that the blood of Christ has purified these Christians. This becomes a point to prove why we are to be holy (I Peter 1:14-16) and that we are a kingdom of priests (I Peter 2:9). The writer of the Book of Hebrews makes allusion to the same idea. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:22). Again, it is symbolic because it is our hearts that are sprinkled, referring to a change in attitude and thought. But he also mentions that our bodies are washed, which alludes to baptism (Acts 22:16; I Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5).

In Acts 2, three thousand were baptized in Jerusalem. This city does not have streams or rivers flowing through it, but there were many pools that were likely used (John 5:2; 9:7).