Missed it by THAT Much!

Baptism and the Westminster Assembly

From Proceedings of the Assembly of Divines

From Jan.1, 1643 to Dec. 31, 1644

(London, 1824), vol. 13, pp. 300-301

One of the fascinating events in the story of immersion took place in England, where immersion was the common form of baptism until Cromwell’s time. In 1644 the Westminster Divines met to discuss the matter. Dr. John Lightfoot, who presided at the Assembly, recorded the following.

“Wed. Aug. 7. This morning we met again. . . . Then fell we upon the work of the day; which was about baptizing of the child, whether to dip him or sprinkle, and this proposition, ‘Is it lawful and sufficient to sprinkle this child’ — had been canvassed before our adjourning, and was ready now to vote: but I spake against it, as being very unfit to vote, that it is lawful to sprinkle when everyone grants it. Whereupon, it was fallen upon, sprinkling being granted, whether dipping should be tolerated with it. And here fell we upon a large and long discourse, whether dipping were essential or used in the first institution, or in the Jews’ custom. . . . After a long dispute, it was at last put to the question, whether the Directory should run thus: The minister shall take water, and sprinkle or pour it with his hand upon the face or forehead of the child: and it was voted so indifferently, that we were glad to count names twice, for so many were unwilling to have dipping excluded, that the votes came to an equality within one; for the side was twenty-four — and the other, twenty-five: the twenty-four for the reserving of dipping, and the twenty-five against it; and there grew a great heat upon it.”

The discussion came up for rediscussion the next day, but “as for the dispute itself about dipping, it was thought fit and most safe to let it alone.”

So, Presbyterians do not immerse today because in the Westminster Assembly the decision was lost by one vote.

(HT: Biblical Studies)

My Big Fat Greek Immersion

About 2:45 into the scene – just another brick in the wall supporting immersion as the valid and proper mode…

What Did the Seventy Think Baptizo Meant

There is a great body of work that was done between the 3rd and 1st centuries Before Christ, in which the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Koine Greek, the common and universal language of that time, due to the widespread influence and control of the Roman Empire which spanned from Spain in the west, all the way across and surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, reaching to Syria in the east, including Judea. This translation is called the Septuagint (meaning ’seventy’), and can help give us some insight into the meaning of Greek words found in the NT depending on which ones were used to convey their Hebrew counterparts in the OT.

In 2 Kings, chapter 5, we see the story of the king of Aram and how he was cured of his leprosy by following Elisha’s instructions to go wash in the Jordon seven times. At first, the king was adamant about not doing this, but after his servants pleaded with him to do as Elisha had instructed, the king obeyed and did as he had been told. The story then tells us that the king of Aram,

went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean. – v.14

Keep in mind that this is from the Old Testament, and is written in Hebrew. Now, when the Septuagint translators came to this verse, which word in the Greek do you think they used to convey the idea and meaning of the Hebrew word ‘tabal’, which means to dip? That’s right. They used ‘baptizo’, because even in the centuries leading up to the birth of Christ it was clear what the meaning of ‘baptizo’ was.

While this is certainly not definitive on its own, it is another example that the Greek word used in the New Testament to refer to the sacrament performed after a person professes faith – baptizo – clearly means to dip or immerse. And the other examples from the Septuagint where baptizo and bapto are used to define their OT Hebrew counterparts strongly support this as well.