Baptism in Romans 6:4

In commenting on Romans 6:4 the Pulpit Commentary, which was written by preachers in the Church of England, says: “The reference rather is to the form of baptism, viz. by immersion, which was understood to signify burial, and therefore death.” (Romans, p 156)

What other conclusion can one come to? There is no way in which a person who has had water sprinkled or poured on his head can be described as “buried” and “raised.”

The other verse is Colossians 2:12 which says, “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”

Immersion is demanded by these two verses!

Sprinkling and Pouring in the New Testament

The words “sprinkle” and “pour” are used many times in the New Testament. They refer to sprinkling blood and ashes, to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, the wrath of God, and the money from the tables of the money changers. Not once is “sprinkle” or pour” used to describe baptism.…Sprinkling cannot describe immersion!

Why Sprinkling?

Substituting sprinkling and pouring for immersion came about over a period of centuries. It was not until A.D. 1311 that the Roman Catholic Church proclaimed officially that baptism could be performed only by pouring. The Protestant churches cannot cite Biblical authority for their practice of sprinkling or pouring-they must admit that they adopted the practice from the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church does not pretend to find the practice in the Bible. They believe the Catholic Church has the right to define and change doctrine regardless of what the Bible says. Therefore sprinkling and pouring for baptism have only human authority, not divine authority.

Do You Care?

If after studying these things you still say, “What difference does it make?” you are showing that you do not care what GOD says about the matter. Or you are showing that you do not believe that the Bible is the complete will of God.

The Bible believer knows that God’s word is complete in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Jude 3), that we MUST follow it only (Matthew 7:21-23), and that if we depart from it we will be cursed (Galatians 1:6-8; 2 John 9). The believer searches the scriptures (Acts 17:11) and practices only what he can find Jesus wants him to do.

That is why the one who honours the scriptures will make sure he obeys God in the one baptism, the IMMERSION commanded by Jesus Christ.