The English word baptism was not a translation of the Greek original. It was transliteration. It is like the English letters combined on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. Moo goo gai pan are not English words. They are transliterations of Chinese words. Transliteration is the transference of sound not meaning. There was no English word baptism. It was the result of the transference of sound. The translators failed miserably. It has been probably the worst case of translators’ malfeasance. In the Greek of the New Testament baptism had meaning not just sound.
What did it mean? Responsible authorities recognize that baptism meant dip, plunge, dunk or immerse! Eastern Orthodox fellowships, including Greek Orthodox, practice immersion in water.
In the Christian Bible there are detailed descriptions of baptism. In each it is clear that the Apostle-directed first Christians understood the meaning of baptism. They too practiced immersion.
For example, consider Acts 8:36: 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?” 37 Then 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.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
This baptism occurred after Philip, the person doing the baptizing, and the eunuch, the person being baptized, both went down into the water. People who sprinkle a little water on others and call it baptism don’t go down into the water.
Please read Romans 6:3: Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 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. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.
The Apostle Paul uses the word burial to describe baptism. Only dunking fits the analogy. Sprinkling with water in no way resembles a burial and a resurrection.
Think about the baptism of Jesus himself. Matthew 3:16: When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus came up out of the water because he first went down into the water!
Look at what the Apostle Peter wrote about baptism. 1 Peter 1:20: God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
How could sprinkling a little water on the forehead be confused with the removal of dirt from the body?
When Jesus asked his disciples, Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? (Matthew 20:22) he was referring to his suffering. He called it a baptism because it would be overwhelming. Sprinkling with a little water cannot represent overwhelming suffering. But immersion certainly does.
There are four places in the New Testament the word most often transliterated baptism is actually translated. They are all in the gospels: Matthew 26:23, Mark 14:20, Luke 16:24, and John 13:26. Here they are from the New International Version.
Matthew 26:23: Jesus replied, The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.
Mark 14:20: It is one of the Twelve, he replied, one who dips bread into the bowl with me.
Luke 16:24: So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
John 13:26: Jesus answered, It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish. Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
Each time it is translated into some form of the verb dip.
If you haven’t been dipped, immersed, dunked or submerged in water by faith in Jesus who died, was buried, and raised from the tomb, you haven’t been baptized.