BAPTISM: POURING OR SPRINKLING?
- samshmn
- Nov 23
- 10 min read
In this post I will provide a biblical case that sprinkling and pouring are acceptable and valid forms or methods of baptizing individuals.
To begin with, the promise of Scripture is that God would pour out his Holy Spirit upon believers so that they could be immersed in/with the Spirit’s power and presence:
“For the palace will be forsaken. The populous city will be deserted. The hill and the watchtower will be for dens forever, a delight for wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks, until the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is considered a forest.” Isaiah 32:14-15 World English Bible (WEB)
“Yet listen now, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen. This is what Yahweh who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: ‘Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring:” Isaiah 44:1-3 WEB
“‘But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: “It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.”’… Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 2:16-18, 38
The Scriptures also attest that God would sprinkle clean water and place his Spirit within his people for the express purpose of cleansing/purging/washing them from their spiritual uncleanliness:
“And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be purged (ton akatharsion) from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols, and I will cleanse (kathario) you. And I will give you a new heart, and will put a new spirit in you: and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you, and will cause you to walk in mine ordinances, and to keep my judgments, and do [them].” Ezekiel 36:25-27 LXX
What makes the foregoing passage of interest is that regeneration, i.e. being transformed into a new creature who receives a new heart and spirit, is directly connected with God sprinkling his people with clean water in order to cleanse them of their spiritual impurities and the indwelling of his Holy Spirit.
This teaching is echoed in the words of the Lord Jesus,
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.” The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.’” John 3:3-8
And also with John identifying the Spirit whom believers were to receive as the rivers of living water, which Jesus promised to give to all who put their trust in him:
“‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:38-39 – Cf. 4:10-14
Hence, seeing that the Spirit is likened to water, and seeing that God spoke of sprinkling clean water upon those who turn to him, it only makes sense that some would take God’s words at face value and therefore employ sprinkling as their preferred mode for baptism.
Believers are further described as those whom Christ baptizes/immerses in/with the Holy Spirit:
“And he was preaching, saying, ‘After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’” Mark 1:7-8
“And John bore witness saying, ‘I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He abided on Him. And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “The One upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on Him, this is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”’” John 1:32-33
The Greek terms for baptism/baptize carry the meaning to immerse/plunge/dip:
baptizó: To baptize, to immerse, to dip
Original Word: βαπτίζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: baptizó
Pronunciation: bap-TID-zo
Phonetic Spelling: (bap-tid’-zo)
Definition: To baptize, to immerse, to dip
Meaning: lit: I dip, submerge, but specifically of ceremonial dipping; I baptize.
Word Origin: Derived from βάπτω (baptō), meaning “to dip” or “to immerse.”
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for “baptizó,” the concept of ritual washing can be related to Hebrew terms such as טָבַל (tabal, Strong’s H2881), meaning “to dip” or “to immerse.”
Usage: The term “baptizó” primarily means to immerse or submerge in water. In the New Testament, it is used to describe the Christian rite of baptism, symbolizing purification, repentance, and the believer’s identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward faith and commitment to follow Christ.
Cultural and Historical Background: In Jewish culture, ritual washing and purification were common practices, often involving immersion in water. John the Baptist’s ministry introduced a baptism of repentance, preparing the way for Jesus. Early Christians adopted baptism as a sacrament, signifying entry into the Christian community and the believer’s new life in Christ. Baptism was typically performed in natural bodies of water or specially constructed baptisteries.
HELPS Word-studies
907 baptízō – properly, “submerge” (Souter); hence, baptize, to immerse (literally, “dip under“). 907 (baptízō) implies submersion (“immersion”), in contrast to 472 /antéxomai (“sprinkle”). (Strong’s Lexicon https://biblehub.com/greek/907.htm)
On a related point, the inspired writings proclaim that Christ came to shed his blood on the cross in order to sprinkle us with it so that we may be cleansed/purged/washed from all our sins.
In fact, Jesus’ vicarious sacrifice was a fulfillment, a consummation, of the entire OT sacrificial system, which included the blood of animals being sprinkled upon both the worshipers and the objects of the tabernacle in order to cleanse them from all defilement:
“The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled (rhantizousa) on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse (kathariei) our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Hebrews 9:13-14
“When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled (erantisen) the scroll and all the people. He said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.’ In the same way, he sprinkled (erantisen) with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified (katharizesthai) with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:19-28
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse (rherantismenoi) us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed (lelousmenoi) with pure water… How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” Hebrews 10:19-22, 29
“to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood (haimati rhantismou) that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:24
“who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled (rhantismon) with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.” 1 Peter 1:2
“But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses (katharizei) us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7
According to the NT, the saving benefits of Christ’s atoning death are applied at baptism, since this is the act that bestows the Spirit to all those who choose to be baptized into Christ. It is at this juncture that the Spirit comes upon the individual in order to unite them to Christ, whereby the Holy Spirit ingrafts the person into Christ’s spiritual Body, the Church:
“Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men, brothers, what should we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’” Acts 2:37-39
“And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash (apolousai) your sins away, calling on his name.” Acts 22:16
“Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;” Romans 6:3-6
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For also by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.” Galatians 3:26-29
“in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 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. And you being dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him, having graciously forgiven us all our transgressions.” Colossians 2:11-13
“For we ourselves also once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another. But when the kindness and affection of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not by works which we did in righteousness, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:3-7
“in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” 1 Peter 3:19-21
It is, thus, not hard to imagine why certain Churches choose to either pour, sprinkle or immerse folks into water when baptizing the individual. Since the Spirit is depicted as being poured out, and since believers are said to be baptized into/with the Spirit, and since it is the sprinkled blood of Christ which washes us from sins, which occurs at baptism, it only makes sense that different Churches would employ these various forms or methods of baptism.
Unless indicated otherwise, scriptural citations taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).
Comments