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Growth Baptized

The doctrine matters. So often, whatever the method, clergy claim to make it an 'initiation' rite, whereby virtue and spiritual life are supposedly dispensed. Utterly false and giving of false hopes to people.

In contrast, in Acts 2.41, 'they that gladly received his word were baptised'. The baptism was a symbol that was observed by choice, by those who actively and willingly had already received the preaching of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Greek word means to dip. In Acts, where Philip baptized the Ethiopian eunuch, there 'was much water there' and they descended into the water. The symbol is of burial of the old life, and emergence to the new one, which spiritually has already happened at the new birth, and the symbol demonstrates it, after the fact. (Acts 8.26-40)

Blessings.
 
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Kathi said:
What do you think is the difference in being sprinkled vs. being dunked in baptism.Does it matter?
Click to expand...

The main difference is the amount of water used, but you already knew that. I believe that complete immersion is preferable when possible, because of the symbolism (burial and resurrection), but the amount of water is not the main thing, but the heart of the person being baptized.

The TOG​
 
Kathi said:
What do you think is the difference in being sprinkled vs. being dunked in baptism.Does it matter?
Click to expand...
The difference is how wet you get. :lol
As for the experience getting fully immersed is probably better. I'm glad I had the chance of getting dunked in the local river.
Wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
For the symbolism of starting a new life with Christ, however, it doesn't matter, as long as the ritual is generally understood to be a baptism.
In very old churches they built chapels outside their churches that had a little basin inside where adults could be completely submerged. But when child baptism became default for all kids it just wasn't necessary to built and maintain those baptisteries any longer, and the sprinkle baptism became the normal way.
So sprinkling was invented for practical reasons rather than theological ones, but it never ceased to be a baptism.
Yet I'm still glad I got submerged. Much better experience.
 
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