Overview and Approach.
 

1.	Word meaning: According to its usage in ancient Greek manuscripts, the Greek word baptizo denotes the single act of putting into, but never the twofold act of (1) putting in, and (2) taking out.
2.	The relation of water to baptism: An examination of the Greek prepositions used in the Biblical baptism texts reveals this fact: Water baptism is said to be "by means of water", but never "into water". Instead, water baptism immerses us (symbolically) into repentance, forgiveness, God's name, Christ, Christ's name and Christ's death.
3.	Scriptural Teaching: Scripture repeatedly compares John's baptizing with water to our Lord's baptizing with the Spirit—and Scripture frequently and consistently speaks of Spirit baptism as the outpouring of the Spirit. Ezekiel prophesied a time when God would sprinkle the Jews with clean water and would give them a new heart and a new spirit. The "burial" passages never mention water, and never say that baptism is a picture of burial or resurrection.

 
 

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1.	Word meaning.
1.1.	Baptizo means "immerse; to put into", but never "to put in and take out". In ancient Greek, it is used of a variety of actions that result in the immersed condition of an object:  a ship sunk by being pierced a ship overloaded with excessive cargo to the point of sinking a person drowned  a seashore flooded by the rising tide  armies wading waist-deep all day long through flood waters a spear thrown into a spring of water a spear dropped into the water relics left in a marsh from soldiers who had fallen and perished there it also has a secondary or figurative use, where it speaks of being burdened baptized by grief baptized by (excessive) taxes baptized by misfortunes baptized by evils or coming under a controlling influence baptized by wine into intoxication = immersed by wine into intoxication baptized by wine into sleep = immersed by wine into sleep In the writings of Josephus and of the "Church Fathers" (Origen, Clement, Ambrose, etc.) baptizo is used to speak of the act of sprinkling or pouring water. Examples:  an altar baptized by pouring water on it a leper cleansed of leprosy by sprinkling water on him using a hyssop branch to sprinkle the ashes of a heifer mixed with water It should be noted that ancient Greek was the native language of these ancient witnesses, and that they employed the word baptizo according to its normal usage at that time.
1.2.	Ancient Greek has a different word—bapto—that means "to put in and take out". The ancient Greek writers never treat bapto and baptizo as though they are interchangeable or synonymous. Bapto occurs 6 times in 5 NT verses, and is always translated "dip" or "dye", but bapto is never used in Scripture in connection with Christian baptism.    Matthew 26:23 … He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. Mark 14:20 … It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. Luke 16:24 Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' John 13:26 Jesus then answered, "That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him." So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Revelation 19:13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
1.3	None of the salient features of immersionist baptism is required by the usage of baptizo in ancient Greek literature.    Going down into water is not required. Aristotle speaks of a seacoast being baptized by the rising of the tide. - Origen speaks of the altar being baptized when Elijah had the Jews pour water upon it. Coming up out of water is not required. The ships that sank, and the people who drowned were immersed by baptism, but were not removed from the water by baptism. A momentary dipping is not required. The soldiers who waded through the flood waters marched all day through the water. - The sunken vessels remained in the water for an extended period of time. Some may still be submerged today. Being entirely engulfed is not required. The soldiers who waded through the flood waters were not fully covered with water. - The altar was not totally engulfed in water when Elijah had the Jews pour water on it. Water is not necessarily the substance into which the person or object is immersed by baptism. People were said to be baptized with taxes, with evils, etc. Some were baptized by wine into drunkenness or sleep. Even when a liquid is mentioned, it is not necessarily the enveloping medium. Baptism by wine into sleep or intoxication involves wine as the instrument of baptism, not as the enveloping medium (which is instead intoxication or sleep).
1.4.	There is no known instance in any ancient Greek text where the word baptizo is used to speak of one person putting another person totally under water, and then immediately withdrawing him from the water.
1.5.	Because a few extrabiblical "baptisms" were of short duration, the lexicons sometimes give "dip" as a meaning for baptizo. However, even in these cases, it is apparent that it was immersion alone, and not the subsequent emersion, that is intended. "Baptism" may put a person into water, but it does not take him out. To come out of the water is to be un-immersed, that is "un-baptized".    A deadly game where boys, while bathing, would hold one another's head under the water, as if to drown him. Jewish "self-baptisms". Jewish traditional (i.e. not Biblical) cleansing rituals, where an individual would wade into a pool of water immersed up to his chest, and then bend his knees enough so as to put his head totally under the water.
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	Parallel usage: A comparison of baptism by wine versus baptism by water.
2.	Preposition usage: The Role of Water in Baptism.
2.1	When the Scriptures speak of water baptism, there are two different Greek prepositions that are of interest: en and eis. Nearly every baptism passage employs one of these two prepositions. Moreover, there is a verse that speaks of water baptism, and another that speaks of Spirit baptism where both prepositions occur together…   Matthew 3:11 … I baptize you with (en) water into (eis) repentance 1 Corinthians 12:13 … For by (en) one Spirit we were all baptized into (eis) one body This shows that the two prepositions are not merely synonyms for one another, but that they identify two distinct roles in connection with baptism.
2.2	Whenever water or the Spirit is mentioned in connection with baptism, it is always in the dative case, expressing instrumentality, and often as the object of the preposition en, which likewise expresses instrumentality. In contrast, the object of eis is in the accusative case, and identifies the enveloping medium of the baptism. En would most literally be translated by means of, while eis literally means into.
2.3	The New Testament always uses the dative case (with or without en) when discussing the role of water with respect to baptism. Scripture never uses eis to speak of water in relation to baptism. Thus, water is always the instrument by which we are baptized, but never the enveloping medium into which we are baptized.
2.4	The NT Scriptures use eis in connection with baptism to say that we are baptized into the following things:   repentance I baptize you with water into repentance Matthew 3:11 the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit  … baptizing them into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Matthew 28:19  the forgiveness of sins Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ into the forgiveness of your sins Acts 2:38  the name of the Lord Jesus When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 19:5 Christ Jesus His death Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?  Therefore we have been 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. Romans 6:3-4  Christ For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:28  one body For 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 12:13
2.5.	To immerse an individual into water would, according to normal Greek usage, entail leaving the individual in the water, perhaps drowning him, or, at the very least, leaving him to find his own way out of the water. Biblical baptism leaves the believer immersed in Christ, in repentance, in the name of the Triune God, in Christ's death, in Christ's name, and in the body of Christ. These, and not water, are the things into which the New Testament says we have been baptized.
2.6.	If baptizo meant "to put in, and take out", then Biblical baptism would leave us separated from Christ and from the repentance and forgiveness that come from being and remaining immersed into Him. Biblical baptism cannot represent a temporary immersion, but instead a lasting new relationship of being forever immersed in Christ, repentance and forgiveness.
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3.	The Biblical Significance and Mode of Baptism.
3.1.	Ezekiel prophesied a time when God would sprinkle the Israelites with clean water and would give them a new heart and a new spirit. If baptism was performed by sprinkling or pouring, then this prophecy is a clear reference to the NT era.   Ezekiel 36:25-26 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
3.2.	Six NT passages explain John's water baptism by comparing it to Jesus' Spirit baptism.   Matthew 3:11  I baptize you with water for repentance, but … … He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Mark 1:8  I baptized you with water; but … … He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Luke 3:16  I baptize you with water; but … … He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. John 1:33  … He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, … … this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:5  for John baptized with water, but … … you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Acts 11:16  … John baptized with water, but … … you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
3.3.	Notice that this represents a diversity of witnesses from (1) John the Baptist, (2) Christ, (3) Peter, and (4) all four writers of the Gospels. This underscores the centrality of this doctrine in the New Testament scriptures—namely, that water baptism is illustrative of Spirit baptism.
3.4.	In the last of these NT passages (Acts 11:16), we are told that Jesus frequently and regularly taught this to His disciples. "And I remembered the word of the Lord, as he used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (NET Bible—see also the NASB) (NET Bible footnote: "The imperfect verb (elegen) is taken as a customary imperfect.")
3.5.	The baptism of the Spirit is often described as a pouring –    Acts 2:17 … I will pour forth of my Spirit on all mankind … Acts 2:18 … I will in those days pour forth of My spirit … Acts 2:33 … He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. Acts 10:45 … the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. Romans 5:5 … the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Titus 3:5-6 … the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior
3.6.	Thus, the consistent, emphatic Biblical explanation for water baptism is that it illustrates and symbolizes the outpouring of the Spirit. How could a "baptism" that is performed by dipping serve as an illustration or symbol of Spirit baptism, which is only described in Scripture as a pouring or a sprinkling—but never as a dipping?
3.7.	Immersionists try to avoid the force of this by saying that God poured out the Spirit in such quantity as to immerse the believers. Even so, the mode of Spirit baptism is pouring, not dipping. To properly illustrate this with an ordinance would require, not dipping the individual into water, but rather pouring out upon the person such an enormous quantity of water that he is thereby immersed by it. Yet, Immersionists refuse to baptize this way, which demonstrates that their explanation of the Pentecostal outpouring does not really hit the mark.
3.8.	Note that Spirit baptism is called "drinking" of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:13.  This agrees with the various passages which say that the Holy Spirit was poured out on us or "within our hearts" (Romans 5:5).  This suggests that the parallel between baptism with water and baptism with wine is more than coincidental, especially when we consider that the effects of the Spirit are contrasted with the effects of wine in Ephesians 5:18.   1 Corinthians 12:13 For 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. Ephesians 5:18  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
3.9.	Theologians commonly make the following distinction between water baptism and Spirit baptism…    Real Baptism The divine act whereby the Lord Christ pours out His Holy Spirit upon His people, resulting in (1) regeneration, (2) forgiveness of sins, (3) cleansing from sin, (4) empowerment, (5) identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, (6) sealing and (7) incorporation into Christ's body, the church. Ritual Baptism The earthly ritual, commanded by Christ, whereby the divine act is symbolically displayed before men. It is performed by pouring or sprinkling water upon a person who has recently come to Christ for salvation, and depicts the spiritual cleansing that results when God sovereignly pours out His Holy Spirit upon a lost sinner. Ritual baptism constitutes the church's official recognition and confirmation that Real Baptism has occurred.
3.10.	The Immersionist appeals to two NT passages to prove that baptism is a burial.    Romans 6:3-5 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been 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, Colossians 2:11-12 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by 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. However, neither passage mentions water, nor do they say that baptism is a picture of burial. The "likeness of his resurrection" (Rom 6:5) speaks of our walking "in newness of life" (Rom 6:4)—the result of regeneration, not ritual baptism.  The apostle speaks of a "circumcision made without hands" and does not say that the baptism was "made with hands". The most natural understanding of the verse is that he is speaking of the spiritual reality symbolized by both ritual circumcision and ritual baptism. It would make no sense for him to link spiritual circumcision with ritual baptism.  The apostle says of this baptism: "in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God…." Is this speaking of ritual symbolism, or of the regenerative work of Real Baptism by the Spirit of God? Where is the water in either of these passages?  The import of both passages is that, because we have been identified with (or immersed into, or united with) Christ, we are partakers of His death—when He died, we died—when He was buried, we were buried with Him. These are spiritual or positional (i.e. judicial, forensic) realities, not mere ritual symbolism.
3.11.	Hebrews parallels the "sprinkling of the heart" with the "washing of the body".    Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. The writer of Hebrews clearly expects us to see a correspondence between washing of the body (water baptism) and sprinkling of the heart (spirit baptism), which implies that the washing is to be performed by sprinkling.  having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water
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4.	Suggested Translation of Baptism Passages.
	Mt 3:11 As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. As for me, I immerse you by means of water into repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will immerse you (i.e. into repentance) by means of the Holy Spirit and fire. "Immersion" here is into repentance, not "into water" nor "into the Spirit". John ritually (symbolically) immersed his disciples into repentance by means of water.  Jesus would truly immerse people into repentance by means of pouring out the Holy Spirit. This scripture sets forth a parallel and contrast between John’s baptism with water and our Lord’s baptism with the Spirit.  The word baptizo is used twice—once to speak of John’s baptism with water, and again to speak of our Lord’s baptism with the Spirit. Water denotes physical cleansing, and is symbolic of the inward cleansing of the heart performed by the Spirit.  John’s comparison of his water ritual with the spiritual act our Lord would perform on Pentecost requires that John’s ordinance pictured and symbolized the outpouring or sprinkling of the Spirit.  A dipping ordinance would not be an appropriate picture of the outpouring of the Spirit. Water plays the same grammatical role in John’s baptism (i.e. instrumental dative object of the preposition en) that the Spirit plays in Jesus’ baptism.  The object of "unto" (eis) is repentance, denoting the object into which people were immersed by the baptisms.   John (and Jesus) baptized (or immersed) the people, not into water, but into repentance.  This is a permanent, eternal immersing into repentance that admits of no "emergence" without destroying the very purpose and meaning of the baptism.  John refused to administer baptism until he had witnessed evidence of repentance (Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7).  Thus, ritual baptism was intended merely to echo the real baptism performed by the Spirit of God.  Ritual baptism can never bring about the spiritual operations of repentance or forgiveness of sins.  Rather its purpose is to publicly declare and illustrate the invisible work that God has already done in the person’s heart. Mark 1:8 I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. I immersed you by means of water; but He will immerse you by means of the Holy Spirit. Again, "water" and "Spirit" are instrumental in immersing us, but they are not the substance into which we are immersed. Notice again the parallel between water baptism and Spirit baptism. Luke 3:16 John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I immerse you by means of water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will immerse you by means of the Holy Spirit and fire." Again, not "into water", but "by means of water". Not "into the Holy Spirit", but "by means of the Holy Spirit". Notice again the parallel between water baptism and Spirit baptism. John 1:33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to immerse by means of water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who immerses by means of the Holy Spirit.' Notice again the parallel between water baptism and Spirit baptism. Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. for John immersed by means of water, but you will be immersed by means of the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Notice again the consistent parallel between water baptism and Spirit baptism. Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Immersion is here commanded to be not "into water", but rather "into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Baptism immerses us into the name of God, so that we are thereafter abidingly called by His name and recognized to be His people. Romans 6:3-4 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been 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. Or do you not know that all of us who have been immersed into Christ Jesus have been immersed into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through immersion 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. We are here said to be immersed, not "into water", but "into Christ Jesus" and "into His death". As a result of this immersion, we are now enabled to "walk in newness of life." This could not be said of the water ritual, but is certainly true of the spiritual acts of identification, redemption, justification, regeneration, sanctification and glorification signified by the words "immersed into Christ". Thus, it is not ritual baptism that is in view here, but real baptism. Not water baptism, but the Spirit's great work of immersing us into Christ. Nowhere does the passage say that baptism is a picture of our burial and resurrection with Christ. Immersionist theology reads these ideas into the passage. Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. For all of you who were immersed into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. To be "immersed into Christ" results in being "clothed with Christ". This immersion is not a momentary dipping, but a once-for-all-time immersion into Christ, to remain in Him forever. If "baptize" included the idea of removal, then it would dissolve the relationship established by the baptism, and baptism would leave us separated from Christ. However, Greek usage never suggests that removal is involved in baptizo. Baptizo does not, and cannot mean the twofold act of immersion followed by removal. The sprinkling ordinance represents the great work of the Holy Spirit, coming upon the individual to cleanse his heart, bringing about a permanent, lasting, eternal change in the individual, so that He is now permanently immersed in Christ, never to leave that condition. 1 Cor 12:13 For 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. For by means of one Spirit we were all immersed into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. We were "immersed", not "into one Spirit", but "into one body", by means of one Spirit. Baptism is spoken of here, not as a "burial" in the Spirit, but of drinking of the one Spirit, which results in an everlasting immersion into the one body. This is analogous to the extra-biblical passages whereby people were baptized by means of wine into drunkenness. Note the parallel with Ephesians 5:18 - "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,"
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5.	Bibliography
5.1.	James W. Dale, Classic Baptism: Baptizo. (Phillipsburg, NJ; Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1989). This is the first of 5 volumes in which Dale examines numerous ancient Greek manuscripts from different periods and traditions: Classic Greek, Judaic and Old Testament Writings, the Baptism of John (as recorded in the New Testament), the Baptism described by Christ and His apostles (as recorded in the New Testament), and Baptism as described by the ancient "Church Fathers".  One of Dale's most important contributions is his careful and revealing comparative study of the use of bapto and baptizo in these ancient writings.
5.2.	Jay E. Adams, The Meaning and Mode of Baptism. (Phillipsburg, NJ; Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1975). This is a small booklet by a contermporary author that does a very good job of presenting the evidence for sprinkling/pouring as the mode of Biblical baptism, and of answering objections.
5.3.	H. E. Dana and Julius R. Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament. (Toronto, The MacMillan Company, 1957). Dana and Mantey discuss the use of the Instrumental Case in section 95. They discuss the use of the Imperfect Tense in sections 175-177 (see the discussion of Acts 11:16 above).
5.4.	Mitch Cervinka, Water Baptism.  Online at http://members.toast.com/puritan/Articles/WaterBaptism.htm This is a rather lengthy article that argues for (1) sprinkling or pouring as the scriptural mode of water baptism, and (2) new believers as the proper recipients of water baptism, and answers objections raised by those who contend that water baptism was not intended for the present-day church.