Immersion like Jesus did....

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Please help me explain this from a Catholic perspective. I can’t put my finger on why this sounds odd.

Visiting a Baptist church today, they said you must be baptized by immersion because “that’s why Jesus did” and that the word baptize means “to go under.”🤷
 
The Bible does NOT describe exactly how Jesus was baptized.

And the word “baptism” is defined in Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, as follows: 1.to administer baptism 2. a. to purify or cleanse spiritually esp. by a purging experience or ordeal; b. Initiate 3. To give a name to (as at Baptism) : christen ~ to administer baptism.

Baptism is defined as: 1 a. a Christian sacrament marked by ritual use of water and admitting the recipient to the Christian community b. a non-Christian rite using water for ritual purification c christian science : purification by or submergence in spirit

It can refer to either submergence in water, or any other ritual that is intended to baptize the person involved.

In neither definition is submergence required. The Roman Catholic Church, through the U.S. Conference of Bishops, is stating that the preferred method of baptism for anyone other than an infant is to do it by submergence. But, it is NOT required, and individuals may choose not to have it done that way, even where it is available…
 
Please help me explain this from a Catholic perspective. I can’t put my finger on why this sounds odd.

Visiting a Baptist church today, they said you must be baptized by immersion because “that’s why Jesus did” and that the word baptize means “to go under.”🤷
Were they talking about how John baptized Jesus? Because we don’t know. We know He was baptized in a river, but not if He was immersed or water poured/sprinkled on Him or what. As Old Medic points out, we are not told.
But, in any event, John’s baptism was not Christian baptism anyway; it was a Jewish rite, carried out by a Jewish prophet.
And the Bible is silent about how Jesus baptized folks. Completely silent…leaving one to:shrug: wonder just why the Baptists have made such a:rolleyes: fetish of baptizing “like Jesus”. (And they do; I have many Baptist family members, & I have learned to leave the subject alone unless it is raised by someone else).
 
Please help me explain this from a Catholic perspective. I can’t put my finger on why this sounds odd.

Visiting a Baptist church today, they said you must be baptized by immersion because “that’s why Jesus did” and that the word baptize means “to go under.”🤷
I wasn’t aware that scripture actually describes how Jesus was Baptized.

Jon
 
Please help me explain this from a Catholic perspective. I can’t put my finger on why this sounds odd.

Visiting a Baptist church today, they said you must be baptized by immersion because “that’s why Jesus did” and that the word baptize means “to go under.”🤷
Yes baptize doe mean to submerge or immerse. But it also has other meanings. In Mark 7:4 it refers to a ritual washing. While one most certainly can be baptized by immersion, it is by no means a requirement.
 
Because the first Christians were all Jewish, it is assumed that they would have had a Jewish understanding of what Baptizing was. The Jews often used full immersion in the process of becoming ritualistically pure. For this reason, Baptists interpret Jesus coming up out of the river Jordan as Him being Baptized by “living water” through full immersion in accordance with the Jewish custon.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_washing_in_Judaism#Full-body_immersion
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikveh
 
Because the first Christians were all Jewish, it is assumed that they would have had a Jewish understanding of what Baptizing was. The Jews often used full immersion in the process of becoming ritualistically pure. For this reason, Baptists interpret Jesus coming up out of the river Jordan as Him being Baptized by “living water” through full immersion in accordance with the Jewish custon.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_washing_in_Judaism#Full-body_immersion
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikveh
Though it follows that Jewish baptized according to Jewish ritual you cannot be sure that John the Baptist baptized Jesus with full immersion, can you? After all, John did announce about Jesus who was not exactly what Jewish religion going to be. The point is, one cannot be hundred percent sure that Jesus baptism was of full immersion. It was not told as such. If assumption is the only criteria to base this faith on, wouldn’t it be quite an assumption do you think? 😉
 
If assumption is the only criteria to base this faith on, wouldn’t it be quite an assumption do you think? 😉
Yes, a big assumption.:rolleyes:

It is one of those times I wish I were an apologetic. I wish I could remember everything I read and listen to on Catholic teaching!
 
The bible doesn’t lay out specific step by step instructions about how Jesus was baptized. I have heard several biblical scholars debate this, and there is some speculation that due to the seasonal changes in the water flow in the Jordan that it may have only been about ankle deep when Christ was baptized. That would make it hard to be immersed so to say.

I don’t think it really matters. At my husband’s parrish they do it both ways, at my Lutheran Church we pour water over the child or adult’s head. I think as long as they are baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit it’s valid.
 
Given the Didache gives immersion as the prefered method it is likely that Jesus was thus baptized.

However considering of all the early Christian resourse we have only one gives direction you get the idea that it wasn’t a central issue.
 
Please help me explain this from a Catholic perspective. I can’t put my finger on why this sounds odd.

Visiting a Baptist church today, they said you must be baptized by immersion because “that’s why Jesus did” and that the word baptize means “to go under.”🤷
The Didache, written in Greek in the late first or early second century, says that if you don’t have enough water to immerse you can baptize by pouring. So the linguistic argument fails. Baptism does not have to mean immersion.

However, I agree that immersion is the preferable mode. I wish Anglicans and Catholics alike used it more commonly.

Edwin
 
Please help me explain this from a Catholic perspective. I can’t put my finger on why this sounds odd.

Visiting a Baptist church today, they said you must be baptized by immersion because “that’s why Jesus did” and that the word baptize means “to go under.”🤷
Some groups feel very strongly that if Jesus was baptized by immersion, then one should follow his example to the letter without variance. Others feel like some flexibility is possible depending upon the circumstances. What is interesting is that the words used must be exact. You are way above my paygrade as to when it is acceptable to be flexible and when it is not acceptable. I respect those that feel practice differently than I do. It is interesting how we did things in the early days, but don’t do them now. Do you think it matters?
 
Because the first Christians were all Jewish, it is assumed that they would have had a Jewish understanding of what Baptizing was. The Jews often used full immersion in the process of becoming ritualistically pure. For this reason, Baptists interpret Jesus coming up out of the river Jordan as Him being Baptized by “living water” through full immersion in accordance with the Jewish custon.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_washing_in_Judaism#Full-body_immersion
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikveh
No where in the bible does it state that Christ was Baptized by Full Immersion!
This is another false tradition by the Baptist…

Matthew
 
No where in the bible does it state that Christ was Baptized by Full Immersion!
This is another false tradition by the Baptist…

Matthew
What are other false traditions by the Baptists? Is there a thread?

And yes, the preacher was adamant the it only counts when it is EXACTLY the way Jesus was baptized.
 
What are other false traditions by the Baptists? Is there a thread?

And yes, the preacher was adamant the it only counts when it is EXACTLY the way Jesus was baptized.
This question is almost impossible to answer. You have to remember that many Baptists are self-described “independent” Baptists. This means that each individual congregation is autonomous with no central authority.
 
What are other false traditions by the Baptists? Is there a thread?

And yes, the preacher was adamant the it only counts when it is EXACTLY the way Jesus was baptized.
The Bible does not state Christ was Baptized by immersion !
Read Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The Baptist are in error when they state for it to be valid it must be done this way!

Matthew
 
The bible doesn’t lay out specific step by step instructions about how Jesus was baptized. I have heard several biblical scholars debate this, and there is some speculation that due to the seasonal changes in the water flow in the Jordan that it may have only been about ankle deep when Christ was baptized. That would make it hard to be immersed so to say.

I don’t think it really matters. At my husband’s parrish they do it both ways, at my Lutheran Church we pour water over the child or adult’s head. I think as long as they are baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit it’s valid.
👍👍
No where in the bible does it state that Christ was Baptized by Full Immersion!
This is another false tradition by the Baptist…

Matthew
Exactly right.
 
The Bible does not state Christ was Baptized by immersion !
Read Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The Baptist are in error when they state for it to be valid it must be done this way!

Matthew
Baptists almost never say something must be done a specific way for it to be valid.
 
Baptists almost never say something must be done a specific way for it to be valid.
“Valid” is generally not in their vocabulary. It just isn’t the way they talk. However, many believe if you were baptized other than Baptist, “it doesn’t count.”
 
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