Eisegesis is a bad way to read the Bible. It means to read into the text things that are actually not there at all. One common example is reading that Jesus came up out of the water after being immersed. The text simply does not say that at all.
“So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove.” (Matthew 3:16 CEV cf. Mark 1:10; Acts 8:38-39)
This could refer to Jesus coming up a river bank from ankle deep water. Is this deliberately vague?
Definition
The word baptize literally means to submerge, immerse, or dip. The Greek word can also be used to describe washing dishes.
“When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.” (Mark 7:4 NIV)
Baptism described figuratively the passage of Israel through the cloud and sea dry.
“In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.” (1 Corinthians 10:2 NLT).
Baptism described metaphorically the sufferings of Christ.
“But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:50 NKJV)
Blood, water and oil were often sprinkled or poured out in ceremonial washings, giving a much broader picture than immersion alone, or even water alone.
“And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.” (Revelation 7:14 NLT)
Blind adherence to a few immersion-only proof-texts ignores many scriptures that reveal spiritual depth.
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7 WEB)
Sprinkling
Sprinkling for spiritual cleansing was common in the Old Testament.
“If the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkled ashes of cows made spiritually contaminated people holy and clean, how much more will the blood of Jesus wash our consciences clean from dead works in order to serve the living God?...” (Hebrews 9:13-14 CEB)
Priests were also sprinkled with oil and blood for their consecration.
“Finally, Moses sprinkled the priestly clothes of Aaron and his sons with some of the oil for ordination and with some of the blood from the altar…” (Leviticus 8:30 CEV)
Water was also sprinkled.
“This is what you must do to them for their purification: Sprinkle them with the purification water…” (Numbers 8:7 HCSB)
The coming of the Holy Spirit is pictured as a baptism and a sprinkling and a washing.
“I will sprinkle you with clean water, and you will be clean and acceptable to me. I will wash away everything that makes you unclean...” (Ezekiel 36:25-27 CEV)
Sprinkling is very much part of the symbolism of washing in baptism.
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22 KJV)
Washing
Antecedents to New Testament baptism were the many washings with water.
“You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.” (Exodus 29:4 ESV)
What mode of cleansing was used?
“Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them...” (Numbers 8:7 ESV)
So, an antecedent to baptism was the priestly washing for ordination.
“Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance to the meeting tent and wash them with water.” (Exodus 29:4 CEB)
Interestingly, John the Baptist was the son of a High Priest. Could it be that Jesus’ baptism was also symbolic of another purpose, ordination? After all, He is now our High Priest.
What about fire? A baptism of fire seems to occur two ways: the tongues of fire on Pentecost and the fires of judgment.
“The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.” (Isaiah 4:4 NIV)
The implications of baptism are much broader than the use of water alone. The Holy Spirit is involved.
“Some of you used to be like that. But now the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of God's Spirit have washed you and made you holy and acceptable to God… ” (1 Corinthians 6:11 CEV)
God’s word is involved.
“Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word.” (Ephesians 5:25a-26 HCSB)
More than being immersed alone, we are also sprinkled and washed.
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22 KJV)
Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a washing of regeneration and renewal.
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5 NASB).
Pouring
Fools will reign and the poor will be oppressed until when?
“Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest.” (Isaiah 32:15 NASB)
Is the pouring out of the Holy Spirit also called baptism?
“John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:5 NLT)
If the Holy Spirit is poured out, are different modes of baptism relevant?
“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” (Isaiah 44:3 NIV)
How did the baptism of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost look outwardly?
“Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them.” (Acts 2:3 WEB)
This is not a picture of an immersion in fire, but something else. It is the origin of a bishop’s miter hat, picturing the Holy Spirit landing on the head like a tongue of fire. It is also the origin of what some churches do, to baptize by pouring water on the head, fulfilling Joel’s prophecy of an outpouring. We can’t retrofit a literal immersion into this scene. We must be humble and allow the Bible to plainly contradict our pet doctrines.
“ ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy… Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.” Acts 2:17-18, 33 NLT cf. Joel 2:28-29)
Pictures of Christian baptism are found in the washing, sprinkling, and pouring, of fire, blood, water and oil.
“since they relate only to food, drink, and various washings, … For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? … Moses … sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.’ And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.” (Hebrews 9:10-21 NASB).
The word baptism literally means immersion. But in the Bible, it is used in many non-literal ways, like fire coming down, washing, suffering and even walking on dry land through the sea. We are sprinkled clean, the Holy Spirit is poured out, and we are immersed into a new way of life. Neither Jesus nor the Apostles commanded any particular mode or age of baptism. Jesus did command using the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
If you have never experienced it, will you have a change of heart and mind, believe the good news of God’s reign and be baptized? You decide!
