The history of Baptism in the Church is interesting and likely one of the most controversial topics. Today there is a great deal of emphasis in many denominations on Baptism and many different ways that people have been baptized.
The Bible actually has a lot to say about Baptism. We see in Matthew, Chapter 3 John the Baptist, a first cousin of Jesus, calling people to repentance and baptizing them in the River Jordan.
The word “baptize” is from the Greek word "baptizo" and means to dip or immerse under water. The word was used for example in the way that cloth was dyed by being immersed under the water with pigment; or a blacksmith would baptizo a piece of hot iron in water to cool it quickly and therefore make is stronger.
The Jews that John the Baptist called to repent already knew a lot about baptism. In the Jewish culture ritual washings or baptisms were used for purification and consecration. It was also one of the final steps for Gentile converts to Judaism. They would be baptized (called a mikvah) “into Moses” by symbolically recalling the crossing by the Israelites of the Red Sea.
In the early church people that were converted ‘into Christ” were baptized by being immersed in water. We know this because we have historical evidence from the time of the Apostles including excavations of baptismals similar to the one pictured above that are deep enough for an adult to be fully immersed. We also know from first century writings that permission was granted for water to be poured only if there wasn’t sufficient or deep water available.
During the first few centuries new Christian believers would receive special instruction for an entire year. These new believers were called ‘Catechumens’ and after a full year of instruction the church would have a huge celebration typically right around Palm Sunday where these newer believers were baptized, given white robes and became full members of the church.
At that time, Baptism was a rite-of-initiation with great symbolic meaning but was not directly tied to the forgiveness of sins. Many Catechumens for example that were not yet baptized went to the Roman coliseums and faced martyrdom confident of their salvation.
However by the 4th century, Christians started associating baptism with the forgiveness of all sins. As a result many people would delay their baptism to gain maximum effect and wash away many years of sin. The Emperor Constantine the Great for example, delayed his baptism until his deathbed. The leaders of the church saw a great moral danger in delaying baptism and fortunately for them another teaching that baptism was necessary for salvation became popular. Saint Augustine (AD 354-430) had written, “How many rascals are saved by being baptized on their deathbeds? And how many sincere catechumens die unbaptized, and are thus lost forever!”
As a result of this dilema and Augustine's teaching, two new Catholic doctrines --the doctrine of necessity (that baptism is necessary) and the doctrine of forgiveness (that baptism forgives original sin) officially emerged. Since the mortality rate for infants was very high, soon babies were being baptized within a few days of birth. By the end of the 4th century Baptism, the official step of membership into the church split into two sacraments: Baptism via water for infants and then a later Confirmation via oil for adolescences. In the Eastern or Orthodox Church babies are still baptized by immersion rather than being sprinkled or by having water poured over their forehead as is the custom in the Western or Latin Church.
By the 16th Century many of the reformers began to look at infant baptism in light of both early church history as well as the teachings in the Bible and encouraged each other to be ‘baptized again’. These Anabaptists as they were called, are the forerunners of what we know today as “Believers Baptism” that is practiced in many of our Evangelical Churches.
Not all Christians baptize the same way nor do all Christian denominations recognize each other’s baptism. However, many Evangelical Christians believe that water baptism identifies the believer with the Godhead – Father, Son and Holy Spirit as we are commanded in Matthew 28:19 to “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Further, water baptism identifies the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. "All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life (Romans 6:3-4).
Baptism while symbolic is also one of the two commonly recognized sacraments of the Church. Historically sacraments were viewed as 'an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given to us, ordained by Christ himself'. Baptism is the manner by which the church fulfills the commandment of Jesus to "make disciples.....and baptize them" as well as for the believer to identify themselves with their new life in Christ.
