10. The Meaning of BaptizoIn 1970 B.F. Smith
published a book, Christian Baptism, in which he highlighted his
Baptist perspective in no small way by another book more than a hundred years
old called, Baptizein, by Baptist scholar T. J. Conant. Then in 1980
Jay Adams, in his, The Mode and Meaning of Baptism, offered a
Presbyterian-Reform point of view which included reference to another series
of books more than a hundred years old called, Classic Baptism, Judaic
Baptism and Patristic and Christic Baptism, by James Dale, a
Presbyterian scholar. Conant’s and Dale’s long-standing works compiled scores
of passages from Greek sources to illustrate the usage of baptizo. The
“Civil War” between the two camps was grievous, and anyone who has read to
this point realizes much of it was useless. Nevertheless, as sources to
review the usage of baptizo in non-biblical writings these works,
together, are very useful. The main issue, as
has been pointed out, is whether baptizo could mean something more
than an act of causing immersion. Baptizo certainly was used to
describe instances where objects were immersed. Examples in the books from
both sides clearly show this. Unfortunately this meaning is often applied to
New Covenant usage with hardly a second thought as to whether other critical
shades of meaning affixed themselves to the word. Dale’s series conclusively
showed that various shades of meaning were frequently expressed without any
allusion to immersion, in fact or figure.1 While it is
possible to disagree with Dale’s ultimate interpretation of New Covenant
baptism, it is extremely hard to disagree with his presentation of the
variety of meanings for the Greek word baptizo. What follows are
excerpts from two of Dale’s works, Classic, and Judaic Baptism.
At the same time, excerpts from Conant, a challenger to Dale’s understanding
of the word, will be inserted in bold print into Dale’s commentary to give
the reader the opportunity to make his own judgment. For better or for worse
we will encounter elements of Dale’s polemic against Baptist scholars,
including Dr. Conant and Dr. Carson, and at times he quotes their polemic
against “the sprinklers” as well. Much has been omitted, except where it was
deemed essential to clarify a particular issue. Some of Dale’s nineteenth
century literary style has been updated for easier reading. In its primary
sense Dale translated baptizo as merse and not immerse, reasoning that
baptizo in Greek is normally found without an adjoining preposition
and should be represented by a similar word if possible. Since the Latinism
“immerse” is a compound of “im” and “merse” Dale took the root “merse” minus
the preposition to come very close to equivalent representation of baptizo
in many cases. Rather than methodically trace the development as Dale did, we
will start with his later examples which reveal the high degree of
flexibility of usage, certain examples present an irrefutable secondary
meaning for baptizo, especially drunkenness. As surprising as it
sounds, for Greeks a man who was drunk was a man who was baptized. Other
examples show the intent of controlling influence, for example “ruin,” by
some powerful agency, not just a surrounding. Whether or not every example or
comment by Dale be accepted without question, there is more than enough
evidence to show his basic argument cannot be doubted. Dale concluded his
first book Classic Baptism with the question, “WHAT IS CLASSIC
BAPTISM?” Against the Baptist
answers of; 1. Baptizing is dipping
and dipping is baptizing. Baptist Confession of Faith. 2. To dip and
nothing but dip through all Greek literature. Alexander Carson, LL.,D.
Baptist Board of Publication. 3. To immerse,
immerge, submerge, to dip, to plunge, to imbathe, to whelm. T.J. Conant,
D.D., Baptist Bible I would place this
answer; Whatever is capable of thoroughly changing the character, state, or
condition of any object, is capable of baptizing that object; and by such
change of character, state or condition does, in fact, baptize it.” These
following examples from both Conant’s book and Dale’s series should be more
than sufficient to reveal that an abiding condition or controlling influence
is the main of idea of baptizo, not a momentary act. This central idea
was applied by the Jewish people in a religious sense to ceremonies which
changed their ritual status. After the New Covenant was ratified this word
was elevated to speak of the eternal change of nature of every disciple who
hears the word of God, repents and trusts Messiah, and receives a radical
transformation of life by receiving the Holy Spirit. 1 Drunk,
Stupefied, Hung-over, Sleeping 5 Conquer 6 Baptized by Overtaxing,
Debt 7 Immersion
to Destroy, Drown, Ruin 8 Various Usages Beyond Simple Immersion 9 Bapto Endnote The related noun baptismos
is also now known to have been used in situations far beyond simple
immersion. cf. Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament,
vol. 1. p 545; “Baptismos used to be regarded as a new Jewish and Christian
term, though cf. Amtyllus Medicus (2nd century A.D.) in Oribasius X,3.9, of lethargic
sleep, Archigenes Medicus (2nd century A.D.) and Posidonius Medicus (3/4
cent. A.D.) in Aetius, 6,3 of the frenzy of wickedness.” |