"A Word On Baptism"

  Many people debate the idea of baptism. Many think that baptism is a sprinkling, pouring or something like that. That's sprinkling and pouring, not baptism. The New Testament term baptism means to dip, immerse, plunge or some other type of synonym. People do not study, just repeat what someone has said or something they have been taught. When Paul addressed the Roman brethren, he asked them: "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?" (Rom. 6:3) Paul wasn't debating baptism. He wasn't tying their baptism to the Holy Spirit as some claim. Baptism wasn't a symbol. He simply asked them if they knew from the standpoint of a fact that they were ignorant of when they were baptized into Christ Jesus.

  A fellow by the name of J. W. Shepherd wrote a little book called "Handbook on Baptism." In this book, he speaks of baptism citing 33 lexicographers, 21 encyclopedias, 26 church historians, 18 church "fathers" and 63 theologians. These sources are all recognized people from all walks of religion. EVERY SINGLE ONE said baptism was an immersion, a plunging beneath the waters. Shepherd went on calling on 124 commentators, church "fathers", theologians, and lexicographers stating that Romans 6 deals specifically  with immersion in water and nothing else! Too many seem to argue the fact because Paul connects baptism with "baptized into Christ", "baptized into His death" and "united with Him" (Rom. 6:5).

  Paul teaching through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit made it very clear that a person to enter into Christ happened at the time of them being trustingly immersed. It is at this time and point a person enters Jesus. It is this time and point that faith responds and the working of God completes (Col. 2:12). These same information sources cited above, also state that Col. 2:12 is dealing with water baptism! Baptism wasn't symbolic. It was a reality grasp by faith! A penitent believer is immersed into Christ. It is that time and point Jesus and the believer become one and that's the point Paul was making in Romans 6. There is too much arguing and not enough believing.