Immersion Only? Where Is the Evidence?

What did the preacher say?

At a baptism service, a preacher said this:

• The Greek word for baptism means putting someone completely under water, like dyeing a cloth.
• The Bible makes this “enormously clear.”
• Sprinkling has “nothing to do” with the Bible.
• Then he told three stories: people baptised in a hole in the ice in Siberia; a man who went to Ethiopia and found a priest to baptise him; and a number: about 70,000 people baptised every day.

This page does not name the preacher or the church. It does not say immersion is wrong. Many churches prefer it, and that is fine. This page asks only: does the Bible really say immersion is the only way?

Six points

1. Some of it is true. The word usually means to put under water. Many early Christians baptised that way.
2. But the New Testament uses the word in other ways too. It uses it for washing hands and cups, and for things that were sprinkled.
3. The Bible says the Holy Spirit was “poured out.” And it calls that a baptism.
4. The oldest Christian handbook allows pouring. If there is not enough water, pour water on the head three times.
5. The preacher’s stories probably come from churches that baptise babies. But we cannot be sure.
6. The real question is different. Does the way you use the water decide if a baptism is real?

Why many people like immersion

There are good reasons. John the Baptist baptised in a place “because there was much water there” (John 3:23). Philip and an official from Ethiopia “went down into the water” (Acts 8:38). And Paul wrote:

We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead … so we also might walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4 · World English Bible

In simple words: In baptism we go down with Christ, like going into a grave. Then we come up to a new life.

Going under the water and coming up is a very good picture of this. Early Christians often put people under the water three times. The Orthodox churches still do.

How does the Bible use the word?

Look at places where the New Testament uses the Greek word, but is not talking about Christian baptism:

• Mark 7:4. The Pharisees “baptise” cups, pots and metal bowls. These may have been put under water. But in the same verse, two of the oldest Bibles say “sprinkle” where others say “baptise.”
• Luke 11:38. A Pharisee is surprised that Jesus did not “baptise” (wash) before dinner. This washing was usually done by pouring water over the hands.
• Hebrews 9:10. The old Jewish washings are called “various baptisms.” The same chapter says many of them were done by sprinkling.
• 1 Corinthians 10:2. Paul says Israel was “baptised” in the sea. But Exodus says they walked on dry ground. Nobody went under the water.

The Holy Spirit was “poured out”

Jesus said, “you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). When it happened, the Bible says:

I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.

Acts 2:17 · World English Bible

In simple words: God poured his Spirit on people, like water.

Later, Peter called this pouring a baptism (Acts 11:16). Some people say “baptised with the Spirit” means being filled up completely. That is a fair idea. But the Bible still calls something that was poured a baptism.

The oldest Christian handbook

The Didache is a short Christian book. It was written about 50 to 120 years after Jesus was born. It says:

So the first Christians liked running water best. But they also allowed pouring. About 200 years after Jesus, a bishop called Cyprian was asked: are sick people who were sprinkled in bed real Christians? He said yes.

Who puts babies under the water?

• Orthodox churches (Russian, Greek, Ethiopian and others) put babies completely under the water three times. In Ethiopia, boys are baptised at 40 days old, and girls at 80 days.
• Catholic churches may put people under the water or pour water.
• Lutheran and Anglican churches baptise babies. Martin Luther said he liked immersion best. The old English prayer book said to dip the baby in the water.
• Baptist churches baptise only believers, by immersion.
• The first believers’ baptisms in Switzerland, in 1525, were mostly done by pouring water.

The preacher’s three stories

• Siberia. Famous photos show Russians jumping into holes in the ice every 19 January. This is an Orthodox holiday. It is not a baptism. Some believers may also be baptised in ice. We do not know which story the preacher meant.
• Ethiopia. The biggest church in Ethiopia has priests. It puts people under the water, and it baptises babies. The man was probably baptised there. But the story is too short to be sure.
• 70,000 a day. We could not find where this number came from. If it counts all baptisms in the world, most of them are babies. The Catholic Church alone baptised about 49,000 people a day in 1998, mostly small children.

People who follow Jesus in hard places deserve respect. But their stories should not be used to prove something their own church does not believe.

The real question, and an honest sermon

The real question is this: does the way you use the water decide if a baptism is real? The oldest Christians said no.

Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.

James 3:1 · World English Bible

In simple words: Teachers have a big responsibility. God will judge them more carefully.

This is honest. It gives the facts. Then it gives the preacher’s opinion. The people can decide for themselves.

Read it yourself

• Read Didache, chapter 7. It is very short and free online.
• Read Mark 7:1–5 and Hebrews 9:9–22. Ask: what was washed, and how?
• When a preacher tells a story as proof, ask kindly: “Which church was that?”

The Bible verses in boxes on this page come from the World English Bible, a modern translation that is free for everyone to use. The full dossier quotes them from the Authorised (King James) Version.