GraceLife(tm) began presenting Bible Studies on the World Wide Web in September, 1995. We have received scores of requests since then to present a detailed study about water baptism. We've worked for a year to design a special study readers could use as a guide in their own inductive study about baptism. We hope and pray this is a blessing to you.
Here are the Greek words along with their transliterations, translations and number of usages in the NT. It gives us a little more insight into what the Bible translators knew about the original language when they translated the NT. (I have often wondered why the translators didn't bring over a translation instead of a transliteration. I now think it may be because of the problems a translation could have caused the translators if they brought over the true meaning. Too many churches and their leaders would have fought any translations because of how it would bring into question the way they taught and practiced "baptism.")
baptizo (77)......................baptized (50) ..................................wash (2)
..................................baptize (12)
..................................baptizing (8)
..................................Baptist (2)
..................................baptism (1)
..................................baptism receive (1)
..................................baptism undergo (1)
baptisma (20).....................baptism (17)
..................................baptism undergo (1)
..................................baptized (1)
..................................baptizing (1)
baptismos (3).....................baptisms (1) ..................................ceremonial washings (1)
..................................washing (1)
baptistes (12)...................Baptist (12)
bapto (4).........................dipped (2)
..................................dip (1)
..................................dipping (1)
The idea of the Greek usage is placing an object into some liquid and immediately removing it. Greeks used the word for dipping a cloth into dye to change the color of the cloth. With that definition in mind, here are the usages of bapto , in the NT.
Luke 16:24
John 13:26
Rev. 19:13
As we study the context and results of each passage, we see that bapto , is used for items that were placed into some liquid and pulled out. The rich man wanted Lazarus to place his finger into water and pull it out so he could wet his tongue from the water on Lazarus' finger. Jesus placed a piece of bread into a dish (probably filled with gravy or other liquid food), pulled it out and handed it to Judas. Christ (as the heavenly rider on the white horse) wore a robe that had been dipped in blood, pulled out and worn. None of these items were placed into something and left there. The act of bapto , is to put in and take out.
The most used word for baptism in the NT is baptizo . (77 usages) It is the verb. The usage in Greek includes "to dip repeatedly, to cleanse by dipping, to wash, to make clean with water." The middle and first aorist passive meaning is "to wash one's self, bathe." (Mark 7:4; Luke 11:38). Plato used the word metaphorically of being overwhelmed with questions. In a few instances, the word was used for vessels that sunk. Something sunk is usually left in the position of being "under" water. That differs from the usual meaning of "that which is dipped."
The New Testament writers used baptizo , for placing someone into water and into Christ. They also used the word for a placing into "with" or "by" the Holy Spirit.
John was of priestly descent. We know little of his childhood except what Luke wrote about the angel's prophesy concerning him and a brief verse following Zechariah's prophesy. The angel is speaking to John's father, Zechariah.
Luke 1:14-15,80
The angel also spoke about the ministry John would have.
Luke 1:16-17
John's first public appearance was in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene. It was also the time of the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas. (Luke 3:1-2) Luke's excellent historical documentation gives us a good idea about when God called John from the desert to begin his ministry. Modern historians estimate the year to be 26 or 27 AD. John's use of water baptism was such an essential part of his work that he became known as the Baptist and his ministry was called "preaching a baptism of repentance."
Little is said in the Gospels about John's use of water. The people who John baptized seemed to understand its significance. Crowds of people sought out John for his baptism. How did he respond? Read these powerful words from Luke.
Luke 3:7-9
How did the crowds respond to that powerful message?
Luke 3:10-14
Why water? Why did John dip people in water for "repentance?" Why did people allow John to publicly dip them in water? Is this something John invented? Or did John and the people of Israel have a background and history to the use of water for this purpose? I'll share a few points of the history with you here. I hope you'll be interested enough in the subject to do your own study.
God gave Israel specific instructions about water cleansing. It had to do with purification and being set apart for holy service. Here are some Old Testament examples.
Ex. 19:10-11
Lev. 8:5-6
Lev. 14:4-9
Numbers 8:5-7
Numbers 19:17-21
Numbers 31:21-24
The Jews of John's time understood the purpose of his baptism in the Jordan River. It was ceremonial purification and sanctification to the will of God. They came to him knowing what they were doing and why. It was for repentance.
Repentance is a translation of the Hebrew subah , and Greek metanoia . Subah , is found only in Isaiah 30:15: "This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." Metanoia , is translated "repentance, change of mind, repent, turn in repentance" in the NIV.
Dr. Thayer's Lexicon reads: "especially the change of mind of those who have begun to abhor their errors and misdeeds, and have determined to enter upon a better course of life, so that it embraces both a recognition of sin and sorrow for it and hearty amendment, the tokens and effects of which are good deeds." Thayer goes on to say that John's baptism of repentance was "a baptism binding its subjects to repentance."
Dr. Vine's Dictionary reads: "In the NT the subject chiefly has reference to repentance from sin, and this change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God. The parable of the prodigal son is an outstanding illustration of this."
Dr. Zodhiates' Dictionary reads: "In the NT, used with reference to nous , mind, as the faculty of moral reflection (Acts 11:18; 20:21; 2 Cor. 7:9, 10; 2 Tim. 2:25; Heb. 6:1). It is combined with aphesis , remission of sins (Luke 24:47 [cf. baptism of repentance Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 13:24; 19:24]) which identifies one as having repented... As in the preaching of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:8), repentance is expected to manifest itself in conduct (Acts 26:20)."
Repentance seems to begin in the heart (a sense of moral sorrow), grow in the mind (a desire to change) and express itself in the soul (an act of spiritul and sometimes public turning from sin to God).
Before we move on, here are some words to consider. Dr. Charles Baker wrote them in 1956.
["Bible Truth: What We Believe and Why We Believe It, Grace Bible College Press, 1956]
Please continue with this study at Water Baptism Part 2 or return to The GraceLife(tm) Menu Page for other studies about the Gospel of the Grace of God.
"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."
Taking God's Grace to the World!
Understanding Baptism
The Bible student will find the words "baptism, baptizing, Baptist, baptize, baptized, and baptizing" more than 100 times in the New Testament. The Greek words are baptizo, baptisma, baptismos, and baptistes . The root wordbapto , is translated "dip, dipped, dipping" in the NT. The words "baptize, baptist and baptism" are transliterations, not translations. A transliteration means to "represent or spell in the characters of another alphabet." A translation means to "to transfer or turn into one's own or another language." A translation is done "to express in more comprehensible terms, to explain, to interpret." A translation gives meaning to a word in one's own language. A transliteration does not. We learn nothing about the meaning of the original Greek language from the English words baptize, baptist or baptism. The English words simply spell in the characters of the original language. They "sound like" the original.
From the Original
GREEK............................ TRANSLATION or TRANSLITERATION Bapto
Let's begin with the root word, bapto . All the limbs grow from the root. "So he [the rich man] called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip [bapto ] the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'"
"Jesus answered, 'It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.'"
"He [Christ] is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God."
John the Baptist
John the Baptist got his name because of what he did. He "baptized" people in water. I recommend you do a thorough study of his life to understand who John the Baptist was and the importance he had to the Gospel of Christ. You'll find it very enlightening. Here are some highlights from that study. "He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth ... And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel."
"Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
"John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.'"
"'What should we do then?' the crowd asked. John answered, 'The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.' Tax collectors also came to be baptized. 'Teacher,' they asked, 'what should we do?' 'Don't collect any more than you are required to,' he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, 'And what should we do?' He replied, 'Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay.'"
"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people."
"Moses said to the assembly, 'This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.' Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water.'"
"...then the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. Seven times is shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean...The person to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean...On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair; he must shave his head, his beard, his eyebrows and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean."
"The Lord said to Moses: 'Take the Levites from among the other Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves."
"For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them. Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or someone who has been killed or someone who has died a natural death. The man who is clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify him. The person being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and that evening he will be clean. But if a person who is unclean does not purify himself, he must be cut off from the community, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, and he is unclean. This is a lasting ordinance for them. The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean until evening."
"Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, 'This is the requirement of the law that the Lord gave Moses: Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp."
"There are several basic facts which one must understand before he can ever hope to grasp this doctrine [Baptism] intelligently. The first is that baptism is not a ceremony unique to the New Testament. Just because the word baptism does not occur in our English Old Testament, many have been led to believe that this is a brand new thing which God gave to the church in the New Testament, and that it would therefore be ridiculous to suppose that Christ would give this ordinance and then almost immediately rescind it. These same people can well understand how commands and laws and ordinances given to Israel through Moses have been rescinded in this present dispensation, but baptism--that is a new ordinance given by Christ to His church. The fact of the matter is that baptism is an Old Testament ordinance which was given to Israel through Moses, and was carried on by John the Baptist and the Apostles, just as many other Mosaic practices were. Heb. 9:10 tells us that the Old Testament stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings (the Greek word here is baptisms ), all of them carnal ordinances. Baptism was not an innovation to the Jews. Their divinely given religion was literally saturated with baptisms and to these they added many more of their own inventing. When John came baptizing, the Jews did not ask what this strange, new ceremony signified. They knew what it meant, and so they asked: "Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?" And John answered them: "that he [Christ] should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water." The only reason we do not find the word baptism many times in our English Old Testament is that baptism is the transliteration of a Greek word, and the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. The last word written to the Jews on this subject is found in Heb. 6:1,2, where they are told to leave behind the elementary principles and go on to full maturity, not laying again a foundation of the doctrine of baptisms."