00B.25 Chapter 18--Why Methodists Baptize by Pouring and Baptize Babies--No. 10

XVIII. "Why Methodists Baptize by Pouring and Baptize Babies"

No. 10 "THE WAY GOD BAPTIZED PEOPLE" In the Methodist Herald of September 23 the editor uses as the subheading for his article on "Why Methodists Baptize by Pouring and Baptize Babies" the words that serve as a caption for this article. As this must be the last time that we reply to the editor’s sophistries until he takes up infant baptism, we give his editorial in full:

Let us turn a moment and see how God baptized people. Christ baptized by pouring; for the Bible says. "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." We know that was done (on the day of Pentecost) by pouring. (See Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17.) Before Christ was born God baptized the Israelites. Read carefully the following: "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." (1 Corinthians 10:1-2.) What is the difference between "in the sea" and "in the river Jordan"? Who can explain the difference? They were "in the sea" and "were baptized" of the Lord. How was it done? If baptism means immersion, then God immersed the Israelites. Let us have the facts. Put David on the witness stand. Here is what he says about this baptism: "The waters saw thee, O God; the waters saw thee. . . . The clouds poured out water." This baptism, though "in the sea," was performed "on dry land." Read Exodus 14:29 : "But the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea." They were "in the sea" and "on dry land" and "the clouds poured out water." The word of God calls this baptism: for it says, "And all passed through the sea, and were all baptized." Does not reason teach us here that God baptized by pouring? Can’t a twelve-year-old school child understand this? Do not make a god out of your prejudice. Be fair with your own good judgment. Let truth have her perfect work. The Israelites were "under the cloud" (1 Corinthians 10:2) and "the clouds poured out water" (Psalms 77:17). Paul says: "They were baptized in the sea." Now, the Egyptians who followed them were immersed and died from the effects of this immersion. Our immersionist friends do not talk much about this baptism and some others like that of Paul "standing up was bap­tized." etc., but they run to "much water," "many springs" in the land of E non—the land of many springs—and "in the river Jor­dan." Why not try to get immersion out of "in the sea," "on dry land," where "the clouds poured out water" on the Israelites, which was performed by God himself? We would drive fifty miles to hear some preachers, our immersionist brethren, who take up so much time preaching on water baptism, preach on this text, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel," and in the sermon explain why it was that Christ, John the Baptist, as well as the twelve apostles, never preached a sermon on baptism.’=

REPLY

Each week the editor repeats things he has said in former editorials. He has referred to the baptism of the Holy Spirit perhaps a dozen times. We have replied to that point three or four times. We shall briefly notice the point once more. (1) The apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-47) (2)The Holy Spirit was "poured out"and "fell" upon them, etc. (3) The apostles were therefore baptized by pouring. All this is admitted. But the pouring itself was not baptism; if it were, then the Holy Spirit, and not the apostles, was baptized, for it was the Spirit that was poured. The act of pouring was not baptism, but the bap­tism was the result of the pouring. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon them to the extent that they were over­whelmed, possessed, covered up, and controlled by the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit had been poured as sparingly upon the apostles as Methodist preachers pour water upon their subjects, it could never have been called a baptism.

"IN THE CLOUD AND IN THE SEA" The editor says the Israelites had water sprinkled or poured upon them from the cloud as they passed through the sea, and this he says was baptism. But he emphasizes the fact that they passed through on "dry land." He does not explain how the land kept dry when the clouds were pouring out water. Now the fact is that this "rain" and "pouring out water" that the psalmist speaks of took place at Mount Sinai and not at the Red Sea. It occurred three months after the people had been "baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." And it is never remotely re­ferred to as a baptism. Were the people baptized twice— once at the sea and then again at Sinai? But that our read­ers may clearly see that the psalmist locates this pouring "out water" at Sinai, we here quote from Psalms 77:1-20, Psalms 68:1-35.

"The waters saw thee, O God; the waters saw thee, they were afraid: the depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. The voice of thy thunder was in the whirl - wind; the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook. Thy way was in the sea, and thy paths in the great waters, and thy footsteps were not known. Thou leddest thy people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron." (Psalms 77:16-20.) The psalmist describes things that took place in the deliverance of the people and in their journey as they were led by "the hand of Moses and Aaron." Verse 16 may refer to the Red Sea, but it closes with a period and comes to a full stop. Then Psalms 77:17 describes something else. (1) "The skies sent out a sound"—the thunder. (2) "Thine arrows went abroad"—the lightning. (3) "The clouds poured out water"—the rain.(4) "The earth trembled and shook"(verse 18)—the earthquake.

Now compare this description with Paul’s description of the giving of the law at Sinai. Paul says there was a "tempest." Read his language: "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (for they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: and so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake)." (Hebrews 12:18-21.)

If this does not satisfy the reader that the rain or pouring out of water took place at Sinai and not at the sea, let him read another description of the same event from Psalms 68:7-10. Here it is: "O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; (Selah) the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God: yon Sinai trembled at the presence of God, the God of Israel. Thou, O God, didst send a plenti­ful rain, thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary." Here we have the trembling of the earth—the earthquake—shown to be the trembling of Sinai. The rain fell at the same time. THE BAPTISM AT THE SEA Let us now consider the facts and details of the baptism at the sea.

They were baptized "in the cloud and in the sea." It took both the cloud and the sea to complete and constitute this baptism. The sea walls—congealed water—were upon either side of them and the cloud was above them. They were engulfed, surrounded, covered up. They did not get wet—no.Christian baptism must take place i n water, because that is the element prescribed by the New Testa­ment; but that does not change the fact that, so far as the meaning of the word baptism goes, one might be baptized in other elements. One might be baptized—not scripturally, but so far as the word goes—in sawdust, in sand, in blood, in fire, or, figuratively, in trouble or in debt or in suffering. The cloud that stood over the people was not a rain cloud. It was a "pillar of fire" by night and a "pillar of cloud" by day. The people were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. It was here that they were released from Pharaoh and passed under the leadership of Moses. He now became the head of the nation, the lawgiver and the mediator. In like manner we are now baptized into Christ.(Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3-6.) At baptism we come from under the control and service of Satan and pass under the leader­ship of Christ. He becomes the head of the church to us; he is now our Lawgiver, Advocate, Intercessor, and Mediator.

We are baptized unto or into (eis) Christ. Exactly the same word is used in reference to the children of Israel and Moses. They were baptized unto or into (eis) Moses. How would it do to to say, "They were poured into Moses"? We are poured into Christ? if "baptize" means "pour" and if "pour" means "baptize," why not exchange them and sub­stitute the one for the other in the text? Try it and be convinced of the absurdity of the claim. THE APOSTLES DID NOT PREACH ON BAPTISM The editor again leaves his subject and attempts to show that baptism is of no significance and does not deserve any thought or serious study by citing a statement from Paul and by stating that John the Baptist, Christ, and the apostles did not preach on baptism. But what does this have to do with the editor’s problem? How does that justify pouring for baptism? The Baptist preachers attach as little importance to baptism as do Methodist preachers, but they will debate with the Methodists on the mode or action of baptism. They will use—rather, they wil I misuse —Paul’s statement that Christ sent him not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, till even Editor Swift ought to be ashamed of the perversion, but they will not admit that it offers any excuse whatever for pouring. If the editor could give any authority for his practice, he would not be guilty of this gross fallacy.

Inspired men did not preach on baptism because it was not a controverted point then. They commanded people to be baptized. That was all that was necessary. Those who "gladly received" their word were baptized. There was no question about the ordinance. There was no pope then, and hence no followers of the pope’s decree. There was no Editor Swift then to delude the people with false reasoning, false pictures, and by wresting the Scriptures. But today we have many such "vain talkers and deceivers, . . . whose mouths must be stopped." (Titus 1:10-11.)

What caused Paul to say, "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel"? Was it because someone was putting too much stress on baptism? Did Paul mean to disparage or belittle baptism? Did he mean to teach that baptism is a nonessential and might, therefore, be disregard­ed entirely, or, if submitted to, it might be baptism, sprin­kling, or pouring, or anything that might please our fancy? Any honest soul who will read the passage can see that none of these things were in the mind of Paul. (1 Corinthians 1:10-17.) No one was putting too much stress on baptism itself, but some were attaching too much importance to the adminis­trator—Paul, Cephas, Apollos, etc. Therefore, Paul was glad he had baptized only a few of them, "lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name." Was baptism no part of Paul’s commission? Was it not included in the things Christ sent him to do? If not, why did he teach anyone to be baptized? Lydia and the jailer were baptized under his preaching. "Many of the Corinthians hearing Paul preach believed, and were baptized." Paul himself baptized Crispus and Gaius and the household of Stephanas. Did Paul have any authority to do this? If so, where did he get it, if not from Christ? Paul’s meaning is that he was sent to en­lighten people, to convince them and cause them to believe on Christ. Not everyone could do this as he did, for they were not inspired as he was. They did not have power to do miracles as he did. They had not seen the risen Christ as he had. But after men were made believers, any disciple—any uninspired man—could baptize them. On Paul’s first mis­sionary journey he appointed "elders in every church." (Acts 14:23.) But later he left this work undone and moved on to preach the gospel; but he left Titus behind him to set things in order and to appoint elders. (Titus 1:5.) Paul might have added: "For Christ sent me not to appoint elders, but to preach the gospel." Would that prove that appointing elders is not important? When the apostles said, "It is not fit |or, "pleasing"—margin] that we should for­sake the word of God and serve tables," did they mean that the serving of tables was not important? Did they mean that it was not the Lord’s will and not a part of his plan? If they meant this, why did they appoint men of special qualifications to attend to it? The statement of these apostles is equivalent to Paul’s statement. They, in meaning, said: "Christ sent us not to serve tables, but to preach the gospel."

Now let us notice these facts about Paul and the Corin­thians. (1) Many of the Corinthians were baptized. (Acts 18:8.) (2) But Paul baptized only a few of them. (1 Corinthians 1:14-15.)

Question: Who baptized the "many," and why did they not baptize all? Why did Paul baptize those special individuals? Answer: (1) When Paul came to Corinth, he was alone. (Acts 18:1-5.) (2) The first convert made at that place was Stephanas and his house. (1 Corinthians 16:15.) These were the ones baptized by Paul. These and Crispus and Gaius were, no doubt, baptized before Paul’s companions came to him. (3) Silas and Timothy came to Paul at Corinth. (Acts 18:5.) No doubt they baptized the "many” Corinthians.

Christ himself did not baptize, but he taught it and had his disciples to baptize his subjects. (John 4:1-4.) The teaching of God’s word is plain, and if people will read it they will not be led astray by such sophistries and quibbling as Editor Swift employs. When we read the word honestly, carefully, and prayerfully, and accept what it teaches without addition, subtraction, or alteration, and insist that others do the same, Editor Swift thinks we are making "a god out of our prejudice"; but when he makes assertions that are without foundation in fact and that are not sustained by any sort of authority, what is he making of himself? And when he perverts, juggles, and distorts God’s word, what is he trying to make of his readers?

We here take leave of our editor for a while. "The Lord reward him according to his works."