FOR THE
CHILDREN:
E. Meaning of Words Must Be Considered.
There are two words whose meaning are vital to a proper understanding of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
1. The Word Translated Baptism
The word, itself has no meaning of its own, because it is derived from the Greek word bapto (English letters are used), but is a transliteration or Anglicized. By this, we mean it was retained in its own form by substituting English letters for the Greek letters. Therefore, the only rightful meaning of it must come from the original word bapto.
In the classical Greek it meant to dip or dip under. It was used of a smith when tempering red-hot steel or of the dyer when dipping cloth in dye. It was used of a ship when it sank.
The Septuigent (The Old Testament translated into Greek language) used this Greek word in Leviticus 4:6 And the priest shall dip (bapto) his finger in the blood and sprinkle (prosraino) of the blood seven times before the Lord.
In the New Testament, every time the word bapto or any form of it is used, it is used with the idea of immersion.
In every instance this immersion meant something in particular to that thing or person being immersed. Whether cups, pots, etc. were being washed (bapto--dipped), believers were being immersed to show their death and burial to sin, Christ describing His suffering as a baptism, or the body of believers (a local assembly) were being baptized in the Holy Spirit; all had the meaning of immersion (Complete covering or dipping into).
The early church practiced immersion as the mode of baptism. Bible scholars of the Greek language say there is no Greek-English lexicon that gives sprinkling or pouring as the translation of the Greek word bapto. All agree that it means to dip or to sink in water.
Martin Luther said: Baptism is a Greek word and may be translated immersion. The church he founded practices sprinkling.
John Wesley said: The ancient mode of baptism was by immersion. He was one of the founders of the Methodist church which practices sprinkling.
John Calvin (founder of the Presbyterian church. It practices sprinkling), said: The word baptize signifies immersion, and it is certain that immersion was the practice of the early church.
E.P. Gould (A leader among Episcopalians) said: The form of the rite of baptism was immersion into the stream.
Cardinal Gibbons (Catholic) said: For several centuries after the establishment of Christianity, baptism was conferred by immersion, but since the twelfth century the practice in the Catholic church has been by effusion as this is attained with less inconvenience.
Therefore, it should be evident that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was a complete immersion into the Spirit rather than a sprinkling upon or pouring upon.
2. The Word Translated With
The King James Version of the Bible translates the Greek preposition "en" each instance it speaks of the baptism in the Holy Spirit with. It is preposition of which the Holy Spirit is the object.
The word in the Greek is "en" (English letters used). This word occurs in the Greek New Testament 2518 times. In the King James Version it is translated "in" 1863 times. It is translated "with" 139 times in the King James Version. In some of the instances of the King James Version, when this word is translated "with" it is in harmony with the context; therefore, it may be permissible to render it "with."
The instances in question in this article are those passages in which the King James Version translated this word (en) "with" in connection with baptism. When words have a variety of meanings or usages (This is a characteristic of prepositions, even in our own language.) their usages must be in harmony with the text being studied.
Since the translators of the King James Version translated "en" more often "in’’ than "with’’ to be fair with the Scriptures "in" should be considered as the meaning here.
Since baptism means an immersion into something, it should be evident that "en" should be translated "in." Notice some of the times it is used with the word "baptism."
John 3:23 baptized in (en) Aenon. This cannot mean "with" Aenon.
Matthew 3:6 baptized of him in (en) Jordan surely means they went into the River Jordan, rather than bringing Jordan to John so he could baptize "with" Jordan.
In the third chapter of Matthew, John the Baptist was comparing his work of baptizing in water to the work of Christ and His baptizing in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if it was in (en) water, it is evident that AA means >in’ the Holy Spirit also. Since John was baptizing in water any Bible scholar should recognize that John meant Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit.