In the New Testament all baptism was immersion why did Catholic church change it to sprinkling chnging Bible?

Question

All stories in the New Testament show when a believer repented of their sins, confessed Christ they then were immersed, completely covered in water, a response of obedience / faith in the grace their sins would be forgiven. Mark 16:16, Eph. 2:8, I Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Rom.6:1-6, Gal. 3:27, Hebrews 5:9 salvation to all that obey. We must accept the gift of grace through faith shown by baptism.

Answer 1

The real baptism is the immersion. This should be done only one person become self sufficient to take own decision.

First he/she should believe Jesus Christ and confess him. Then only he can take baptism.

Romans 6:1-7 1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7For he that is dead is freed from sin.


This shows us that the mode of baptism (immersion) pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. In the same way that He went through these things, our old nature is to “die” and we are to be “buried with Him through baptism into death” and raised to “walk in newness of life” (live like Jesus). So we do not just try to be a better person, we bury the “old person” in the water and become a “new person” through our acceptance of Christ. It is like a new birth and a new beginning for us.


No children will be lost in hell if they die before they become self sufficient to differentiate good and bad.

For this reason did Jesus Christ said :-
Matthew 18:3
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

A child do not need to be baptized. Child baptism is a false doctrine brought forward by Catholicism and still followed by many protestant Presbyterian churches.

Answer 2

I think it has more to do with the culture of the times than any theological error. Up until approximately the 19th century, people thought that if you immersed yourself in water, you would get sick and surely die. They did not bathe or get too wet becuse they were terrified. the black plague and other pandemics in those times made it difficult, if not impossible to get a person baptized that way. Thus, sprinkling was the only way. Im sure the church fathers knew that this was a diversion from the original intention, but they did it anyway in order to get the people to comply in some way. You will find many instances of "bending" the original intent even while the apostles were still alive. That is why the epistles were written. The catholic church just did it way more than anyone else. I am no theologian but that is what I think. Hope this helps. By the way, I am a baptist and we do not baptize babies.

Answer 3

The Catholic Church usually baptizes by pouring: 1) because water sufficient for total immersion is not readily obtainable in some localities, 2) because total immersion would be cruel for babies, fatal for some sick people and impossible for some prison inmates, and 3) because the Apostles baptized by pouring. In the Didache, composed by the Apostles, the following procedure for Baptism is prescribed: ``Pour water three times on the head in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.'' The words ``came out of the water'' do not necessarily imply total immersion. They could just as well imply that Christ came up on the shore of the river Jordan after standing ankle deep in the water. This is not to say that the Catholic Church considers Baptism by total immersion invalid--she simply does not consider it practical as a universal form.

God bless,
Stanbo

Answer 4

Because they're baptizing babies, and it's not safe to immerse a baby in water. The reason they do this is becuase they believe that if something happens to the child before they get old enough to make a profession of faith and be baptized properly, then the child's soul won't go to heaven. This is the doctrine of "original sin" taken to its logical conclusion. Other religions that baptize once a child reaches the age of reason and professes their faith, believe that a child who dies before the age of reason is innocent by virtue of being a child, and so they go to heaven. The catholics don't take this chance, tho. THey baptize within a few days of birth, or even right at birth if the child is very fragile.
They don't sprinkle, tho. They pour a small amount of water over the person's forehead.

Answer 5

The catholic church doesn't practice sprinkling first off, and the bible doesn't command a specific way to baptize just as long as it is with water, the only ones who have a problem with this are baptist (I used to be one) and starting a religion based on this is ridiculous. There are versus which imply baptism doesn't specifically mean immersion:

Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16 -John the Baptist prophesied that Jesus will baptize ("baptisei") with the Holy Spirit and fire. In this case, "baptisei" refers to a "pouring" out over the head. This is confirmed by Matt. 3:16 where the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus' head like a dove and Acts 2:3-4 where the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary and the apostles' heads in the form of tongues of fire. In each case, in fulfilling John the Baptist's prophecy, the Lord baptized ("baptizo") in the form of pouring out His Spirit upon the head, not immersing the person. Matt. 20:22-23; Mark 10:38-39; Luke 12:50 - Jesus also talks about His baptism (from "baptizo") of blood, which was shed and sprinkled in His passion. But this baptism does not (and cannot) mean immersion.

Mark 7:3 - the Pharisees do not eat unless they wash ("baptizo" ) their hands. This demonstrates that "baptizo" does not always mean immersion. It can mean pouring water over something (in this case, over their hands).

also the didache which is an authentic text of the early christians reads, "Concerning baptism, baptize in this manner: Having said all these things beforehand, baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit in living water [that is, in running water, as in a river]. If there is no living water, baptize in other water; and, if you are not able to use cold water, use warm. If you have neither, pour water three times upon the head in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

Answer 6

Catholics don't "sprinkle" they pour the water over your head as many bible passages talk about Baptism as the washing away of sins, go later into Ephesians, hence the pouring which equals rinsing or washing.

Don S that is not an accurate characterization of Catholic belief. All are saved by the grace of God in the Catechism there are 3 types of Baptism: Baptism with water (the actual rite of baptism), Baptsim by blood (martyrs(, and baptism by desire (showing through your life your longing to be with God by acting as his love towards other (living a good and loving life according to your conscience)).

Answer 7

First, the Catholic Church does not use "sprinkling" as a method of baptism. It uses two methods - pouring of water over the head, and full immersion.

Secondly, there is nothing to indicate that immersion was the usual means of baptism in New Testament times. The early Church existed in a desert land, and many of the places Jesus and the Apostles preached, the only water for a great distance was the town well. They certainly didn't lower people into the well to baptize them. They drew up a bucket of water, and used it to baptize any who desired baptism. Also, the writings of the early Church Fathers demonstrate that baptism of infants was the norm in the early Church, and infants certainly were not fully immersed. It is interesting that every early work of art depicting the baptism of Jesus shows John the Baptist pouring water onto Jesus's head, either from his hand or from a shell or other vessel. Not a single depiction of Jesus being immersed.

http://religion-cults.com/spirit/images/jesus_baptism.jpg

http://www.jesus-passion.com/BaptismOfJesus.jpg

http://www.logoi.com/pastimages/img/jesus_1.jpg

http://www.beloit.edu/~nurember/book/images/New%20Testament/big/Baptism%20of%20Jesus%20XCVv.jpg

http://www.biblicalheritage.org/images/BHCWC01/baptism%20of%20Jesus%2002.jpg

http://stthomas.connor.anglican.org/images/inside/w22c.jpg

http://www.jigsaw-puzzle.org/images/baptismjesus.jpg

http://www.thetruthdecoded.org.au/images/baptism-of-Jesus.jpg

http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Paris-Bordone/Baptism-of-Christ-Giclee-Print-C12019543.jpeg

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7202/wood_baptism.jpg

.

Answer 8

Yes, and all the (adult) believers converting in the Old Testament were circumcised, with the entire family now under the covenant, and baby boys getting circumcised with women being part of that covenant by association. Baptism replaces that covenant, with the administration of it being the only difference. You can check the Westminster Confession of Faith for Scripture references as to sprinkling, but there are other reasons too, for not submerging people under water in order to fulfill this rite.

We must accept??? Sure, let's put God under our thumb and subservient to man's will. Of course we'll have to redefine predestination and foreknowledge in order to accommodate this belief.

Answer 9

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

Baptism is performed in the most expressive way by triple immersion in the baptismal water. However, from ancient times it has also been able to be conferred by pouring the water three times over the candidate's head.

In accordance to the command of Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19-20:

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

Catholics baptize using the words, "[Name], I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

The Catholic Church accepts any baptism from other Christian Church if it was done in this manner.

It has been argued by people smarter than me that not only was there not enough fresh water to baptize all three thousand people in Jerusalem in Act 2:41 but there would not have been enough time to baptize all of them by full immersion in one day even though they started in the morning.

Could these have been baptized by pouring water over them?

With love in Christ.

Answer 10

Baptisim in the Catholic Church is performed usually on an infant of parents that belong to the church. the infant is blessed with the annointing of oil which is poured on (not sprinkled) and by the priest making the sign of the Cross with the oil several times on the child.
i have never attended an adult Baptisim in the Catholic Church, so i can't answer to that ceremony.