Part 6 (1/2)

Notice the English words _shoot_, _hang_ and _poison_. These express specific outward acts; and, then, in their secondary meaning, they mean to kill, but always to kill in the way indicated by the primary meaning of the word. A man can be hung, shot or poisoned without being killed; but if it is reported that he was hung, shot or poisoned, we would all understand that he was killed. However, you cannot conceive of words so changing their meaning, that when it is said a man was hung, it means that he was shot, or when it is said he was poisoned, it means he was hung. No more is it conceivable that when the Greek word _baptizoo_ (to immerse) was used, it meant to cleanse by sprinkling (_rantizoo_), or when the word _rantizoo_ (to sprinkle) was used, it meant to cleanse by immersing (_baptizoo_). These words refer primarily to separate and distinct outward acts. It is true they may meet in their secondary meaning in the idea _to cleanse_; but they always refer to cleansing in the way indicated by the primary meaning of the word used. When they travel so far from their primary or proper meaning, which has reference to specific outward acts, that their meaning is said to be tropical or metaphorical, they lose their specific idea and have no longer any reference to the specific acts denoted by the words.

It is true that words can and do often change or enlarge their meaning.

But this is always to supply a need created by the lack of a proper word to express an a.s.sociated idea. Now, both the specific and general ideas with reference to the application of water are so copiously supplied with words in the Greek, that they preclude the necessity of changing the meaning of a word like _baptizoo_ to supply such a need.

We have _louoo_, to wash or bathe the body; _niptoo_, to wash a part of the body, as the hands, feet, face, etc.; _plunoo_, to wash clothes; _brechoo_, to wet, to rain; _katharizoo_, to cleanse; _ekcheoo_, to pour; _rantizoo_, to sprinkle; _baptizoo_, to immerse, etc.

Thus we have a threefold guard to keep _baptizoo_ to its primary or proper meaning of _to dip_ or _immerse_. First, an abundance of Greek words to express every general and specific idea about the application of water, except that of immersion; second, the fact that a tropical meaning of a word cannot refer to the specific outward act indicated by the word; and third, the law of interpretation which demands that a word be given its primary or proper meaning in commandments, or plain narrative, unless the context expressly demands a different meaning.

The above definitions of the word _baptizoo_ are taken from Dr.

Thayer's ”New Testament Greek Lexicon.” In reply to letters inquiring about Dr. Thayer's ”New Testament Greek Lexicon,” the following answers-were received. It is the ”best” (Professor Hodge, of Princeton); it is the ”very best” (Dr. Alexander, of Vanderbilt University); ”nothing can compare with it” (Dr Hersman, president of the Southwestern Presbyterian University). This opinion is practically made unanimous from the fact that Dr. Thayer's Lexicon is used at all of the leading schools in the country.

A request for an authoritative lexicon that gives ”sprinkle” or ”pour”

as a meaning of _baptizoo_, elicited the following answers: ”There is no such lexicon” (Professor Humphreys, of the University of Virginia, and Professor D'ooge, of Colby University); ”I know of none” (Professor Flagg, of Cornell); ”I do not know of any” (Professor Tyler, of Amherst). ”_Baptizoo_ means _to immerse_. All lexicographers and critics of any note are agreed in this.”--_Dr. Moses Stuart._

Thus we learn, through the testimony of experts, without consulting all the numerous Greek lexicons, that they define the word _baptizoo_ as meaning _to immerse_ and that none of them say it means _to sprinkle_ or _to pour_.

The great ma.s.s of Christians know nothing about the Greek experts who make the lexicons, but are much better acquainted with and influenced by the great church leaders and church standards. Therefore we present the following quotations:

_Scholars and Churches Admit that Christ Taught Immersion._

NOTE.--These quotations are taken from a tract of mine on baptism.

I. _Council of Toledo_, 633 (Catholic): ”We observe a single immersion in baptism.”

2. _Council of Cologne_, 1280 (Catholic): ”That he who baptizes when he immerses the candidate in water,” etc.

3. _Martini_ (Roman Catholic): ”In all of the pontificals and rituals I have seen (except that of Madeleine de Beulieu), and I have seen many, ancient as well as more recent, immersion is prescribed.”

4. _Dollinger_ (Roman Catholic): ”Baptism was administered by an entire immersion in water.” (Chu. History, vol. 2, p. 294.) ”A mere pouring or sprinkling was never thought of.” (First Age of Chu., p. 318.) ”Baptism by immersion continued to be the prevailing practice of the church as late as the fourteenth century.” (Hist. Ch., vol. 2, p. 295.)

5. _Ritual of Greek Catholic Church_: ”The priest immerses him, saying the servant of G.o.d is immersed, in the name of the Father,” etc.

6. _Russian Catechism_ (Greek Catholic): ”This they hold to be a point necessary, that no part of the child be undipped in water,” etc.

7. _Alex. De Stourdza_ (native Greek): ”The verb baptize, _immergo_, has, in fact, but one sole acceptation. It signifies, literally and always, to plunge. Baptism and immersion are, therefore, identical, and to say baptism is by aspersion is as if one should say, immersion by aspersion, or any other absurdity of the same nature.” (Con. sur LaDoc.

et L'Esprit, p. 87.)

8. _Dr. Kyriasko_, of University of Athens, Greece: ”The verb baptize in the Greek language never has the meaning of to pour or to sprinkle, but invariably that of to dip.” (Letter to C. G. Jones, Lynchburg, Va.)

9. _Syrian Ritual_ (Nestorians): ”The priest immerses him in water, saying such a one is baptized in the name of the Father,” etc.

10. _Martin Luther_: ”Baptism is a Greek word. In Latin it can be translated immersion, as when we plunge something into water, that it may be completely covered with water; they ought to have been completely immersed.” (The Sacrament of Baptism.)

11. _Lutheran Catechism_, p. 216: ”In what did this act (baptism) consist?” Answer: ”The one to be baptized was first immersed in water, signifying death, and then he was drawn out again and was dressed with a new dress, as if he now were a different new being.”

12. _John Calvin_ (Presbyterian): ”The word baptize signifies to immerse, and it is certain that the rite of immersion was observed by the ancient church.” (Inst. Book 4, c. 15.)

13. _Richard Baxter_ (Presbyterian): ”It is commonly confessed by us to the Anabaptists, as our commentators declare, that in the Apostles'

time the baptized were dipped over head in the water.” (Dis. Right to Sac., p. 70.)