Are there right and wrong ways to baptize? As with all things, Christ should be our example.

Scripture Teaches Immersion

When Jesus was baptized, He was baptized by immersion in the river:

And Jesus when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him; and lo, a voice from Heaven saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:16-17)

John baptized in the river because he needed water that was deep enough:

Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there (John 3:23 NIV).

A further example of the mode of baptism given in the Scriptures is that of the baptism of the eunuch by Philip.

And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Phillip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Phillip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:38-39 NKJV).

Note that they went into the water and then came up out of the water. This baptism was total immersion.

The Reformers Advocated Immersion

The reformers also understood that baptism should take place by immersion. Martin Luther defined baptism in this way:

The Greek baptizo means "I immerse", and baptisma means "immersion". For this reason I would have the candidate for baptism totally immersed in water as the word "baptisma" signifies. Thus it was also doubtless instituted by Christ.ⁱ

John Calvin wrote this:

The very word "baptize", however, signifies "to immerse", and it is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient Church. ⁱⁱ

And John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, agreed:

I believe it is a duty to observe, so far as I can, to baptize by immersion.ⁱⁱⁱ

The Meaning of Baptism by Immersion

Besides being a symbol of our willingness to accept the Gospel of justification and sanctification, and entrance into the body of Christ, baptism by immersion conveys deep spiritual truths. Paul discusses these truths:

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead (Colossians 2:12).

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin (Romans 6:3-6 NKJV).

These verses point out that the old life of sin is buried by baptism. The candidate for baptism should be immersed beneath the surface of the water in order to bury the old life of sin in the watery grave.

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27).

Only baptism by immersion can rightly symbolize the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The apostle Peter ties in baptism with salvation by using these words.

There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:21 NKJV).

The other modes of baptism, such as sprinkling and pouring, rob the ordinance of its meaning.

The following articles help us answer some of the difficult questions about baptism: