QUESTION:
"I grew up in a different church background than Baptist but am really interested in becoming a member of The Heights. I became a follower of Jesus in high school and was then baptized, but not by immersion. As I understand it, I still need to be baptized by immersion before I can become a member at The Heights. Can you help me understand the importance and need to be baptized by immersion even though I am already a follower of Jesus and have been baptized by sprinkling?"
RESPONSE:
Questions regarding baptism are ones that get asked and talked through on a regular basis around The Heights. Here are a few thoughts to consider as we try to help people understand the question of why people need to be baptized by immersion…(going all the way under the water and then coming back out of the water.)
1. The Heights Baptist Church understands baptism to be by immersion rather than by sprinkling or another method because of a few reasons:
- The Greek word used in the New Testament for baptism is BAPTISMA or BAPTISO which is translated: (as a noun: consisting of the process of immersion, submersion and emergence), (as a verb: to dip, or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another.)
- The message that is communicated by immersion is death, burial and resurrection…in the water…under the water…up and out of the water. The message is not communicated as clearly symbolically by sprinkling or by another method other than being immersed.
- This is the method that biblical scholars understand Jesus to be baptized by John the BAPTIST as found in Matthew 2:13-16. Look especially at verse 16 when it speaks of how Jesus “went up from the water…”
2. Part of what it means to be a member of The Heights Baptist Church means that all who are members have experienced baptism by immersion to express their alignment in their life in an outward manner along with their confession that Jesus is Lord.
3. The Heights does not de-value a person’s baptism that took place after one placed his or her faith in Jesus while coming from a different denomination than Baptist. In fact, The Heights rejoices with those who come from a different denominational backgrounds where their faith journey was helped to be set in motion by family and friends who point people to a life of following Jesus from the early stages of life. The Heights does not tear down the decisions and methods that may have been made and done in a person’s past concerning one’s baptism. On the contrary, The Heights family celebrates those decisions and steps and now asks that people build on what has already been started in days gone by. The Heights simply asks that if one desires membership with this body of believers’ understanding and covenant requirement for membership of The Heights Baptist Church, that one of the things The Heights holds as followers of Jesus who also happen to be Baptist is to be baptized by immersion based on the above listed reasoning. Thus, baptism by immersion after a person has been baptized by a different method is regarded as building on what has already been started in that individual’s life after coming to a present understanding of the next steps God would have that individual to take in following Jesus as Lord.
That being said…our pastoral staff, under Pastor Gary’s leadership, will not baptize people who only do it to “jump through some hoops” for membership. Pastor Gary and all of The Heights pastoral staff want this decision to be one that is carefully prayed over, thought through, and understanding by the candidate where he or she comes to the same conclusion such as: HEY, YOU KNOW…I THINK THAT REALLY IS WHAT GOD WANTS ME TO DO…AND THAT REALLY IS WHAT I BELIEVE AND I WANT TO ALIGN MY BELIEFS AND UNDERSTANDINGS OF WHAT GOD SAYS IN THE BIBLE ABOUT BAPTISM TO BE NOT ONLY MY BELIEFS AND UNDERSTANDINGS…BUT ALSO MY EXPERIENCE AND OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF OBEDIENCE AS A MATURING FOLLOWER OF JESUS.”