There are many arguments made in favor of sprinkling for baptism, but the strongest of them are very weak indeed. In fact, they have no weight it all with careful Bible students. It is the purpose this study to examine a few more of their strongest arguments. But again let us remind you that the Bible says we are “buried” in the act of baptism, and that "Therein" we are risen with Christ. (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12.) Bible baptizers went into the water before baptism, afterward performed the act of baptism, which was a burial, and then afterward came up out of the water a thing sprinklers do not do. (Acts 8:37-39; Mk. 1:5, 9-10.) It took "Much water" to do what they called baptizing in those days. (Jn. 3.23 ) God has not changed the act of baptism; and no man who has changed it had any authority from God to do it. Immersion is not a mere "Mode" of baptism, it is baptism itself. To talk about baptizing "By immersion" is as much out of order as to talk about "WALKING A FOOT." There is no way to walk but to walk "A foot," and there is no way to baptize but by a burial or immersion, as far as the primary meaning of the word is concerned.

SO SHALL HE SPRINKLE

Many think they have a prophecy that Christ would baptize by sprinkling, in the following passage, which they pervert no little. "Behold my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: so shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider," (Isa. 52:13-15.) The effusionists fall upon the words "So shall he sprinkle many nations." But they overlook the fact that the word "SO" is an adverb of manner, as here used, and means "In this manner he shall sprinkle many nations." The context shows that he was not talking of baptism at all, but by being so different from what the nations expected of him, he would sprinkle, or astonish them by his conduct and teaching. It is a figurative use of the word "Sprinkle." The context proves this. (1) It says many were astonished at him. v. 14. (2) This was because his visage was marred more than any other man, and his form more than the sons of men. v. 14. (3) The words are: "So shall he sprinkle many nations." v. 15. "So," in this manner, by being so different from other men, he would sprinkle the nations, or put them in confusion as if he had suddenly sprinkled, or flipped cold water in their faces before they were aware of what was about to take place.( 4) The next statement bears this out, for it says the kings of these nations would "Shut their mouths at him." v. 15. In their confusion, they would not know what to say in reply to his teaching. "For that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they not heard shall they consider." v. 15. You can see that the prophet means the nations will be sprinkled—astonished as if cold water were flipped into their faces. "So"—in this manner—by astonishing the nations will he sprinkle them. He did not hint that the nations would be sprinkled with water, nor in baptism. The marginal reading in the teachers edition of the American Stand­ard Version says so shall he "STARTLE" many nations. Hence, not even a hint is here given of literal sprinkling of water as baptism. (Isa. 52:13-15.) The context is ignored entirely by the sprinklers in their effort to prove sprinkling is baptism. They also make literal a word which manifestly is used in a figurative sense. Hence, they completely lose their point, and baptism is a burial, as the Bible says it is. (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12.)

THEN WILL I SPRINKLE

But being routed from the foregoing argument, effusionists go to another passage which has reference u sprinkling under the law, and not to baptism, and think they have a point. But let us read the passage: "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." (Ezek. 36:25.) The Prophet Ezekiel was one of the Jews carried into Babylonian captivity, and says he wrote in captivity. He prophesied of the time when God would bring the Jews out of captivity, and into their own land again, as was fulfilled later under the leadership of Nehemiah, Ezra, and others. The sprinkling in the text under consideration was to take place "when" these people were brought out of captivity, and not later under the Christian age of the world. The verse before the one quoted says, "For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land," and "THEN WILL I SPRINKLE CLEAN WATER UPON YOU, AND YET SHALL BE CLEAN: FROM ALL YOUR FILTHINESS, AND FROM ALL YOUR IDOLS, WILL I CLEANSE YOU." (Ezek. 36:24-25.) They had worshipped idols, and become ceremonially defiled in captivity, and when brought back to Canaan, they would need to be cleansed from their ceremonial uncleanness. This was to be done by the sprinkling of water and the ashes of a red heifer, as prescribed for such cleansing in the 19th chapter of Numbers. It had no reference to baptism in any sense, but to the sprinkling under the law of Moses. The law said those ceremonially needing cleansing had to be sprinkled with this prep­aration, or mixture of water and the ashes of a red heifer, on the third day, and on the seventh, then on the seventh "Bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even." (Num. 19:19.) The recipe for making the preparation called "Water of separation," or "Clean water" (is given in Num. 19:1-10.) Hence, this was not baptism, but a sprinkling under the law, and was fulfilled when the Jews returned from captivity. So the sprink­lers also lost this argument, and are again demonstrated to be guilty of ignoring the context of the text under study. For it said the sprinkling would take place "WHEN" they were brought out of captivity—"THEN will I sprinkle"—not under the Christian dispensation—but in the days of Nehemiah and Ezra, when Israel returned unto their own land. Such sprinkling is not required under the new and better covenant under which we live. We are not under the law. (Rom. 6:14; 7:6.) The old law was taken away and nailed to the cross. (Col. 2:14.)

SPRINKLING IN THE NEW

 But Paul says, "Having our HEARTS sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our BODIES WASHED WITH PURE WATER." (Heb. 10:22.) Note that the "sprinkling" was applied to the "Heart," not the head. This referred to the blood of Christ which is said to be sprinkled. Paul speaks of the "BLOOD of sprinkling." (Heb. 12:24.) So does Peter. (1 Pet 1:2.) It has no reference to WATER BAPTISM." But Heb. 10:22 does also refer to "WATER" baptism, and shows it is a burial, or immersion, since the "Body" is "Washed" in the act of obedience to God. This is in baptism. (Acts 22:16.) Hence, the sprinklers also lose this proof text, as they do all the others which they present. They do not have one bit of scripture for sprinkling for baptism, but are guilty of perverting the word of the Lord in their efforts to make out their case.   (Gal. 1:6-9.)

BAPTIZED IN THE CLOUD AND SEA

Another quibble they make is to argue that the Israelites crossed the sea in a rain storm and got sprinkled with water in crossing the sea. and that Paul called this a baptism. (Ex. 14; 1 Cor. 10.) But they crossed the sea in the night. (Ex. 14:20-30.) It was a cloud of FIRE, not a rain cloud at night. (Ex.13: 20-21.) Furthermore, it was not a rain cloud over them, but they crossed "By dry ground" and on "Dry land" or "Dry shod." (Ex. 14:16, 22,29; Heb. 11:29.) This would not have been true if they crossed in a rain storm. It was not a rain cloud over them but of fire instead. It was called a baptism "In the cloud and in the sea" because the cloud came down over them in the opening in the sea and covered them like a tent, with the cloud of fire over them, and the walls of congealed waters around them, and the banks of the sea before and behind, they were buried, or covered up in the two elements "CLOUD AND SEA," and Paul figuratively called it a baptism in the "cloud and in the sea."   It was an overwhelming, a covering up, and not a sprinkling.