THE MEANING OF THE VERB 'BAPTIZE'Howard Marshall
How are we to translate the Greek verb (3aTrn£co and its derivatives, and
what kind of action or actions is referred to when these terms are used?^1
This problem arises from the use in our English versions of the New
Testament of the word 'baptize' and its derivatives to represent the corre-
sponding Greek terms. 'Baptize' was not a previously existing native
English word that was chosen to translate the Greek word because it
would convey in English the meaning of the Greek word. It is simply a
transliteration and Anglicization of the Greek word (3aTrn£co. The ques-
tion therefore arises as to what this Greek word means in English: what,
if any, English word or words could be substituted for 'baptize' to ex-
press the same meaning?^2
At first sight the problem might appear to cause no difficulty. There are
two usages in the New Testament. First, a number of instances refer to a
literal action carried out with water. Thus John the Baptist could say to his
followers, 'I have baptized you with water' (Mk 1.8), and they for their
part 'were baptized by him in the river Jordan' (Mk 1.5). It is well-known
that (3a7TTi£co is an intensive form of (SaTirco with the meaning 'dip,
immerse or plunge',^3 and there would be no difficulty in substituting one
of these English terms in the New Testament verses: 'I have dipped you
with/in water'; 'they were dipped by him in the river Jordan'.^4 However,
- The present article is a revised and expanded version of an earlier one with the
same title which appeared in EvQ 45 (1973), pp. 130-40. - The problem is not, therefore, solved when R.A. Ward states that in Mk 1.8 'It
is best to translate simply by "baptize"' (The Semantics of Sacramental Language',
TynBul 17 [1966], pp. 99-108, especially p. 101). To transliterate is to evade the prob-
lem! Nevertheless, as we shall see, it may be that there is no convenient English
translation of this difficult term. - A. Oepke, 'PCCTTTCO, K.T.A.', TDNT, I, pp. 529-46, especially pp. 529-30; W.F.
Flemington, The New Testament Doctrine of Baptism (London: SPCK, 1948), pp. 11-12. - The Holy Name Bible renders 'baptize' by' immerse' and speaks of' John the