The Bible Book

THE GOSPELS 197

to Christ. In John 3:30, John states:

“He [Jesus] must become greater;

I must become less.”

Holy waters

Most scholars agree that the

baptism took place near the Jordan

River, in the countryside of Roman

Judea. Some accounts suggest that

the immersion was conducted in

one of the many desert springs

or waterholes in the area, rather

than in the river itself. Specific

references in the book of John

point to the town of Bethany on

the eastern bank of the Jordan

River, near Jericho (1:28), or to

the settlement of Aenon near

Salim “because there was plenty

of water, and people were coming

and being baptized.” (3:23).

Given the meaning of the word

baptize—“to dip”—many Christian

denominations insist upon baptism

by total immersion, often three

Baptism

The Christian rite of baptism—

which consists of sprinkling or

pouring water on a person’s

forehead or immersing them

in water—symbolizes spiritual

and physical purification.

The rite of baptism confers

an individual’s admission to

the Christian Church. Before

His Ascension, Jesus bids his

disciples to “make disciples

of all nations, baptizing them”

(Matthew 28:19).

In many denominations,

baptism is performed on very

young children, accompanied

by name giving. The doctrine

of original sin, propounded

by St. Paul and developed by

the early Church, made the

baptism of infants, who might

die suddenly or unexpectedly,

of vital importance. The early

church frowned upon the

practice of “baptism of the

dead,” in which a living person

was baptized on behalf of

the deceased.

Today, some Christian

denominations, including

Baptists, do not baptize

children, on the grounds

that the basis for baptism is

a credible profession of faith.

Other groups, including

Quakers, view baptism as

an unnecessary ritual.

times, to symbolize Jesus’s death

and resurrection; others favour

sprinkling or pouring to represent

the Holy Spirit descending from

above. Some Christians believe

that baptism is a sacrament that

is necessary for salvation; other

groups, such as Lutheran

Protestants, associate baptism

with spiritual regeneration. ■

Methods of baptism

Denomination Sprinkling Pouring Immersion Do Not Baptize

Anglican

Baptist

Roman Catholic

Adventist

Eastern Orthodox

Episcopalian

Methodist

Presbyterian

Quaker

United Church

of Christ

Heaven was opened and

he saw the Spirit of God

descending like a dove.

Matthew 3:16

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