LOL
I do sincerely love you Bro. Epley.
You'll find "sprinkling" water as part of clensing throughout the Old Testament in the Law and even written about in the prophets. This was LONG before the Catholic Church. It's as ancient as dirt and if you read the Mishnah regarding mikveh (what most Christian scholars attribute to the origin of full immersion baptism) you'll notice that the Jewish writers admit that it was originally done via sprinkling the "waters of purification" or the "waters of sanctification" found in the brazen laver. Now, while I know it upsets the fruit basket of "
Pentecostal tradition" those are the FACTS. But... who am I to upset all that tradition you put so much stock in?
Do a search on the word "sprinkle" or "sprinkling" using Biblegateway.com. It's mentioned more than most realize. Consider this - Throughout the Old Testament the mode of ceremonial cleansing was sprinkling or pouring. The ceremonial blood was sprinkled around the altar (
Exodus 29:16,
Exodus 20-21;
Leviticus 1:5,11;
Leviticus 16:14.). A leper who appeared for cleansing was sprinkled seven times (
Leviticus 14:7), as was his house (v. 51). From a pint of oil, the priest also had to perform a sevenfold sprinkling before the LORD (v. 16). One who had touched a corpse would be rendered unclean unless the water of purification was sprinkled on him (
Numbers 19:13). Levites were sprinkled for their cleansing and consecration as priests (
Leviticus 8:30;
Numbers 8:7,11). Most important to the subject of New Testament baptism, the members of the covenant community were sprinkled (
Exodus 24:7-8).
Likewise, pouring is found as a frequent mode of ceremonial applications. Priests were ordained as such with the pouring of anointing oil (
Exodus 29:7). Aaron himself was ordained with the pouring of oil (
Leviticus 8:12; 21:10). In addition to sprinkling, sacrificial blood was also poured out at the altar (Exod. 29:12;
Lev. 4:7,18,25,30,34;
Deut. 12:27). Drink offerings were poured out (Exod. 37:16). Oil was poured on grain offerings (
Lev. 2:1,6). And with the law of leprosy (mentioned above), the pint of oil was poured into the priest’s left palm (
Lev. 14:15, 26).
So, if believing in sprinkling and pouring as valid modes of water baptism makes me Catholic, does believing in full immersion make you a Baptist???
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