This is article #8 of Observations Gleaned from the Scriptures by JaneEllen. You can find her previous articles under the resource tab on my website.
That’s Not What It Is; That’s Just The Name of It
I have a friend who was on a train ride and at one stop there was a young boy selling hot apple pie. So my friend bought one. After one bite, he called the boy to come back. My friend said to the boy “This is not hot and it’s not apple.” The young boy said, “I know it’s not hot and not apple; that’s just the name of it.”
I have another very dear friend who asked me a question about my last blog. She said, “In your opinion, on the subject of being baptized, so if a parent/relative has a ceremonial sprinkle of ‘holy’ water of a child, that doesn’t meet the definition of baptism, correct?” I have already answered her and she gave me permission to use her question in this blog. Perhaps someone else has the same question.
According to what I have read so far in the Bible, I have never found anything on a “ceremonial” baptism.
According to what I have read so far in the Bible, I have never found anyone who was sprinkled to be saved. As you recall in my last blog, sprinkling does not fit the meaning of the Greek word “baptizo.”
According to what I have read so far in the Bible, I have never found any scripture where a baby was baptized. According to the scriptures, before a person can be baptized they must hear the gospel, believe it, repent of their sins and confess Jesus is the Son of God. I have never known any baby who is capable of doing the things mentioned to be baptized.
So I would kindly and gently say to anyone practicing a “ceremonial sprinkling of an infant”, that is not baptism; that’s just the name of it.
In an earlier blog, I challenged all of us to really listen to the scriptures. A couple of verses we really need to listen to are found in Revelation 22:18-19-I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and the holy city, which are described in this book.
What these verses say to me is that if I want to go to heaven I need to be familiar with the words written in the Bible so that when I do something I do exactly what Scripture tells me. Anything that I might do that is not in the Scripture is false, made-up, and gives the impression that I know better than God how something is to be done. And it falls under the category of “That’s Not What It Is; That’s Just the Name of It.”
Revelation 22:18-19 is a warning with dire, severe consequences for changing the scriptures.
ARE WE LISTENING?