罗马书6:4-5

作者：谢德华 (©By Edward Short)

Romans 6:4-5

©By Edward Short

请问，您家有洗衣机吗？当洗衣服时，把衣服浸到水里面呢？还是，把一些水洒在衣服上？您一定认为我的问题既好笑又奇怪，不是吗？

事实上，基督教辩论一个问题跟我刚才问您的那问题差不多一样。我想您一定听说过“洗礼”这个词。对基督教来讲，“洗礼”是一件非常重要的动作和仪式。

如果“洗礼”那样重要，有什么好辩论的呢？是这样：有的人解释洗礼为，把一点水洒或倒在人的头上。又有人认为洗礼一定是“投入水中”的浸礼。换句话说，要把整个的人浸到水中，才算是“受洗”。

这个问题，就好像其他《圣经》问题一样，要从《圣经》获得答案。

《圣经》里的罗马书形容洗礼，说，“岂不知我们这受洗归入基督耶稣的人，是受洗归入他的死吗？所以我们藉着洗礼归入死，和他一同埋葬，原是叫我们一举一动，有新生的样式，像基督藉着父的荣耀从死里复活一样”。在此，作者提醒早期的基督徒也告诉我们洗礼是一种“死”和“埋葬”。成为基督徒时，在水里面埋葬。因此，洗礼必须是投入水中的浸礼。埋葬，不可能只用一点点土洒在尸体上；必定把尸体埋在土里面。“土葬”需要很多土才做得到。

使徒约翰告诉我们施洗约翰在撒冷的哀嫩为人施洗，“因为那里的水多”[约翰福音3:23]。

《圣经新约》的原文是希腊文。“洗礼”的希腊原文是 baptizo  (baptizo)，就是浸水的意思。此外，历史记载也告诉我们早期的教会为人施洗的时候，都是投入水中的浸。

洗衣服的时候，洗盘子、碗、筷子等，不可能把水洒在上面罢了；一定要把盘子等物，进水泡，“埋葬”一下子，才放心东西干净清洁。

成为基督徒时也是如此，张三要进水，在水里面“受洗归入[耶稣]的死...藉着洗礼归入死，和[耶稣]一同埋葬”，然后，从水里上来“有新生的样式，像基督藉着父的荣耀从死里复活一样”。

朋友，现在您比一般人多了解基督徒的洗礼。请您使用这份知识在自己的生命上。如果您想要成为基督徒，请您准备受洗（受浸），如同保罗所说的，“受洗归入基督耶稣... 和他一同埋葬”。

Say!  Do you own a washing machine?  When you wash clothes, do you submerge the clothes in water or do you sprinkle some water on top of the clothes?  “What a strange question,” you say.

In fact, there’s an on-going debate in Christianity that is quite similar to the question I just asked.  You’ve heard the term “baptism.”  To Christians, baptism is a very significant word; it’s one of Christianity’s most important ceremonies.

“So, if baptism is all that important, what is there to debate?”  It’s like this:  Some people explain baptism as sprinkling water on a candidate’s head, while others insist that baptism can be accomplished only by submersion of the candidate in water.  In other words, there are those who contend that baptism must be an immersion.

Like other questions about the Bible, we should find our answer to this question in the Bible.

Baptism is described briefly in the book of Romans.  We’re told, “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ Jesus was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” [Romans 6:3-5, NIV].  Here the early Christians were reminded, and we’re told, that baptism is a kind of “death” and “burial.”  When one becomes a Christian, he is buried in water!  We see therefore that baptism must include a burial and thus must be an immersion.  No one sprinkles a little dirt atop a corpse and calls it a burial!  There must be a covering with dirt, a submersion in dirt, an interment or entombment.

The apostle John noted that John the Baptist baptized in Aenon near Salim, “because there was plenty of water” [John 3:23]. 

The New Testament was written originally in Greek.  The original Greek word that we translate “baptize” is baptizo (baptizo) and it means to immerse.  Even historians tell us that in the earliest years of the church, all baptism was by immersion. 

When we wash clothes or eating utensils, no one just sprinkles some water on top of these items and then calls them clean.  Rather, we immerse them (“bury” them) in soapy water before we can feel certain that germs have been killed and the clothes or dishes have been cleaned.

Becoming a Christian is similar.  A person enters water and is “baptized into [Jesus’] death...  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death.”  Then he comes up out of the water and “just as Christ Jesus was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” 

Now you know quite a bit about Christian baptism; in fact, you know more than some other people do.  I hope you’ll apply your knowledge to your own life.  If you’re considering becoming a Christian, please prepare to be baptized, just as the apostle Paul said,  be “baptized into Christ Jesus,” be “buried with him through baptism.”

May, 26, 2005; rev., Sept. 26, 2005.   ES/OKDB