The story has gotten around about the farmer who also happened to be a denominational preacher. Now the denomination that the farmer preached for practiced sprinkling for baptism. In fact, they didn’t even have a baptistery, a stock tank, a creek, or any other source of water sufficient to immerse one in. To the people of that church, it just wasn’t important, because they didn’t feel immersion was necessary or even desirable.

One Sunday morning the farmer really cut loose on his sermon. He was preaching from Romans 6, how that baptism was an illustration of one’s faith in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus, and how fitting it was because "We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). We were buried in baptism, imitating the burial of Jesus.

His preaching was so powerful that a man in the back of the building could not make his way to the front fast enough when the altar call was given. When he was asked if he believed, he answered that he did, and that he wanted to be buried with Christ in baptism – just like the sermon said.

The farmer was moved, and he directed the man to front of the building where all could see. He then dipped his hand into a bowl of water and sprinkled a copious amount on the subject’s head and the back of the neck. The man arose as if he had been healed of life-long lameness, jumping and shouting, "I have been buried with Christ." Everyone rejoiced and headed home.

This being the old days, before everyone had an automobile, the preacher and his family set off for the farm in their buggy. As they approached the gate, one of the horses stumbled, and by the time the buggy went through, the poor thing lay dead on the ground. It being a rather populous area for the country, and having neighbors on all sides, the preacher could not just leave the carcass of the horse on the out-back somewhere to rot and stink up the neighborhood, so he directed his son to take the horse behind the barn and bury it.

After a couple of days, things began to grow sweet. It was apparent that something had died and had not been properly disposed of. Going out behind the barn, the farmer discovered that the horse had not been buried, for there it lay, in that state which my own delicacy forbids me to describe. PEW! One thing – as the horse lay there in the sweltering summer sun, the farmer noticed there seemed to be a couple of handfuls of dirt sprinkled on the carcass. He called his son.

The boy’s explanation was: "You told me to bury the horse."

"Yes. Why didn’t you do it?"

"But I did bury the horse."

"What do you mean? There he is, not buried at all."

"Do you remember your sermon from the other day, how that we are buried with Christ in baptism. Baptism is a burial was the name of your sermon."

"So?"

"When that fellow came forward wanting to be buried with Christ in baptism, what did you do? You sprinkled a little water on him. Everyone there, including you, Father, rejoiced that he had been buried with Christ. If he was buried with but little water sprinkled on this head, isn’t the horse buried better with a couple of shovels of dirt sprinkled on his carcass?"

The boy’s explanation makes our point. If you had water sprinkled on you at your baptism, if you were not immersed, you were not buried with anyone, you were not baptized.

Indeed, Romans 6:4 does illustrate, not only the necessity of baptism, for it is into the death of Christ and into Christ himself, but it also demonstrates what baptism is. It is immersion, a burial.

The Greek words that are translated "baptize" and "baptism" are useful in determining what baptism is. Thayer tells us that "baptize" is from the Greek, "baptizo-dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge(used of vessels sunk)." "Baptism" is from the Greek, "baptisma- immersion, submersion." NOT ONE STANDARD GREEK LEXICON DEFINES "BAPTIZO" AS "SPRINKLE" OR "POUR." In fact, the word for pouring is cheno or ballo, and the word for "sprinkling" is rhaino. It is important remember "baptize" and "baptism" mean only "to immerse!"

Some object that in some modern English dictionaries, "sprinkling" and "pouring" are given as modes of baptism in the definition. So, what about modern English dictionaries? We must understand that their definitions reflect common usage of words by people TODAY. To know exactly what was meant by Jesus and His apostles, we must consult authorities who define how words were used in BIBLICAL TIMES! And isn’t that what we should really be interested in?

We have in the Book of Acts an illustration of the mode of baptism – from the Bible. "And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, (here is) water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? (And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.) And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:35-39).

Let us make some observations. First, the notion to be baptized came to the eunuch when they came to a certain water. They had water in the chariot, they were traveling in the desert. And it was certainly enough to baptize, if one can be baptized when water is sprinkled on him. Of course the significance of the statement, "Behold, here is water" is that there was a sufficient amount to do the job of immersion.

Second, "they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him." Why would either of them go down into the water if all that was required was that Philip sprinkle some water on his head?

Third, "they came up out of the water." I have been amazed at paintings and movies that have two men at a baptism standing out in the creek waist-deep so that one could pour a little water on the other’s head. Why go into the water if that was all that was to be done? The eunuch wasn’t baptized like that, because he and Philip knew what the word meant. Was your baptism like the eunuch’s?

If you have not been immersed, you are still in your sins! (Acts 2:38; 22:16). You have not yet put on Christ and become His disciple! (Gal. 3:27; Matt. 28:18-20).

If you believe on Jesus, and you are ready to begin living the way that you ought, then why not submit to the will of the Lord in scriptural baptism by being immersed for the remission of sin?