Introduction
Many Protestant groups insist that immersion is the only valid form of baptism, claiming that the Greek word baptizo always means “to dip.” However, both the Bible and Christian tradition show that baptism was also performed by pouring or sprinkling, especially when immersion was not practical.
This article will highlight biblical characters and groups who were baptized without immersion, supported by Scripture, early Church Fathers, theologians, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).
1. Saul/Paul – Baptized Indoors in Damascus
Acts 9:17–18
“Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.”
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Paul was baptized in a house (Acts 9:11).
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He was blind, weak, and fasting for three days.
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There is no mention of going to a river or bath. The setting strongly suggests pouring (affusion) inside the house.
2. The 3,000 at Pentecost
Acts 2:41
“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
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Location: Jerusalem during Pentecost.
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With such a massive crowd, immersion in mikvahs or pools would be logistically impossible in a single day.
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Most likely, the apostles baptized by pouring water on each believer’s head, which aligns with Jewish purification practices.
3. Cornelius and His Household
Acts 10:47–48
“Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.”
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The Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius’ household inside his home.
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Peter immediately ordered baptism without moving them to a river.
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Pouring inside the home is the most realistic explanation.
4. The Philippian Jailer and His Household
Acts 16:33
“At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.”
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Time: Midnight.
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Location: Inside the jailer’s home (Acts 16:34).
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Bringing the whole family to a river at midnight was highly impractical. Baptism was most likely done by pouring water indoors.
5. The Israelites “Baptized” into Moses
1 Corinthians 10:2
“They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
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Israel did not get immersed; rather, they walked on dry ground while the cloud and sea surrounded them.
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This is a figurative baptism showing that baptism does not always mean total immersion.
6. Prophetic Background: Pouring of Water and Spirit
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Ezekiel 36:25 – “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.”
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Joel 2:28 – “I will pour out my Spirit on all people.”
Both prophecies prefigure pouring and sprinkling as valid forms of God’s cleansing, later applied to baptism.
7. Early Christian Witness
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Didache (c. 70–90 AD):
“If you have not enough water, pour water three times on the head in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” (Didache 7:3)
→ Early Christians accepted pouring as valid baptism. -
St. Cyprian of Carthage (3rd century): Affirmed the validity of baptism by pouring, especially for the sick and dying.
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St. Augustine (4th century): Taught that the power of baptism is not in the quantity of water but in the Word of God and the Spirit.
8. Catechism of the Catholic Church
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CCC 1239: Immersion symbolizes burial and resurrection, but pouring is equally valid.
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CCC 1240: The essential rite is pouring water (or immersion) with the Trinitarian formula.
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CCC 1256: Anyone can baptize in necessity, even by pouring.
9. Comparison Table
| Biblical Example | Likely Mode | Evidence/Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Saul/Paul (Acts 9) | Pouring | Indoors, weak, blind |
| 3,000 at Pentecost (Acts 2) | Pouring | Logistically impossible to immerse 3,000 in one day |
| Cornelius’ Household (Acts 10) | Pouring | Indoors, immediate baptism |
| Philippian Jailer’s Family (Acts 16) | Pouring | Midnight, inside house |
| Israelites (1 Cor 10:2) | Figurative (not immersion) | Passed on dry ground, cloud covered them |
Conclusion
The Bible itself records several baptisms that were not by immersion: Paul, Cornelius’ household, the Philippian jailer’s family, and the 3,000 at Pentecost. The Israelites’ “baptism” also symbolically proves that immersion is not the only valid form.
From the early Church Fathers to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, baptism by pouring or sprinkling has always been recognized as valid. The essential element is not the mode of baptism but the invocation of the Trinity and the grace of the Holy Spirit, which cleanses the soul from sin and incorporates one into Christ’s Body, the Church.
Read also:
Baptism in the Cloud and in the Sea: 1 Corinthians 10 and the Catholic Understanding of Baptism
Was Baptism by Immersion the Only Form in Acts 2:41? A Biblical and Historical Catholic Perspective
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