Anthony Zarb Dimech
It is becoming an increasingly popular sight during the summer months to see new born-again Christians being fully immersed in water in the Biblical rite known as Water Baptism. This is done in popular Maltese beaches such as Mellieha Bay and St Thomas Bay. Other such baptisms take place inside Churches as is the practice in the local Baptist church.
These Christians come from the Evangelical churches that are spread over the Maltese islands and follow the definition of Baptism as derived from the Greek word, "Baptizo" meaning to dip repeatedly, to immerse and to submerge.
Throughout its history Baptism has changed within the Catholic Church, from complete water immersion to just water sprinkling on babies heads. Evangelical churches, on the other hand, have kept to the Biblical ordinance of water immersion and adult baptism.
This Feature traces the history of baptism in Malta since its first inception and how many Maltese Christians are going back to Christianity's biblical roots to fully understand and appreciate the full meaning of Baptism.
Traditionally, Maltese newborns were baptised as quickly as possible. This, out of fear of Limbo doctrine in case the child died in its infancy. According to folklore and this is also similar to the Sicilian trend, an unbaptised child is not a Christian. The doctrine of Limbo has now been buried by the Catholic Church and rightly so because this was purely unbiblical in nature.
The word baptism in the original Greek means immersion! The English word "baptism" is from the Greek word "baptiso" or "baptisma" and means "immersion, submersion and emergence".
Jesus was immersed not sprinkled by John the Baptist in Mathew's account in the Gospel of Mathew 3:13-17 and the ordinance of baptism was instituted by Jesus Himself in the Gospel of Mark 16:16 when Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."
In Acts 8:38-39, we find the Apostle Philip baptising the eunuch, where he and the eunuch both went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.
Thereafter, other early baptisms are recorded in the Bible book of Acts 10:48: We find that Peter commanded people to be baptized, for he ".... commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." We also find Peter preaching for the first time, after the establishment of the church, to those who had crucified Christ.
These Jews from all nations were cut to the heart for what they had done to Christ Jesus. They asked the Apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" We find that Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:37, 38).
When the apostle Paul was shipwrecked on this island in 60 A.D, on his way to Rome (Acts 26:32; 27:1, 41-44), the account goes into how he was unharmed by a snakebite and healed many who were sick on Melita (Acts 28:1-15), but there is no evidence that he performed any baptisms in Malta.
As Malta was under Roman rule, it is debatable whether he would have been allowed to baptise people or set up a Church in Malta as he did in other Mediterranean countries. Besides, during his three month stay, Paul was still under arrest, but this does not in any way diminish the importance of baptism.
In the book titled, 'The History of Baptism', (1817) by Robert Robinson (1735-1790), on page 317, under the title of 'Remotely Connected with Baptism' the author states that the Maltese quote John Chrysostom to believe that the apostle Paul baptised the 275 mariners of his shipwreck. John Chrysostom (c. 349 - 407) was the Archbishop of Constantinople and an important Early Church Father.
Robinson, continues by stating that about a mile from the place called Cala di San Paolo, in Palermo, where they say the Apostle landed are the ruins of many buildings and among them there is a chapel called St. John Baptist Thelcers that is St. John Baptist among the ruins. Diggers had found a stone baptistry there which had been supplied by a neighbouring river. There it is said the Apostle baptised the mariners. Although many believe this is a fable!
One of the earliest evidences of early Christianity in Malta pointing to baptisms is the site of Tas-Silġ in Marsaxlokk, which is under the care of Heritage Malta. This site is a rounded hilltop overlooking Marsaxlokk Bay, Malta, close to Żejtun.
In the June/July 2013 issue of the magazine, World Archaeology (issue No. 59), David Cardona gives valuable insights into this site, in a Feature titled, 'The Changing Face of Worship at Tas-Silġ'.
Tas-Silġ is a multi-period sanctuary site covering all eras from Neolithic to the fourth century AD and due to this it indicates to archaeologists several different layers of excavation. We find a long succession of temples, including the remains of structures built for ritual practice by the prehistoric people of the Maltese Temple Period. Later came the Phoenicians, Punics, Romans, and early Christians. There is also evidence of domestic use of the buildings in the Bronze Age and, much later, during the Medieval period.
The prehistoric structure, so important in all the previous phases of the temple, was not abandoned but was used as a baptistery, and the small baptismal basin can still be seen today. Sadly, the information recovered from this period of use is not as extensive as for the other periods, but the church, or at least its structure, seems to have still been used until the 8th or 9th centuries AD.
A church dignitary in Carthage, Cyprian (ca. A.D. 200-25), made the first recorded defence of baptism using the sprinkling method when he wrote:
"You have asked also, dearest son, what I thought of those who obtain God's grace in sickness and weakness, whether they are to be accounted legitimate Christians, for that they are not to be washed, but sprinkled, with saving water. . . . In the sacrament of salvation, when necessity compels, and God bestows his mercy, the divine methods confer whole benefits on believers; nor ought it to trouble anyone that sick people seemed to be sprinkled or affused, when they obtain the Lord's grace"
From the above it is observed that even at this point in time sprinkling was advised only upon cautious grounds, 'when necessity compels,' and thus was not the normal practice. And, the plea was to have the approval of apostolic authority.
The baptistry at Tas-Silġ seems to indicate that early baptisms in Malta were done through water immersion. Sadly the Biblically-instituted ordinance of baptism changed from immersion to sprinkling in 1311 AD.
The Catholic Church itself admits to this sad event of changing water immersion practices to water sprinkling.
"Baptism used to be given by placing the person to be baptized completely in the water: it was done in this way in the Catholic Church for 1200 years." (Adult Catechism, pp. 56-57).
"The church at one time practiced immersion. This was up to the thirteenth century. The Council of Ravenna, in 1311, changed the form from immersion to pouring." (Our Faith and the Facts, p. 399).
Since both faith and repentance are conditions leading to New Testament baptism, naturally infants are excluded in Bible baptisms (Mark. 16:16; Acts 2:38). Infants have not the mental capacity to believe in Christ, and they cannot repent, for they "have no knowledge of good or evil" (Deutronomy 1:39). Hence, the practice of infant baptism is unknown to Holy Scripture.
Going back over Scripture and the statements of the early Christians, and other authorities, it is noted that these agree with the scriptures. Behind the symbol of baptism is the substance of baptism, which is the blood of Jesus Christ removing our sinfulness. As water cleanses the outer man from soil and sweat, so the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses the inner man from the stain of sin.
It is therefore, no wonder that many Christians in this modern day and age are trying to fully understand the implications of being fully immersed in water in the light of their faith and practising it to the full not only during the baptismal act but also throughout their lives.