TRINE IMMERSION; TRIUNE IMMERSION

trin tri'-un i-mur'-shun:

I. LINGUISTIC BASIS

1. Immersion

2. Triple Action

II. DOCTRINAL ARGUMENT

III. HISTORICAL PRACTICE

1. The Jews

2. John the Baptist

3. The Didache

4. Justin Martyr

5. Tertullian

6. Eunomius

7. Greek Church

LITERATURE

I. Linguistic Basis.

1. Immersion:

The meaning of the word baptizo, is "to dip repeatedly," "to sub-merge" (Thayer, Greek Lexicon of the New Testament). It is probably the frequentative of bapto, "to dip," meaning "to dip repeatedly." The word baptizo (and baptisma) in the New Testament is "used absolutely, `to administer the rite of ablution,' `to baptize' " (same place). It is "an immersion in water, performed as a sign of the removal of sin," etc. (same place); "Baptizo, to dip in or under water" (Liddell and Scott, Greek Lexicon).

2. Triple Action:

The threefold immersion is based upon the Trinity into which the believer is to be baptized "into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (eis to onoma tou patros kal tou huiou kai tou hagiou pneumatos, Matthew 28:19). (On the genuineness of this passage see Plummer, Commentary on Matthew.)

II. Doctrinal Argument.

Whether Jesus spoke the words of Matthew 28:19 as a baptismal formula or not does not affect the question. The passages in Acts, "in the name of Jesus Christ" (2:38; 10:48), and "in the name of the Lord Jesus" (8:16; 19:5), are not baptismal formulas, but mean the confession of Christ with all that Christ stands for, namely, the fullness of God and His salvation. The idea of the Trinity pervades the New Testament and many of the earliest writings (compare 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18; Ephesians 3:14-17; 4:4-6 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15; Hebrews 6:4-6 1 John 3:23, 24; 1 John 4:2 Jude 1:20, 21 Revelation 1:4, 5). "Baptized into Christ" has the same religious content as Matthew 28:19. Triune immersion is the symbol of baptism into the Triune God. All believers in the Trinity should see the consistency of this symbol. Baptism is the symbol

(1) of a complete cleansing,

(2) of death,

(3) of burial,

(4) of resurrection, and

(5) of entering into full union and fellowship with the Triune God as revealed by Christ.

Triune immersion is the only symbol that symbolizes all that baptism stands for. Note the words of Sanday on Romans 6:1-14 (comm. on Rom, ICC, 153): "Baptism has a double function:

(1) It brings the Christian into personal contact with Christ, so close that it may fitly be described as personal union with Him.

(2) It expresses symbolically a series of acts corresponding to the redeeming acts of Christ. Immersion = Death. Submersion = Burial (the ratification of Death). Emergence = Resurrection. All these the Christian has to undergo in a moral and spiritual sense, and by means of his union with Christ." Hence, the psychological need of a true symbol, triune immersion, to teach and impress the significance of the new life.

III. Historical Practice.

1. The Jews: The Jews received proselytes by circumcision, baptism (complete immersion) and sacrifice (Schurer, HJP, II, 2, pp. 319 f; Edersheim, LTJM, II, 745, and I, 273). John the Baptist, baptized "in the river Jordan" (Matthew 3:6) and "in AEnon near to Salim, because there was much water there" (John 3:23).

2. John the Baptist:

Philip and the eunuch "both went down into the water" and they "came up out of the water." All New Testament baptisms were by immersion (see also Romans 6:1-11).

3. The Didache:

The Didache (100-150 A.D.) chapter vii: "Baptize into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit in living (running) water. But if they have not living water, baptize into other water; and if thou canst not in cold, in warm" (baptisate eis to onoma tou patos kai tou huiou kai tou hagiou pneumatos en hudati zonti). "But if thou have not either, pour out water thrice (tris) upon the head into the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit." Here the triple action is maintained throughout, even in clinical baptism, while immersion is the rule.

Justin Martyr (Apology i.61) describes baptism which can only be understood as triune immersion.

4. Justin Martyr:

Tertullian (De Corona, iii) says, "Hereupon we are thrice immersed" (dehinc ter mergitamur). Again (Ad Praxeam, xxvi), "And lastly he commands them to baptize into the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, not into a unipersonal God.

5. Tertullian:

And indeed it is not only once but three times that we are immersed into the Three Persons, at each several mention of their names" (nam nec semel, sed ter, ad singula nomina, in personas singulos, tinguimur).

6. Eunomius:

Eunomius (circa 360) introduced single immersion "into the death of Christ." This innovation was condemned. Apostolical Constitutions, 50, says, "If any presbyter or bishop does not perform the one initiation with three immersions, but with giving one immersion only into the death of the Lord, let him be deposed." Single immersion was allowed by Gregory the Great (circa 691) to the church in Spain in opposition to the Arians who used a trine (not triune) immersion (Epis., i.43). This was exceptional.

7. Greek Church:

The Greek church has always baptized by triune immersion. The historical practice of the Christian church may well be summed up in the words of Dean Stanley: "There can be no question that the original form of baptism-the very meaning of the word-was complete immersion in the deep baptismal waters; and that for at least four centuries, any other form was either unknown, or regarded, unless in the case of dangerous illness, as an exceptional, almost monstrous case..... A few drops of water are now the western substitute for the threefold plunge into the rushing river or the wide baptisteries of the East" (History of Eastern Church, 28). "For the first three centuries the most universal practice of baptism was.... that those who were baptized, were plunged, submerged, immersed into the water" (Christian Institutions, p. 21).

See further, BAPTISM; LITERATURE, SUB-APOSTOLIC, II, 5.

LITERATURE.

James Quinter, Triune Immersion as the Apostolic Form of Christian Baptism; C. F. Yoder, God's Means of Grace, Brethren Pub. House, Elgin, Ill., U.S.A.; Smith, Dict. of Christian Antiquities; Hastings, ERE; Bible Dicts.; Church Fathers; Church Histories, and Histories of Baptism.

Daniel Webster Kurtz

Whether Trine Immersion is Essential to Baptism?
... OF THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM (TWELVE ARTICLES) Whether trine immersion is essential
to Baptism? ... Therefore it seems that trine immersion is essential to Baptism. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether trine immersion is essential.htm

But the Descent into the Water, and the Trine Immersion of the ...
... IV."Apologetic Works. Chapter XXXV. But the descent into the water, and
the trine immersion of the person in it� But the descent ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/chapter xxxv but the descent.htm

False Teachings of the Apostasy.
... Trine Immersion. This ... Trine immersionists make use of such historical records
to establish the doctrine of trine immersion. Instead ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter iii false teachings of.htm

Reply to the Suggested Objection that we are Baptized "Into Water. ...
... [1022] Trine immersion was the universal rule of the Catholic Church. cf. Greg.
Nyss. The Great Catechism, p. 502 of this edition. So Tertull. de Cor. Mil. ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/chapter xv reply to the.htm

Anglo-Catholic Correspondence with the Russo-Greek Church.
... their interpretation of mias gunaikos andra, 1 Timothy 3:2); they can not even
recognize Anglican baptism, because it is not administered by trine immersion. ...
/.../ 20 anglo-catholic correspondence with.htm

Ceremonies of Baptism and Chrism.
... Sec. 5. Trine Immersion. This short confession appears to have been made
by way of question and answer thrice repeated. "Thou wast ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/chapter iv ceremonies of baptism and.htm

Pedobaptists.
... The Greek church, in all its branches,"whether in the frozen regions of
Siberia, or in the torrid zone,"practise trine immersion. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/pedobaptists.htm

Of the Sacrament of Baptism (Twelve Articles)
... (7) Whether immersion is necessary for Baptism? (8) Whether trine immersion is
necessary? (9) Whether Baptism can be reiterated? (10) Of the Baptismal rite; ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/of the sacrament of baptism.htm

The Ordinances of the New Testament.
... and plain? Because of the perversion of plain language by the spirit of
error to a self-conceited mind. Trine Immersion. There is ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter viii the ordinances of.htm

Apostolic Traditions Generally in Abeyance.
... Baptism. 4. Anointing with Muron for Consecration. 5. Trine immersion in Baptism.
6. Incense offered to God's Holy Name. Malachi 2:11. ...
/.../ecclesiastical hierarchy/apostolic traditions generally in abeyance.htm

Trine

Trine Immersion