Subjects and Mode

In discussions about the right way to practice baptism, a mistake that is often made is the conflation of two issues that really ought to be treated separately. These two issues are the subjects of baptism and the mode of baptism. The first issue, the subjects of baptism, refers to the question of who should receive baptism (either infants, or only professing believers). The second issue, the mode of baptism, refers to the question of how baptism should be administered (either by sprinkling, pouring, immersion, etc).
Terms related to the subjects of baptism: Credobaptist - One who believes that baptism is properly administered only to those who give a credible profession of faith in Christ Paedobaptist - One who believes that baptism is properly administered to the infants of believing parents Terms related to the mode of baptism: Aspersion - Baptism by sprinkling Affusion - Baptism by pouring Immersion - Baptism by fully submerging One should not think that a particular mode of baptism entails also a particular view of the subjects of baptism. Thus, proving immersion does not prove credobaptism, nor does it disprove paedobaptism.¹ Likewise, proving aspersion (sprinkling) does not prove paedobaptism, nor does it disprove credobaptism. In the same way, one should not think that a particular view of the subjects of baptism entails also a particular view of the mode of baptism. Thus, proving credobaptism does not prove immersion, nor does it disprove aspersion or affusion. Likewise, proving paedobaptism does not prove aspersion, nor does it disprove immersion. Today, it is true that the vast majority of credobaptists insist on, or at least prefer, immersion. They have a credobaptist view of the subjects of baptism and an immersionist view of the mode of baptism. But it would be a mistake to think that this combination is inextricable or necessary, such that to prove immersion is, in effect, to prove credobaptism. If a paedobaptist were to ask a credobaptist to defend his view (that baptism is only for believers), the credobaptist should not start talking about the lexical meaning of the word βαπτίζω or the significance of the preposition ἐν in Mark 1:5. He should not do these things because the paedobaptist has not asked him for an explanation of his view of the mode of baptism, but only his view of the subjects of baptism. The lexical meaning of βαπτίζω and the significance of prepositions associated with baptism in Scripture are important discussions to have, but they are usually concerned with only the mode of baptism, and not the subjects. Notes
1. One might argue that proving immersion does in fact disprove paedobaptism, since infants cannot be immersed; but this is false. Infant immersion is not unusual in the Greek Orthodox Church. http://youtu.be/uQzHH7qMqSs