Baptidzo: A 500 Years Study in the Greek Word Baptism

In 1867 the first volume of what would eventually be five books in four volumes on one word, the word Βαπτίζω (baptidzo or baptism), Inquiry into the Meaning of Baptism as Determined by Usage, was published by Dr. James W. Dale. God distinctively equipped Dr. Dale for this unique task. Dr. Dale thought precisely. He was a man of great learningA-first studying law, then changing to theology and obtaining a seminary degree, and last studying medicine and becoming a physician. Law, theology, and medicine equipped Dr. Dale to think, analyze and write with a precision beyond the capacity of most men today. He is often thought to be nitpicking by those used to thinking in a less precise fashion. But in fact, he was simply careful, logical and in-tune to the precision of the languages chosen by the Holy Spirit to teach man the things of God. These books are without equal in the history of the study of baptism. Yet, they are not well known, even by those that share Dr. DaleA's thesis on baptism. To some degree, the reasons for this must be laid at the feet of Dr. Dale himself. Simply put, his volumes are difficult reading. 1) He was a most educated man quoting freely from Greek, Latin, Hebrew, German and French. Yet he did not always translate these quotations. This fact, understandably, deters many readers today. Of course, in his day the knowledge of these languages was more common to the educated classes. 2) Also, his style is confusing. Often he does not tell the reader where he is heading, expecting the reader to track with him and draw, what was for him, the obvious conclusions as he moved through the data and facts of usage. 3) His vocabulary was immense, drawing upon many languages and fields of study, and doing so in an era in which professional men were more broadly educated than they often are today. 4) The outline Dr. Dale follows changes as he advances through the years and the volumes. Sometimes no outline is evident, leaving the reader confused. 5) Related to the previous point, there are not always useful tables of context in every volume or helpful indexes at the end of the volumes. And 6) his exhaustiveness, a very real virtue, becomes a formidable obstacle for many readers pressed in time and looking for quick answers. The purpose of this book is to rewrite, condense, simplify, organize and make available Dr. DaleA's great contribution to the study of Βαπτίζω in a one-volume summary, trying as much as possible to avoid some of the problems listed above. Therefore, in this volume, you will not get the exhaustive and thorough body of Dr. DaleA's research. That is both the weakness and strength of the current book. But, having completed this study, the reader is encouraged to consider purchasing the original five books, now published in four volumes, and experience the joy of the fullness of his contribution. It is our task in this book to understand what the word Βαπτίζω means; that is what this work is dedicated to achieve. It is not the task of this book to thoroughly exegete every passage on baptism or to generate a systematic theology of baptism. To some degree, the theology of baptism has been addressed in the authorA's former book, What About Baptism A- A Discussion on the Mode, Candidate, and Purpose of Christian Baptism. In this current book, we will focus our study on the meaning of the Greek word Βαπτίζω. With a proper understanding of this word, the exegesis of various Biblical passages and the systematic theology of baptism will be greatly simplified.