means that the apostles would have been baptizing for approximately four hours in the dark!

• No mention is made in Scripture of the multitude having baptismal garments or a change of clothing with them. No reference of bringing a large supply of torches to provide sufficient light for eleven apostles to immerse people after dark is reported.

  Prior to baptizing them, Peter told them, "The promise (which the Jews would understand as the covenant promise given to Israel) is unto you and to your children." When Moses testified of and sealed God's covenant and promise to the people, we read, "And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words" (Exodus 24:8). At Mount Sinai, Moses ushered the people into the national form of God's covenant; on Pentecost, Peter ushered the people into the ecclesiastical form of God's covenant. Would not the cleansing and consecration of the New Testament "Israel" be most consistently and easily portrayed by the sprinkling of water as Old Testament Israel was by the sprinkling of blood?

Scripture does not conclusively state the mode used; but sprinkling is more probable here than immersion.

2. The baptism of the Samaritans (Acts 8: 12) -No reference to mode is made here. However, neither is any mention made of traveling to rivers or pools, of baptismal garments or changes of clothing, or of introducing a new idea of bathing by immersing one's entire body under water.

3. The baptism of Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:13) -No reference is made to the method of baptism.

4. The baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36-39) Immersionists frequently quote this example of New Testament baptism as a proof of immersion. They state that the eunuch went "into the water" and "came up out of the water" according to Acts 8:38-39, and that only immersion puts a person "into the water" and brings him "up out of the water."

The quoting of these verses in this sense is not an accurate quotation, however, for these two verses emphasize four times that

And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made concerning all these words.

- Exodus 24:7-8

But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the Name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

- Acts 8:12

Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

- Acts 8:13

And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

- Acts 8:36-39