Apostle Paul and Isaiah 52:15

[ThomasCartwright]

I was recently preaching through Romans 15 and came to v21, "But as it is written, To whom He was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand." There the Apostle Paul draws from the OT for a vindication of his ministry of taking the Gospel to the Gentile nations. The interesting thing is that he cited a Messianic text from Isaiah 52:15,

So shall He sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at Him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. (Isa. 52:15)

Now, what sprinkling ministry does Christ do through the Apostle Paul among the Gentiles? For immersionists this is problem. If they say water baptism, that throws out their sacred cow of immersion. If they say it is justification, then they have to accept that sprinkling represents perfectly the symbolism of cleansing for NT saints. Therefore, as baptism symbolises the cleansing of a sinner then when it is done by sprinkling this perfectly represents that. Finally, if immersionists say that Isaiah 52:15 represents the filling of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost then that links the baptiso of the Spirit with sprinkling.

So my immersionist-only brethren - which is it?

Just stumbled on McKay's 1881 fascinating polemic against immersion, which some may find interesting:

http://biblical-theology.net/immersion_proved_to_be_romish_invention.htm

 

[Bill The Baptist]

Not sure that this verse has anything to do with baptism. Most versions have this verse footnoted to say that "sprinkle" could also be translated "startle" which would make better sense in the context. Regardless, the sprinkling referred to would be blood, not water. The Reformation Study Bible says this: "Participation in the benefits of a sacrifice is indicated by the sprinkling of blood." This sounds more like a picture of the atonement than a picture of baptism, as in Christ died for the elect from all nations therefore Paul was justified in preaching to the Gentiles.