Early Protestant Modal Practices

[Phil D.]

I'm trying to think of any other instance in Scripture where 2 signs/offices/persons have the same function. Not male and female. Not circumcision and Passover. Not prophets and priests. Not Gospel ministers and elders. The biblical model seems to be complementarianism, not redundancy. I see the former with the Reformed view of the sacraments - I'm trying to understand if/why this is different in the Baptist view.

Initiation into the Covenant of Grace by faith is a one-time event, signified/sealed in baptism, and once in the CoG saving faith is further confirmed/strengthened in the Lord's Supper, on an on-going basis. No real difference concerning this complementary aspect of the sacraments between credos and paedos, more a matter of timing of the first sign/seal.

Only when in the context of the sacrament.

It may be simplest here to ask where you see baptism/baptize used in the NT where they are not referring to the sacrament (or John's water baptism). The only other contexts I see the terms being used is in comparing something with water baptism (Jesus' baptism of suffering, the Red Sea crossing, baptism with the Holy Spirit). If you are suggesting Rom. 6:4 and Col. 2:12 do not refer to water baptism then, yes, you would be among a very small minority of exclusively post-16th century thinkers.

I don't know of any of my Presbyterian and Reformed friends who would deny that immersion was ever used in the apostolic Church

I have come across a fair number who do, including some pastors here on the PB.

Are this referring to the Reformation?

The consensus view is inclusive of the first several generations of reformers, yes.

I think most Greek scholars agree that baptizō means "dip" and was originally used in relation to dying of cloth. The word took on a religious connotation when used by Christians (I think that the definition "immerse" is a step away from the original, common meaning and a step towards the ecclesiastical usage). But the imagery of dipping cloth into dye (usually purple or crimson) seems to accord more with Christ's death than his burial - and/or our conversion from death to life.

The historical understanding is that Christian water baptism by immersion (which of necessity includes an emersion) is an integrated representation of death/burial/resurrection in a spiritual sense. Attempts to separate out one of these aspects from the others in this context is again a relatively modern phenomena. It's also overthinking how symbolism functions.