Reasoning steps: Mode of baptism

Verdicts: T4 · Mode of baptism. Shared notes and post-750 development: baptism.

T04.1 (was baptism/B3): Mode

Step T04.1.1: Scripture

βαπτίζω: ‘dip, immerse’, but also ‘wash’ (Luke 11:38; Mark 7:4). Rom 6:4 and Col 2:12 use burial imagery.

Step T04.1.2: Patristic evidence

didache-bap-s1 (living water preferred; pouring permitted), cyril-of-jerusalem-bap-s2 (threefold immersion).

Step T04.1.3: Weighing decision

Reading A: immersion only is valid. Reading B: immersion is the norm, with pouring allowed. Reading C: the mode is a matter of indifference. B is chosen. It is the earliest explicit rule (Didache 7) and fits the burial imagery. A is contradicted by the Didache. C ignores the clear patristic preference for threefold immersion.

• Confidence: High

Step T04.1.4: Source-proximity weighing

See the proximity tiers.

• Scripture (benchmark): βαπτίζω means ‘dip’ or ‘wash’ (Luke 11:38); the burial imagery (Rom 6:4; Col 2:12) favours immersion; no text forbids pouring. (Scripture confidence: medium)
• Key sources by tier: Didache (T1, w 1.0); Cyril of Jerusalem (T3, w 0.6). Proximity factor: 0.8 (mean tier weight of 2 key source(s)).
• Assessment: The Didache (T1) and the burial imagery in Scripture agree: immersion is the norm, and pouring is permitted (the Didache itself allows it). Verdict unchanged.