Question:

Where does it say in the Bible that you’re not allowed to pour or sprinkle when baptizing

Answer:

The Bible does not mention all the things we should not do, it just tells us what we should do. The Greek word baptidzo, which we translate as baptize, means to submerge, dunk under. It does not mean to sprinkle or pour. Whenever it talks about baptism, this is the word that is used. Look at some passages.

 

Acts 8     36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

 

Romans 6      1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 

4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.


Colossians 2     11
 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

 

As you can see from the above, baptism symbolizes dying to our old selves (put under the water), and being resurrected to new life (raising up out of the water). You cannot apply the same symbolism to sprinkling or pouring.

 

I trust that this makes sense to you. God bless!