It is frequently thought of an act by which the believer enters the fellowship of the Church. Thus, widely differing views and interpretations of the act exist among Christians. Christian group have different views and interpretations on the nature of baptism, who should be baptized, and the appropriate method by which baptism should be administered.
The sacramental view, The covenant view, The symbolical view are the three major positions on the nature of baptism exist among Christians.
According to The sacramental view baptism is a means by which God conveys grace. By undergoing this rite, the person baptized receives Remission of sins, and is regenerated or given a new nature and an awakened or strengthened faith. Catholics and Lutherans have this view of the nature of baptism.
Catholic Christians belief emphasizes the rite itself - that the power to convey grace is contained within the Sacrament of Baptism. It is not the water alone but the Sacrament as established by God and administered by the Church that produces this change. [change from bad or worse or evil to good and right]
The Lutheran Christians, on the other hand, concentrate on the faith that is present in the person being baptized. They also emphasize the value of the preaching of the word. Preaching awakens faith in a believer by entering the ear to strike the heart.
Both believe that the act of baptism itself produces a change [from bad or worse or evil to good and right] in the life of the believer because baptism enters the eye to reach and move the heart.
There was one of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a leading Jew, who came to Jesus by night and said, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who comes from God; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him.' Jesus answered:
'I tell you most solemnly,
unless a man is born from above,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.'
Nicodemus said, 'How can a grown man be born? Can he go back into his mother's womb and be born again?' Jesus replied:
'I tell you most solemnly,
unless a man is born through water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God:
what is born of the flesh is flesh;
what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not be surprised when I say:
You must be born from above.
The wind blows wherever it pleases;
you hear its sound,
but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.
That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.'
'How can that be possible?' asked Nicodemus. 'You, a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things!' - John 3:1-9 -
Other Christian denominations and groups think of baptism not as a means by which salvation is brought about, but as a sign and seal of the Covenant - The covenant view -
The covenant is God's pledge to save man and because of what He has done and what He has promised, God forgives and regenerates. On the one hand, baptism is a sign of the covenant. On the other, it is means by which people enter into that covenant.
The benefits of God's covenant are granted to all adults who receive baptism and to all infants who, upon reaching maturity, remain faithful to the vows made on their behalf at baptism. The covenant, rather than the Sacrament or another person's faith, is seen as the means of salvation; and baptism is a vital part of this covenant relationship.
In The covenant view baptism serves the same purpose for New Testament believers that circumcision did for Old Testament believers. For the Jews, circumcision was the external and visible sign that they were within the covenant that God had established with Abraham. Converts to Judaism [or proselytes] also had to undergo this rite. But now under the new covenant, baptism instead of circumcision is required.
Circumcision refers to a cutting away of sin and a change of heart. Similarly, baptism also depicts a washing away of sin and a spiritual renewal. - Deut. 10:16; Ezek. 44:7-9; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:11-12; Titus 3:5 -
The symbolic view stresses the symbolic nature of baptism by emphasizing that baptism does not cause an inward change or alter a person's relationship to God in any way. Baptism is a token, or an outward indication of the inner change which has already occurred in the believer's life. It serves as a public identification of the person with Jesus Christ, and thus also as a public testimony of the change that has occurred. It is baptism into the name of Jesus Christ.
According to the symbolic view, baptism is not so much an initiation into the Christian life as into the Christian church. A distinction is drawn between the invisible or Universal Church which consists of all believers in Christ. This position explains that the church practices baptism and the believer submits to it because Jesus commanded that this be done and He gave us the example by being baptized Himself. Thus, baptism is an act of obedience, commitment, and proclamation.
According to this understanding of baptism, no spiritual benefit occurs because of baptism. Rather than producing 'Regeneration' of faith, baptism comes after faith and the salvation that faith produces. The only spiritual value of baptism is that it establishes membership in the church and exposes the believer to the values of this type of fellowship.
The question of 'The Subjects of Baptism' is an issue over which Christian denominations or groups disagree, for instance, who should be baptized. Should only those who have come to a personal, conscious decisions of faith be baptized? Or, should children be included in this rite? And if children are proper subjects, should all children, or only the children of believing parents, be baptized?
The Church that practice baptism of infants baptize not only infants but also adults who have come to faith and love in Christ Jesus. It is in favor of baptizing infants is because that the entire households were baptized in New Testament times. Certainly such households or family must have included children and infants too. Consequently, the Church who hold this position believe this practice should be extended to the present day.
One of these women was called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptized she sent us an invitation: 'If you really think me a true believer in the Lord' she said, 'come and stay with us' and she would take no refusal. - Acts 16:14-15 -
Late that night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God's praises, while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly there was an earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open and the chains fell from all the prisoners. When the gaoler woke and saw the doors wide open he drew his sword and was about to commit suicide, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted at the top of his voice, 'Don't do yourself any harm; we are all here.'
The gaoler called for lights, then rushed in, threw himself trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas, and escorted them out, saying, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' They told him, 'Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too.' Then they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all his family. Late as it was, he took them to wash their wounds, and was baptized then and there with all his household. Afterwards he took them home and gave them a meal, and the whole family celebrated their conversion to belief in God. - Acts 16:25-34 -
Jesus commanded the disciples to bring the children to Him, and it is because of Jesus' treatment of the children, it would seem inconsistent to deny baptism to children today.
People were bringing little children to him, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing. - Mark 10:13-16 -
The covenant theologians put forth that children were participants in the Old Testament covenant. They were present when the covenant was renewed and they had a standing in the congregation of Israel and were present in their religious assemblies. The promises of God were given to the children as well as adults. Circumcision was administered to infants in the Old Testament. Since baptism has now replaced circumcision, it is natural that it should be administered to children, according to those who practice infant baptism.
I will establish my Covenant between myself and you, and your descendants after you generation after generation, a Covenant in perpetuity, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. - Gen. 17:7 - Deut. 29:10-13; Josh. 8:35; Is. 54:13; Jer. 31:34; Joel 2:16 -
Catholic Christian who believe in baptismal regeneration explain explicitly that baptism of infants is necessary. Roman Catholics, however, believe the Sacrament of Baptism has power in itself to bring about salvation. Faith is necessary, and he and she must believe that the Sacrament of Baptism has saving power. In traditional Roman Catholic teaching, unbaptized infants who die cannot enter heaven in this state, but are instead consigned to a state of limbo. If this fate is to be avoided, they must be baptized in order to remove the guilt of their sins and receive new life.
As a matter of fact, the historical evidence supported infant baptism. Infant baptism has been practiced in the Church from early times, certainly as early as the second century.
For the covenant theologians, the problem of the faith of children is not a difficult issue because it is a potential faith. So also is the salvation. God promises to give the benefits signified in baptism to all. This same promise is extended to all infants who, according to them [Christian denominations and groups] when they grow to maturity, remain faithful to the vows that were made on their behalf at the time of their baptism. In this view, baptism's saving work depends on the faith that will be, rather than upon the faith that is.
There are other Christian denominations and groups too believe that baptism should be restricted to those who actually exercises faith. This approach excludes infants, who could not possibly have such faith. The proper candidates for baptism are those who already have experienced the new birth on the basis of their personal faith and who give evidence of their salvation in their lives. Both positive and negative arguments are advanced in support of this view.
The positive approach argues from evidence in the New Testament. In every instance of New Testament baptism in which the specific identity of the persons being baptized were sons was known, the persons being baptized were adults. Further, the condition required for baptism was personal, conscious faith. Without this adherents of believer's baptism point out, baptism was not administered. - Acts 2:37-41, 8:12, 10:47, 18:8, 19:4-5; Matt. 3:2-6, 28:19 -
The negative arguments given to support believer's baptism are generally responses to the arguments for infant baptism. One of these revolves around the household baptism issue. Saint Paul spoke the words to the Philippian jailer and all the people in the house. And the jailer rejoiced having believed in God with all his household. - Acts 16:34 - Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his whole household, all became believers. - Acts 18:8 - Those who hold to believer's baptism only point out that these passages do not state specifically that infants were included among those baptized. All the people in these households could have been adults.
The other argument concerns Jesus' blessing of the children. The believer's baptism position on this incident from Jesus' life is that baptism is not mentioned. These children illustrate simplicity and trust, like that which all believers should display. Jesus blessed the children, these Christian denominations and groups agree, but this was not baptism.
The final issue among Christians is the method or form of baptism, whether by immersion, pouring, sprinkling. They are those who insist upon the exclusive use of immersion, and those which permit and practice other forms. This immersion groups insists that immersions is the only valid form of baptism. One of their strongest arguments revolves around the Greek work for baptism in the New Testament. Its predominant meaning is 'to immerse' or 'to dip' implying that the candidate were plunged beneath the water. There are also other arguments that suggest that imerssion was the form of baptism used in the early Universal Church.
The Didache, a manual of Christian instruction written in A.D. 110-120 stated that immersion should be used generally and that other forms of baptism should be used only when immersion was not possible. In addition, the circumstances involved in some of the sacred scripture descriptions of baptism imply immersion. Thus, John the Baptist was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, 'because there was much water there.' - John 3:23 - Jesus apparently went down into the water to be baptized by John the Baptist. - Matt. 3:16 - The Ethiopian said, 'See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?' - Acts 8:36 -
The symbolism involved in baptism also seems to argue that immersion was the biblical mode, according to those Christian groups that practice immersions exclusively. Romans 6:4-6 identifies baptism with the believer's death and burial to sin and resurrection of Christ. Only immersion adequately depicts this meaning, according to the immersionist position.
The pluralistic position believe that immersion, pouring, and sprinkling are all appropriate forms of baptism. They point out that the Greek word for baptism in the New Testament is sometimes ambiguous in its usage. While it is most common meaning in classical Greek, was to dip, to plunge, to immerse, it also carried other meanings as well. Thus, the question cannot be resolved upon linguistic grounds.
These Christian groups also argues from inference that immersion must not have been the exclusive method used in New Testament times. For example, could John the Baptist have been physical capable of immersing all the persons who came to him for baptism? Was enough water for immersion brought to Cornelius' house? Or, did the apostle Paul leave the place where Ananias found him in order to be immersed?
Those Christian groups that use sprinkling or pouring also point out that immersion may not be the best form for showing what baptism really means. They see the major meaning of baptism as purification. They point out that the various cleansing ceremonies in the Old Testament were performed by a variety of means - immersion, pouring, and sprinkling. - Mark 7:4; Heb. 9:10 - Others note the close association between baptism and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which was from above. Therefore, true baptism requires the symbolism of pouring rather than immersion.
In conclusion, indeed, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to the Lord Jesus Christ. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands that the Lord Jesus Christ gave us. And know that the Lord Jesus Christ is with us always; yes to the end of time." - Matt. 28:18-20 -
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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