Baptism

April 3, 2010
The Initiatory Rite of the Church

All Christian do this. Why?

Then Jesus came to them and said, ... go and make disciples of all
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nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
[a]

of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28)

Big Questions of baptism:

1. What is the meaning? What does it accomplish?

2. Who should be baptised?
3. How should it be done? (Imersion, pouring or sprinkling)
Baptism as a Means of Saving Grace -
Lutheran/Sacramentalist View:
Baptism is the HS initiating people into the church:

For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews
13 [c]

or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to

drink. (1 Cor 12)

We are united with Christ once and for all:

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Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him
4

through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised
from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new
life. (Rom 6)
Lutheran Understanding Continued

Adults and children can be baptized:

Adults:
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three
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thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2)

Philip baptizes the Eunuch (Acts 8), Jesues baptized, etc.

Children:
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for
the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Mark 10)
Many households were baptized (Acts 11,15,18)
Crispus, ... and his entire household believed in the Lord ... and
were baptized. (Acts 18)
Lutheran Understanding of Why Children
are Baptized
Children have unconscious faith (need the removal of original sin):

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"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes
me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to
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sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around
his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matt 18)

Of John the Baptist:

"he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth" (Luke 1)
Reformed and Presbyterian View
Signs and seals of God's covenant.
Baptism just like circumcision

The children of believing parents are baptized:

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I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me
and you and your descendants after you (Gen 17)

The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The

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Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and
to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. (Gal 3)
[g]

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, ... The promise is for you
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and your children (Acts 2)

Presbyterian View Cont.

Baptism is the new circumcision. (same meaning)

Circumcision is spiritual as well as physical:

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Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any
longer. (Deut 10, 30, Jer 4,9, Ezek 44)

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the

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name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your
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children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God
will call." (Acts 2)
Baptist View

Baptism presupposes faith and salvation (symbol):

New birth based on faith -> believers baptism.

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does

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not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16)

Belief and baptism go hand in hand, but only belief will save you.
Modes of Baptism - Immersion

baptizo: to dip or to plunge under water

Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there
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was plenty of water (John 3)

As Jesus was coming up out of the water (Mark 1)

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Philip with the Eunuch:

When they came up out of the water (Acts 8)
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why?

“You were buried with him in baptism in which you were also raised
with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from
the dead” (Col. 2:12).
Who are baptized

“Those who received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41).

“When they believed Philip as he preached good news about the

kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized
both men and women” (Acts 8:12)
Background As a Jewish Ritual

Immersion is required for converts to Judaism as part of their

conversion. Immersion in the mikvah represents a change in status in
regards to purification, restoration, and qualification for full religious
participation in the life of the community, ensuring that the cleansed
person will not impose uncleanness on property or its owners Num. 19
Westminster Confession

Baptism is a sacrament, ordained by Christ:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
[a]

name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

by which we come into the church:

For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body (1 Cor 12)
[a]

Sign and seal of the covenant:

In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful
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nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with
[a]

the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in

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baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God,
who raised him from the dead. (Col 2)
Westminster Confession

A sign that we are grafted into him:

for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves
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with Christ. (Gal 3)

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, so

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we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom 6, NKJV)

For the remission (pardon/forgiveness) of sins:

He saved us not by works of righteousness which we had done, but
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according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and by the

renewing of the Holy Ghost,
Westminster Confession cont.

To walk in a newness of life:

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Know ye not that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ
were baptized into His death?

4
Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that just as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so
we also should walk in newness of life. (Rom 3)

Baptism continues until the end of the age:

lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matt 28)
Westminster Confession cont.

Baptism done with water in the name of the trinity by a minister:

I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to
me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on
Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ (John 1)

Immersion is not necessary:

Hebrews 9:10 has "various ceremonial washings." The word
translated "ceremonial washings is a word for baptism
(baptismos ).
The ceremonial washings, or baptisms from Heb 9:13-21 are rites
of purification in the OT.
In these ceremonial washings, sprinkling was done. All OT
purifications or washings were by sprinkling (Numbers 8:7; 19:
19; Leviticus 14:7, Exodus 319:16-21).
The Baptism of Christ , 1450
Baptism by Sprinkling

For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling
the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more
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shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God? (Heb 9)

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And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his
hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared
[b]

to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive
your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell
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from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once;
and he arose and was baptized. (Acts 9)
Westerminister Confession cont.

1. Believing faith required.

2. Children of believing parents are to be baptized.

To not get baptized is a sin.

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves,
not having been baptized by him. (Luke 7)
Baptism is not necessary for Salvation -
Case study Acts 10
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There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of
what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who
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feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the
people, and prayed to God always... While Peter was still speaking
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these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.45

And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many

as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been
poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with
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tongues and magnify God.

Then Peter answered, “Can anyone forbid water, that these should
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not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? ” 48

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Then they asked him to stay a few days.
Westminster Confession cont.

People who are baptized are regenerated (made active):

Curious verse (timing of baptizism not important):

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Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The
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wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot
tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is
born of the Spirit.” (John 3)
Westminister Confession Cont.

Grace is not only offered, but given by the Holy Spirit, according to
the counsel of God's own will, in His time. Only done once.

not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to

His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and
renewing of the Holy Spirit (Tit 3)

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2)
Happy Easter! ... Tomorrow