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Theological significance of Baptism
Debate over free will
Theological significance of Baptism
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“Baptism; a ceremonial immersion in water, or application of water, as an initiatory rite or sacrament of the Christian church.”( Geoffrey W. Bromiley , pg 58). Throughout history the debate of whether baptism is crucial for your salvation has been a hot topic among churches of all denominations. In order to find the truth, we must look to God’s word and testimonies of baptisms in Acts, comparing and contrasting through the steps of faith, and investigate how the church views and participates in modern day baptisms.
A great example of the way God uses miracles to bring people to the decision of joining His church by baptism is the: Pentecost.The pentecost is a Jewish celebration also known as, feast of weeks, feast of harvest, and the anniversary
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In the modern church we are subjected to the thought of a fast moving world, for which we have to schedule our every move; including our steps of faith. In contradiction to most modern day church practices, Acts presents a whimsical means of baptism. Such as the baptism of the eunuch by Peter in Acts 8:38. In today’s cultural church, we need to incorporate more of the old teachings and traditions, such as in the book of Acts. One tradition contains to not only saving one lost sheep but an entire herd. In Acts 16:31 it is written, “ Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household.” It is “only in this way that [the household] would be saved”(David J. Williams, 290). Disciples of Lord did not go out to save one soul in every other town, but to declare a nation for the Lord. We, as Christians, are to witnesses spreading the good news of Jesus’s, life, death, and resurrection, to even the ends of the earth as it is said in Acts one eight. The thought process behind we are not saved, but we are in the process of being saved (NT 121 Acts of the Apostles notes, Professor Stine). Comes for the wording “you will be saved” from Acts sixteen thirty-one as previously discussed. The wording indicates that we, as children of God, have been given the gift of free will. This means we are fully capable of turning our backs on God at any given moment, …show more content…
The best way to view baptism as a whole is to look at the process or “Steps of Baptism”. This is: hearing the good news, believing and having faith, repenting, confessing, being baptised, and accepting the Christian lifestyle and Holy Spirit (NT 121 Acts of the Apostles notes, Professor Stine). God made a plan for salvation, it is to be followed completely, or ignored. You cannot climb up a flight of stairs if you are missing steps. Such is with steps of faith, you cannot reach the top without first placing your relationship with God on every step. First you must hear the gospel as it is an example in Acts, “but many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand”(Acts 4:4, NIV). Another great example of hearing the gospel and reacting is Acts 2:37 “when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?” Not only did the people respond to the word in a positive and uplifting way, but they responded with a sense of faith, which brings us to the next step. As Christians, we sometimes struggle with the word “faith” and with the awe-struck wonder of the Sovereignty of God, “a large part of ‘christendom’ holds to a doctrine that has been roughly categorized as ‘faith only.’ the only faith doctrine is that baptism is not necessary for salvation” (Reese,76). Yet, faith
Christianity stands as one of the most significant, and historically rich and relevant Religions ever to grace the Earth, especially given its status as a highly living and dynamic one, that being that it is a religion that is still very much alive and flourishing, in addition to being ever changing and evolving. (http://www.academia.edu/6386126/the_ways_in_which_the_four_characyeristics_of_religion_interact_to_create_a_dynamic_living_faith_tradition) It is thanks, in no small part to the significant figure of St. Paul of Tarsus and the foundation he laid for Christianity that has endured until today, as well as the message of Salvation through faith he preached. Another critical element of Christianity through the ages up to the current age of modern dynamism is Baptism, mainly how it impacts upon individuals and Christian communities. It is therefore clear that through these key aspects of Christianity, we may gain insight on what exactly contributes towards Christianity being a living and dynamic religion.
Christianity is considered to be a living religion especially in terms of the reach for salvation. In the present through the practice of Baptism, Christians believe they die to the life of Original Sin and are born again to Christ, thus able to achieve Salvation. Thus, the tradition and sacred ritual of baptism implies that in order to be active adherents in the Catholic church, one must be baptised, just as Jesus was in the New Testament, “Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.” (Acts 2:38) Another way in which baptism demonstrate that Christianity is a living religious tradition, is through the teachings associated with the purpose of human existence. Through the act of Baptism, which is a direct display of the belief in Salvation through Jesus, the purpose of human life is presented in terms of adherent’s purpose to lov...
Here one can see the significance of baptism extending far beyond the momentary act that is the baptismal rite. Baptism is an act of birth; it gives an immediate and direct connection with Christ’s resurrection, and it lays the foundation for fellowship, which
On one hand, baptism is a sacrament that any human must have because it is a lifelong process of salvation and it is necessary for eternal salvation. Since Adam’s sin, all human is born spiritually death; therefore a newborn in spirit is necessary, in order for humans to have “spiritual eyes open” It will keep the person closest to God, because “open eyes” helps to discriminate good from bad during the person journey in life. Baptism present two parts, an outward and sensible sign, and an inward and spiritual grace implied, but baptism is not sanctification by itself. Furthermore, baptism is the Church’s external affirmation and proclamation of prevenient grace; it is an initiation and incorporation into Christ Holy church. During baptism church as a whole play an active role; first, by welcoming the new member, then after baptism, the church provides the nurture that makes possible a comprehensive and lifelong process of growing in grace. On the other hand Communion celebration by using bread and wine is a remembrance of Jesus death, and resurrection and the waiting until He comes again. The way in which bread and wine is converting into Jesus’s body and blood is a mystery. When during celebration Jesus says “for you” it connotes expiating and sacrifice meaning to liberates “us” sinners. Participate in communion
In this paper, I will be using Victor Turner’s concept of liminality to analyze the Christian rite of passage of baptism. Turner built upon Arnold van Gennep’s three-stage model of rites of passage, focusing on liminality rather than reaggregation and introducing the concept of communitas as the unstructured community during the liminal stage in which all members are equal. By using the anthropological lens of Turner to analyze baptism, specifically Jesus’ water baptism in the book of Mark, I hope to apply his concepts of liminality and communitas to the text to gain a deeper understanding of the model for modern Christian baptism rituals and interpretations, including Spirit baptism.
Baptism is one of the most important and popular rituals in Christianity. It is a simple process that requires an individual to be immersed into the water, blessed and pronounced “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (Christian
Many Christian denominations practice the tradition of baptism. However, many denominations differ widely on the meaning and significance of the sacrament or ordinance of baptism. Baptism in the Old Testament is used as a symbol of a believer’s devotion to God by washing with water as a sign of purification and consecration. There are many different meanings and techniques to baptism that have been observed by many faiths over thousands of years. Many of the customs and b...
distinguish themselves from those who are not baptized; but is also a signal which points to the act of regeneration encompassing being born anew. In addition, the baptism of children is
First major theme of the book of Acts is the work of the Holy Spirit in the apostles and the early church. Jesus appeared to his disciples and commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift, the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:3b-5) As they gathered together and prayed in one place, the Holy Spirit came to rest on each of them (2:1-3). The disciples who were filled with the Holy Spirit boldly proclaimed God’s word and performed miracles (2:14-42, 3:1-10). Throughout the book, the author focuses on how the Holy Spirt ministers the apostles and the believers in their lives and the community.
Baptism, one of the most prevalent signs of Christian faith, has, for a long time, been a highly debated topic within the community of the body of believers. There are many different ideas surrounding the different practices and views of baptism, even the reason of why we carry out the act of baptism. Just as the idea of a marriage ceremony is to profess your love and commitment to each other, a baptism ceremony has the same effect, but instead your commitment is to Christ. This essay will take a look at this topic, the philosophical ideas surrounding it, how the Bible address it, and also the historical context in which this theological topic falls into.
In Acts 4:30, the Church sets a great example of how we should pray to experience and encounter signs, wonders and miracles, “Lord look upon their threats and grant to your servants, continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Through our spiritual journey in life, we should never place expectations of the power of signs and wonders to appear, we also may not be privileged to encounter supernatural miracles or events, but instead we should have the committed faith built in God, so that he will express his power in our life through miraculous ways. As a famous Christian figure once said, “My home is in heaven. I’m just travelling through this world,” -Billy Graham. This quote tells us that we should expand our mindset of Christianity and with the time we have on earth, we should spread the powerful message of the Gospel to non believers, creating a united community with the presence of
Once again, looking at Jesus’ final message to his apostles prior to his departure to heaven, he calls them to be his “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (1:8). Earlier in verse 4, he commands them to stay in Jerusalem, and wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit, hinting that they had more to do. Expansion of the church in Acts had its beginnings in Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost. With so many Jews present from every nation (2:5), the coming of the Holy Spirit caused an uproar providing the perfect opportunity for Peter to begin preaching to the crowd, converting about three thousand new believers (2:41). The church continued to grow in Jerusalem as the apostles proclaimed the message in the “temple courts and from house to house”
It is followed by years of catechesis before being completed late by Confirmation and the Eucharist, the summit of Christian initiation. Baptism is the Church 's way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God and the promise of salvation. 'Peter replied, "Repent and be baptised..." ' (Acts 2: 38-39) Baptism happens not only to the individual, but also the wider Church. At the time of Christ it signified that the person being baptised became a follower of Christ and acquired a relationship with him. '... I (Paul) also baptised the household of Stephanas... ' (1 Corinthians 1:16) The rite is celebrated with the community present and actively participating. It is the community, who will journey with them throughout their
The biblical book of Acts is an interpretation of the early discoursing regarding Jesus Christ, the development of the ancient Christian people, and sharing the good news of the Christian message. When Jesus was raise from the dead he went to see his disciples to my understanding, respiring on the disciples and stating, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22, NKJV). On the contrary even though the disciples had obtained the Holy Ghost after Jesus respired on them, my studies revealed that Jesus expressed to the disciples to pause for the satisfying or fulfillment of the Holy Ghost that was in Jerusalem.
During Baptism, we are received into the church. Baptism is important as it represents a death to the old sinful life. and a rise to a new life as a Christian. Water is used to cleanse and during Baptism, an infant is cleansed of original sin or a believer is. cleansed of personal sin.