The topic of baptism for Christians is a heated and constantly debated topic. It is important to discuss when the proper time for baptism is; as an infant or after a professed belief. The purpose of baptism is to follow the commands of Jesus Christ and to make public our faith. The view supporting baptism after salvation can be shown to be more viable by considering biblical text and logical conclusions. Infant baptism is not scripturally sound as shown by biblical example. Acts 2:38 states, “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” The key words in this first are the words repent and be baptized. These two things …show more content…
Baptism without repentance and faith in Christ would be meaningless because baptism shows a symbolic death and new life with Christ. This would be meaningless if one did not understand or believe in Christ. In this way, it seems unreasonable to baptize infants who have no way of expressing their beliefs or even being able to understand the idea at all. The idea of belief and baptism is seen repeatedly. Acts 18:8 says, “Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.” Again the words believed and were baptized are seen. Additionally, the whole idea of justifying infant baptism is flawed. It requires the belief in inherited faith or the belief that the baby can have faith in Christ without any understanding or that faith is not even required for baptism. The idea of inherited faith can be eliminated simply with John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Whoever believes in Christ can be saved; not whoever’s mom believes. Additionally, faith comes from hearing Gods word and accepting it. A baby cannot hear and comprehend the word of God. Additionally, baptism is commanded as described by Mark 16:16, “Whoever
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...
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.
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
Baptism is also away for Christians to connect with Jesus and value of his death and the power of his resurrection. It is not just a union with Jesus but also with the Father and the Holy Spirit consequently baptism by the word of institution, signifies union with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Within this union there takes place purification from sin that happens when one enters the baptismal water they buried in death and raised in life just like Jesus. After the purification some Christians believe that the person is regenerated
Within the Christian faith, among the different denominations, there are a variety of issues that are interpreted differently. The interpretations depend upon the denomination. Most issues stem from the differencing opinions based upon the meaning of specific verses in the Bible. One particular issue that causes great debate is whether or not baptism is necessary for salvation. The issue indeed stems from different opinions; however, some of these opinions do not take into account the context and other details of the verses they use to support their opinion. There are many verses in the New Testament that clearly states that baptism is an event that follows salvation. Hence in the Christian faith, we are saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ, because of this, baptism is not necessary for salvation.
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
My first argument for why I think believer’s baptism is gives the best understandings of what baptism is suppose to be is that it is our response to God’s grace. Ted Dorman quotes Menno Simon in A Faith for all Seasons “Baptism is an expression our response to God’s grace, not a sign of that grace, and must therefore be administered only after one believes in Christ. (2001)” My faith didn’t grow until I decided to follow Jesus with my heart, I went through the motions but I wasn’t choosing Jesus. Once I made my faith my own, and experienced God’s grace in so many ways, I knew the next step was to be baptized. I experience God’s grace when I chose winter of...
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...
The debate over baptism has become one that surrounds so many areas of Christianity. It surely is no small topic to undertake. Where most theological discussions are concerned with a specific primary topic or doctrine, baptism debates consist of many topics within itself. Debates on the purpose of baptism, the benefits of baptism, who baptism was designed for, and what is the biblical mode of baptism are just some that have been discussed for many, many years and continue today. These date back all the way to the first recorded baptism by John the Baptist. Over the time of history the Church has meet on numerous occasions to debate the different doctrines and practices. This issue has been a major part of different denominational beliefs.
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
Like discussed earlier Catholics and Christians believe that the Conformation, and Baptism matures the soul and helps people reach adulthood. Baptism usually occurs at a very young age but is not bound by a person’s age. In Baptism, water is used to purify and symbolizes the washing away of sins. It is also described a person being born again because the cleansing of a person with water symbolizes the death and rebirth of that person. Also, when a person becomes baptized they accept God and have faith in God and all his teachings. Confirmation is like a continuation of Baptism because the faith in God of that person is confirmed. Along with confirming one’s faith confirmation gives a person more responsibilities. A large part of bei...
In the Christian faith, Confirmation, is a special sacrament that proves that a person wishes to “strengthen or deepen one’s relationship with God.” When a baby is baptized in the Christian faith, his or her guardians agree to raise them and guide them through life following Jesus’ example. “We became members of Christ's Body when we were baptized (Luebering).” Since the child is not old enough to understand the responsibility that being a follower of Christ entails, Confirmation is needed. When a child reaches a mature age of approximately 14, he or she, is invited to continue to accept Jesus and follow in his teachings. If the child wishes to continue to follow Jesus’ teachings and become a more mature member of the church, he or she must go through Confirmation and accept the responsibility of being a consenting and practicing Christian (Confirmation).
Some religions still practice infant baptism, which will continue to be addressed later in this essay, but most views hold to the idea of just older children and adult baptism, after said individual has made a conscious decision to believe in God. Different churches do, however, have different means of baptism. Although most use a baptismal pit located in the church, some churches, such as mine back home, will use a place such as a lake. I, personally, do not think that it is necessarily about the location of where a person is baptized, but rather the decision in their heart that they have
In the same way as before this helps relieve the guilt for anything they may have done. wrong in their past. A Believers baptism is the outward sign of their faith and they must continue that until they are called by God to Heaven. The. Infant and believers baptism are both important to many.
Baptism celebrates a family 's and a community 's love for the initiate who is welcomed into the community of believers. The candidate (infant or adult) is provided with a god-parent/ sponsor to help them with their initiation as a Christian. 'Baptise first the children, and if they can speak for themselves let them do so. Otherwise their parents or other relatives speak for them '.