Anabaptism Essay

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Anabaptists, or re-baptizers, rejected baptism traditions of the Lutherans and the Catholics. Anabaptists said that infants cannot confess their faith of Christ because infants are not old enough to have an understanding of baptism and faith. Anabaptists said that infants cannot confess faith and have not committed any sins, therefore, they are in no need of salvation. Anabaptists do not consider that they re-baptize because they believe that infant baptism is without effect. These re-baptisms of the Anabaptists were viewed as a first baptism because the infant baptism was of invalid nature (Brackney, Baptists in North America: An Historical Perspective, 22). Strong believers in Anabaptism said baptism should be administered to those who …show more content…

One important benefit of baptism is the forgiveness of sins, shown through Mark when he states “John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). One who is baptized can also receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus knows what is necessary to enter heaven because He has the almighty power of forgiving sins and spreading divine adoption. In Johns Gospel, “I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above [. . .], no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit (John 3:3, 3:5). The result of baptism leads to sanctification and eternal life with God, along with a fully cleansed life without sin. Schmemann describes baptism as a cosmical, ecclesiological, and eschatological act representing the sacrament of the New Creation, the sacrament of the Church, and the sacrament of the Kingdom (Schmemann, Of Water and the Spirit, 40). Through this view, infant baptism is better than no baptism at all because the infant is still receiving all of the benefits of the baptism. However, the main focal point against infant baptism is that the infant does not understand the importance of baptism because they do not have nearly enough cognitive knowledge of the importance of

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