Baptism
One of the riches of my religious heritage is the focus and emphasis on baptism. The word "baptism" actually means immersion, so the practice of the Churches of Christ typically is full immersion under water of "adults." In practice, "adults" can range from the oldest person imaginable all the way down to 6. Churches of Christ do not practice sprinkling or infant baptism because there is no example for either practice in the New Testament.
I cannot explain all the mysteries to baptism, but in reading through the Bible, especially the New Testament, it is apparent that baptism plays some role in our salvation. In the Great Commission in Matthew 28, Jesus told His apostles to go and make disciples by teaching and baptizing. On the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2, when the people were convicted that it was their sin that led Jesus to be crucified, they cried out, "What must we do to be saved?" Peter's answer was, "Repent and be baptized." Throughout the rest of the book of Acts, we read about the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, Lydia, the Philippian jailer, and others who were baptized immediately upon learning about Jesus. Peter writes in 1 Peter 3 compares baptism to Noah being protected in the Flood, and says that the story of Noah teaches about this baptism, "which now saves you." Baptism plays a role in salvation. That is definite.
Now do not get me wrong, nothing we do can bring about our salvation. Nothing we do can save ourselves or others. Salvation is totally the gift of God's grace through His Son Jesus Christ. Yet still we are commanded to repent, to believe, to confess that Jesus is Lord, to be baptized, to live faithfully, and so on. God has elected to save us, and somehow, some way, baptism plays a role in that.
Somewhere along the course of church history, the belief of original sin became prevalent. Orignal sin states that we are born into sin, we are born lost. Because of that, and based upon the example of the Old Testament practice of circumcision, parents baptized their new born children so that they could be saved. Having them baptized as infants assured them of a home in Heaven. My opposition to the practice of infant baptism is that the infant has no say in the matter. All throughout the New Testament, baptism was the choice of the person taught. They had to believe on their own and submit to baptism on their own. Infant baptism essentially forces it upon the child irrespective of their own will. Also, baptism does play a role in washing us ceremonially from our sins. It cleaneses us. Infants are not capable of sinning; unless you believe the doctrine of original sin.
Having said that, there are some interesting things in the New Testament baptisms: 1. at times, the person "and their whole household" was baptized. Did that include children? Does that mean that the whole household was baptized irrespective of their will? 2. The baptisms in the New Testament were stories of first generation believers in Jesus. They were adults who had either lived lives as Jews or as pagan Gentiles and they made a radical life change to Christianity. We have no example of what their children and grandchildren and so on did. For the generations following the beginning of the church, accepting Christ did not necessarily include a radical life change.
Take me as an example. I have always been a child of God. I have always believed in Jesus. I have always been living a Christian lifestyle. Even during the periods of my life when I was doing things I knew to be wrong, my conscience convicted me over and over again until God stepped in, dropped me to my bottom, and I said, "I give up! Help me!" There has never been a time when I was out of the church. The same, so far, is true for my children. They already believe in God and in Jesus and always have. There has not been a desire on their part to depart from God (at least not yet). We did not baptize them as infants, because I do not believe it was something necessary for them. I do believe they need to accept baptism even as I did. But I was only 10 when I was baptized. What did I really understand about baptism, salvation, rebellion, and repentance? My struggles in my life came years and years after my baptism. I do not believe there is a need for re-baptism, because if I were to be baptized today, 10 years from now I will be able to say, "But look at all that have learned in the past 10 years!"
I have learned a lot in recent years about the practice of infant baptism and confirmation. When a baby is born, they are baptized, and several years later, they are taught the teachings of the church, they either accept or reject Christ, and if they accept Christ, they are welcomed into sharing in the communion of the church. In other words, in that context, communion takes on the role baptism plays in the Churches of Christ. Baptism in other churches is a community, family decision for the infant, and later on that infant, now grown, decides if he or she will accept Christ and start taking communion. In the Churches of Christ, the child is taught and taught until they are ready to accept Christ, and then they are baptized. To be honest, I see great advantages to both practices.
Why am I wondering about all of this now? Two of my three children (ages 8 and 6) have asked to be baptized. I do not know how much they understand at this point. I do know they believe. I do know they love God and Jesus and want to do good. I can honestly say I have no biblical reason to not baptize them. I have some reservations based upon my religious upbringing and what some loved ones may think about it. But I cannot let those reservations stand in the way of my children accepting Christ in baptism. Honestly, how much more did I understand at 10 than either Xavier at 8 or Rheannon at 6? I do not believe my children are "lost" and therefore need baptism to start their lives as Christians. I believe they are children of God through the faith of their parents who are ready to confirm that they believe in God and Jesus.
I guess the question for me remains this: am I growing/maturing? Or am I giving in? I believe it to be growth. Children have a way of forcing that upon me.
God bless you--PM
I cannot explain all the mysteries to baptism, but in reading through the Bible, especially the New Testament, it is apparent that baptism plays some role in our salvation. In the Great Commission in Matthew 28, Jesus told His apostles to go and make disciples by teaching and baptizing. On the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2, when the people were convicted that it was their sin that led Jesus to be crucified, they cried out, "What must we do to be saved?" Peter's answer was, "Repent and be baptized." Throughout the rest of the book of Acts, we read about the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, Lydia, the Philippian jailer, and others who were baptized immediately upon learning about Jesus. Peter writes in 1 Peter 3 compares baptism to Noah being protected in the Flood, and says that the story of Noah teaches about this baptism, "which now saves you." Baptism plays a role in salvation. That is definite.
Now do not get me wrong, nothing we do can bring about our salvation. Nothing we do can save ourselves or others. Salvation is totally the gift of God's grace through His Son Jesus Christ. Yet still we are commanded to repent, to believe, to confess that Jesus is Lord, to be baptized, to live faithfully, and so on. God has elected to save us, and somehow, some way, baptism plays a role in that.
Somewhere along the course of church history, the belief of original sin became prevalent. Orignal sin states that we are born into sin, we are born lost. Because of that, and based upon the example of the Old Testament practice of circumcision, parents baptized their new born children so that they could be saved. Having them baptized as infants assured them of a home in Heaven. My opposition to the practice of infant baptism is that the infant has no say in the matter. All throughout the New Testament, baptism was the choice of the person taught. They had to believe on their own and submit to baptism on their own. Infant baptism essentially forces it upon the child irrespective of their own will. Also, baptism does play a role in washing us ceremonially from our sins. It cleaneses us. Infants are not capable of sinning; unless you believe the doctrine of original sin.
Having said that, there are some interesting things in the New Testament baptisms: 1. at times, the person "and their whole household" was baptized. Did that include children? Does that mean that the whole household was baptized irrespective of their will? 2. The baptisms in the New Testament were stories of first generation believers in Jesus. They were adults who had either lived lives as Jews or as pagan Gentiles and they made a radical life change to Christianity. We have no example of what their children and grandchildren and so on did. For the generations following the beginning of the church, accepting Christ did not necessarily include a radical life change.
Take me as an example. I have always been a child of God. I have always believed in Jesus. I have always been living a Christian lifestyle. Even during the periods of my life when I was doing things I knew to be wrong, my conscience convicted me over and over again until God stepped in, dropped me to my bottom, and I said, "I give up! Help me!" There has never been a time when I was out of the church. The same, so far, is true for my children. They already believe in God and in Jesus and always have. There has not been a desire on their part to depart from God (at least not yet). We did not baptize them as infants, because I do not believe it was something necessary for them. I do believe they need to accept baptism even as I did. But I was only 10 when I was baptized. What did I really understand about baptism, salvation, rebellion, and repentance? My struggles in my life came years and years after my baptism. I do not believe there is a need for re-baptism, because if I were to be baptized today, 10 years from now I will be able to say, "But look at all that have learned in the past 10 years!"
I have learned a lot in recent years about the practice of infant baptism and confirmation. When a baby is born, they are baptized, and several years later, they are taught the teachings of the church, they either accept or reject Christ, and if they accept Christ, they are welcomed into sharing in the communion of the church. In other words, in that context, communion takes on the role baptism plays in the Churches of Christ. Baptism in other churches is a community, family decision for the infant, and later on that infant, now grown, decides if he or she will accept Christ and start taking communion. In the Churches of Christ, the child is taught and taught until they are ready to accept Christ, and then they are baptized. To be honest, I see great advantages to both practices.
Why am I wondering about all of this now? Two of my three children (ages 8 and 6) have asked to be baptized. I do not know how much they understand at this point. I do know they believe. I do know they love God and Jesus and want to do good. I can honestly say I have no biblical reason to not baptize them. I have some reservations based upon my religious upbringing and what some loved ones may think about it. But I cannot let those reservations stand in the way of my children accepting Christ in baptism. Honestly, how much more did I understand at 10 than either Xavier at 8 or Rheannon at 6? I do not believe my children are "lost" and therefore need baptism to start their lives as Christians. I believe they are children of God through the faith of their parents who are ready to confirm that they believe in God and Jesus.
I guess the question for me remains this: am I growing/maturing? Or am I giving in? I believe it to be growth. Children have a way of forcing that upon me.
God bless you--PM
posted by Paul Mathis at
10:04 AM
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