...negative arguments about infant baptism in the Catholic Church. Baptism is a Christian. Baptism is the second biggest sacrament known to Christian religions. Baptism is a Christian sacrament marked by a ritual, which admits the recipient into the Christian community. In the Roman Catholic tradition baptism is celebrated by immersing a persons head with water. Infant baptism has a lot of good negative arguments to help make this issue so controversial. One argument is that Catholics baptize at an early age, because of pressure of the Jewish religion. Male Infants of the Jewish faith are circumcised in order to get their right of passage into the church. Feeling the pressure the Catholic church felt that they should use infant baptism as a way of passage for the Christian faith. Another more prevalent argument is the idea of infant baptism not having any biblical foundation, which is presented by Karl Barth. Barth brings up the facts that Infant baptism was started in the apostolic period, not the period of the New Testament itself. Barth continues his argument with the fact that infant baptism has brought about the fact that people are Christians as a result of birth. Cyprian of Carthage presents positive arguments on the issue of infant baptism. Cyprian explains that infant baptism obtains remission of both sinful acts and original sin. A philosopher named Augustine helps to clear up the controversy over infant baptism being right or wrong. Augustine...
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...2014 Professor Bingley Rel 100 Observation of a Baptism Baptism is the opportunity for a believer to draw nearer to God. Its demonstrates that a person fully trusts god to take hold of their lives. Baptism is very important to christian believers because in the bible it states, “Repent, and let everyone 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 2:38) I am going to describe a baptism I attended at a baptist church. I'm describing a baptism of an individual, who made a decision on their own to follow Christ. Its like making a public announcement of their love and commitment for God. This baptism was done at the end of Sunday morning worship service in front of the congregation. The individual had several relatives attend. I was just apart of the congregation; a guest at the church. The individual was completely submerged into the water. It was conducted in a large water tank in front of the church. Before the baptism began the tank was hidden behind a screen. The baptism was performed by the pastor of the church. The pastor was the representative of god. The baptism began when the pastor entered the tank then the individual entered the tank. Then the pastor asked the question, “ Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” She answered, “I do”. Then she went on to say a few words about her walk as Christian prior to the baptism. She clasped her hands on her chest as the pastor...
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...Water Baptism “Baptism points back to the work of God, and forward to the life of faith.” - J.A. Motyer Introduction Why is This Topic Important? The subject of water baptism is important for several reasons. First of all, it is a commandment of Jesus Christ and an important part of His great commission. Christ said, “… go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). It is obvious that if we do not properly understand or practice baptism, we are in danger of neglecting a very important desire of our Lord and Savior. Understanding the Bible’s teaching concerning water baptism is also important because we have an obligation to ensure that new converts to Christ understand the biblical view of baptism and its significance to their relationship with Christ. It would be very unfortunate for any believer to experience water baptism without really understanding its meaning. Finally, it is important to discuss this issue because there are a number of disagreements within Christianity related to baptism. Some of these are relatively minor, but others are extremely important and are worth some discussion. Section A will first discuss some introductory matters regarding the meaning of the word “baptism” and the different kinds of baptism in the New Testament (NT). Section B will cover specifically what the Bible teaches...
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...The Baptism Debate THEO 350 March 3rd, 2014 Introduction Over time there have been many discussions on the subject of baptism, through these discussions many questions have been brought up such as, what is the purpose of baptism? Are believers only allowed to receive a baptism or can infants receive them as well? A baptism is often seen as a sort of welcome or entry into the Christian church and different denominations of the church are separate on their meaning and understanding of what baptism is and what it should involve. This paper is going to explain what baptism as well as it is going to answer the many different questions that people find themselves or this sometimes confusing subject. Purpose In order to explain the purpose of a person being baptized, we must first start by understanding what baptism truly is. “The Greek word ‘baptizo” means to immerse, plunge, dip, or bury in water. The Greek word itself excludes it form meaning “sprinkling”.” Now when a person is baptized in water, the person’s body is completely immersed in water and then pulled out. When thinking about what this symbolizes for people, “it is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ” and then that person’s identification with Him in their body. There are many great examples in scripture when dealing with the subject of baptism. In Mark 1:4-5, the Bible talks about John the Baptist, “And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance...
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...Baptism Terminology Baptism: is to dip or immerse It’s a ritual of cleansing Rite of initiation into the Christian community Dyeing and rising with Christ. The meaning of baptism It is a public announcement of a personal experience It is a Christian act of obedience and a public testimony of a believer’s willingness to identify with and follow Christ. It is a picture of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection- one baptized is dying in sin, burying the sins and resurrecting in a new life in Christ. It is an outward picture of a person’s inward change- leaving behind the old way of life in exchange of new life in Christ. Baptism is a symbol of salvation NOT a requirement of eternal life. Baptism is an indication of our willingness to tell our church and the world that we are committed to the person of Christ and his teachings. One baptized who is born of the love of the two now is born of water and spirit into the kingdom of light. Enables the one baptized to live as adopted son or daughter of God By him/herself or through the parents the newly baptized person desires to put his/her life under the lordship of Jesus- under his reign whereby the sign of baptism seals that agreement. Meaning of the elements Water: this means the cleansing into new life is the sign of the kingdom of light into which the Lighten candle: baptized is entering. White garment: wedding garment of the saints (Revelations 7) Sign of the cross: signifies that...
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...THEOLOGY RESEARCH PAPER The Purpose and Merits of Baptism V. King THEO350 24 November 2014 Is there a purpose behind baptism? This is a question that has been heatedly debated for decades by all religions. It is an extremely important question and carries significant meaning to those who believe and practice baptism. The Slavic word for baptism is “krst”, which in ancient German, its origin is derived from the word “kristen”.1 Kristen translates into making followers of Christ.2 The Greek word for baptize is baptizein, which translates to immerse.3 Whereas, the most commonly recognized Greek word for baptism is baptizó. There are many scriptures in the New Testament that provide the purpose of baptism. For a Christian, being baptized is an important step in a Christian’s life. It is a process of ridding one of sin so they can live their life according to God’s Will. John 3:15 tells that “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” For Christians, they need to be baptized by a form of water in order to go to God’s Kingdom. ------------------------------------------------- Those who want to be baptized must accept and proclaim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. After He is accepted as the one and only Savior, the person is baptized by going under water in the same manner as John the Baptist. There are three main components that baptism stands for: death, burial and resurrection as Paul...
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...Baptism and the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts Water Baptism vs Baptized with the Spirit and Power The book of Acts begins with Jesus' parting words to His apostles before His ascension to the right hand of God the Father. In His opening statement Jesus promises the Holy Spirit, and He does this by distinguishing the coming of the Spirit from the baptism of John. “For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:5) John had testified the same of his baptism, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11, also in all the other Gospels: Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33) So there are two types of baptisms in the book of Acts, what the old theologians called baptismus flaminis (the outpouring of special gifts of the Holy Spirit) and baptismis fluminis (the Baptism of water which is a Sacrament of the remission of sins). (See Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, II.289, note 53) Water Baptism: John's, Jesus' and the Church's Baptism (baptismis fluminis) Of these two types of baptism, the first is the baptism of John, and then commanded (and expanded) by Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20) and given to all the converts on Pentecost, etc. (This is the normal baptism that continues today. We see many of these in Acts, including Acts 2:41; 8:12-16, 36-38; 9:18; 10:47; 16:15...
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...Liberty University “Infant Baptism” A research paper submitted to Professor Seth Johnson In Partial Fulfillment of the requirements For THEO 350-D07 Liberty University Online By Jeffrey Robinson L21932989 Lynchburg, Virginia April 24, 2012 I did not come to the saving knowledge of the Lord until I was twenty-four years old. By this time I had two small children that were four years old and two months old. My wife was born and raised in the church. She wanted to get the children baptized. I did not know what that meant. So being the inquisitive new covert that I was, I went to the pastor and asked what the meaning of the infant baptism was. He explained that it was just an outward sign that I was going to raise my children in the church and the ways of Christ. I thought that was a great idea. Until this class, I did not know that there was any other reason than the one explained to me by my pastor nineteen years ago. The topic just never came up. Since I believe that this is the true reason I had my children baptized, this paper will try to argue that infant baptism is not for salvation purposes. I believe in true faith. I also believe that baptism can be an empty ritual. Through research and prayer, God has been teaching me about the church and the communal nature of faith. I have learned that a person’s view of the meaning of the sacraments, the Church, covenant theology, individualism, and God’s grace have a great deal to do with...
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...Dear Charles, Here's a possible rewrite of your thesis: "This paper will examine Augustine's teachings about 'conferred faith' upon infant during baptism. My claim is that Paul misrepresented Paul's teachings on the family's effect upon the holiness of the child." You'll find the "claim" in chapters 1-14 of Turabian's Manual, which is something that our rubric doesn't bring up, but I think it's a good technique. I notice that you have Greek written in Times New Roman font. I have seen other students do this. I have never been able to figure out how this is done. I notice that when I try to add a letter than it comes out in Latin script. These are quotations that you've pasted. This is amazing. I don't know how they do this! Let me know if you can help me! The only defect in this paper that I want to point out is that much of your paper is not really about Augustine's teaching on infant baptism. All subsequent developments of his teachings really have nothing to do with what happened in Augustine's head. Let's take Pannenberg as an example. He may have followers up there in Lutheran country where you minister. His ideas are influenced by Augustine, but Augustine was not a Lutheran. Some seem to think he was a Lutheran or a Calvinist, but they deceive themselves. You must, of course, take Paul into account because Augustine worked with Paul's writings. Paul was a source that Augustine used—or better, abused or misused, as you and argue. Students find it impossible to focus on one...
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...Seminary Book Critique: Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ A Paper Submitted to Professor Larry McDonald In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course Ecclesiology Theo 620 By Matt Dover September 8, 2012 Bibliography Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. Thomas R. Schreiner & Shawn D. Wright. Nashville: B & H, 2007. 359 pages. Reviewed by Matt B. Dover Authorship Thomas R. Schreiner is the professor of New Testament Interpretation and the Associate Dean of Scripture and Interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to this he served for 11 years at Bethel Theological Seminary, and he also taught New Testament at Azusa Pacific Seminary. Schreiner is the author of numerous books and articles. He is also the pastor of Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Shawn D. Wright is the Assistant Professor of Church History at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to this he served the Southern Baptist churches in New England. Wright also serves as the pastor at Clifton Baptist Church alongside Schreiner. He is also noted for writing various articles and journals. He also serves as a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. Thesis Statement The goal of this book is to recover and maintain an adequate and proper view on the role of baptism in the believer’s life and the church. It also seeks...
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...This is a call out to those leaders who have abandoned, water-down, or perhaps do not recognize any more this undisputable truth of Believer’s Baptism taught in the Bible. So often, even in the evangelical church, (in this case the Paedobaptists), a new generation of modern theologians “who baptize infants not because they believe that baptism regenerates the child but because they believe that baptism brings the child into the covenant community where he or she will have the blessing of hearing the gospel preached as they grow up as members of the church.” Yet, this viewpoint represents a new nature of heresies among the Christian community. However, Schreiner and Wright, makes the effort to uphold the authority of the Word of God knowing...
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... Schreiner and Wright set out to dispel the practice of paedobaptisim in the Reformed tradition. In order to accomplish this, they enlist the help of ten scholars to investigate baptism from a scriptural, historical and theological perspective. What results is a book that fairly documents the biblical background, fairly quotes the Reformation fathers Calvin, Marcel, and Murray and ends with a chapter on practical application of baptism in the modern church. SUMMARY Schreiner and Wright open their book by stating, “Baptism … is the initiation rite into the Christian church. Those who label it minor are imposing their own categories onto the Scriptures instead of listening to the Scriptures…. Baptism is important precisely because it is tied to the gospel, to the saving work that Christ accomplished in his death and resurrection.”[1] What the authors do is to survey both the scriptures and church history in their inquiry into the paedobaptistism (infant baptism) and credobaptism (“baptism should be reserved for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ”[2]) debate. The particular form of paedobaptism that the authors are seeking to correct is “…primarily in the Reformed tradition, who baptize infants not because they believe that baptism regenerates … but because they believe that baptism brings the child into the covenant community.”[3] All the authors are both razor sharp in their focus, and fair in their treatment of paedobaptist positions. Each chapter is thoroughly...
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...” Matthew 3:11 ESV, Baptism is found all over the New Testament. The definition of baptism is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. John the Baptist mentions that he will baptise in water, but someone mightier than he, will baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire. Baptism and the Spiritual gifts are the two major things that I will address. The argument that I will be looking at is the baptism...
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...THE CONCEPT OF TIME IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION The following are the various identified aspects of the concept of time: 1. Dimensions of time 2. Potential and actual time 3. Time reckoning and chronology 4. Concept of human life in relation to time 5. Death and immortality 1. Dimensions of time Mbiti identifies two dimensions of time which are: the Sasa period, which encompasses the recent past, the present, and the very immediate future, and the Zamani period, which corresponds with a deeper, more infinite past. Sasa has the sense of immidiacy and is the period of immidiate concern for the people since that is where and when they exist.The Sasa generally binds individuals and their immediate environment together. It is the period of conscious living. On the other hand, Zamani is the period of the myth, giving a sense of foundation or "security" to the Sasa period; and binding together all created things.( Mbiti 1989:21). Traditionally, Africans are most concerned with what is near; therefore the Sasa is the period of the most consequence because it is "where" or "when" they actually exist. According to Alexis kagame, the African view of the ancestral past provides a basis on which the true meaning of history may be grasped. It is not concerned with the past as such but describes present events as they occured and sprang into being in the past. (http://www.springerlink.com/content) 2. Potential and actual time: In the Western thought, time...
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...Introduction Since the early days of the twentieth century, many Christian believers have taught and received a spiritual experience they call the baptism in the Holy Spirit. At the present time, hundreds of millions of believers identify themselves with the movement that teaches and encourages the reception of that experience. The global expansion of that movement demonstrates the words of Jesus Christ to His disciples that when the promised Holy Spirit came upon them, they would receive power to be His witnesses to all the world (Acts 1:5,8). The New Testament emphasizes the centrality of the Holy Spirit's role in the ministry of Jesus and the continuation of that role in the Early Church. Jesus’ public ministry was launched by the Holy Spirit coming upon Him (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32). The Book of Acts presents an extension of that ministry through the disciples by means of the empowering Holy Spirit. The most distinguishing features of the baptism in the Holy Spirit are that: (1) it is theologically and experientially distinguishable from and subsequent to the new birth, (2) it is accompanied by speaking in tongues, and (3) it is distinct in purpose from the Spirit’s work of regenerating the heart and life of a repentant sinner. Baptism in the Holy Spirit The term “baptism in the Holy Spirit” does not occur in Scripture. It is a convenient designation for the experience predicted by John the Baptist that Jesus...
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