C4A Baptism

What is baptism?

Baptism is a sacrament, a purification and initiation ritual used by Christians in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

It involves repentance of sin, justification, and acceptance into the Christian community.

Who was Augustine?

St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was an African bishop who wrote on baptism as a response to the heresy of the Donatists. - He argued for infant baptism, citing scriptural precedent, apostolic teaching and emphasised its role in removing original sin.

What biblical passage does Augustine use to support infant baptism?

Acts 2:38-39: "Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sin may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him."

What are the two types of sin according to Augustine?

1) Original sin - inherited from Adam, who introduced sin into the world.

2) Personal sin - resulting from an individual's sinful actions.

What role does baptism play in salvation according to Augustine?

Baptism cleanses original sin, enabling individuals to share in Christ's resurrection. Without baptism, even infants are condemned to eternal damnation. Baptism and the Eucharist are the only ways to become members of the body of Christ and receive eternal life.

How does Augustine view the role of parents in infant baptism?

- Infants are presented for baptism by both the parents and the whole church.

- They cannot yet choose Christ for themselves, so parents respond on the child's behalf.

- Baptism, like circumcision in Judaism, is an outward seal or sign of an inward faith.

Who was Zwingli?

Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531) was a Swiss reformer. His work on baptism is primarily a response to Anabaptists and Roman Catholics during the Reformation.

- argued for infant baptism.

What does Zwingli say about the role of baptism in salvation?

He argued that baptism does not cause salvation but symbolises it. The water itself has no power to wash away sin; that power belongs to God alone. Baptism is a human response to God's grace and an act of obedience.

What scriptural support does Zwingli use to argue against baptism causing salvation?

Acts 8:16: "For as yet the Spirit had not fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus."

What is the importance of baptism according to Zwingli?

- The sacraments are instituted by Christ - through his own baptism and the great commission.

- It is a promise or oath made by a believer to God.

- It symbolises (but does not guarantee) salvation through God's grace.

- It can strengthen the faith of a believer (but does not cause faith).

- It demonstrates Christian unity.

Why did Zwingli reject the Anabaptist movement?

He insisted that requiring a believer's baptism for salvation is a challenge to God's sovereignty and has no precedent in scripture.

Why does Zwingli believe infant baptism is valid?

- It is implied in scripture - entire families were baptised in the New Testament.

-While there is no clear scriptural instruction to baptise infants, children can receive God's spirit; John the Baptist is recorded as leaping in his mother's womb upon receiving the Spirit, and Jesus invited children to come to hear him.

- Baptism replaced circumcision as a sign of the covenant and that both acted as a seal of pre-existent faith.

How does Zwingli view the role of parents in infant baptism?

Baptism does not erase original sin. Instead, it is a pledge from the parents to properly instruct children and bring them up as Christians and members of the faith. In this way, their faith in God is the path to their salvation.

What is the main theological difference between Augustine and Zwingli regarding baptism?

Augustine believed baptism cleanses original sin and brings salvation, while Zwingli argued baptism is symbolic and salvation is solely through God's grace.

Who was Barth?

- Karl Barth (1886-1968) was a Swiss reformed Protestant theologian in Germany. He was deported after refusing to sign an oath of loyalty to Adolf Hitler.

- Supported believer's baptism, emphasising that baptism does not cause salvation but symbolises spiritual death and resurrection in Christ.

Why does Barth argue for believer's baptisms?

Barth advocated believer's baptism - the full immersion of a person in water and then withdrawal from it again. This represents a direct threat to life followed by immediate deliverance. The believer spiritually dies and is brought back to life in Christ and becomes inseparably part of Christ in baptism of the spirit. For Barth this expresses what baptism represents more clearly than aspersion.

What biblical passage supports Barth's view of believer's baptism?

Romans 6:5:"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his."

What does Barth say about the role of baptism in salvation?

- Barth clearly stated that baptism itself does not bring about salvation. Baptism of the Spirit is only accomplished by Jesus. Baptism with water is a human action that is only a symbol, or a copy of what God has done in a person's life, through his Spirit. It does not cause salvation and it is not a sacrament.

- Barth claimed that the church was never given the right to mediate God's grace or dispense salvation. Baptism is a human action. Humans cannot decide who is to receive God's grace and who is not.

Why does Barth oppose infant baptism?

- He believes it is coercive and violent, undermining the free choice of the believer to obey God.

- The infant who is baptised cannot take the step of faith and unity in Christ that baptism is supposed to mark.

- He calls infant baptism a "wound in the church" and a weakness for the recipient.

- However, for a child baptised as an infant, there is no benefit in Anabaptism. Baptism is effective even if it is wrongly applied.