Baptism has been an important part of the church for centuries. Unfortunately, baptism has also caused many arguments and controversies in the church for centuries. Since baptism is such an important part of the church, the individual believer, and the believer’s family, it seems right for there to be no arguments about it. However, different beliefs on what baptism truly signifies and different beliefs about the relationship between the Old and New Testaments have in part caused these arguments. The arguments are not whether or not baptism should be administered, but how it should be done. Some Christians believe infants should be baptized if their parents are believers, while others believe that an individual should only be baptized after
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Since Christ is present under the appearances of bread and wine in a sacramental way, the Eucharist is undoubtedly a sacrament of the Church. In the Eucharist, the definition of a Christian sacrament as "an outward sign of an inward grace instituted by Christ" is verified. The second of the two, baptism, is not as easy to see as a sacrament as the Eucharist. Some Christians see baptism as necessary for salvation, while others see it as a sign of the covenant of grace. If baptism is not necessary for salvation, how can it truly be considered a sacrament? If a Christian does not partake in the Eucharist, he or she will not have their salvation revoked. The same applies with baptism, even though most Christians do get baptized. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace instituted by Christ, because it is a sign of grace itself. The Covenant of Grace is being demonstrated outwardly by washing with water. When a sacrament is properly administered, there is a promise attached to it, which is real and effectual, and it comes from God alone (Challies, 1). This does not mean that baptism removes sin or conveys salvation, but it means that there is some spiritual advantage to being baptized. Likewise, there is a spiritual advantage to participating in the Eucharist. More than merely signifying something, baptism does indeed convey …show more content…
If a major discontinuity between Old and New is assumed, then baptism is a brand new. It is a New Testament invention and rite, and therefore the Christians that believe in baptism after conversion have a strong position. However, if basic continuity between the Testaments is assumed, the New Testament is a fulfillment of the Old Testament promises, and not a radically different thing. What is radical is that the New Testament is new, fresh, and perfect. For example, when you get a “new” car, how old was it? The point of this argument is that baptism has taken the place of circumcision as the sign and seal of God’s covenant. If the sign was applied to infants in the Old Testament, which it was, Christians should expect no less in the New Testament. In fact, female babies are included, with no blood in this sign, just clean and refreshing
Since Christ is present under the appearances of bread and wine in a sacramental way, the Eucharist is undoubtedly a sacrament of the Church. In the Eucharist, the definition of a Christian sacrament as "an outward sign of an inward grace instituted by Christ" is verified. The second of the two, baptism, is not as easy to see as a sacrament as the Eucharist. Some Christians see baptism as necessary for salvation, while others see it as a sign of the covenant of grace. If baptism is not necessary for salvation, how can it truly be considered a sacrament? If a Christian does not partake in the Eucharist, he or she will not have their salvation revoked. The same applies with baptism, even though most Christians do get baptized. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace instituted by Christ, because it is a sign of grace itself. The Covenant of Grace is being demonstrated outwardly by washing with water. When a sacrament is properly administered, there is a promise attached to it, which is real and effectual, and it comes from God alone (Challies, 1). This does not mean that baptism removes sin or conveys salvation, but it means that there is some spiritual advantage to being baptized. Likewise, there is a spiritual advantage to participating in the Eucharist. More than merely signifying something, baptism does indeed convey …show more content…
If a major discontinuity between Old and New is assumed, then baptism is a brand new. It is a New Testament invention and rite, and therefore the Christians that believe in baptism after conversion have a strong position. However, if basic continuity between the Testaments is assumed, the New Testament is a fulfillment of the Old Testament promises, and not a radically different thing. What is radical is that the New Testament is new, fresh, and perfect. For example, when you get a “new” car, how old was it? The point of this argument is that baptism has taken the place of circumcision as the sign and seal of God’s covenant. If the sign was applied to infants in the Old Testament, which it was, Christians should expect no less in the New Testament. In fact, female babies are included, with no blood in this sign, just clean and refreshing