An Explanation Of The Small Catechism_The Sacrament Of Holy Baptism

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236. What is a sacrament?

Back 1

A sacrament is a sacred act
A. instituted by God,
B. in which God Himself has joined His Word of promise to a visible element,
C. and by which He offers, gives, and seals the forgiveness of sins earned by
Christ.
Note: The word sacrament comes to us from the Latin Bible, where it translates the Greek word mystery. At first this word described all the saving truths of the faith, such as the Trinity, the incarnation, the redemption, the church (see for instance 1 Cor. 4:1, Eph. 5:32, and I Tim.
3:16). Later it was narrowed down to our present sense.

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237. How many such sacraments are there?

Back 2

By this definition there are two sacraments: Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Note: Sometimes Holy Absolution is counted as a third sacrament, even though it has no divinely instituted visible element (Large Catechism IV 74; Apology
XIll 4).

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238. Why are we to treasure the sacraments, when water, bread, and wine are
such common elements?

Back 3

"The sacraments and all the external things ordained and instituted by God should
be regarded not according to the gross, external mask (as we see the shell of a nut)
but as that in which God's Word is enclosed" (Large Catechism IV, 19).

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239. What does the word baptize mean?

Back 4

Baptize means to apply water by immersing, washing, pouring, and the like.

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240. What is so special about the water of Baptism?

Back 5

"It is nothing else than a divine water, not that the water in itself is nobler than other
water but that God's Word and commandment are added to it" (Large Catechism IV, 14).

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241. Who instituted Holy Baptism?

Back 6

God Himself instituted Baptism, for our Lord Jesus Christ commanded His church to baptize all nations.

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242. What does it mean to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit"?

Back 7

It means that in Baptism, God, the Holy Trinity, receives me into communion or
fellowship with Himself.

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243. Who is to baptize?

Back 8

Normally the called ministers of Christ are to baptize, but in cases of emergency and when no pastor is available, any Christian should baptize.

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244. Who is to be baptized?

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"All nations" are to be baptized, that is, all people, young and old.

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245. What distinction is to be made in baptizing?

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A. Those who can receive instruction are to be baptized after they have been
instructed in the main articles of the Christian faith.
B. Little children should be baptized when they are brought to Baptism by those
who have authority over them.

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246. Why are babies to be baptized?

Back 11

Babies are to be baptized because
A. they are included in the words "all nations";
B. Jesus especially invites little children to come to Him;
C. as sinners, babies need what Baptism offers;
D. babies also are able to have faith.

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247. Why does the church encourage the use of sponsors at Baptisms?

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Sponsors witness that those who receive this sacrament have been properly
baptized. They also pray for them and in the case of children, help with their
Christian upbringing, especially if they should lose their parents. Only those of the
same confession of faith should be sponsors.

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248. What great and precious things are given in Baptism?

Back 13

Baptism
A. works forgiveness of sins;
B. rescues from death and the devil;
C. gives eternal salvation.

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249. If Christ has already won forgiveness and salvation for us and gives us all this by grace alone, why do we still need Baptism?

Back 14

Christ has indeed won full forgiveness and salvation for the whole human race with
His perfect life, suffering, death, and resurrection. He distributes this same
forgiveness in Baptism. (Baptism is a means of grace.)

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250. To whom does Baptism give all these blessings?

Back 15

Baptism gives these blessings to all who believe God's saving promises.

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251. Is it possible for an unbaptized person to be saved?

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It is only unbelief that condemns. Faith cannot exist in the heart of a person who
despises and rejects Baptism against better knowledge. But those who believe the Gospel, yet die before they have opportunity to be baptized are not condemned.

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252. Why are we not to seek a "baptism with the Holy Spirit" in addition to the Sacrament of Holy Baptism?

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Beyond sacramental Baptism we are to seek no other "baptism" because
A. there is no other God-given Baptism today beside the Sacrament of Holy Baptism;
B. the sacrament is not a water-only or a Spirit-only baptism, but a water-and-
Spirit Bantism;
C. the special signs granted by the Holy Spirit were not another "baptism," but
they proved the truth and power of the apostles' preaching.

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253. How does baptismal water work forgive. ness of sins, rescue from death
and the devil, and give eternal salvation?

Back 18

God's words of institution put these great blessings into Baptism. Faith, which trusts
this word of God in the water, takes the blessings out and makes them our own.

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254. Why do the Scriptures call Baptism the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit?

Back 19

In Baptism, the Holy Spirit works faith and so creates in us new spiritual life with the
power to overcome sin.

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255. What is the Old Adam?

Back 20

The Old Adam is the corrupt and evil nature that we inherit because of Adam's fall into sin.

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256. How is this Old Adam to be drowned in us?

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The Old Adam is to be drowned by daily contrition (sorrow for sins) and repentance (faith), by which we resist and overcome evil desires.

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257. What is the new man?

Back 22

The new man is the new spiritual life and nature, created in us by the washing of
rebirth.

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258. How is this new man to emerge and arise?

Back 23

The new man emerges and arises as we daily live and grow before God in true faith
and good works.

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259. How does Baptism indicate the daily drowning of the Old Adam and the
emergence of the new man?

Back 24

By Baptism we have been made to share in Christ's death and resurrection. As He
has buried our sin, so we too can and must daily overcome and bury it. And as He is
risen from the dead and lives, so we too can and must daily live a new life in Him.

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260. With which words do we regularly remember our Baptism?

Back 25

The words "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" come
from the baptismal command (Matt. 28:19) and are known as the Trinitarian
Invocation. By repeating these words, in church or by ourselves, we recall, claim,
and confess before heaven, earth, and hell all that God the Holy Trinity has given us
in our Baptism.