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Baptism. The Significance of Baptism for Christians. Christian Baptism. Baptism is a rite of initiation in Christianity. It is the “ point of entry ” into the Christian Church. Most baptisms are performed on infants by pouring, dipping or immersing them in water. Child vs Adult Baptism?.
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Baptism The Significance of Baptism for Christians
Christian Baptism • Baptism is a rite of initiation in Christianity. • It is the “point of entry” into the Christian Church. • Most baptisms are performed on infants by pouring, dipping or immersing them in water.
Child vs Adult Baptism? • Some denominations of Christianity, such as Baptists, use a “believer’s baptism” and engage in adult baptism. • Most Christian Churches believe that Jesus instituted baptism and that it is necessary for salvation.
Rejecting Sin • During the baptismal rite those being baptised reject sin and profess a belief in the Trinity. • This is done by sponsors if the candidate is an infant.
Orthodox Baptism • Orthodox Christians are baptised by a priest through 3 immersions in water (Trinity). • Confirmation occurs immediately after and the recipient is anointed with oil. • In Orthodoxy, children are important members of the church from infancy.
Scriptural References to Baptism • Jesus converses with Nicodemus (Jn 3:3, 5-6) • Jesus commands the disciples to baptise (Mt 28:19) • It is necessary for salvation (Acts 8:13) • It allows believers to participate in Christianity ( (Rom 6:4) • It allows people to be cleansed of their sins (1 Cor 6:11) • John the Baptist (Mt 3:1-3) • Jesus’ baptism confers the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5, 11:15)
Jewish Immersions • Christianity adopted immersion in water from Jewish tradition. • Yet, there are many distinguishing features of Jewish immersions from Christian baptism: • Jewish immersions involved the person performing the cleansing ritual alone, not with someone pushing them underwater as with baptism.
Ritual Purity b) Jewish immersions were completed for the purpose of ritual purity at various times of a person’s life. • Eg: after menstruation, after sex, after shopping at the market or coming into contact with the dead.
Baptism Becomes a Christian Rite • Baptism became an initiatory rite for the Christian Church in the First Century CE. • As developed by Paul it signified death and rebirth in Jesus. • Unlike immersions, baptism usually occurred only once in a person’s life and it was conversionary and unrepeatable. • Baptism was not only an immersion in water but in the Holy Spirit.
Jewish Initiation • Whereas Jews had 3 main initiation rites: • Circumcision for males. • A cleansing immersion • Sacrifice in the Temple.
The Christian Tradition Begins • In the early Christian tradition candidates were probably naked during baptism so that earthly things did not interfere with the experience. • Yet, there were some restrictions on this for the early Jewish Christians, such as being naked in front of the opposite sex. • Over time John the Baptist (a Jew) was “taken” by Christian scholars as the initiator of baptism. He is largely ignored in Jewish writings.
The Significance of Baptism for Christians • Baptism is an initiation into faith. • It gives people access to the sacramental life of the church. • The believer sees that baptism frees them from sin (Original Sin & Personal Sin). • Baptismal practice connects an individual to the rich scriptural tradition of the ancient Jews, the first Christians and Jesus.
Baptismal Symbols • Water is the symbol of purity and purification. • Oil is a traditional medium signifying healing. • New garments signify arrival into the church • Candles show Christ is the light of the world • Bread and wine are the entry point into receiving the Eucharist.
Question Time • How are people initiated into other faiths?
