4A: Baptism Flashcards
What did Augustine say baptism is?
a tradition received from the apostles to remove the original sin
Quote from the Council of Catharge (418CE) about baptism
“even babies […] are truly baptised for the forgiveness of sins for the purpose of cleansing by rebirth what they have received by birth”
What is the purpose of baptism?
to remove original sin
New Testament support for baptism
- Matthew 28:19: “make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit”
- Acts 2:38-39: “repent and be baptised […] so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the holy spirit”
- 1 Corinthians 7:14: one believing parent in a household makes the children holy
- Luke 18:15-16: “let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of god brings”
- John 3:15: “no one can enter the kingdom of god without being born of water and spirit”
- Acts 16:33: the apostles baptised ‘households’. indicates family unit, so infants are included
What Jewish rite is baptism the Christian equivalent of?
circumcision
When is circumcision performed?
8 days after birth
What happens to Christians when baptised?
they are “buried” with Jesus and “raised with him through faith in the power of god”
What is the difference between baptism and circumcision?
baptism saves, circumcision does not
What were the opinions on infant baptism in the early church?
it was uniformly practiced and was supported by all church fathers
What did Augustine believe about infant baptism?
it was something the universal church ‘always held’ and was believed to have been handed down by apostolic authority
Augustine believes that baptised infants are __________ into Christ’s body
ingrafted
What does Christ give his believers?
the grace of his spirit. he ‘secretly infuses’ it, even into infants
Who is responsible for infant baptism?
the individuals holding the child and the entire Christian community
- infants who are baptised believe not on their own account, but through the churches faith
Baptism is a sacrament. what is a sacrament?
a religious rite that imparts spiritual grace
What do North African Christians call baptism and eucharist?
baptism = salvation
eucharist = life
Apostolic tradition of baptism
“without baptism and participation at the table of our lord, it is impossible for anyone to attain either to the kingdom of god or to salvation and life eternal”
What did Augustine conclude baptism was the sacrament of?
regeneration
What did the Council of Mileum declare the reason was for infant baptism?
in order to cleanse the sins they have “contracted” from generations by regeneration
When was the Council of Mileum most reaffirmed?
the middle ages (no controversy at all, even amongst early reformers)
Who was Zwingli?
leader of the Protestant reformation in Switzerland
What did Zwingli regard baptism as?
the signs and seal of regeneration, not the means
“Baptism cannot contribute in any way to …..
the washing away of sins”
What did Zwingli believe baptism did?
seals the remission of sin by the blood of Christ, and our incorporation in Christ by faith which is produced by the holy spirit
What must parents pledge in order to guarantee divine promise for their children?
to bring them up in the christian faith
What is baptism a sign of?
belonging to the new covenant, like how circumcision is a sign of belonging to the old covenant
What are the benefits of baptism for Christians?
it is divinely instituted, effacious to aid, strengthens faith, and confers spiritual blessing
How is infant baptism usually done?
aspersion: sprinkling the water over the infants head
When were christian objections to infant baptism first voiced?
when a diverse group of radical reformers began baptising adults who had made a profession of their faith
What were the radical reformers named by their prosecutors?
Anabaptists
How did early members of the ‘anabaptists’ argue that their baptism wasn’t a ‘second baptism’?
because infant baptism was unscriptural and void. there is no NT record of infants being baptised