2.3 - The sacraments: Baptism Flashcards
What is a sacrament?
a holy ritual that outwardly expresses an inner, spiritual experience. They make the God’s grace visible for believers.
What arethe seven sacraments that Catholic and Orthodox Christians accept?
baptism, confirmation, Holy Communion, marriage, Holy Orders, reconciliation, and the annointing of the sick.
Protestants believe which two sacraments to be the most important?
Why?
Baptism and holy communion. Because they believe that Jesus instructed them to undertake these.
Some churches practise believer’s baptism, but do not consider it what?
A sacrament.
What do sacraments do?
They strengthen a believer’s relationship with God by making him a part of their life. They affirm that Christians are a part of the body of Christ.
Baptism is what?
An initiation rite by which people become members of the church.
What happens spirirtually with baptism?
the person is formally aknowledged as a child of God and receives God’s saving grace; the person’s sins are forgiven and he or she enters a new life with Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:19 [NIV]
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
What is infant baptism?
When a baby is baptised before they are able to make a consccious decision about it.
Why are infants baptised?
Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe that everybody has something called origional sin at birth because we are all descendants of Adam and Eve who committed the first sin. Everyone has a tendency to sin and needs salvation, even infants.
How are infants baptised?
Rites do vary but the priest usually says something along the lines of ‘I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirirt.’ He then pours blessed water over the head of the baby.
Other symbols are used such as making the sign of the cross on the baby’s forehead with holy water, anointing with oil, dressing the child in white, and giving the parents a candle lit from the paschal candle.
Why do some Christians disagree with infant baptism?
because they believe that a baby is too young to understand the meaning of baptism, so should wait and be baptised when they are old enough to come to a mature decision about their faith.
What is believer’s baptism?
When a mature person who is old enough to take responsibility of their faith decides to be baptised as proof they are going to devote their life the Jesus.
How does believer’s baptism work?
The person is fully immersed in a pool of water, symbolising the cleansing from sin and the rising up to new life with Christ.
