LongDistanceConversations
He are some questions and answers from Wikipedia about baptism, the p's are answers from Paedobaptists and the c's are answers from Credobaptists. Enjoy:
-Why do Christians baptize anyone at all?
P. Baptism is a sign that a person is a member of GodÂ’s covenant community.
C. Baptism is a public profession of faith. It is a symbolic way of publicly telling the world one is a Christian
-Who are the members of GodÂ’s covenant community or church?
P. Believers and the children of believers are members of GodÂ’s covenant community (or church).
C. Only those who have faith in Christ are members of GodÂ’s covenant community (or church).
-What does baptism signify and/or symbolize?
P. Baptism symbolizes cleansing and washing.
C. . Baptism symbolizes that the individual has been washed and cleansed from his sin by the blood of Jesus.
-Is baptism merely a symbol or is it a channel through which God conveys grace?
P. Baptism is not merely a symbol. It conveys grace.
C. Baptism is merely a symbol. It does not convey grace of any kind.
-If baptism conveys grace, does it convey justifying grace?
Paedobaptistsists disagree on the answer to this question. Some argue baptism conveys justifying grace, others sanctifying grace, still others say that it conveys both.
C. N/A
I hope that you guys might have some comments and responses to this.
Grace and Peace,
Jared
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1 comment:
I'm working on my response to these questions right now. But I think that I can say this much right now: tradition can and does change whether we think it should or does. In his book Why Study the Past, Rowan Williams talks about people thinking that things stay the same all the time. That the world of tomorrow is the same as the world of today is an absurd assumption. The fact that baptism is at the center of Christian symbolism has made it shift and change with the church, while still remaining essentially what it was with John the Baptist.
I think that a person's view on forms of baptism is a pretty good indicator of where they stand on quite a few other things. That said, I do not unify with others because of their specific definition or practice in regard any doctrine or symbol but in their faith in Jesus as Lord of all creation and in God's having raised him from the dead. The euangellion (good news, proclamation of victory) is more than the expressions we chose to use to convey it to one another and the world.
In short, baptism matters but not enough to split up a family.
Grace and Peace,
Jared
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