WHY BAPTISM?
Protestant churches baptize in obedience to Christ but differ over infant or believer's baptism, its relation to grace, and membership in the church.
Historical context
Lutheran and Anglican confessions retain infant baptism; Baptist traditions generally baptize professing believers. These differences concern the subjects and effects of baptism, not whether Jesus commands his followers to baptize.
Avoid overclaiming
A household reference does not tell the reader whether infants were present. Nor does the presence of adult conversions prove that only adults may ever be baptized.
Strongest alternative reading
Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed churches ordinarily retain infant baptism, with different accounts of its efficacy. Baptist traditions ordinarily require a profession of faith. Orthodox and Catholic accounts also baptize infants, but their sacramental theology should not be treated as identical to every Protestant paedobaptist account.
Key points
- Christ's command
- initiation into the Christian community
- diverse Protestant accounts of baptism
Common questions
- What distinguishes this church's account of the subjects of baptism from its account of baptism's effect?
- How does it connect the command, the promise, faith, and incorporation into Christ?
Scripture
- Matthew 28:18-20
- Acts 2:37-41
- Romans 6:1-11
- Colossians 2:11-13; Acts 16:25-34
- Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:37-42 — The risen Christ joins making disciples, baptizing, and teaching. Acts connects repentance and baptism with teaching, fellowship, bread, and prayer.
- Exodus 14:21-31; 1 Corinthians 10:1-12; Romans 6:1-11 — Paul explicitly calls the sea crossing a baptism into Moses and warns the baptized against presumption; Romans describes baptism into Christ's death and risen life.
- Isaiah 1:16-20; Titus 3:3-8 — Isaiah joins washing imagery to justice for the oppressed; Titus joins God's mercy, washing and renewal, and a life devoted to good works.
Primary sources
Article XXVII begins:
The Anglican Articles deny that baptism is merely a sign of profession; this is one Protestant confessional witness among differing accounts.
Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference
Passage context and translation
Article XXVII continues with regeneration and incorporation into the Church. Anglican baptismal teaching is not a universal Protestant account.
After the excerpt
whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration or new Birth
Didache 7 gives a triune baptismal formula, water preferences, and a conditional provision for pouring.
Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if you have not living water, baptize into other water; and if you can not in cold, in warm. But if you have not either, pour out water thrice upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit.
Passage context and translation
The instruction names Father, Son, and Spirit and prefers living water; it then provides alternatives, including pouring when other water is unavailable. It is an early manual, not a census of all baptismal customs.
Before the excerpt
And concerning baptism, baptize this way:
After the excerpt
But before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whatever others can
Justin describes persuaded converts, shared prayer and fasting, and a washing he calls regeneration.
Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated.
Passage context and translation
Justin is describing the baptism of people who have accepted Christian instruction and joined the community's prayer and fasting. His account also names the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the washing; this passage alone does not answer later debates about infant baptism.
Before the excerpt
As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true ... are instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting
After the excerpt
For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water.
Cyril presents doctrinal instruction and virtuous practice as inseparable in catechesis.
For the method of godliness consists of these two things, pious doctrines, and virtuous practice
Passage context and translation
Cyril introduces an outline of the creed for Jerusalem catechumens. He argues that neither doctrinal knowledge without a corresponding life nor conduct detached from true teaching is sufficient. The paragraph also warns against deceptive teaching and explicitly invokes Colossians 2:8.
After the excerpt
and neither are the doctrines acceptable to God apart from good works, nor does God accept the works which are not perfected with pious doctrines.