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№ 461 The Baptism Brouhaha: Infants and Beyond

Season 6

Date

2016-04-22

Featuring

Ben, Matt

Length

1:09:43

Category

Theology

Essential

2021-05-11

Another great theological survey

Future Episodes

  • The other five sacraments

What is it?

Not mutually-exclusive

  1. Public profession of faith in Christ
  2. Symbol of faith in Christ
  3. Signifies membership in the people of God (New covenant counterpart to old covenant circumcision)
  4. Communicates grace (sacrament)
  5. Minor exorcism - removal of original sin

What does it do?

  1. Sacrament - communicates grace
  2. Ordinance - symbol
  3. Unspecified spiritual work

Is it required for salvation?

  1. Not required
  2. Communicates grace but not required
  3. Normative way for salvation

Who can take it?

How do you define "Christian"?

  1. Personal faith in Christ
  2. Anyone in a Christian family

Who can give it?

  1. Ordained deacon, priest, or bishop is the normal way, but anyone can baptize with intent and the Trinitarian formula
  2. Only a pastor
  3. Any Christian

You can't baptize yourself.

How often?

  1. Only once
  2. Uncommon to repeat but not prohibited

You can get a conditional baptism if you're not sure if you've been baptized.

What should we use?

  1. Immersion (only option for Orthodox and Baptist/Evangelical, option for Catholic)
  2. Infusion (most common Catholic option)
  3. Sprinkling
  4. Dry baptism

The Didache (AD 70) allows infusion baptism.

Matt was baptized as a baby, then as an adult in a non-denominational church.

Ben was baptized in third grade.

The big divide is between credo- and paedo-baptism. Is the church a collection of people with individual relationships with Christ? Or a collective people of God, a continuation from Israel?

If a collective, then baptism is for the covenant people, including children. If individuals, then credo-baptism is required.

Paul says the Red Sea crossing was a baptism (1 Cor. 10:1-2). Infants were baptized along with their parents.

Baptizing infants dates back at least to Irenaeus.

The Philippian jailer's entire household was baptized.

Host's views

Matt

  • What is it: 2, 3
  • What does it do: 2
  • Is it required for salvation: 1
  • Who can take it: 1
  • Who can give it: 1
  • How often: 1
  • What should we use: 1, 2, 3

Ben

  • What is it: 3, 4, 5
  • What does it do: 1
  • Is it required for salvation: 3
  • Who can take it: 2
  • Who can give it: 1
  • How often: 1
  • What should we use: 1, 2, 3

Matt can't think why someone would believe baptism has to be immersion.

Matt was confirmed as a Lutheran.