Baptism (Theme 4)

Question 1

What did Augustine write that Baptism was?

Answer 1

Wrote that it was a ‘tradition received from the apostle’ as a means of removing original sin

Question 2

What segments of the New Testament provide support for infant Baptism?

Answer 2

• Luke 18:15-16
• John 3:5
• Matthew 28:19
• Acts 2:38-39
• 1 Corinthians 7:14
• Colossians 2:11-12

Question 3

Why does Augustine believe in infant Baptisms?

Answer 3

Augustine believed Christ gives believers the grace of his spirit, ‘which he secretly infuses into infants’

Question 4

What does Zwingli say about infant Baptism?

Answer 4

According to Zwingli Baptism seals he remission of sin by the blood of Christ, and our incorporation in Christ by faith, which is produced by the Holy Spirit. In infant Baptism, the divine promise is guaranteed to young children on the basis of their parents pledge to bring them up in the Christian faith

Question 5

How is infant baptism conducted?

Answer 5

Aspersion

Question 6

What was the name given to those the Baptised adults?

Answer 6

Anabaptists meaning rebaptisers by their persecutors

Question 7

What parts of the New Testament support believers baptism?

Answer 7

• Acts 8:12: the Samaritans are baptised after they believe the good news preached by Phillip
• Acts 8:35-36: the Ethiopian eunuch is baptised after he believes
• Acts 9:18: the apostle Paul is baptised after he encounters Jesus in a vision on the road to Damascus
• Acts 10:44-48: peter baptises Cornelius and his household after they show evidence of their faith
• Acts 16:14-15: Lydia and her household are baptised after they accept Paul’s teachings of Jesus
• Acts 19:5-6: the disciples on John the Baptist are baptised after they accept Paul’s teaching about Jesus

Question 8

Why does Karl Barth endorse believers Baptism?

Answer 8

As he writes that Baptism does not bring about human salvation, but bears testimony to salvation by its symbolic representation of renewal with Christ

Question 9

What is Barths argument for believers baptism?

Answer 9

• Baptism marks the first step of life with Christ
• it is a response to Baptism in the spirit
• Not a sacrament, but a human action that acknowledges the one true sacrament ‘the sacrament of the history of Jesus Christ’
• It seals the reality of Gods grace not generates
• As it is a response to Gods grace, it must be a free act as under coercion undermines obedience
• Infant Baptism is misguided because it is coercive. While it is true and valid it is deficient subjectively as the individual baptised is not necessarily willing or ready

Question 10

Who supports Karl Barths believers Baptism?

Answer 10

Moltmann and T.P Forsyth

Question 11

What books take a more traditional stance to Baptism?

Answer 11

• Oscar Cullman (Baptism in the New Testament): baptism signifies both death to sin and resurrection to life of spirit. It does not depend of faith
• Peter Brunner (worship in the name of Jesus): In Baptism Christ unites peole in his body regardless of age

Question 12

How is a believers baptism conducted?

Answer 12

Immersion