Deeper 2 Robert Russell - infant baptism
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INFANT BAPTISM – Peadobaptism – infant or child baptism – Credobaptism – believers baptism as an adult
Transcript of Deeper 2 Robert Russell - infant baptism
INFANT BAPTISM
– Peadobaptism – infant or child baptism
– Credobaptism – believers baptism as an adult
INFANT BAPTISM
Accepted by churches:
Anglican Communion, Roman Catholic,Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodoxy, Armenian Apostolic, Assyrian, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Nazarene, Reformed Church in America, United Church of Canada, United Church of Christ, Continental Reformed.
INFANT BAPTISM
Rejected by churches:
Most Baptists, Apostolic Christians, all Old Time Missionary Baptists, Disciples of Christ, most Pentecostals, Mennonites, Amish, Community of Christ, Plymouth Brethren, Seventh-day Adventists, most non-denominational churches, and other Arminian denominations.
INFANT BAPTISM
Ceremony varies by denomination
Affusion – sprinkling water
Aspersion – pouring water
Immersion
INFANT BAPTISM - History
Bible:
Acts 16:31-34 Jailer and his family baptised
Acts 10: Centurion and his family
1Cor:1-16 Household of Stephanus
INFANT BAPTISM - History
Early Christian:
Irenus (c130-202 AD)
Origen (c185)
Tertullen (c155-230)
Hippolytus (c235)
All consider baptism of infants to be acceptable & standard practice
INFANT BAPTISM - Developments
Infant baptism became the norm
Growth lead to break between baptism and admission to receive communion
Too many baptisms for the bishop to be present at all, baptisms carried out by local priest, bishop performed confirmation
INFANT BAPTISM - Theology
General agreement – New Testament equivalent of circumcision
Col 2:11-12
Beyond this there is a lot of disagreement
INFANT BAPTISM – Theology – Denominational views
Roman Catholics – infant baptism shows salvation is unmerited favour from God, not the fruit of human effort.
Eastern Orthodox - Baptism is a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ to impart grace to its recipients.
INFANT BAPTISM – Theology – Denominational views
CofE
• Tradition early days of the Church. • God’s merciful love – grace- precedes human
response and enables it. Personal confession of faith following on from and responding to the grace of God received in infant baptism is consistent with this fact.
• Christ welcomed and blessed those infants that were brought to Him (Mark 10:13-15)
• As a sign of belonging to the family – circumcision
INFANT BAPTISM – Theology – Denominational views
Lutheran - baptism is a "means of grace" through which God creates and strengthens "saving faith" by the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit in which infants and adults are reborn.
Methodists - principle of prevenient grace, infant baptism is God's promise to the infant that calls that infant to (eventually) believe in God's promises (God's Word) for salvation.
INFANT BAPTISM – Theology – Denominational views
Presbyterian and Continental Reformed
As a symbol, like a wedding ring. The grace it conveys, however, is not justifying grace. Baptism, according to this tradition, does not produce Christians, but identifies the child as a member of the covenant community.
Similar to circumcision
INFANT BAPTISM Big question
How do we see:
Faith
Role of baptism
Our route to being saved
The sacraments
