Baptism

The History

No one is born a Christian; to become a Christian is to enter a community through an act of faith. Nevertheless, in every school class, there will be children who have been christened (literally "Christ-ing") and gone through this rite of entry into the church with little thought of this being anything other than a social occasion, a type of official naming ceremony. How did this come about?

In the New Testament John the-Baptist baptised people as a symbol of inner repentance; Jesus himself was baptised and the new church carried this practice on. It is inferred from the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of Paul that children were baptised even at this very early stage, but it cannot be proven absolutely; the emphasis was upon the baptism of converts. By AD 200 we know that in baptism immersion in water was followed by the laying on of hands and anointing with oil all in the same service, both acts signified the transmission of power and blessings. Baptism Services were at that time grand public affairs which took place annually on Easter Eve after a long process of instruction.

In the early Middle Ages the belief began to gain ground that baptism "worked almost automatically on people and that children who died unbaptised could not be saved (ie they went into limbo). In the days of high infant mortality infants were soon being baptised within days, even minutes of birth. As no bishop was available to give the baptismal anointing we now call "confirmation" this had to follow at a later date. At the Reformation the Church of England made confirmation an occasion for young adults to ratify for themselves the faith others had professed for them at their baptism. Candidates were then admitted to communion..

With the Reformation the most drastic challenge to infant baptism came with the Anabaptists whose church was a church of believers, not a state church consisting of everyone. They granted baptism only to those of known purity of life and doctrine.

The Church of England retained the practice of baptising infants and this century introduced the service of "Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion" for adults. The debate as to which form is closest to the practice of the early church continues. Different denominations practise infant or adult baptism in accordance with their history and theology.

The Beliefs

There are several important beliefs centred on baptism, all of which have their origins in the New Testament.

(a)It is a sharing of Christ's death and resurrection; bringing to the initiate the possibility of resurrection through Him. Early baptistries used to be designed to look like graves to demonstrate this belief. Romans chp 6 vss 3-5.

(b)Baptism is the sign of entrance into the believing church, which is also called the body of Christ. This is demonstrated by the fact that fonts are usually placed near the entrance to church buildings. 1 Corinthians chp 12 vs 13.

(c)Initiation is a new birth. John chp 3 vs 5.

(d)The cleansing act of the water represents the washing away and forgiveness of sins. Acts chp 2 vs 38

(e)Baptism is also thought of as the reception of the Holy Spirit whilstentering the church, the spirit-filled community. Acts chp 2 vs 38.

This is symbolised in the giving of the candle in the baptism service.

The Service

"Holy Baptism is normally administered by the parish priest in the course of public worship on Sunday. At other times representatives of the regular congregation should attend the service, so that they may welcome the newly baptised and be put in mind of their own baptism."

The main features of the service are:

(a)  The duties of parents and godparents

(b)  The Ministry of the word Bible readings about baptism.

(c)  The decision - a turning from sin to Christ, marked by signing with the cross on the forehead.

(d)  The blessing of the water - a prayer for the use of the water

(e)  The affirmations of faith - the candidates or their parents and godparents proclaim their faith in the Trinity. The congregation also affirm the fundamental belief of the church.

(f)   The baptism is administered. From the first baptism was always by total submersion (some churches still possess fonts large enough to dip a baby in). Although babies today are normally "sprinkled"; submersion does enact the drama of death of the old life and birth to the new and is the method of baptism listed first. It is normally a threefold administration of water symbolising the Trinity.

(g)  Giving of the candle to the baptised or their sponsor - this is optional.

(h)  The welcome - the church recognises what God has done and welcomes the newcomers.