Sacraments - baptism
Jesus’ cousin For Christians, the person who came to prepare the way of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and who baptised him in the River Jordan. was the first Jew to use baptism to symbolise the To pardon someone for something that they have done wrong. of sins (Matthew 3:3–11). He baptised Jesus in the River Jordan (Matthew 3:13–17).
For many Christians, baptism remains an important ceremony to welcome Christians into God’s family. This is because after his The Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after the crucifixion. The rising from the dead of believers on the Last Day in a new, or risen, life., Jesus told his followers that they too should be baptised:
No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
Following this instruction, baptism is practised by nearly all Christian A group within a religion. Christian denominations include, for example, Roman Catholic and Anglican denominations.. Many Christians believe that baptism cleanses people of The tendency to sin in all human beings, believed to be inherited from Adam, 'the first man'..
Infant baptism
Some denominations baptise babies soon after they are born. This is known as infant baptism. Some Christians believe that only people who are baptised can enter Heaven, so they see baptising babies as an urgent matter.
For A branch of Christianity, eg the Church in Greece., infant baptism involves To fully cover someone with water as part of the baptism ceremony.. In other denominations, priests use holy oil to make the sign of the cross on the baby’s head before sprinkling the baby with Water that has been blessed by a priest or member of the clergy.. The priest repeats Jesus’ instruction to baptise in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)
During the service, the child’s Someone who promises to guide their godchild in religious matters in a Christian baptism ceremony. make promises to reject evil on behalf of the child. At the end of the ceremony, the priest gives the child’s guardians a lit candle, which symbolises receiving of the light of Christ.
Believers’ baptism
The baptism of people who are old enough to understand the meaning of the rite. is practised by Group, or church, placing particular emphasis on the gospel and the scriptures as the sole authority in all matters of faith and conduct., A member of the Baptist Church, or a Christian who practices believers' baptism. and A Church that emphasises certain gifts, eg healing the sick, which were granted to the first believers on the Day of Pentecost.. These denominations teach that baptism should only occur once somebody is an adult because:
- Becoming part of a faith community is an important commitment that a person should choose for themselves.
- Christians should follow Jesus’ example as closely as possible, and he was baptised as an adult.
- There are no examples of babies being baptised in the Bible.
- Jesus does not recommend baptising people as soon as they are born. In the Bible, a person called Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish supreme court). He sought a meeting with Jesus after dark as he was a afraid to speak with him in daylight in case anyone saw him. He stood up for Jesus when the Pharisees were conspiring against him. asks Jesus,
How can someone be born when they are old?. Jesus replies,
You must be born again (John 3:4, 7). This shows that baptism (being “born again”) was practised on adults (people who are “old”), rather than infants.
Believers’ baptism and dedication
Believers’ baptism involves total immersion, where the person being baptised walks into a special pool and is fully submerged three times before walking out into their new life.
Many Christians who do not practise infant baptism hold ceremonies of dedication for babies. At these ceremonies, the child is named and the parents make promises to bring the child up according to Christian beliefs and teachings.
Question
What does baptism do?
Baptism cleanses a person of original sin and makes them fully part of the Christian community.
