Category: Baptism

Introduction

Baptism refers to the act of immersing a person in water or simply sprinkling some water on a believer as a way of seeking forgiveness of sins (Spinks 2006, 213). Baptism follows faith and it is said to form the first act of discipleship. After baptism, one is deemed to have repented all his/her sins and s/he can inherit the kingdom of God (Dunn 2010, 23).

Different churches have their different modes of administering baptism. Some do it by dipping a person in water while others simply wash the face with some water considered special for that purpose. Baptism is an important rite of passage amongst Christians though there is heated debate on who should be baptized (William 2010, 97).

Some Christians believe that baptism is only applicable to infants, while others hold that it can be done at any stage in life. According to Christians, baptism creates a contract between the baptized and God and the latter commits himself/herself to Christianity (Stott 2006, 245). This belief has sparked heated debate on the ability of an infant to make a contract, thus raising questions amongst believers on who should actually be baptized.

This essay seeks to answer this question and shed light on the nature of baptism in the contemporary times coupled with providing supporting evidence on the issue. It will analyze the purpose of baptism based on the biblical teaching and the believers’ point of view. It will analyze both the proponents and the opponents’ view and come up with a conclusion on whether baptism in the modern world serves its purpose.

Who Should Be Baptized?

The question regarding who should be baptized has attracted debate with some believers arguing that it is open to anyone who believes in the death of Jesus Christ and others asserting that it should only occur once in the lifetime of an individual, at infancy (McDonnell and Montague 1991, 54). Christian believers in support of child baptism base their argument on the teachings of the New Testament that support infant baptism (Ferguson 2009, 156).

They normally cite Acts 2:39, which states that the kingdom of God is for those who act as “children” (Jeremias 2004, 53). However, to some other section of believers, the inclusion of the word “children” does not imply that baptism should only occur at infancy, but rather it should occur to all believers regardless of age.

The question depends on the individual interpretation of the scripture. Those who oppose infancy baptism allege that there is no direct connection between baptism and infants in the N.T. They interpret the teachings of St. Peter in the aforementioned verse to mean generations to come and not necessarily children.

Those opposing infancy baptism also argue that baptizing children at a tender age is dangerous since baptism creates a covenant between God and the infant, which may have adverse consequences on the kid at his/her old age in case he/she decides to abandon Christianity in favor of a new faith (William 2010, 132).

This argument is based on the teaching of the scripture that views baptism as a contract between God and the person being baptized. In light of this understanding, Lloyd Jones argued that baptizing a child does not guarantee his/her commitment to Christianity since an infant cannot enter into any enforceable agreement (Jeremias 2004, 54). Notably, most infants, who are baptized at infancy, later defect to other faiths when they grow up, thus invalidating infant baptism.

Supporters of child baptism usually allude to the verity that circumcision is open to all Christian believers as stated in the Old Testament (Dunn 2010, 232). They claim that baptism is the connecting sign for the two testaments, viz. the New and the Old Testament. Unfortunately, such arguments overlook the view that the two rituals signify change from physical to spiritual (William 2010, 217). The circumcision/baptism allusion is based on the teachings in Colossians 2:11 that talks of circumcision as a way of cleansing one’s sins (Hunter 2009, 230).

Their take on circumcision is that physical circumcision is similar and equally important as spiritual circumcision. However, the proponents of such thinking tend to distinguish the two by claiming that physical circumcision has no spiritual significance and that the scripture is in support of spiritual circumcision as opposed to the physical circumcision cited by the supporters (Jeremias 2004, 48). Proponents of childhood baptism use Acts 16:15 and 33 by claiming that the mention of households includes infants as well (Ferguson 2009, 132).

No one has attempted to shed light on who was in the household, and thus the supporters only speculate about the presence of children in the household in question. A section of Christians also alleges that children of baptized and committed Christian parents automatically inherit holiness from their parents (McDonnell 1996, 234). The believers base their argument on 1 Corinthians 7.

What is the purpose of baptism?

The main motive of baptism is to show love and commitment for Christ (Hunter 2009, 251). It represents union with Christ in his demise, suffering, and resurrection (William 2010, 234). Jesus sacrificed his life due to the love that he had for the people and he taught his followers that his blood would clean up all the sins that an individual had committed (Jeremias 2004, 241). It is only through baptism that a Christian can pay back. Allegedly, Christians acquire their names through baptism. It is through baptism that a person gains recognition and acceptance in a congregation.

The other purpose that Christians cite is that baptism saves the soul (Lampe 2004, 97). In the book of Mark, it is stated that whoever believes in the teachings in the scripture and in turn accepts to be baptized, his /her soul will be saved (Dunn 2010, 342). Therefore, from this verse, it is evident that the key objective of baptism is to save the soul and inherit the kingdom of God.

Christians agree on the view that baptism is a way of cleansing sins (William 2010, 425). They believe that once a person is baptized, the washing of sins takes place immediately. In support of this view, Acts 2:38 states that a person who believes in Jesus Christ and baptized automatically receives the gift of the Holy Spirit (Ferguson 2009, 300). In a bid to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, one must first repent or otherwise undergo baptism.

When Jesus was being baptized in the river of Jordan, he automatically received the gift of Holy Spirit that was symbolized by a frame on the head (William 2010, 329). Christians also connect baptism with being “born again.” In the book of John, Jesus explained the meaning of the term being “born again” as being born again through water and spirit. Baptism through water signifies the reception of the Holy Spirit, and thus through baptism one can be said to be born again.

What are the benefits of baptism

The first benefit that accrues from baptism is that the baptized individual acquires salvation, which is the key to inheriting the kingdom of God (Jeremias 2004, 245). Christians believe that everyone shall present himself/herself before Christ in the doomsday and that salvation will be assessed.

Considering the view that salvation comes from faith and baptism, every Christian ought to be baptized through water in order to inherit the kingdom of God. In addition, the scriptures explain that whoever does not go through baptism will not see the kingdom of God and such people are likened to a thief or a robber trying to enter heaven through unacceptable route (Hunter 2009, 112).

The second benefit that Christians get from baptism is the gift of the ability to avoid and escape temptations (Jeremias 2004, 36). This purpose is supported in the teaching of second Peter, which says that God bestows wisdom to righteous people to enable them escape and avoid temptations (William 2010, 53). Temptations are part of Christian lives and every Christian has to overcome them just as Jesus did. No one can be righteous without being baptized, and thus to acquire the aforementioned wisdom, one must first undergo baptism through water. Christians thus seek salvation through baptism to enjoy the benefit of wisdom as righteous people.

The third benefit that accrues from baptism is that one becomes a child of God. In the scriptures, God says that He will be the father of all the righteous people (Dunn 2010, 26). Being a child of God comes with numerous benefits and Christians believe that they will be heirs of their Lord. This desire to become God’s heirs motivates Christians to undergo baptism. Baptism is seen as way of becoming righteous, and thus Christians seek righteousness through baptism in order to be called God’s children.

The final benefit is that baptism signifies redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ (Ferguson 2009, 307). Christians believe that Jesus, the son of God, died on the cross and shed blood for the sake of believers. The blood that he shed was meant to redeem Christians from sins. Through love, Jesus consented to be crucified for those who believe in him to inherit the kingdom of God. Christians reciprocate to this love by believing in Christ and being baptized in order to be redeemed from sins.

What mode of baptism is biblical?

Christians anonymously agree on baptism through water (Hunter 2009, 38). However, they differ on whether to use immersion or sprinkling mode of baptism. Some church leaders prefer to immerse their church members in deep water, while others sprinkle water on the face of an individual. Both methods are biblically acceptable since water does not baptize, but rather the name of the Lord, which is believed to be in and with the water used during baptism (William 2010, 232).

Faith is also important during baptism as baptism with water without faith is not effective. According to St Paul’s teachings, baptism with water without God and faith is ineffective and it does not wash away one’s sins (Jeremias 2004, 139). Water, as a mode of baptism, is highly emphasized in the New Testament as Jesus sent his disciples to go and baptize people through water and the spirit (Dunn 2010, 48).

Jesus, the son of God, was baptized by water at the river of Jordan. During his baptism, he received the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is a clear indication that baptism through water is biblically acceptable as long as it is done in the name of God and the believer has faith in the baptizing water.

Conclusion

Baptism refers to the act of immersing a believer in water or simply sprinkling water on an individual’s forehead. To most Christians, baptism signifies union with Christ in his death and resurrection. The main purpose why Christians undergo this ritual is to gain salvation, and thus acquire the kingdom of God. A number of benefits accrue for those who undergo baptism, which include the reception of the Holy Spirit that helps Christians to overcome temptations that come along their way.

There have been arguments on how and to whom this ritual should be performed. A section of Christians believes that baptism should be performed exclusively to infants. Other Christians argue that baptism can take place at any stage regardless of age or gender.

Christians, who are in support of baptism during infancy, claim that baptism should precede circumcision while those opposing the practice hold that an infant cannot make a binding contract at his/her tender age. Baptism, according to the scriptures, should take the form of immersion in water. In light of the above discussion on baptism, it is evident that baptism is an important rite of passage to Christians as it leads to salvation.

Reference List

Dunn, James. 2010. Baptism in the Holy Spirit: A Re-examination of the New Testament Teaching on the Gift of the Spirit in relation to Pentecostalism Today. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press.

Ferguson, Everett. 2009. Baptism in the Early Church: History, theology, and liturgy in the first five centuries. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.

Hunter, Harold. 2009. Spirit Baptism: A Pentecostal Alternative. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Jeremias, Joachim. 2004. Infant baptism in the first four centuries. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Lampe, Geoffrey. 2004. The Seal of the Spirit: A Study in the Doctrine of Baptism and Confirmation in the New Testament and the Fathers. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers.

McDonnell, Kilian. 1996. The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan: The trinitarian and cosmic order of salvation. Collegeville: Liturgical Press.

McDonnell, Kilian, and George Montague. 1991. Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Evidence from the First Eight Centuries. Collegeville: Liturgical Press.

Spinks, Bryan. 2006. Early and medieval rituals and theologies of baptism: from the New Testament to the Council of Trent. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

Stott, John. 2006. Baptism and fullness: The work of the Holy Spirit today. Westmont: Inter Varsity Press.

William, Edward. 2010. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, a Brief Exposition. Whitefish: Kessinger Publishing, LLC.

Death of Infants and Fate

Infants possess the original sins that each person attains after birth. According to various religious beliefs from Christian communities, the practice of baptism cleanses those sins. Essentially, they can die with or without the sins depending on this practice. Technically, the personal sins are absent from them as they have not reached the age of accountability. In this light, the infants baptized through Christian faith are believed acceptable in heaven as they have no sins.

However, those who die before baptism bring a controversy that churches like the Catholic Church do not clarify on their fate¹. In respect to this controversy, theologians have a wide range of theories indicating that the infant’s souls are received in Limbo, which is believed to have absolute happiness or mildest punishment. It is, therefore, apparent that children who die before attaining individual consciousness can be sinful depending on whether they are not baptized. In answering the subject question, they are not primarily innocent of sin unless in the conditions stipulated within this paragraph.

Christ and Infant Baptism

Essentially, there are many Christianity-based arguments that support the baptism of infants. It has been argued that baptism is a practice for believers in which they protest their faith to other people. This argument implies that those who believe in Christ are his remnants through decision making. For instance, it has been indicated in Romans 6: 3-4 that, “all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness”².

A similar case is apparent in the book of Acts 2: 38. In this aspect, Peter relented to this attribute while preaching to the people, “repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”³. It shows that baptism is a declaration of obedience to Christ, a vow of submission and forgiveness of sins. It, hence, dictates that the amended work of Christ has pertinent application to infants’ salvation since it declares baptism as a way of clearing their sins.

Views

In one sense, the infants possess a sin that restricts them from entering heaven as per the judgment of human beings. Critically, the infants have not performed sins like the adults. The responsibility of these sins is mediated by the parents or concerned religious bodies such as the Catholic Church. Perceptually, the baptism is not only a step of welcoming the infant to the proposed religion, but also signifying the purification and beliefs of initiation from the Old Testament.

It implies that the baptism is a vital ritual for infants while considering its outcomes to the practices of circumcision as in the time of Abraham. In fact, it credits the teaching of St. Peter as perceived from the Acts of Apostles. Essentially, humanity was subjected to a curse from God after eating the forbidden fruit. This curse was initiated to all people regardless of whether the infants were conscious or not. Conclusively, it is imperative to take the responsibility of handling infants and incorporate them into the Christian doctrines through baptism.

Bibliography

Boyd, Gregory, and Eddy Paul. Across the spectrum: understanding issues in evangelical theology. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2009.

Lutzer, Erwin. The doctrines that divide: a fresh look at the historic doctrines that separate Christians. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998.

Mitch, Curtis. The New Testament. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 2010.

Footnotes

1. Gregory Boyd and Eddy Paul, Across the spectrum: understanding issues in evangelical theology (Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2009), 48-53.
2. Erwin Lutzer, The doctrines that divide: a fresh look at the historic doctrines that separate Christians (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998), 67-79.
3. Curtis Mitch, The New Testament (San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 2010), 110-187.

Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the situation whereby a believer is brought into union with Christ through the power of the spirit of God, the believer is at the same time brought into union with other believers within the body of Christ during the period of salvation. In the book of 1Corinthians 12:12-13 the issue regarding baptism of the Holy Spirit is deeply discussed “For we were all baptized by one spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” 1 Corinthians 12:13.

The same sentiments are reflected in Romans 6:1-4 where the believer’s position before God is described in detail is says thus “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

The message on the book of first Corinthians 12:13, indicates clearly that all believers have undergone baptism the same way they have been given Spirit to drink which indwells them (Lock 1897, 65-74). The reality of every believer depends on being baptized of the Holy Ghost according to Ephesians 4:5.

The baptism of the Holy Ghost in reality joins believers to the body of Christ and at the same time actualizes believers’ co-crucifixion with Christ. The sharing in the body of Christ makes us one with him and therefore considered risen with Him to newness of life (Romans 6:4). The basis for unity within the church revolves around the experience of one Spirit baptism as revealed in the book of Ephesians 4:5.

Thus the experience of being associated with Christ in His death and resurrection through Spirit baptism gives the meaning to our nature of separation from the power of sin and being renewed in our daily life (Talbert 1984).

In the book of Acts, Apostle Paul challenged believers at that time by asking them if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed Acts 19:2. This reveals that Paul considered the reality behind the Spirit’s baptism to be one of the mandatory experiences in a believer’s life (Brawley 1987). He further emphasized this to the Ephesians in Eph 5:18.

Condition

According to the New Testament, every believer is under obligation to obey God’s laws. This is since there is no justification in God’s sight unless one devotes himself to complete obedience to the law of God. The laws of the Lord must be honored and reverenced through the help of His Spirit.

However, there are ways believers can follow to ensure maintenance of what is referred to as perfect obedience; these include ways of legalism and ways of the gospel since the two methods do not permit any form of compromise. The Old Testament reveals that man obedience to God’s laws entitles a believer to claim God’s promise of everlasting life.

In the book of Romans 10:5, it is written that whether a believer aspires towards life attainment with God’s help or not creates no difference according to Moses writings. However, this is contrary to the issue on being filled with the Holy Ghost since the reception of God’s Spirit cannot be attained through human effort. The experience of being filled with the Holy Ghost is revealed not as a reward for a sanctified life (Walker 1985, 3-23).

The Bible reveals in the book of Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and all continue to come short of the divine glory.” This brings us to the predicament that none of the sons of Adam has got the ability to render the obedience worthy of the Spirit of God. Therefore the sinful nature of man makes him appear unacceptable on the basis of his performance as further revealed in the book of Romans 3:20 “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Therefore it is only the way of the gospel through which man can be able to fulfill the conditions towards being filled with the Spirit of life. Jesus Christ came to the Earth to take the place of being the new head of humanity and making the substitute of every man by dying on the cross in our stead saving us from the penalty of disobedience.

Jesus Christ’s death on the cross made full compensation for the law’s penalty against sin, hence in 2 Corinthians 5:14 Paul declares “We look at it like this: if one died for all men, then, in a sense, they all died.”

The condition which was required by God for the out pouring of His Spirit upon all flesh was the atoning sacrifice which Christ gave on the cross. The cry of Jesus Christ on the cross broke every barrier towards freedom of receiving gift of the spirit (Lock 1897, 65-74). Therefore, the Holy Spirit is given based on Jesus’ atonement as reflected by Paul in Galatians 3: 10, 13.

Method of receiving the Holy Spirit

Jesus Christ fulfilled all the conditions enabling believers to willingly receive the Holy Ghost. In Galatians 3:1-2 the Spirit is communicated simply through the word of God in the Gospel and by faith Galatians 3:1-2. This shows that the Spirit is received by the hearing of the word of God.

The book of Acts reveals practical ways on how a believer can receive the Holy Spirit through the hearing of faith (Fernando 1998). On the account of Peter when acting on a command to go to the home of a Roman centurion to preach to gathering of gentiles, He declared the Lordship of Christ by saying “Whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins” Acts 10:43. While he was still addressing the crowd, the Holy Spirit fell on those who heard the word.

The word of God declares “Thy sins be forgiven thee” Mark 2:5 and at the same time declares that “Christ has taken us into His favor in the person of His beloved Son” Ephesians 1:6. The Spirit of God is actually present in the word and the spirit still continues up-to-date to fall on everyone ready to hear the word of God. However, the Spirit is not only imparted through faith, but continues through perpetual impartation by faith (Gasque and Ralph 1970).

Evidence of the Holy Spirit Reception

The evidence at the receiving of the Holy Ghost is clearly indicated in God’s Word. The Bible do not insists on a believer to focus on visual signs, Jesus in His teachings once recorded “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” Mathew 12:39.

However, it can be noted that the primary evidence of the Spirit is faith. Paul spoke to the Corinthians on the primacy of faith “No man can say Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost” 1Corinthians 12:3. The most outstanding evidence on Spirit’s power is the process of conversion of a sinful man to a believer.

The first fruits of the Spirit represents God’s gift to mankind according to Romans 8:23. Most of the human life experiences seem incomplete and unfulfilled denoting that man can never find satisfaction in their own spiritual experiences since it is only the starting point of always.

Holy Ghost encourages believers to be patient, groan and endure towards the great hope awaiting the coming of our Lord Jesus. Thus, the scripture states that “beyond this present feeble existence there waits a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” 2 Corinthians 4:17. Walking by faith guarantees us the assurance that though we are imperfect and incomplete, Christ died for our sake Colossians 2:10.

There is no reality in support of the issue of having ordinary Christians and Spirit-filled Christians. A man can only be either Spirit-filled Christian or non-believer according to Romans 8:9. One Christian baptism recommended by Jesus was Christian baptism which entails baptism of water and of the Holy Ghost preached through the Word of God.

Bibliography

Brawley, Robert L. Luke-Acts and the Jews: Conflict, Apology, and Conciliation.

Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press, 1987.

Fernando, Ajith. Acts. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998.

Gasque, W. Ward, and Ralph P. Martin, eds. Apostolic History and the Gospel: Biblical and Historical Essays Presented to F. F. Bruce on His 60th Birthday. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1970.

Lock, Walter. “1 Corinthians 8:1-9: A Suggestion.” The Expositor 5:6 (1897): 65–74.

Talbert, Charles H., ed. Luke-Acts: New Perspectives From the Society of Biblical Literature. New York, NY: Crossroad, 1984.

Walker, William O. Jr. “Acts and the Pauline Corpus Reconsidered.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 24 (1985): 3–23.

Abstract

The Acts of apostles was written by Luke as a continuation of the book of the Gospel according to Luke. It aims at telling how Jesus’ early followers, inspired by the Holy Spirit spread the Good news about him. The book of Acts of Apostles is written as a history of the early church and it shows how the church grew and spread from Jerusalem to the whole of the Roman Empire.

Luke wrote an orderly account of the events that had unfolded during the time of Christ and after his ascension of his Roman friend Theophilus, a well respected government official. He hoped that by giving him an accurate, eyewitness account (Luke 1:1-4); his friends and other readers would make up their mind about Christ.

The purpose of his writing was not to engage in philosophical arguments about God or his principles; instead, he hoped that by setting out a carefully researched report, the people whom he wanted to become Christians could see and hear themselves (Baker. 1979, 884).

Luke was a trained doctor, in his profession he was trained to listen carefully, pay attention to detail and arrive at informed conclusions. He had an eye for the sick, socially handicapped, children and those who did not fit well in the society. He was constantly involved in human problems and in solving them. In his life he became a friend to Paul, the famous church leader and teacher and together they travelled through land and sea together.

Paul would later refer to him as “our dear friend the doctor” in his letters. Luke established a high reputation as a historian (Marshall 1998, 78). His work was confirmed to be accurate and impressive and he is believed to be one of the best historians in the ancient biblical world as well as an exemplary evangelist.

Introduction

The book of Acts begins with Jesus meeting his disciples for the last time before his ascension to Heaven. He instructed his disciples not to leave Jerusalem before receiving the gift that God the father had promised (Acts1:4), (John 16:7, 13). Jesus told his disciples that they would be filled with power of Holy Spirit and they would become “his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” (Acts1:8).

He told his disciples that whereas John the Baptist baptized with water, the disciples would be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts1:4-5). The mention of these words of Christ in his last physical meeting with the disciples at the beginning of the book of Acts sets the agenda for the whole book.

Indeed throughout the whole book, baptism became the most important feature in the lives of the disciples and the work of the Holy Spirit in promoting the early church which was undergoing exponential growth.

In his writings, Luke demonstrates that Jesus continues to live but since he had already left for Heaven, he lives through the disciples by the way of Holy Spirit. The works that Jesus did when he was on earth like healing, teaching, casting out demons, challenging false teaching were continued by the disciples who were being directed and guided by the Holy Spirit.

It was the intentions of Luke to show that “Jesus remained active and alive in the early church; it’s only the manner in which he worked that changed. No longer in the flesh, he continued to do and teach through his spirit” (William 1990, 98).

This research paper seeks to find out the role of baptism in the book of Acts, and how Luke interpreted it. The role of baptism in God’s plan of salvation and the relevance of baptism in today’s church is also analyzed.

History of baptism

The word “baptism” is derived from the Greek word “baptisma”. The word means to immerse, submerge, to cause something to be dipped or to overwhelm. Thus to baptize something in water means to put it under the water. To baptize someone means to put that person under the water. In Christianity baptism is a ritual that symbolizes death, burial and resurrection similar to Christ (Romans 6:4).

It identifies Christian with the life of Christ who died and rose again. In biblical history, the act of baptism as a rite for Jews was started by John the Baptist. “So John appeared in the desert, baptizing and preaching, “Turn away from your sins and be baptized,” he told the people, “and God will forgive your sins” (Mark 1:4, 3).

His teachings drew the attention of many from Judea and Jerusalem and multitudes went out to the wilderness where he lived to listen to him. They confessed their sins and he baptized them in the River Jordan (Mark 1:4, 5).

John is believed to have been the one prophesied by Isaiah who would come to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord (Isa 40:3). He taught those he baptized, that “The man who will come after me is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:5, 6). Jesus actually began his ministry when he was baptized by John in Jordan.

It was immediately after his baptism that Jesus received the Holy Spirit. John’s taught the Israelites to repent and God would forgive their sins. Those who accepted his teaching had to repent and confess their sins before John could baptize them.

Biblical scholars and historians believe that, John adopted the practice of immersion in water from the rites that non Jews underwent when they wanted to join the Jewish faith. Gentile proselytes would immerse themselves in water as a symbol of cleansing from their past.

It should also be noted that various forms of washing characterized Jewish way of life, for example the Pharisees could not eat without elaborately washing their hands and Jesus once washed the feet of his disciples before a meal.

However some Jews especially the elites, did not think that, as the covenant people they needed to be baptized, therefore the call for people to repent and demonstrate their sincerity by baptism like Gentile converts was rejected by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, (Luke 7:30), but many people especially the tax collectors obeyed and were baptized by John (Luke 7:29).

Biblical scholars associate other past events in bible history to baptism such as the passage of Israelites through the Red Sea. The ancestors of the Israelites were baptized under the cloud and the Sea as they crossed from Egypt into the Promised Land (1Cor:10:1-2).

The cure of Naaman, the commander of the Syrian Army, a highly respected and esteemed person who was told by Prophet Elisha to dip into the River Jordan seven times is considered by biblical scholars as a form of baptism. He obeyed and was healed (2King 5:14).

In the book of Matthew, Jesus Christ gave his disciples the great commission telling them, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you… ” (Matthew 28:19-20). Thus, baptism here was a sign of a new covenant and a mark of a new life.

Those who were baptized were referred to as followers of Christ and they their lives changed since they learned to follow the laws they learnt from the apostles

Baptism in the Early Church

On the Pentecost Day, the disciples were gathered together in one place in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit came upon them, filled them and they begun speaking in other languages (Acts 2:4). The people near them were amazed but some of them thought they were drunk. Peter filled with the Holy Spirit gave a powerful sermon and as a result many were convicted (Acts 2:17-37).

The people begged Peter and the disciples to tell them what to do to. Peter told them that they must turn away from their sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for their sins to be forgiven (Acts2:38). Peter told them that by doing so, they would escape from the punishment that was coming upon this wicked world.

It is then that they would receive the gift of God, the Holy Spirit. Many believed that day and were baptized; in fact, 3,000 people became the first converts of the early church (Acts2:41). The church continued growing and every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved (Acts 2:47).

From this we can draw the following conclusion, first before being baptized it was necessary for one to repent and after being baptized in the name of Jesus, forgiveness of sin would come upon a person.

After forgiveness, a person would get salvation that is an escape from the punishment that was coming up against the wicked people of the world. It’s only after receiving salvation that the Holy Spirit, the gift that God the Father had promised would come upon a person.

It is thus clear that the first Baptism that Peter and the Apostles administered on the 3,000 first converts was water Baptism and not the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit came after repentance, water baptism and salvation, in that order. Luke records that the church continued to grow everyday with more people becoming saved (Acts 2:47).

The process of salvation mentioned above i.e. repentance, baptism, forgiveness and salvation applied to those who joined the early church.

Before becoming a member of the early church one had to undergo water baptism. Baptism therefore denoted entry into the early church and a conversion from previous faith. Everyone who got converted in the early church got baptized, it is clear that baptism was a must for anyone who wished to get salvation.

In Acts Chapter 8:26, An angel of the Lord appeared in a vision and led Phillip to the road on which respected and righteous dignitary was travelling on his way back home from a pilgrimage in Jerusalem. The man was an Ethiopian Eunuch, a senior officer of his queen’s government.

He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was on his way back. He was reading the book of prophet Isaiah but did not understand it well. Phillip guided by the Holy Spirit helped him understand that the portion of scripture he was reading had been fulfilled through the coming of Christ.

When he had received the good news the Eunuch saw some water by the road side and asked Phillip to baptize him. Phillip baptized him and afterward the spirit of God took him away. The Ethiopian eunuch continued on his journey “happy” (Marshall 1998, 53). Here we see again that he heard the good news, was convicted of the truth and he was baptized being converted into Christianity.

Saul was another person who underwent baptism; a member of the Jewish Council, he and other members of the council were furious because of the teachings of the apostles. They were also furious because the church was growing steadily. Saul sought to persecute the church and he went from house to house dragging believers and throwing them into jail.

As a result the members of the early church scattered all over in an effort to run away from him. He pursued them wherever they went. One day on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians there, he encountered the Lord, he fell down and he lost his sight.

The Lord identified himself and told him to go to Damascus and wait there. Saul prayed and fasted for three days in Damascus before a man named Ananias would come and lay hands on him and pray for him (Acts 9:9). After being prayed for, he regained his sight and was baptized and he became full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17-18). His name was changed from Saul to Paul.

Paul would later become the strongest leader and defender of the gospel in the early church. Biblical scholars argue that though Paul had been praying and fasting for three days, he got filled with the spirit only after he was baptized and had hands lain upon him.

Therefore they claim that repentance and confession does not bring salvation but baptism does. It is common for people to get a new name during baptism indicating the start of a new life just like Paul.

When persecutions increased in Jerusalem, some of the Christians ran away to other town like Samaria where they continued to teach about Jesus. Many people received them and were baptized into the faith (Acts 8:4-16).

However they did not receive the Holy Spirit until Peter and John came and laid hands on them later (Acts 8:17). It’s important to note that Simon a man who practiced magic wanted to buy the powers to work miracles for monetary gain from the disciples.

He was rebuked by Peter and John and he repented. It’s clear that the purpose of the Holy Spirit baptism was not for personal or monetary gain. The first Gentile to be baptized was Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:1-48). He was a Roman officer, but he was also a believer.

One day he got a vision from God who showed him to look for Peter. He invited Peter to his house who realized that it was God’s wish that the man and his house be saved though they were not Jews. Peter shared the good news with them and the Holy Spirit came upon them, they began speaking in strange tongues and praising God’s greatness (Acts 10:46).

Paul baptized them with water afterwards (Acts 10:47). It was the first time that the Gentiles got saved; in fact, in the whole entire bible it was also the first time that the Holy Spirit came upon people before they had been baptized by water.

Paul went with Silas to Philippi to preach, and when he was preaching to women gathered there, a woman called Lydia of Thyatira who worshipped God, heard the Gospel and she and her household were baptized.(Acts16:15). In the same town of Philippi, Paul and Silas cast out an evil spirit from a woman who could foretell the future (Acts16:18).

She used to earn a lot of money from doing that and her owners were upset when the spirit was cast out of her, Paul and Silas were charged in court and thrown in prison. At night as they were singing and praying to God in prison, the walls and doors of the prison were violently thrown down, and the chains on the prisoners came off. The Jailer saw this and was terrified, he thought all the criminals had escaped and he wanted to take his life.

When Paul and Silas assured his they were all there. He knelt down and asked them what he should do to get saved (Acts 16:30). He realized that the men were indeed of God, Paul and Silas told the man that all he needed to do is to “believe in the Lord Jesus and he would be saved” (Acts 16:31).

The jailer and his family were all baptized that night and they were filled with joy because they now believed in God (Acts 16:34). Paul later went to Corinth to preach and the people led by Crispus, the leader of the synagogue believed in the Lord and his entire household was baptized (Acts 18:8). Many people of Corinth were also baptized.

In Ephesus the people knew of the baptism of John the Baptist only. They had not been baptized into the baptism of Jesus Christ. Appolos was one of the people in Ephesus who spoke the word of God boldly and correctly (Acts 18:24, 28) but did not know all the correct facts because he didn’t know of the baptism of Jesus Christ.

When Paul met Appollos, and realized he had not been baptized in baptism of Jesus, he baptized him and laid hands upon him and others to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:5-6).

Role of Baptism in the Book of Acts

Even before the baptism of Jesus Christ was instituted in the early church, the Jews were aware of the baptism of John the Baptist which signified repentance and a public confession of sin. When practice of baptism of Jesus started, we can see clearly that it was a very important ritual in the early church.

Everyone in the book of Acts, who accepted the Good News, was baptized. Baptism in the early church signified the dying of the old ways of life and resurrection as a new life in Jesus Christ and into his power. It identified a believer with Jesus Christ who himself died and rose again. Baptism was a public show of repentance.

Baptism in the early church was an outward confession of sin and it was a precondition to receiving the Holy Spirit and salvation. Baptism was closely associated with the Holy Spirit and served to strengthen the faith and the commitment of believers in Christ. In the book of acts baptism was carried out in the name of Jesus signifying that the converts’ faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and savior.

By being baptized in the name of Jesus, the church was acknowledging the source of power by which it carried out its activities. Baptism also denoted entry into the Christian community in the early church. It was through the rite of baptism that a person became a member of the early church. Elders would lay hands on the new convert to signify a welcome into the group.

The sequence between repentance, baptism, forgiveness of sin, anointing by the Holy Spirit and salvation is not clearly outlined in the book of Acts. Peter told new believers in Acts 2:38, that to get saved, they had to turn away from their sins, receive baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for their sins to be forgiven, only then would they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

While this happened in the early church, there were exceptions. In Acts 10:44-48 we see that Cornelius was already a believer and God spoke to him in a vision although he had not yet been baptized. The believers in Samaria believed in God, were baptized in the name of Jesus but they did not receive the Holy Spirit until Peter and John laid their hands on them (Acts 8:17).

Appolos was a saved man from Ephesus, he believed in God, and preached his word strongly but he was not aware of the baptism of Jesus. It was only until Paul laid hands on him and he was baptized that the Holy Spirit came upon him and others from Ephesus.

The apostle Peter had insisted that baptism is a part of being saved and as a condition for receiving the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). He later states unequivocally that it is through baptism that one is actually saved.

In the Acts of Apostles, baptism is closely related to the Holy Spirit. In some instances, there is a separation between water baptism and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The writer used the name baptism when water baptism took place and when the Holy Spirit came down on a church or individual.

It is possible that the writer believed baptism in water would result in spiritual baptism i.e. all those who were baptized with water received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

It is possible to infer what actually happened even if it is not accurately written, for example, the Ethiopian eunuch was sad he could not understand the scriptures, but after he had been explained what they meant and had been baptized, he went on his way, full of joy (Acts 8:39).

The Jailer in Philippi, was baptized with his whole household, he and his family were filled with joy (Acts 16:34). Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit; therefore we can conclude that all who were baptized indeed received the Holy Spirit.

Baptism in the Book of Acts is closely related to the empowerment of believers to witness Christ and do his works on earth. Peter had betrayed Jesus three times before he was crucified. But when he got baptized with the Holy Spirit, he became bold; he preached the gospel without fear and many people turned to Christ despite that he was imprisoned and cautioned several times by the Jewish leaders.

Luke presents the act of baptism as a very important ritual in the life of any Christian. First it marks the conversion from a sinner into a believer. It empowers those who believe by the receiving the Holy Spirit who had been promised by Jesus to his disciples (John 14:16-18) to be a helper and to reveal the truth to them.

Luke showed that baptism was a symbolic act without any magic powers but it was a powerful outward statement of one’s inward intents regarding his faith. Therefore it was compulsory for one to get baptized before receiving salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Relevance of Luke’s teaching on Baptism today.

Luke does not tell us what to do today anywhere in his narrative, he maintains his style of giving an account of what happened in the early church so that the reader can understand and hopefully make a wise choice from the narrative (Taylor 1971, 55). He is not like Paul and Peter who gave clear instructions on what believers should do.

For example Luke says that when the early church experienced difficulties and complaints regarding equity in sharing resources among members in the early church, they appointed seven men to wait on tables (Acts 6:16). He does not prescribe the same to other churches, though it is clear that any wise church should do the same if faced with a similar challenge (Stonehouse 1951, 35).

It was Luke’s hope that by giving an accurate account of events, the readers would learn God’s will for us and in doing so strengthen our faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. It is clear therefore, that the church today should uphold and practice the rite of baptism as it was done in the early church. Luke has shown the strong impact the act of baptism had in the early church and that it was mandatory in order for a believer to be saved.

Paul however says that it is by grace that all men are saved not by work, he cautions men from boasting of their good works, that it is only by God’s mercy that we are saved “For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the results of your own efforts but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it.”

(Ephesians 2:8-9). This conflicts with Luke’s message that says that an individual’s act of baptism is necessary for salvation. The writings of Luke that one must be baptized in order to get saved contradicts modern Christian thinking that salvation was completed at the cross.

There are certain schools of thought that believe man is saved by grace and by his good works and that faith alone cannot save. This school may agree with Luke’s teaching that baptism is a precondition for salvation.

The message of Luke regarding the Holy Spirit is encouraging to the world today. The church should be encouraged to know that through baptism, every Christian receives the Holy Spirit who works in them to guide and direct their activities just like Jesus did when he was here on earth (John 14:16-18).

Christians are equipped to fulfill their mandate here on earth. Luke shows in the book of Acts that the infilling of the Holy Spirit produces a boldness in a Christian to be a faithful witness of Jesus Christ in the face of persecution. With so much persecution in the world today, Christians should be baptized to strengthen their commitment and faith to Jesus Christ and to fulfill the great commission.

There are conflicting opinions on various aspects of baptism in modern church. First should infants undergo the rite of baptism or should the parents wait till they are adults to receive baptism? It is clear from Luke’s narrative that to be baptized, one should be convicted of their sins, confess them, be baptized and only then do they get remission for their sin. This makes infant baptism practiced today to be irrelevant.

Children should be presented to the church and not be baptized. Another major source of disagreement in the church today is how much water should be used in baptism.

Some denominations insist on full immersion, others partial immersion, while others denominations practice some form of washing as long as water flows over the head. The book of Luke speaks of baptism by immersion. Some churches do not baptise at all because they do not consider it to be significant any more

Conclusion

Water baptism is an important ritual in which an individual makes a public confession in Jesus. “It continues to be the visible sign by which those who believe in the gospel repent and acknowledge Jesus as Lord publicly and are incorporated in the spirit and fellowship of the new people of God”. (Bruce 1954, 70) Christians should uphold the sacrament of baptism because it was Jesus who instituted it.

Bibliography

Bruce, F. Acts: The New International Bible Commentary on the New Testament. Miami: William R. Eerdmanns, 1954.

Marshall, I H. Luke, Historian and Theologian. 4^th Ed. London: InterVarsity,1998.

StoneHouse, B. The witness of Luke to Christ. London: Tyndale, 1951.

Taylor, Vincent. The Passion Narrative of St Luke: A Critical and Historical Investigation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1971.

Baker, W. Acts: Evangelical Commentary of the Bible. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1979.

William, J. Acts. The New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendricksen Publishers, 1990.

“Baptist” is a term that referring to an individual who trusts in the established and adult “baptism of believers” in Jesus Christ (Walter, 1993). Baptists are also those believers who declare that they have a personal faith in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation and redemption. They are against the baptism of infants since they believe only mature people are mature enough to believe in Christ. Their belief demands that anyone who has to be baptized has to be old enough to understand what it means to trust in Jesus Christ. They don’t believe that one can obtain salvation and cleansing of sins by baptism alone. “Catholic” on the other hand refers to “Universal”. Generally (Alan, 1984), it stands for the “Roman Catholic Church” which has been the biggest and well organized Christian and religious group for the last two millenniums. The Episcopal Church is also referred to as the Episcopal Protestant Church in the USA. It evolved immediately after the American Revolution after a forced break from the Church of England due to the penalty of disloyalty as the clergy of the Church of England were obliged to swear their loyalty to the Monarchy in Britain (Webber, 1999). It became the first Anglican Province outside the British Isles.

In the medieval era, some bible scholars were persuaded that the baptism of infants by sprinkling water on them was not a biblical doctrine. Consequently, they started re-baptizing each other. “Ana-Baptist” or “Anabaptist” are words referring to a “re-baptizer” (Walter, 1993). They were sprinkled with water when they were infants, hence the Roman Catholic Church referred to them as re-baptizers. The number of Anabaptists grew tremendously between the Middles Ages and the Reformation Era.

Roman Catholic was rebelled by the Anabaptists on the baptism of infants based on the following points:

• Small children/infants are not referred to anywhere in the Bible, regarding baptism (The Bible does not record any incidences where infants have been baptized).
• “Baptize”, originally a Greek phrase, refers to “be completely immersed in water” and therefore the sprinkling was not unacceptable and not biblical.
• According to the bible, someone to be baptized should be someone who is a believer. However, babies are not able to believe or understand anything let alone make a decision to be baptized. Therefore, baptism must only be for mature people, adults (Walter, 1993).

Infant baptism was a practice that was always taking place throughout Europe at that particular time in history. In some cases, it was even considered as a rite to citizenship hence those rebelling against it were taken to be disloyal to the government. As a result, the Roman Catholic Church hated and persecuted the Baptists because of their rebellion against infant baptism which was considered an attack on the Roman Catholic Church. The fact that the Baptists insisted on the baptism of believers only gave the Roman Catholic Church another reason to persecute them. The Roman Catholic Church took it to be an attack on the theological lessons about “salvation by works” that were being taught. The Baptists had many of their property taken away and millions were agonized (Walter, 1993). Hundreds of thousands were killed under the influence of the Roman Catholic Church.

The beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church differ in many ways from those of the Baptist Church. For example, the Catholic Church believes in the principle of “salvation by works” (Alan, 1984). This means that someone is saved through such actions as taking sacraments such as infants’ baptism, attending the mass, and partaking of the communion. Baptists on the other hand believe that salvation is by the grace of God alone and to have complete faith in Christ in addition to works. The Roman Catholic Church maintains the principle of the “Mass” must be followed in which they believe to be the actual sacrificing of the body by the believers and the blood of Jesus Christ by the Priest (Alan, 1983). Baptists believe that Jesus Christ is in heaven and is not on earth on the Holly Communion Table. They believe that the whole idea of Mass is blasphemy to God (Walter, 1993). The Baptists also believe that only the death of Jesus Christ could save mankind from sins.

“Purgatory” is another belief of the Roman Catholic Church that differs from that of the Baptist’s beliefs. They believe it is a place the people who go after death (Alan, 1984), (Apart from hell and heaven), while the Baptists believe in life after death with two places that people go to Heaven or Hell. The Purgatory that the Roman Catholics believe in is like a third option to departed souls. Catholics also believe in the universal church, which is said to have been founded by Peter the Apostle, whom they refer to as the 1^st “Pope”-keeper of the keys to Heaven or Hell. The Baptists on the other hand believe in the independence of the local church. Offering prayers to the Saints and Mary (Alan, 1984) is another practice and belief of the Catholics that is different from that of Baptists who insist that prayers should be made in the name of Jesus Christ and directed to God (Walter, 1993).

The Episcopal Church which is the third group of believers considered in this research has beliefs different from those of both the Catholic and the Baptist Church. It was a very active participant in the Social Gospel movement that took place in the late 19^th century. It has played a role a political role in the change of several political issues like the death penalty. They are against the death penalty and are strong supporters of affirmative action and the fight for civil rights. They advocate for full equality of all the civilians together with the lesbians and the gay people. Most of their dioceses have been known to openly ordain gay men and lesbians in positions of leadership and priesthood. They celebrate same-sex marriages with blessings to the married and some of the marriages are permitted in the states they are in. All these practices are very different from those of the Catholic Church and the Baptist Church who both don’t allow same-sex marriages (Webber, 1999). The Episcopal Church has adopted the issue of abortion by taking a nuanced position. They allow the ordaining of women to the priesthood as well as episcopate and diaconate in the Episcopal Church. This is due to the belief they have of full participation of women in all features of the church and recognizing their gifts and talents as something bestowed upon them by the Spirit and must be respected. They, however, believe in the scripture, reason, and traditions but they are not sure of what they believe in where these three issues are involved. They believe that healthy living, good life, and faith are enhanced by the availability of food and drinks except for tropical punch, canned fish in any form, or lime-carrot Jello (Webber, 1999).

There are a lot of differences in the beliefs and doctrines of the Baptist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Episcopal Church. However, new preachers of the Gospel like Billy Graham and Rick Warren have called for cooperation between different churches in the body of Christ. However, Baptists have always preached that they are detached from the Roman Catholic Church while both of them cannot stomach some of the doctrines and beliefs held by the Episcopal Church believers. Whichever the case, people have their own beliefs and have a right to worship and believe whatever they want, thus, the beauty in diversity.

Reference List

1. Dr Alan Schreck, (1984). Catholic & Christian; Servant Publications, 232 pages. ISBN-10: 0892831812
2. Walter B. Shurden, (1993).”The Baptist identity: four fragile freedoms”; Smyth & Helwys Pub. Pgs 119. ISBN188083720X, 9781880837207
3. Webber Christopher, (1999). Welcome to the Episcopal Church: an introduction to its history, faith, and worship; PublisherChurch Publishing, Inc., 1999ISBN0819218200

It was for a reason that I chose the First Baptist Church of Tempe and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) for attendance and interview. Doing some preliminary research on religious group meetings in Tempe I looked for communities of differing convictions to opt for maximum diversity. The two groups, although they offshoot from the Judeo-Christian branch, are direct opposites of each other in terms of the interpretation of the scriptures. The research on these two groups also provided a line of guidance on what to expect and how to behave.

First Baptist Church of Tempe

The sermon “What Did Jesus Say About Legalism” was led by Rev. Mark Ward at the First Baptist worship center. The Pastor operated the concepts of law as a necessary component of a believer’s relationship with god. From the Pastor’s words, the notion of legalism referred to salvation through the good works, abiding with Christ and following the rule of God, which is, as the Pastor quoted from David, pure and perfect.

The interpretation became clearer after I interviewed one of the members of the group. A woman of approximately 25 years of age, Terry (which is not her real name) agreed for a short interview after I explained the purpose of it as studying the current and the future place of religion in the formation of our country’s future. I asked her what she personally believed, how she came to her faith and how she found herself in the First Baptist, whether she perceived women were valued in this group, whether there were many representatives of ethnic minorities, and what she thought the future of religion in America would be.

From my preliminary research on the beliefs of the First Baptist I learned the church regarded the Scriptures as the supreme authority on religious matters. Thus, I expected that the believers would be quite literal in their perception of the scriptures. Terry confirmed my anticipations by saying she believed in one Lord in three persons, in the perfection of Christ, his redemption, and his glorious return.

She was of the opinion that every believer had direct responsibilities before god and was supposed to worship according to what their conscience told them. Terry said her family attended the First Baptist, which is why she came to be the member of the community (by upbringing and partially – rational choice). All persons were respected there, regardless of their ethnicity, age, or gender.

As for the future of her community and religion in general, she maintained the First Baptist would continue its excellent social works (like training leaders and pastors, teaching the scriptures, advocating for women and minorities) and unite diverse people under the rule of Christ. The community is, therefore, aware of the social function of the church and is actively participating in its expansion. The church is targeting wider audience by including the Hispanic population and providing sermons in Spanish.

Religious Society of Friends

A small building housing the meetings of the Religious Society of Friends (another name for Quakers) in East 15th Street was a stark contrast to the somewhat pompous First Baptist complex. Doing my research on what the Friends believed in and how the worships were held, I learned an attendee was not required to dress formally. As I entered the premises, jeans and flannels seemed to predominate. The volunteer at the door welcomed me and showed me the way to the hall where the Friends were seated in a circle. The meeting was mostly silent, everyone prayed wordlessly on their own or meditated.

After the meeting, I asked Spike (which is not his real name), a man in his 40s, the same questions I asked Terry. Spike said he believed god’s grace was an experience, something that anyone could feel through prayer. He added that the prayer itself was “a very personal thing,” that everyone prayed the way they thought worked for them. Having learned about the Quakers by word of mouth, he came to one of the Friends’ meeting a broken man “overwhelmed by dark thoughts and unclean emotions” and found understanding and peace.

He said that the Friends welcomed everybody (although the majority seemed to be over 40). Spike also expressed his concerns about the world peace and stated that preserving peace was the Friends’ mission predetermining the future of the group. He hoped all people would someday realize the need for peace-keeping and share the convictions of the Quakers in this respect.

The Quakers are known to lean towards liberalism, although the interview and some more conversations created an impression they were holistic towards politics, with special emphasis put on the ideal of peace. Apart from the peace-keeping mission, the Religious Society of Friends is an educational institution, a place of discussion and artistic expression. It is not aimed at spreading the ideology; rather, the Society tries to individualize religious experience while simultaneously creating an atmosphere of shared practice.

The book Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ, written by Thomas Schreiner and Shawn Wright, argues that modern Baptist tradition needs reformation. In particular, the authors, through the study of church history and numerous biblical texts, show that credobaptism is a real ritual of introducing a person to the Christian faith. Within the framework of this controversy, pedobaptism, widely accepted by the Reformed Church, is viewed as non-compassionate since the infant cannot consciously practice the faith. Thus, the book, on the basis of numerous biblical justifications, proves that credobaptism is a rite of voluntary initiation of a person into the faith.

Brief Summary

The book is a study of both church history and Scripture to support the claim that baptism is meant for believers. The authors argue that “Baptism is important precisely because it is tied to the gospel, to the saving work that Christ accomplished in his death and resurrection.” From the point of view of Schreiner and Wright, baptism is a rite of initiation into the Christian faith, which is prescribed by Scripture. In particular, the authors consider credobaptism (believer’s baptism) as a true Christian form.

In contrast, pedobaptism (infant baptism) is perceived as the desire of evangelicals to introduce unbelieving babies into the covenant community. Authors emphasize that it is “primarily in the Reformed tradition, who baptize infants not because they believe that baptism regenerates … but because they believe that baptism brings the child into the covenant community.” Thus, the authors consider credobaptism as the only form of baptism which is consistent with Scripture.

The content of the book provides an argument for defense through the study of sacred texts, as well as criticism of pedobaptism, mainly in the Reformed Church. For example, in the first part of the book, Andreas J. Köstenberger examines gospel baptism and the key verses associated with it. He concludes that baptism assumes that the recipients have sufficient maturity and age to consciously choose to be guided in the crucial parts of the Christian faith and, therefore, baptized.

Further exploration of baptism from the perspective of the writings of Luke in the Gospels of Luke and Acts, as well as in the writings of Paul and Peter, serve to support this main premise. The book also uses a theological survey to consider credobaptism as a ritual of conscious initiation into the Christian faith.

Critical Interaction

Schreiner and Wright address the issue of baptism in the modern Christian tradition and argue that it needs reformation. The authors support their main argument by evangelicals and their interpretations of the biblical texts. In particular, the authors explore the historical and biblical foundations of baptism as a rite. While most of the book explores an important theological question of the purpose of baptism, the final chapter provides a useful discussion about the challenges modern pastors face with regard to baptism.

Thus, the authors consider the problem from an evangelical perspective, according to which baptism is perceived “as in relationship with God via commission of faith by the rational adult mind.” This point of view assumes that the baptismal ceremony should be available exclusively to adults since they are able to enter the Christian faith consciously.

Thus, the goal of the authors is to “correct a certain form of infant baptism.” This form is the evangelical pedobaptism adopted by the Reformed tradition. According to the authors, the Reformed Church perceives baptism with a number of inconsistencies, including the imparting of signs of faith to those who have not exercised it.

The authors also pursue another secondary purpose, which is to consider when and how baptism should be performed. This task is critical because “baptism is important precisely because it is tied to the gospel, and to the saving work that Christ accomplished in His death and resurrection.” Baptism without faith, in this case, is seen as a threat to the foundations of evangelism and the entire Christian tradition. Thus, a compelling argument for baptism involves not only an analysis of biblical texts and church history but also practical application.ly an analysis of biblical texts and church history, but also practical application.

The authors prove their point of view through the analysis of sacred texts, in which there are not so many passages about baptism. In their opinion, the rite of baptism is intended for those who have repented of their sins and involves immersion in water as a rite of purification and rebirth. The book also emphasizes that the act of baptism can only be performed by those who have heard the gospel preached and themselves proceeded to the place of their baptism. This statement is based on the analysis of Luke and Acts and provides the basis for the discussion.

Through the analysis of Paul’s letters, the authors emphasize that baptism is an act for those who trust in Christ for salvation and confess their sins. Ronald Fung notes that “Baptism is here regarded as the rite of initiation into Christ, that is, into union with Christ, or… of incorporation into Christ as the Head of the new humanity.” This analysis emphasizes that God’s grace must be combined with human response, which is contrary to the Baptist concept of it.

Wellum further concludes that baptism is a symbol of a union between believer and Christ, which leads through right to grace and presupposes all the benefits of such a union. Thus, the authors argue that biblical covenants require the consent of the believer to ensure a correct approach to Scripture. This assumption completely refutes the views on pedobaptism as a form of communion with the Christian faith.

The main advantage and strength of this book is the thoroughness with which the authors approach the study of the issue. The commitment to biblical foundations makes the argumentation more persuasive and capable of showing the logical inconsistencies of pedobaptism. For example, the authors managed to illustrate the logical errors in the theology of pedobaptism, which were made by such people as Calvin.

However, the book also contains several flaws, including supporting chapters that do not add value to the overall argument. Another weakness of the book may be the fact that the authors do not provide perspectives for other Baptist points of view. Thus, arguments rest solely on the assumptions and views of one group of Baptist theologists.

The authors investigate the problems of baptism, which are extensively discussed in the theological literature, so there are few analyzes of this book. The most relevant and argumentation-adding reviews have been written by Cornelis P. Bennema and Lindsey Kennedy. These works offer a criticism of the book from the point of view of a rather one-sided consideration of baptism within the framework of an exclusively evangelical doctrine.

At the same time, both reviews acknowledge the fundamental nature of the work and the credibility of the arguments presented in it. Bennema raises the question of the correctness of the angle of consideration and criticism of pedobaptism. Kennedy also raises the relevant issue of the need to view the practice of baptism in terms of a different theological paradigm. Thus, both reviews highlight both positive and negative aspects of the book and offer valuable comments.

Credobaptism is a common topic for theological research and therefore offers several important works. Among them are Infant baptism and the Covenant of Grace by Paul K. Jewett and The baptism of disciples alone by Fred Malone. Jewett’s arguments are consistent with those of the authors, as he also confirms that the study of Covenant Theology leads to support for credobaptism rather than pedobaptism.

Malone also provides similar arguments, but from the perspective of a formerly Reformed Baptist. Thus, both books take the same approach as Schreiner and Wright in considering Baptist theology. Additionally, David F. Wright in “Christian Baptism: Where do We Go from Here?” offers a consideration of the study of baptism from different perspectives. This work is consistent with the book in its approach to the study of baptism through biblical texts.

From a personal perspective, the ideas presented in this book can be interpreted as practical advice on baptismal rituals. The arguments presented in the book advocate the need for the conscious act of baptism and also provide extensive biblical rationale. This approach can be used to form the Christian tradition of credobaptism and rejection of pedobaptism. From the point of view of pastors, these arguments can be a practical guide to shaping their activities.

Conclusion

The book’s authors and editors provide a compelling argumentation for believer’s baptism. A detailed analysis of church history and biblical texts provides a compelling contrast to the pedobaptism perspective. The book does not conflict with my preconceptions since I share the authors’ view of the nature of baptism and its purpose.

However, the book made me look differently at various Baptist traditions that exist in Christian practice. The authors’ discussion leaves no questions; they explain their point of view in detail, which makes this valuable work material for the study of credobaptism.

References

Bennema, Cornelis P. 2009. “Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 52, no. 3: 655-661.

Fung, Ronald. 1988. The New International Commentary on the New Testament – The Epistle to the Galatians. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.

George, Timothy. 1993. “The Reformed Doctrine of Believers’ Baptism.” Interpretation 47, no. 3: 242-254. Web.

Jewett, Paul K. 1978. Infant Baptism and the Covenant of Grace. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing.

Kennedy, Lindsey. “Believer’s Baptism.” 2013. Web.

Ragsdale, Mark. “A Book Critique of “Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ,” Thomas R. Schreiner and Shawn D. Wright, Editors.” Thesis for MDIV, Liberty University Rawlings School of Divinity, 2016. Web.

Schreiner, Thomas R., and Shawn D. Wright, eds. 2006. Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. Nashville: B & H Academic.

Wright, David F. 2006. “Christian Baptism: Where do We Go from Here?” Evangelical Quarterly 78, no. 2 (April-June): 163-169. Web.

Strategic planning plays an essential role in the sustainable development of each organization, and the healthcare sector is not an exclusion. Baptist Health South Florida represents a non-profit organization that operates several hospitals, numerous healthcare centers, and health programs (“Baptist Health South Florida,” 2019). For this type of company, it is also critical to analyze the current strategies in use and see alternative ways of reaching the objectives, improving the performance, and meeting the needs of the stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the two strategies that Baptist Health is pursuing and to propose alternatives that can benefit the organization’s future development.

One of the strategies within Baptist Health is the focus on the diverse organizational culture and continuous work on improving job satisfaction among employees. The organization employs about 20,000 people, and, in 2019, the company was named one of the best workplaces for diversity (“Baptist Health South Florida,” 2019). One of the advantages of pursuing the strategy of creating a favorable workplace is lower turnover rates, which positively influences the company’s culture. Besides, Baptist Health benefits from higher job satisfaction among the workers in a way that impacts productivity, creating better experiences for the patients. According to Abdulwahab (2016), employee satisfaction increases productivity and engagement in the work process. Still, the minus of this strategy is that it requires high time and financial resources to develop employee engagement plans and maintain high satisfaction. Also, pursuing this strategy creates high expectations among the stakeholders, and minor mistakes can have a considerable impact on the overall image of the company.

Another strategy that Baptist Health is currently pursuing is the continuous introduction of new features to the existing services. In such a way, at the beginning of 2020, the company has introduced the ‘save my spot’ option to the visitors of Urgent Care (“Baptist Health South Florida,” 2020). The strategy of focusing on constant development and introducing new services creates such benefits as the attraction of more visitors and the creation of a more structured process for the employees. The use of the new features not only makes the company’s facilities more attractive to the patients but also simplifies the work procedures for the professionals. However, such disadvantages as financial expenditures for research and development and potential bugs with the introduction of new information technology might occur.

The strategy that can be recommended to Baptist Health as a non-profit organization is related to diversification. The expansion of the existing market and the introduction of new healthcare programs can have a positive effect on the company’s performance. The steps for this strategy implementation would be the opening of the new care center in a county where there is no company’s department, the opening of a research and development center that will focus on finding new ways to treat various illnesses. In conclusion, Baptist Health represents an organization that has a stable position within the industry and is continuously working on improvement and development.

References

Abdulwahab, S. (2016). The relationship between job satisfaction, job performance and employee engagement: An explorative study. Issues in Business Management and Economics, 4(1), 1-8.

Baptist Health South Florida. (2019). Web.

Baptist Health South Florida offers Save My Spot feature to make Urgent Care visits faster and more comfortable. (2020). Web.

Valley Baptist Medical is a faith-based health facility renowned for its exclusive caring and nurturing services. The medical facility is a community built on care with numerous awards and distinctions in healthcare. Valley Baptist Health System is a branch of Tenet Health System, with over 80 affiliated hospitals (Valley Baptist Centre, 2022). For over a century, Valley Baptist Medical has been the top preference for patients in South Texas, with a bed capacity of 930. The facility has leveraged technology to offer complex inpatient programs, mainly targeting clients seeking surgery, neurosurgery, oncology, and cardiology. Valley Baptist is a community health center in South Texas offering quality inpatient and outpatient care influenced by the organization’s mission, philosophy, and administrative structure.

Examination of the Organization

The mission of Valley Baptist Medical is to assist people in achieving good health through dedicated services inspired by faith (Valley Baptist Centre, 2022). The Baptist Health facility’s philosophy draws on its core values of treating all patients with integrity, honor, and compassion to align with its mission (Valley Baptist Centre, 2022). The facility utilizes joint practice organizational structure and participative leadership with a well-defined chain of command, and decisions are usually made through collaborative efforts. For instance, when deciding the way to reinvent the patient experience, all workers are free to contribute their insights through their respective departments. The participative structure is also critical when doctors and nurses depend on each other’s’ care role and judgments.

Valley Baptist Medical Centre uses a matrix organizational structure to allow open communication in line with the participative leadership style. The communication pattern in matrix style is similar to the horizontal structure to allow multilevel interactions (Rifai & Susanti, 2021). Both matrix and horizontal communication patterns are elemental in situations such as building working relationships that allow teams to coordinate their efforts for the common good.

Strengths and Limitations

Emphasizing patient safety and satisfaction with a focus on excellence and collaboration has empowered Baptist Health to become a preferred facility. The facility has maintained custody of Jacksonville’s Most Preferred Healthcare Provider award by the National Research Corporation since 1990 (NRC, 2022). Moreover, the use of advanced medical technology and informatics is a trend in healthcare that has illuminated the quality of services, and patient safety offered by the organization. However, the facility is challenged by inconvenient geographic locations and maintaining appropriate staffing levels. The facility is located in a downtown area with less access to the major population, limiting its productivity. Increased patient complexity, cost-cutting decisions, and an aging population pose a challenge of staff shortages in the facility.

Care Delivery Systems and Measuring Outcomes

Valley Baptist Health System utilizes a collaborative care delivery system that integrates the efforts of all levels of staff with the support of informatics. For example contribution to decision by licensed and unlicensed staff in a department will be organized and presented to the manager by the charge nurse. Surgical mortality rates and patient satisfaction are parameters that indicate the patient outcome classified into either system-wide outcomes or nurse-sensitive clinical outcomes (Rifai & Susanti, 2021). Nurse-sensitive outcomes are based on nurses’ scope and domain of practice influenced by only nursing input. For instance, surgical mortality is a nurse-sensitive clinical indicator measured by assessing the number of patients who die due to surgery. Alternatively, a system-wide outcome is influenced by the overall system with multiple factors and goals set by the leaders. Patient satisfaction is a qualitative system-wide outcome through subjective patient responses expressed on a scale.

References

NRC. (2022). Awards. NRC Health. Web.

Rifai, A., & Susanti, E. (2021). The Influence of Organizational Culture and Transformational Leadership Style on Employee Performance supported by Employee job satisfaction. (Empirical Study on Permanent Employees and Contracts BPJS Health Head Office). American International Journal of Business Management (AIJBM), 4(12), 27-44. Web.

Valley Baptist Centre. (2022). About Valley Baptist Medical in Harlingen & Brownsville. Valley Baptist Health System. Web.

The Godfather is a remarkable film which is placed among the most celebrated and famous films of all times. As Louis Giannetti mentions in his book Understanding Movies, (2010) “The Copolla’s Godfather is a virtual recapitulation of the history of the genre, spanning three generations of characters”.

The first part of the movie was met with a tremendous commercial success, as well as with wonderful critique. A young Italian director, Francis Ford Coppola, managed to create a great movie starring such actors as Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. The film is famous for its numerous bright and thought provoking scenes. One of the greatest scenes is the Baptism scene which, “opened new ground in technique, dramatic subject or the social aspect of their subjects” (Giannetti, 2010).

The scene is not only the most remarkable for its effective use of new film techniques, but for its deep psychological, social and religious context. The scene of baptism is based on oppositions and comparisons of the universe themes, such as love and hate, desire and duty. It is introduced into the movie in order to emphasize the most important moments, describe the character of Michael and show a juxtaposition of two worlds: the world of family (shots in the Church) and world of mafia.

The story of the film develops in the 1940s. It depicts the rise, life and laws of the Italian mafia in America. The techniques created by Coppola became the icons of the film making and these methods were adopted by other directors in order to produce scenes in films of different genres. In the scene of baptism, the director depicts moral of the society. It is a socially specific for its historic context and a moral drama at the same time.

The scene of baptism captures the audience’s attention at once. Only a five minutes sequence produces the deeper effect on public than the rest scenes of the film. The action takes place in several places at the same time, however, the main venue is the Church where the baptism is performed. The scene shows several parallel episodes: the baptism, scene at the barber’s and in the hotel.

First, all these episodes seem to be not related to each other, actions are different and every person lives with one’s own life. However, as the priest begins to pronounce the prayer and a holy ritual is performed, a number of cruel killings are happening in the town: the men of Don Corleone kill the heads of other New York criminal organizations. The audience does not understand what is happening from the very beginning and who kills all those people.

But, when we see that those murders are accompanied with the shots with Michael, we understand that all the scenes with violence are not accidental and when Michael exit the Church, he will become a new head of the Italian mafia. According to the book by John Lyden, (2003) “the irony of this scene and the vows to “renounce Satan and all his works”, even as we see the violence he (Michael) has ordered, brings us to the point where we are asked if we can go all the way with Michael in his protection of the family.”

First of all, many film critiques call this scene a masterpiece and one of the greatest and skillful works of the directors of all times. The combination of numerous artistic elements in it creates a new vision of the main characters and main idea of the film. One of the newest techniques used by the director is the cross-cutting between the scenes of the murder and the church service. Exactly this method produces the effect of suspense and tension.

This montage editing is used in order to unite and, at the same time, separate the baptism, which is symbolic, and the acts of murder. As we know, becoming a godfather is a holy action, thus, the director plays on contrast of the holiness of becoming a godfather for a child and head of the mafia. The director used this scene in order to show that kindness and evil can be equally united in one person. Thus, the sequence of cut-shots shows the complexity and contradictoriness of Michael’s character as well.

Furthermore, during the cuts, the camera is stationary and it is used in order to produce the emphasis. The priest pronounces the prayer in Latin and sometimes in English when he talks to a “new godfather”. The answers of Michael are crossed with the shots of the murders and it seems that he gives his approval for this killings.

We almost cannot see the real killers with the guns, but we all hear the Michael’s voice. This technique has a deep context. Answering to a priest, Michael agrees that he will be loyal to God and that he will serve to Church, now he should protect his nephew from all ills of the world, and at the same time, he swears to the world of mafia to be honest on his new position. The cry of a child accentuates the act of killing. It seems as if the baby felt that something evil happens behind the door.

In addition, apart from the work of camera, the tension of the scene is supported with music and language. The Latin language creates the atmosphere of holiness, but, paradoxically, it creates the feeling of horror because we feel that something should happen. In addition, the director used Bach music which also supports the atmosphere of tension.

The music begins with low and tranquil melody, but as the action develops and tension rises, the music becomes louder and more energetic (which is a characteristic feature of Bach’s music). It creates a powerful artistic effect. The scene attains its climax when Michael reinforces the Satan. At this very moment, the music also riches its climax and the sequence of murders begins. It is a very powerful mixture of vision with words and music.

Finally, one more important juxtaposition is used in the scene is the juxtaposition of a purity of a baby and cruel reality of the world in which the baby will enter after the baptism. The director gives a hope that God will protect this innocent child against cruelness which it will meet in future.

Thus, summarizing all mentioned above, we can say for sure that The Godfather is one of the best films of all times. It is full of great scenes that evoke our emotions and feelings. One of the most impressive scenes of the film is the scene of baptism at the end of it.

The director used new techniques of camerawork and cross-cutting in order to emphasize a juxtaposition between two situations: murders and baptism, Christianity and sin. Coppola used this method in order to create a different presentation of the theme and message of the film. With these juxtapositions, he plays with the audience’s emotions and thoughts. Thus, one cannot deny that this film put the filmmaking on a new step of its development. He invented new techniques of film making in order to show a hidden context of themes and motifs.

References List

Giannetti, L. (2010). Understanding movies. 12th ed. New York: Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated.

Lyden, J. (2003). Film as religion: myths, morals, and rituals. New York: NYU Press.