Posted on 05/06/2015 6:08:12 AM PDT by Gamecock
There are plenty of Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran and Methodist churches in Dayton, Ohio, where parents could have an infant child baptized.
But one local couple wanted Rodney Kennedy to baptize their 7-month-old son, even though they knew there was one hurdle to overcome: Kennedy is pastor at First Baptist Church in Dayton.
And Baptists — both generally and specifically — do not baptize infants.
“We knew that asking Rod, he might say no,” said Lucas, the boy’s father who requested only his first name be used in this article.
But Kennedy did not say no, and during worship on Sunday, April 19, he conducted his and his church’s first-ever infant baptism.
“And the congregation burst into applause,” Kennedy told Baptist News Global. “And they don’t applaud much.”
But the time between the request and Kennedy’s “yes” was filled with a month of prayer and discussion between the pastor and leaders of the American Baptist Churches USA congregation.
And informing all of that has been years of increasingly liturgical practice for the church and Kennedy, who describes himself as “somewhat Catholic-Baptist.”
“I already accepted the validity of infant baptism and we don’t make people get baptized” if they were baptized as infants before joining First Baptist, he said.
Since that’s been the church policy for 50 years, Kennedy said it made sense for him to participate in the practice, too.
Even so, Kennedy said the rite had a different feel to it than most baptisms.
“There was an overpowering sense that this was the right thing to do, and there was a sense of God’s presence there,” he said. “It was just a really high and holy moment.”
Only two people have sent him emails outlining traditional Baptist teaching on baptism, he added.
A communal act
The baby’s parents were more than familiar with those teachings. Neither grew up Baptists, but both belonged to traditions that held strongly to the practice of believer’s baptism, Lucas said.
Moving on from those churches to ones with liturgical practices led them to First Baptist. The congregation hosts a number of liturgical services and practices.
“A lot of times when people think about baptism, their first thoughts are about the individual and their salvation — the individual getting to heaven,” he said. “But there is much more about baptism than that.”
Baptism is a communal act through which one is claimed by God into the church as the body of Christ, he said.
More than a symbol
Baptist theologian Beth Newman said she hopes Kennedy’s action will spark conversations in Baptist and wider Christian life about those deeper meanings of Baptism.
“As Christians, we want to say baptism is this one event, but it’s also a way of life,” said Newman, a professor of theology and ethics at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.
That was also Newman’s goal in contributing a chapter on baptism in Gathering Together: Baptists at Work in Worship, a 2013 book co-edited by Kennedy.
She wanted to help Baptists see baptism as more than “just a symbol” and to avoid dismissing sacramental views of baptism as Catholic.
“I would say you cannot be baptized apart from the community,” Newman said. “We are baptized into the community — not just into a congregation — but into the whole church.”
Kennedy is the first Baptist pastor Newman said she’s known to baptize and infant. By far, believer’s baptism is the norm among Baptists.
However, many also recognize the need to bring infants into the church.
“A lot of Baptist churches [are doing] baby dedications, which are a way of welcoming the child into the family — though not the membership — of the church,” she said.
Newman said most of the conversations about baptism she’s heard occur in forums hosted by organizations like the Baptist World Alliance.
“It’s not so much in the local congregations,” she said.
But the infant baptism at First Baptist Church in Dayton may help change that.
“Let’s try to talk so we can … understand the richness that baptism has for all of us,” she said.
Moving closer
There was a lot of that kind of discussion at First Baptist for weeks before Kennedy’s decision to go ahead with the baptism.
One topic included the church’s policy, for the past five decades, to welcome new adult members who had been baptized as infants in other traditions — and without re-baptizing them.
They also agreed the Baptist norm is valid and biblical. Kennedy said he is not trying to change that approach but to open a new chapter.
“I want to move closer to the ecumenical fellowship of the Christian church and by accepting infant baptism, and then practicing it, we are not set off from Presbyterians and Methodists and Catholics,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy said he turned down another request for an infant baptism because the parents weren’t members of First Baptist, or willing to join.
That highlights another facet of the his view about infant baptism.
“The purpose of this baptism is for parents to make serious promises and for God to claim him in his grace-filled Kingdom,” Kennedy said. “Baptism is just the beginning of a lifetime process.”
'A disciple of Jesus'
Those promises include a vow to raise the child in the Christian faith and to renounce evil. The text of the ceremony came from the Book of Common Prayer.
Parents unwilling or unable to make those commitments will not have their infants baptized at First Baptist, Kennedy said.
“It won’t be our normative practice,” he said. “But it is an open possibility for parents if they request it.”
Last Sunday, Kennedy held the infant over a small bowl of warm water, used his hands to cup and pour the water over the baby’s head. He also anointed the child with oil and made the sign of cross on his forehead in name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
“Our decision was that whether the baptism or the confession of faith comes first, doesn’t matter,” he said. “Either way you end up with a person who is a disciple of Jesus.”
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Reprobate...You can be baptized a thousand times into a church but it won't make you a Christian...
So sad..First the Catholics steal the name Christian, now they are calling themselves Baptist...
That's right...
If it makes no difference if an adult is baptized, then it makes no difference if a baby is baptized.
Because baptism represents a personal choice one has made...A baptized baby will never have to make that choice...
I’m a life long baptist. Our church has periodic baby dedications. In front of the congregation.... pictures with pastor..... little bibles given to the family.... prayer of dedication. Its a “feel good” moment for the family and congregation. But we don’t baptize them at that age. We reserve baptism for an event to show that the person has repented of sin, and asked Christ to be their savior. That they have accepted his gift of grace.
That's close enough...
My question is for those Protestants who believe baptism to be a sacrament (vice an ordinance): do you accept the validity of a baptism performed by a group that believe it’s an ordinance (and not a sacrament)?
Water baptism is not a requirement...We (the group that I run with) do not accept nor deny any baptism...That's between the believer and God...
While some churches require baptism before becoming a member of their church, others don't...
I support the idea of baptism before church membership since that shows the rest of the church that you have chosen to trust Jesus Christ as your Savior...
If your baptism is based on that premise, a baptism from anywhere is good...Otherwise, you need to get re-dunked...
And the only response you can summon up is, Hah!???
And we're also assuming he wasn't wearing a pair of Red-Ball Jets...
Those are physical acts. They are inspired acts, but meaningless, if you have not truly repented and been called to accept Jesus. Jesus knows what is in your heart. Does everyone have to answer an "Alter call" AND be baptised to be saved? Remember the depart, I knew you not thing. I ASSUME they had answered the call, called on the LORD, and preached in his name, and followed all the "rules" - yet they were rejected.
DISCLAIMER: These are my beliefs and testimony only, your mileage may vary. I am not a politician, preacher, banker, or even a lawyer, so what do I know?
No, I could show simple Biblical texts that prove the TTOC, like Moses, Abraham and everyone else who died before Pentecost was saved by faith that was credited to them through righteousness, but we all know that.
What we don’t know is how anyone is dumb enough to discount baptism simply because the thief wasn’t baptized.
OK. So what does "baptized unto salvation mean to you?
Most particularly, what does the preposition "unto" mean to you?
In Romans 10:10 the AV says "confession is made unto salvation" in which no mention of baptism is made.
So which is it that imparts salvation, water baptism or confession? Or is it faith alone?
Excellent observation of one practical aspect of this rite. Thanks!
So thenceforth from baptism the infant must be taught how to practice sinfulness as a lifestyle?
__________________________________________________
If you "cherry-pick" the scriptures and choose only those that suit you, then you can also easily ignore what you want to. If we were to use Romans 10:10 as the only basis for salvation, then hearing, faith, even beleiving is out the window as unnecessary.
Baptists can cherry pick and ignore the examples, commands and teachings on baptism all they want to. But Christians can not. This is as simple as it gets.
God's Plan of Salvation
GOD'S PART
1. The great love of God for man (John 3:16)
2. He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, as the Saviour (Luke 19:10)
3. Sent the Holy Spirit as a guide (John 16:13)
4. Gave the Gospel as "the power" unto salvation (Romans 1:16)
5. Provided atonement by the blood of Christ (Romans 5:9)
MAN'S PART
1. Hear the Gospel. (Romans 10:17, John 8:32)
2. Believe the Gospel (Hebrews 11:6, John 20:31)
3. Repent of past sins (Luke 13:3, Acts 17:30)
4. Confess faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:10, Matthew 10:32)
5. Be Baptized (Galatians 3:27, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38)
6. Be faithful unto death (Revelations 2:10)
God has done His part; will you do yours?
If you have questions concerning your part of this great plan, continue reading.
'What Must I do to be saved?'
This is the question that every man and woman must answer in their lives if they hope to spend eternity with God in Heaven. The apostle Paul says, in Phil 2:12, to those of the church in Philippi,
"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."
Thus, we understand that it is our own responsibility to answer the question, "What we must do to be saved?" No one else can answer that question for us, nor can we trust others with this, most important, decision. We must seek our answer from God and His Word.
So, what does the Bible say about salvation?
We cannot be saved by the creeds or manuals of men.
In Matthew 15:9, Jesus says,
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for a doctrine the commandments of men."
In Galatians 1:6-9, the inspired writer says,
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
God is against any teaching that is not directly from Him. Thus, we must turn to the Word of God to determine that which we must do to be saved.
Again, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17,
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
So then, we must look to the Word of God to learn the way of our salvation, if we are to have hope of reaching Heaven.
First, we must HEAR the word of God. In John 5:24-25, Jesus says,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgement, but hath passed out of death into life."
Obviously, hearing His word is very important to our salvation.
Second, we learn that hearing produces FAITH.
Romans 10:17 says,
"Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God."
We cannot have faith if we do not know what the word of God has to say. Many believe they have faith, and that it is independent of what the Bible actually says. But according to the Bible, men and women can only attain faith through hearing the word of God.
Third, we must REPENT.
In Luke 13:3, Jesus says,
"Unless ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
In Acts 2, Peter preaches the first gospel sermon, in which he explains to everyone who Jesus is and the horrific crime they had committed in putting Him to death. We can pick up the story in verse 37;
"Now when the heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles 'men and brethren what shall we do?' Then Peter said unto them, Repent..."
We will get to the rest of the story in a moment, but certainly this appears to be a requirement for those who desire to become disciples of Jesus Christ.
Again, in Acts 3:19 Peter says
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"
So, if repentance is a requirement, what does it mean and what must we do to meet this requirement? To repent is to change our mind and make the decision that we will change our life to begin serving the Lord as He desires us to serve Him. This is brought about by understanding what God has done for us, and realizing that we are not right with Him in our current condition and that we desire to change so as to please Him. This means, that an immoral person must become moral and upright in lifestyle. For the religious person who has tried to live a life pleasing to God, repentance may involve recognizing that we have not done what God requires of us with regard to salvation and that we must obey the inspired plan in order to be right with Him. If we are in the denominational world, belonging to a church that has a creed or doctrine other than the Bible and/or in addition to the Bible, then we must turn away from such a religion and find a congregation of people that believe in the Bible and only the Bible. (We are certainly happy to help you in any such search.) Repentance then is produced by Godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10) which leads to a change of heart and a change of mind, which is the beginning of a changed life... one that is dedicated to God.
Fourth, we must CONFESS our faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:8-10 says,
"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Then, we must be BAPTIZED...
The person who is a repentant, confessing believer is a person ready to be baptized. To many in the world, baptism is a controversial issue. As simple as the process is and as often as it is commanded in the New Testament, many in the religious world just cannot accept it as the Bible teaches it. Let's see what the Bible says about baptism. Remember Peter's first Gospel ermon in Acts 2? We looked at it earlier in the section on repentance. Let's take a look at the rest of that passage now.
Acts 2:36-39
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
This tells us that baptism is necessary for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.
The apostle Paul tells us in Galatians 3:26-27,
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
So, we are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. But what does that faith in Jesus lead us to do? When do we actually put on Christ?
The answer of Galatians 3:27 is simple. The believer has put on Christ when he or she is baptized into Christ.
Look again to the Bible. In Acts 22:16, Ananias is quoted by Paul as saying,
"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
So then, baptism washes away sins. But it is not the physical washing of the body that makes the difference. Rather, it is our willingness to do that which God has commanded us to do. Peter explains this in I Peter 3:20-21 when he says,
"Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:"
We come up out of the water to "walk in newness of life."
God then adds us to the church (Acts 2:47). Not by vote or the decisions of men, but God alone adds us to His Church.
Finally, we must live our lives in faithful and loyal service to our Lord Jesus Christ as God has directed (Revelations 2:10). We must find a congregation that believes and practices as the New Testament directs... following the Word of God... speaking where the Bible speaks, living by His Word and His Word alone. Trusting in God to save us as He has promised those who would be faithful to Him.
If you find yourself not in compliance with the Bible's plan of salvation, you can change. You can make your life right with God. No matter how old you may be, it is not too late to make your life right by obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are sincerely desiring to serve the Lord, then He can certainly help you in your pursuit of righteousness. Please contact us if you would like to correspond or speak with someone concerning the Bible's plan of salvation.
We reserve baptism for an event to show that the person has repented of sin, and asked Christ to be their savior. That they have accepted his gift of grace.
My first time to a particular Church, I watched as the pastor and two or three other men circled the alms pan clock wise, they threw the dollars or what ever in the pan with their right hands and their heads turned the other direction.
The Pastor noticed me giving them a funny look and he just laughed and assured me that the Bible said nothing about doing it that way but that is just the way we do it to demonstrate that we are not to keep track of what we give.
A swell bunch of good hearted people.
No for Christ,,,8 days later after the manger “snip snip!”
StormPrepper: You're assuming the thief hadn't already been baptized.
Please note that the malefactor was one of, if not the, last soul saved under the Mosaic/Davidic Covenant, for whom water baptism was not an issue. He was saved by faith alone in Jesus alone, the same way that people are saved under the New Covenant. However, obedience to the command of Christ to be inducted into the Company of The Committed, His Bride, is to submit oneself to the baptismal rite of accepting the role as a disciple under the New Covenant.
That was not a role urged for the malefactor. He is a friend of The Bride.
Sorry, I should have addressed you as well as SyormPrepper in Post #57.
We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sin. A baptism is water and the word. If there is water and the word, there is a baptism. There is no need to re-baptize, as if the first one didn't take.
He wasn't the only reason...People are just playin' with ya...
You ever read in the scriptures where people were saved without water baptism???
You ever read in the scriptures where John baptized with water but Jesus baptized with the Holy Ghost???
You ever read in the scriptures where baptism was NEVER performed without repentance, first???
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.