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CHAPTER EIGHT

SACRAMENT  OF INITIATION

BAPTISM

SACRAMENT  OF INITIATION

BAPTISM

Christian Baptism is based on the Great Commission that Jesus gave to his disciples.  It reads

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Mt 28:18-20

And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Mark 16: 15-16

Thus baptism is connected with discipling process within the Christian ministry.  In the beginning of Christian era all converts were most often adults who made the decision.  But when the head of the family took the dieecision, the whole family was baptized, which means infants included. who were baptized.  Baptism was always followed by discipling or teaching of the Way. The discipling process began long before the resurrection.  Whenever people came to Jesus and were willing to be his disciples they were initiated into the discipleship process through baptism.  Church baptizes adults if they come to Christ.  But the Church believes that the teaching and discipling should begin from infancy.  It is this initiation that is performed in the Infant or Child baptism.

The infant baptism is an affirmation and declaration of faith by the parents.  They promise to teach the baby to grow in Christ.  In faith they surrender the child to Christ.  The God father takes the responsibility of the discipling process.  But the rest of the family and the church are involved in this teaching and bringing up process.

The mode of baptism is really not specified in the bible.  Water as a medium of washing is definitely there.  However the Old Testament prescribes washing, sprinkling, and immersion as ways of purification rites. Incidentally the word baptism does not imply immersion as some seems to assert for pushing immersion alone as mode of baptism.  In fact all ancient documents and wall pictures and the early baptismal fonts indicate otherwise.  But water was to cover the whole person in order to show washing.

A few simple facts must be remembered.

Baptism is a rite of passage.  It does not in anyway gives salvation.  Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ and in living continuously with Christ for which Baptism is the beginning.

 Role of family in Discipling

Discipling starts right from infancy within the family in telling the stories and getting children involved in bible reading and regular family prayers. In being good examples the parents and the rest of the family provide a Christian environment for children to know Christ.  Baptism in this sense is the promise of the parents to this effect.

In  the case of the adult baptism it follows a personal decision and can the thought of as believer’s baptism.  It is the declaration of the adult of his faith in Jesus Christ.   He/She is nurtured by the rest of the family and the community of believers.  Some churches perform a dedication of the child as an infant and when the child becomes a believer performs a baptism. 

The Role of the Community of Believers – the Church.

Though the primary responsibility of discipling lies with the family, the rest of the community of believers has the same on going responsibility of training them and bringing them to the level when they will be able to take up their own decision for Christ.