Church Practice and Identity - Essay Example

Church Practice and Identity Number Department Introduction Baptism features heavily and centrally in the list of ordinances to the point that it is referred to as the first ordinance of the Gospel, in the United and Uniting Church. The phrase United and Uniting Church is used in the discourse to mean, a union of several Protestant denominations. These are Protestant and churches which have merged, with the most nascent example being the Protestant Union which was also known as the Evangelical Union which was created in 1608 and brought together the Lutheran, Reformed and United churches. In the United and Uniting Church, an individual must first undergo water baptism in order to be considered a member. This is because most members of the United Church believe that baptism is a Christian rite of adoption or admission which involves the immersion of the believer into water, or sprinkling water on the believer. The execution of this rite is always accompanied by a declaration of a statement of faith by the believer and the declaration of the Person(s) into whom the believer is being baptized, with the Person(s) either being the Father, the Son and the Holy Sprit. While there are several ways in which baptism is carried out depending on the standpoint that a given denomination takes, the spiritual significance of baptism remains too profound to be discounted as a mere ritual, as shall be seen in the discourse which ensues forthwith. Nee1 contends that water baptism contributes greatly to the identity of the United Church. By this identity, it is meant behavioral identity. While the United Church believes that the Church has been called to live a holy life as the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5: 13 and Matthew 5: 14, respectively), this holiness is not to be achieved through the observation of prescriptive behavior as is the case with other religions2. Instead this holiness is attained through knowing that the old man (the flesh, or the carnal man or the natural man) was crucified and died with Christ in His Passion and death, and that the new man of the spirit was raised together with Christ in His resurrection (Galatians 2:20). Carson3 postulates that baptism plays a crucial role in the development above, since it is the acknowledgement and a demonstration of the knowledge that the believer in Christ had his carnal nature crucified with Christ and that his spiritual man was raised with Christ, by the very power that resurrected Jesus Christ. In this case, when partaking of baptism, when the believer is immersed in water, the symbol of the carnal nature of the believer being buried with Christ is evinced4. Upon the believer being lifted up from water, the sense of his new man being raised and made alive with Christ is denoted5. In this case, the identity of the holiness that the individual as a unit of the Church has is not gained by following a behavioral code handed over by a religious leader and his protégés, but one that stems from knowing6. All the Protestant denominations making up the Union Church agree with the doctrine behind baptism as being related to a new life in the Spirit. It is nevertheless important to note that this knowing cannot be attributed as a work or an incident that can be attained by a sleight of hand or human or human effort. St. Paul is the epitome of strong will, theological and legal intellectualism and religious punctiliousness, yet all these virtues neither succored him from frustratingly struggling with the indubitable passions of the carnal man, nor handed him this freeing knowledge. St. Paul’s virtues are summed in a very compressed summary in Philippians 3:5, while his struggles with his carnal nature are elaborated on, in Romans chapter 77. It is only by the Spirit that the knowledge that his struggle with his carnal nature is unnecessary since it died with Christ as is seen in Romans chapter 88. This knowledge is therefore a revelation, and not a preserve of the intellect. The crux of the matter herein is that without this realization, the purpose of baptism may be frustrated, and may relegate the observation into a mere ritual9. The matter is weighty in giving the Church her identity. Individuals make up the Church and if they do not come to this revelation, then the Church will grapple with unholy lifestyles. The Church becomes ultimately bereft of its identity and mandate as the salt and light of the world if it grapples with the lifestyle of ungodliness10. Dyer11 points out that another way in which baptism as a Christian practice helps mold the United Church’s identity is the manner in which she identifies with Christ, in partaking of the sacrament. The United Church believes that the core of Christianity is the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As the believer is immersed in water and raised from it, he identifies with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Secondly, to the United Church, baptism serves as the point of contact with the life of holiness, so that the believer shares and identifies with Christ in leading a holy life (as can be seen in Romans 6:4 and 5)12. Again, the United Church identifies with Jesus in His baptism, with the only point of departure herein being that while the Church partakes in baptism in recognition of the death of the sinful nature and the newness of life in the Spirit, Jesus got baptized to fulfill all the requirements of righteousness (Matthew 3: 15)13. In another wavelength, Root and Saarinen14 argue that baptism is seen as giving the United Church her identity as one body. In the 5th verse of chapter 4 of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, St Paul tells the believers to be united, given that they have one Lord, one faith and one baptism. Herein, the Church has no recourse to unity since it draws from only one historical Jesus who lived around 4 BC to 29 AD, His teachings and acts15. The United Church agrees that the Church in her entirety exists because it has faith in the claims by the one historical Jesus as valid and commensurate with what is said in Biblical scripture16. Because of this faith, the believer partakes of Church sacraments such as baptism, since these sacraments become alive, in lieu of being mere ritualistic observations. Because of this, the aspect of baptism being one is underpinned by the fact that it is predicated upon one faith and this faith instead is premised upon one historical figure, Jesus Christ and His actions and teachings17. Conversely, the United Church sees baptism as a sacrament crystallizes the identity of the Church as God’s (new) people. In verses 1 to 4 of chapter 10 of St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, the believers are taught that they are partakers of the real substance, as God’s true people18. To underscore this standpoint, the believers are reminded how the elements of the wilderness experience such as the crossing of the Red Sea, the pillar of cloud (at daytime) and fire (at night), the eating of the spiritual food, manna (Psalm 78:25) and the spiritual rock they drank from are all a shadow of the real substance which was to come. The crossing of the Red Sea is spoken of as an archaic form of baptism (unto Moses)19. According to McDonnel20, this development above is in contrast with the baptism the Church partakes in, given that the experience of the new believer in Christ is portrayed as being the substance which was being symbolized by the experience of Israel under the Old Testament. No longer is baptism as covert and done subliminally on the people of God when they crossed the Red Sea, but the present is fuller in substance and meaning21. The individual as a new believer in Christ out of his faith willfully and knowingly partakes of the sacrament, knowing his individual position with Christ, as opposed to believers who dealt with God as a congregation. The Church through baptism is portrayed as a superior body since it identifies with Christ and His body and Passion, unlike the old congregation in the wilderness which identified with Moses22. Baptism also remains an important part of the United Church’s identity, in respect to the world. As an individual partakes in baptism, he is declaring to the world that he believes in Christ, Christ’s suffering, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection as adequate for his propitiation and he is not only identifying with Christ, but that he belongs to Christ23. Those present at the individual’s baptism therefore witness the public and one of the most explicit statements of belonging to Christ. The implication herein is that once this statement is made by the believer, the believer has declared that he is to live in accordance with Christ’s standards and teachings and the world expects him to so do. The believer has therefore no recourse to living in the world circumspectly, in terms of conduct24. Evaluate the contribution of scholarly discussion of this practice That Christianity is a rational religion is a matter that is exemplified by the many scholarly corpuses of literature that have been written on Christianity and practices and sacraments pertinent to it. Baptism also falls within the rubric of United Church practices that have been written about. Mostly, these pieces of scholarly discussion have been penned down to elaborate, explain a denomination’s reason for a certain stand on baptism and to explain the very nature and essence of baptism at one end. At the other end, most rebuttals that have been made are those that have been leveled at the former25. In keeping with the main essence of baptism being the identification with Christ as having taken with Him Christian’s carnal nature in death and burial and having been quickened together with the believer’s spiritual man by the Spirit at the resurrection, authors have argued that some felicity conditions to make baptism meaningful. First, the participant in the baptism must have converted by coming to the knowledge of Jesus as Savior and Lord. Secondly, the participant must have appreciated the essence of baptism as a turning point to the newness of life in the Spirit26. According to Marty27, at the base of the concern about infant baptism is that it is a foreign practice which was introduced to Church traditions later in the 4th century AD and later on entrenched in the Seventh Session of the Canon on Sacrament in 1547, in the General Council of Trent28. However, at the heart of the matter is that infant baptism is wrong since children have not become mature enough to appreciate the fact that they are sinful and in need of salvation. Neither have these children reached the age of accountability for their sin, nor do they understand the meaning and importance of baptism29. The point above fundamentally serves as an antithesis for infant baptism which the Lutheran Church practices, yet it is a member of the United Church. Nevertheless, proponents for infant baptism argue that infant baptism allows a child the chance to be consecrated to God, at the most nascent stage of life possible. This same group above continues that when issuing the Great Commission to the disciples and the Church at large, Jesus commanded the baptism of all nations. Proponents of child baptism in the Lutheran Church understand the term all nations to be everyone. This group continues that Jesus did not make any exceptions in regard to color, race, sex, education, class and most importantly, age. This is to mean that everyone is to be baptized, infants included30. In the same wavelength, the argument is advanced by Lutherans and others who support infant baptism to the effect that even if one may rush to cite the absence of biblical example of infant baptism, yet the authors of the New Testament did not see any reason to point out the age of the partakers in baptism. What stands out that people read about men (Acts 2:41 and 8:35), women (Acts 16:14-16) and entire households (Acts 10:24, 47-48; 16:14-15; 16:30-33; and I Co 1:16) being baptized. The crux of the matter herein is that the authors of the New Testament saw no meaningful reason to state the age of those being baptized as they understood the phrase all nations as being all-inclusive31. The other reason that is advanced by members of the United Church such as Lutherans in favor of infant baptism is that God has always worked in covenants with man. Jewett32 observes that it is for this reason that there is the Adamic covenant, the Noahic covenant, Abrahamic covenant, the Old Testament between God and Israel and the New Covenant between God and His people through Christ, which is an everlasting covenant. In all these covenants, there are signs. For instance, the sign in Abrahamic covenant is circumcision33. The argument herein is that neither are children excluded from being participants in these covenants, nor are they exempted from partaking of the signs of these covenants. For instance, in the Abrahamic covenant, the sign is the circumcision of children as young as eight days old34. The same argument proceeds cogently that in St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians Chapter 2 verses 11 and 12, baptism is presented as the sign that replaces circumcision in the New Testament35. This is to mean that there is no reason God would exclude children from partaking of baptism yet the promise of the covenant extends to the beneficiaries and their households, as can be seen in Acts 2: 39, 16:15 and 16:3136. It is also important to note that there are different forms of baptism so that baptism must not be mistaken that only water baptism only exists. According to Bickersteth37, for one, it is clear that immediately one comes to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit baptizes him into the body of Christ, according to the I Corinthians 12:13. In this case, the baptizer is the Holy Spirit Himself who is not baptizing unto water, but the body of Christ. Perhaps, Ephesians 4:5 directly refers to this form of baptism38. There is also the baptism with the Holy Spirit (which is also alternatively referred to as baptism in the Holy Spirit) which refers to the experience of the Holy Spirit whereby the Holy Spirit comes upon an individual and empowers him for ministry. This is an experience apart from that of salvation. Jesus is seen to be baptized in the Holy Spirit during His baptism39. The apostles and followers of Jesus are also baptized in the Holy Spirit and equipped for ministry in the Day of Pentecost in Acts of the Apostles chapter 2. It is important to note that the experience in Acts chapter 2 is very different from that of John 20:22. In Acts 19:2, the distinction between the experience of the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation and the infilling of the Holy Spirit is clearly made by St. Paul40. Conclusion It is important to note the complementary relationship between the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ in the sacrament and ordinance of baptism. In water baptism, the faith of the believer is the most important requirement, while this faith is only generated by the Holy Spirit. It is also the Holy Spirit who brings the revelation that an individual believer is dead in his trespasses and alive in Christ so that he does not have to live a defeated life. In the baptism into the body of Christ, it is the Holy Spirit baptizing the believer, while in the baptism with the Holy Spirit, it is the Father pouring His Spirit on a believer who is in Christ and through Jesus Christ, as can be seen in Luke 11:13 and John 14:16. References Beddome, Benjamin. 1849. A Scriptural Exposition of the Baptism Catechism: By Way of Questions and Answers. (Richmond: Harrold & Murray), 20. Beecher, Edward. 1849. Baptism: with Reference to Its Import and Modes. (Minneapolis: Kirk House Publishing), 11-12. Best, F. Thomas. 2008. Baptism Today: Understanding, Practice Ecumenical Implications. (Vatican: World Council of Churches/ Liturgical Press), 23-5. Bickersteth, A. Edward. 1840. Treatise on Baptism. (London: Seeley and Burnside Press), 75. Campbell, Alexander. 1853. Christian Baptism: With Its Antecedents and Consequents. (London: Arthur Hall), 99. Carson, Alexander. 1850. Baptism its Mode and Subjects. (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society), 122. Cottrell, Jack. 2009. Baptism: A Biblical Study. (New York: College Press Publishing Co), 66. Ditzler, Jacob. 2009. Baptism. (BiblioBazaar), 22. Dunn, D. G. James. 2010. Baptism in the Holy Spirit. (London: SCM Press), 80. Dyer, Larry. 2000. Baptism: the Believer’s First Obedience. (New York: John Wiley and Sons), 45. Hellholm, David, Vegge, Tor. & Norderval, Oyvind. 2011. Ablution, Initiation, and Baptism: Late Antiquity, Early Judaism. (Berlin: Hubert & Co), 122. Jewett, Paul King. 2008. Infant Baptism and the Covenant of Grace: An Appraisal. (Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Co), 33. Jiang, Yang. 2007. Baptism. (New York: Prentice Hall), 56. Judson, Adoniram. 1846. Christian Baptism: A Sermon on Christian Baptism with Many with Many Quotations. (Boston: Buttersworth), 35. Kavanagh, Aidan. 1978. The Shape of Baptism: The Rite of Christian Initiation. (Minneapolis: Pueblo Publishing Company, Inc), 76. Kenrick, Francis Patrick. & St. Basil. A Treatise on Baptism: With an Exhortation to Receive It. (Philadelphia: King and Baird Press), 90. Kinnings, Max. 2012. Baptism. (London: Quercus Publishing), 99. Krauth, Porterfield. 1866. Baptism: The Doctrine Set Forth in Holy Scripture and Taught in Evangelical Lutheran Church. (Gettysburg Press), 69. Lee, Witness. 2009. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit. (New York: Living Stream Ministry Publishing), 122-4. Marty, E. Martin. 2002. Baptism: A User’s Guide. (London: Cengage Learning), 77. McCalla, William Latta. 1824. A Debate on Christian Baptism: Between the Rev. W. L. MacCalla, A Presbyterian Teacher and Alexander Campbell. (London: Campbell & Sala), 77-8. McDonnel, Kilian. 1996. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan: The Trinitarian and Cosmic Order of Salvation. (Berlin: Württemberg Press), 44-5. Miller, Samuel. 1834. Infant Baptism Scriptural and Reasonable: And Baptism by Sprinkling or Affusion. (New Jersey: Presbyterian Board of Publication), 11. Nee, William. 2005. Baptism. (Oxford: OUP), 41. Osborne, Kenan. 2007. The Christian Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation & Eucharist. (New York: Macmillan), 30. Porter, E. Stanley. & Cross, R. Antony. 2002. Dimensions of Baptism: Biblical and Theological Studies. (New York: Sheffield Academic Press), 27. Root, Michael. & Saarinen, Risto. 1998. Baptism in the Unity of the Church. (Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Co), 89. Rosser, Leonidas. 1854. Baptism: Its Nature, Obligation, Mode, Subjects and Benefits. (Philadelphia: Johnson and Co), 88. Schreiner, Thomas & Wright, Shawn. 2006. Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. (B & H Publishing Group), 90. Stanton, Sue. & Blake, Allan. 2006. A Child’s Guide to Baptism. (New Jersey: Paulist Press), 89. Steenwyk, Carrie & Witvliet, D. John. 2011. At Your Baptism. (New York: Prentice Hall), 38-9. Stookey, Hull Lawrence. 1982. Baptism: Christ’s Act in the Church. (Nashville: Abingdon Press), 50. Stott, John Michael. 2006. Baptism and Fullness: The Work of the Holy Spirit Today. (London: Cengage Learning), 156. Summers, O. Thomas. 1852. Baptism: A Treatise on the Nature, Perpetuity, Subjects. (Harvard: Harvard University Press), 47. Trafton, Mark. 1870. Baptism: Its Subjects and Mode in Two Parts. (New York: SAGE), 84. Trigg, Jonathan. D. 2001. Baptism in the Theology of Martin Luther. (London: Leiden Press), 88-9. Unger, Merrill. 2004. The Baptism and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Chicago: Lockman Foundation), 101-2. Vaagnes, Morris. 2007. Baptism: God’s Activity of Grace. (Boston: Butterwsorth), 82. Witherington, Ben. 2007. Troubled Waters: Rethinking Theology of Baptism. (Waco: Baylor University Press), 31. Wood, K. Susan. 2009. One Baptism: Ecumenical Dimensions of the Doctrine of Baptism. (Seattle: Liturgical Press), 77-8. Read More