blog




  • Essay / Should we baptize little children? - 3022

    One of the most debated topics within Christian churches today is baptism. This debate began during the Reformation of the 16th century, when, on the basis of Scripture, many theologians separated from the Catholic Church. An excellent example of this debated topic can be seen in the Augsburg Confession, “Concerning Baptism.” "Concerning baptism, they teach that it is necessary for salvation, that God's grace is offered through baptism, and that infants must be baptized... They condemn Anabaptists who disapprove of infant baptism and assert that infants are saved without baptism. Luther centered his theology of baptism on God's promises of salvation. He emphasized the forgiveness of sins received through baptism when the believer trusts in this promise. Luther's emphasis on the saving work of Jesus Christ and his belief that the Church of Rome still had some things right led him to accept infant baptism. Luther viewed baptism as a sign of the covenant God made with us at Calvary. Understanding and acceptance of infant baptism is widespread among modern Christian denominations such as: Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Episcopalians. The idea of ​​infant baptism is also contested by some denominations, notably Baptists and many Church of Christ congregations. The main debate on the question of baptism manifests itself in the way the Scriptures are translated and interpreted. When it comes to who can be baptized, the most debated age group is whether infants can be baptized because they are incapable of understanding the act or truly having faith. Luther begins this section by trying to let people know that this is not a topic worth debating. It states if in middle of paper...... Stock Publishers, 1972. Coke, Henry C. Why Baptize Babies. Greenwich, CN: Seabury Press, 1957. Cottrell, Jack. Baptism: A Bible Study. Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company, 1989. Fowler, James W. Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishing, 1981. Hutchison, Harry Hutchison. Why baptize infants? New York, NY: Greenwich Book Publishers, 1957. Luther, Martin. The Large Catechism, in The Book of Concord. Edited by Robert Kolb and Timothy Wengert. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2000. Marcel, Pierre Ch. The biblical doctrine of infant baptism. Translated by Philip Edgcumbe Hughes. London: James Clarke & Co. LTD., 1953. Melanchthon, Philip. The Augsburg Confession. In The Book of Concord. Edited by Robert Kolb and Timothy Wengert. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress, 2000.