Views on Baptism The practice of b

The practice of baptism is of long standing within Christianity. At its most basic, baptism consists of either immersion in water or sprinkling with water as a form of replicating the actions of Jesus Christ when he allowed himself to be baptized by his cousin, known as John the Baptist. Within the context of the early Christian faith, J. Dwight Pentecost (92-93) characterized the practice of baptism as a means of cleansing the spirit and the soul of any sinfulness and preparing the individual to receive grace and to fulfill all righteousness. Just as priests or rabbis within Judaism were consecrated to office with the washing of water, Pentecost (94) says that Christ himself underwent baptism to signify His own identification with sinners and the necessity of an outward and visible sign of the renunciation of sin.

Over time, different sects within the Christian faith have redefined baptism while retaining many of these original characteristics. This essay will consider how selected denominations (i.e., the Methodists, the Word churches, the Apostolics, and the New Age Movements) understand baptism and its meaning.

The United Methodist Book of Worship tells the biblical story of water, tracing water to the Creation and noting that God the Father saved Noah and his family on the ark through water, later leading the Israelites from bondage in Egypt to freedom through the sea. From the first instant of creation, Methodists believe that water has played an import

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gdom of Heaven and achieve unity with Jesus Christ (Reckart and Olson, 1). Thus, in the vast majority of Christian churches regardless of their specific denominational orientation, baptism with water is seen by Pentecost (510) as "an external sign of faith in Christ and of submission to His word." In the Word Churches, the Holy Scriptures are accepted as the revealed will of God, the all sufficient rule of faith and practice, and the source of grace and salvation. According to the Living Word Church (1), the two ordinances of the church are water baptism and the Lord's Supper or what other churches call Holy Communion or the Eucharist. The Living Word Church (1) describes water baptism as immersion in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and as a symbol of identification with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Additionally, the Church of the Living Word (1) describes water baptism by immersion not as a means of salvation, a rite, a merely external ritual or a sacrament. Rather it is understood as a voluntary act of faith and obedience by a believer in Jesus Christ after having first repented of sin. Whereas Methodists and Apostolics see baptism as having sacramental meaning and value, me

Category: Philosophy - V