The focus of this essay is some of the more developed rites of baptism as celebrated today and the most important features and working down.
Water
There are two methods of baptizing in every church: immersion and pouring. Each is used three times on each person. This symbolizes the three days Jesus was in the dead. Immersion is les frequent but more faithful to Jesus’ intention, because technically baptism means to plunge under water. After the plunging the minister will say, “I baptize you in the name of the father, and of the son and the Holy Spirit (Trinitarian formula Mt 28:19). As we are plunged under water in baptism by immersion, we experience a ritual death. Once we come up out of the water for the third time, we are ritually reborn. We die with Jesus in the tomb and he brings us to new life in Christ.
Faith
Your faith is your belief in god. It is essential for baptism and is alternatively expressed as a personal statement of faith. Christianity is a community of believers who share a common faith. Before someone joins the community they must demonstrate they show the same faith, although in infant baptism the child’s family expresses the faith.
Profession of Faith
The profession of faith is practiced in both adult and infant baptism. The only difference is that the godparents answer the questions for the infants. The profession of faith is mainly just a responsibility. It is the faith of the church and it is the faith in which the child is about to be baptised. The person being baptised gets asked a series of questions, which they answer, “I do”.
White Garment
The candidate either arrives dressed in white or is dressed in white after the baptism. The white garment is specifically referred to in Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican churches. “You have clothed yourself in Christ.” The custom of the white garment has been practiced since the early days of Christianity. In the Catholic rite, they understand the white garment to mean new life in Christ and freedom from sin.
Oil (pure olive oil or with added perfume)
This is generally only used by Orthodox or Catholic traditions. In the Orthodox Church, the oil is added to the water, then poured over the person getting baptised. Candidates in both churches are anointed in the oil in various parts of their bodies. Usually on the chest, head, eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet. The oil is poured over and rubbed in and it symbolizes protection from evil and becoming more like Christ. That’s where the name anointed one comes from. The smell of Christ is recognized by the added perfume.
Scripture Reading and Homily
In every church at the celebration of God’s word a gospel passage is read e.g. Jn.3:1-6; Mt.28:18-20; Mk.1:9-11; Mk.10:13-16. A minister gives a short homily after the reading, maybe about baptism or about the reading he has just gave.
Sunday as Day for Baptism
Sunday is the normal day for baptism in most churches. Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week and so Christians celebrate Lord’s Day (Sunday) on it.
Explain the meaning and significance of baptism for Christians today - AO2
BEM (Baptism, Eucharist and ministry) is a document published in 1982 by The World Council of Churches. It was an attempt to find some consensus, or agreement by looking at it from an ecumenical perspective. It dealt with, and I am going to deal with some of the following:
- The Initiation and Meaning of Baptism
- Promise of the Holy Spirit
- Believers’ vs. Infant Baptism
Death and Resurrection
Baptism by immersion shows this more clearly. The candidate ritually dies while they are plunged under water, and as they come up they are being ritually reborn. They go into the tomb with Jesus and rise with him to new life with Christ.
Cleansing from Sin
When Christians are baptized, they believe they are washed away from both original sin and actual sin. Tertullian thought they would commit all sorts of sins while growing up, and that’s why he said people shouldn’t be baptized until they became adults.
Initiation
This is the rite by which you become a member. The rite by which you become a member of the Christian church is Christian initiation. The rites for Orthodox and Catholics are Baptism, Conformation and first Eucharist. You are then a full member of the church. Baptists have a reception into membership, this signals becoming part of the local church.
Promise of the Holy Spirit
Many churches regard being given the Holy Spirit in baptism as a sacrament. Orthodox, Catholics, Anglican, and Methodists believe this, whereas Baptists believe that it is not a sacrament, but a symbol.
Faith and Baptism
Churches that practice infant baptism believe that the faith of the family is needed to baptize the child. They believe that the family is needed to baptize the child. They believe that if the family does not believe then they will deny the child the right to be part of the family of faith-the church.
For Baptists a personal response to the Holy Spirit must be made before baptism, often giving a public testimony. As stated above they believe baptism to be symbolic , and not sacramental.
Believers vs. infant baptism
Baptists argue that an infant getting baptized is not mentioned in the New Testament, while most other Christians maintain that it is. They sight texts that write about infants being denied their mothers breast before Baptist, Clearly referring to infant baptism.
What does Baptism mean to me and why was I baptized?
Baptism in my eyes means a lot. It is the acceptance into the church and its shows my faith in God. Baptism is the same word as christening, so if I weren’t baptized then I wouldn’t have any real name and I wouldn’t be able to go to heaven. In my eyes baptism gives me a name in the church and something for people to know me by. My parents brought me to the church to get baptized because they wanted to be part of the family of faith, and at the church they passed the faith onto me.