The Significance of Baptism

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Professor

Course

03 December 2007

Water Baptism : Its Significance in the Life of a Christian

Christian living is impossible without the death , burial , and resurrection of Jesus Christ . In fact the whole Christian faith is founded in the fact that Jesus died for the sins of mankind and yet after three days rose from the grave . In the numerous sacraments and ordinances issued by the Church there is nothing that comes close to this foundational aspect of Christianity other than the sacrament of water baptism

This will

look into the significance of water baptism in relation to the life , teachings , death , burial , and resurrection of Jesus Christ In his last major pronouncements before he ascended into the clouds and into the heaven , Jesus commanded his disciples to teach , make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father , Son and Holy Spirit

In the centuries since then , there is no argument that Christians should go into the ends of the earth to teach others about the Good News of the Kingdom and the details of the new covenant in the blood of Christ . There is also no argument about the need to make disciples - to bring people of all nations into a committed relationship to the Father Son and Holy Spirit . But for hundreds of years , especially after the Reformation there is an ongoing and very much heated debate on how to obey the third part of the Great Commission and that is on how to go about with water baptism

Furthermore , this supports the argument made by a Scottish scholar named Alexander Campbell who in the middle-of-the-nineteenth century , made the following proposition , Immersion in water into the name of the Father , and of the Son , and of the Holy Spirit , is the one only Christian Baptism ' This is achieved by getting an in-depth look at Campbell 's own work with regards to the subject matter a review of what others had written about the and finally consult the Scriptures and in the end let it be the verdict as to what is most probable in light of the whole Bible - whether baptism is immersion or a ) sprinkling of water b ) pouring of water or c ) purifying in the name of the Father , Son and Holy Spirit

Significance

Before going any further it is important to establish the significance of water baptism in to justify a more extensive foray into the . There are at least three major reasons why water baptism is significant in light of Christian tradition . Aside from what was already mentioned that there is a direct correlation between water baptism and the death , burial and resurrection of Christ , there are other reasons why the said sacrament is important

It is according to Kittel , .the reconciling action of God . It places us objectively in Christ , the second Adam it thus removes us from the sphere of death of the first Adam ' It is a way to transformation , the beginning point...