The Sacrament of Baptism
Sacrament is defined as: “a Christian rite that is believed to have been ordained by Christ and that is held to be a means of divine grace or to be a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality” (Merriam-Webster). Baptism is one of the Sacraments of Christianity that is recognized. It affirms that guilt will be removed as well as the effects of Original Sin. Those baptized will be united with the Church, which symbolizes the body of Christ here on earth. In Hebrew or Greek forms, baptism means to immerse in water. This sacrament is often thought of as the “door by which the believer enters the church and has the right to partake in the rest of the Sacraments” (Sacrament of Baptism). There are differences between the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant denominations of Christianity about baptism. The history of this sacrament is shown throughout time, but early history traces it back to the Jews. Baptism was commonly performed by the Jews “as a traditional act of purification and initiation long before the coming of the Messiah” (Blank). There are three categories of Baptism. There is the Sacramental Baptism, Baptism of Blood, and Baptism of Desire. “God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacrament” (CCC 1257). The sacrament of Baptism is performed by another, “even a non-baptized person, with the required intention, can baptize” (CCC 1256). The Baptism of Blood is where “those who suffer death for the sake of faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ” (CCC 1258). The Baptism of Desire is much like the Baptism of Blood, but “brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament” (CCC 1258). The subject of Baptism is first described in the New Testament through John the Baptist. John was a relative of Christ, though it is not specified how so. John practiced baptism by fully immersing those into the Jordan River. The concept of John’s baptism was
Cited: BibleGateway.com. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. <http://www.biblegateway.com/>. Blank, Wayne Catechism of the Catholic Church: with Modifications from the Editio Typica. New York: Doubleday, 1997. Print. "The Doctrine of the Orthodox Church: Worship & Sacraments." Orthodox Christian Information Center Hopko, Thomas. The Orthodox Faith. New York: Department of Religious Education, The Orthodox Church in America, 1972. Print. Jackson, Samuel Macauley Kreeft, Peter. Fundamentals of the Faith: Essays in Christian Apologetics. San Francisco: Ignatius, 1988. Print. "Sacrament - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Merriam-Webster Online "The Sacrament of Baptism." CopticChurch.Net - Coptic Orthodox Church Network. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. <http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/thecopticchurch/sacraments/1_baptism.htm>. "THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS." JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR Turner, Paul. "Confirmation_Roots." Paul Turner. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. <http://paulturner.org/confirmation_roots.htm>.