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Baptism in the Church

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2009

Extract

The new and sustained interest in the doctrine of the Church, which is one of the outstanding characteristics of theological study in our day, has lately taken a turn which seems to hold the promise of fresh and fruitful developments. There has been any amount of discussion in the past about the Church's faith as worked out in controversy and expressed in creeds and confessions; about the Church's organisation and the functions and status of her ministers; about the Church's code of conduct or ethical ideals. In these discussions it has not always been remembered that the Church is a worshipping community. True, there was a branch of study called liturgiology; but few students were attracted to it. To most people it seemed to be at best a harmless kind of antiquarianism remote from the main business of theology and the real life of the Church. Its exponents tended to be looked upon—often, it must be confessed, not without justification—as diligent pickers-up of unconsidered trifles. All that is changing. It is realised that the corporate worship of the Christian community in all its aspects is an essential and distinctive part of its life; and that it is one of the main tasks of Christian theology to know and interpret Christian worship.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Scottish Journal of Theology Ltd 1949

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References

page 392 note 1 The New Testament Doctrine of Baptism, by Flemington, W. F. (London, S.P.C.K., 1948. 10s. 6d.).Google Scholar

page 392 note 2 Institutions Systematico-historicae in Sacram Liturgiam. Liturgia Specialis. Series II Liturgia Sacramentalis. Vol. I De Fontibus et Historia Ritus Baptismalis (Rome, 1943).Google Scholar

page 392 note 3 The Theology of Confirmation in relation to Baptism (1946).

page 392 note 4 “Les Traces d'une vieille Formule bapti smale dans le Nouveau Testament”, in Revue d'Histoire et de Philosophic Religieuses (1937), No. 5–6, pp. 24–34.“La Signification du Baptême dans le Nouveau Testament”, in Revue de Theologie et de Philosophic No. 123, April-June 1942; Les Premières Confessions de Foi Chrétiennes (Paris, 1943)Google Scholar; Urchristentum und Gottesdienst (Basel, 1944)Google Scholar; Die Tauflehre des Neuen Testaments (Zürich, 1948)Google Scholar. (Also in French: Le Baptême des Enfants et la doctrine biblique du baptéme. Neuchâtel, 1948.) This last work is a reply to Barth.

page 392 note 5 Le Baptême chrétienne, son origine, sa signification (Neuchâtel, 1946).

page 392 note 6 Die kirchliche Lehrc von der Taufe (Zürich 1943)Google Scholar, English translation by E. A. Payne, The Teaching of the Church regarding Baptism (London, 1948).

page 392 note 7 I take it as established beyond reasonable doubt that the practice of baptizing proselytes had been adopted before John's mission began, and that he adapted the rite to his own purposes.

page 393 note 1 For a clear, though later, statement see Const. Ap. vii.41.7.

page 393 note 2 See B. J. Bamberger, Proselytism in the Talmudic Period, 31–37.

page 393 note 3 It is by the Spirit that this cry is made possible; cf. Rom. 7.9.14 f.; Gal. 4.6.

page 393 note 4 Acts 2.38.—The order is repentance; baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; reception of the Holy Spirit. 8.12.—Baptism follows on belief in Philip's preaching about the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ: later the Holy Spirit is received after prayer and imposition of hands by the Apostles (14−17). 8.35 ff.—The Ethiopian eunuch is baptized on his acceptance of Philip's preaching of Jesus: reception of the Spirit is not mentioned. 10.44–8.— Cornelius and his household receive the Spirit while Peter is preaching; they speak with tongues and by Peter's orders are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. 16.14 f.—Lydia baptized with her household on believing Paul's preaching. 16.31 ff.—The Philippian jailer and his household baptized on their believing in the Lord Jesus, Paul having spoken “the word of God” to them. 18.8.—Crispus and others believe and are baptized, ig.1–7.—Twelve disciples already baptized with John's baptism are baptized a second time by Paul in the name of the Lord Jesus; Paul lays his hands on them and they receive the Holy Spirit, speak with tongues, and prophesy. 22.16.—We are told how Ananias exhorted Paul, at his conversion, to be baptized and wash away his sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

page 394 note 1 T. W. Manson, St. Paul in Ephesus: (3) The Corinthian Correspondence, in the Bulletin of the John Rylands Library xxvi (1941); Entry into Membership of the Early Church, in J.T.S. xlviii (1947), pp. 25–33.

page 394 note 2 Ed. Dix, pp. 23–43. cf. his Theology of Confirmation 10 ff.; Oppenheim, op. cit. 71 ff. cf. Hippolytus Comm. in Daniel 1.16, 33, and Bardy's Introduction, p. 62.

page 394 note 3 Later Antiochene practice as described, for example, by Theodore of Mopsuestia in his treatise on Baptism (ed. Mingana, Woodbrooke Studies, Vol. VI) looks rather like a fusion of the two earlier forms.

page 395 note 1 See the excellent remarks of Flemington, p. 75, and F. C. Grant, Anglican Theological Review, xxvii (1945), 256 f.

page 395 note 2 I Cor. 7.14 and Cullmann, Tauflehre 20, 38, 47; Strack-Billerbeck 1.110 ff.; Bamberger, op. cit. 41 f., 52–5. If a woman is converted to Judaism while pregnant, her son needs no baptism after he is born.

page 396 note 1 Heb. 6.4–6. The problem is faced by Hermas in the second century: he opens the discussion, out of which the penitential system eventually comes.

page 396 note 2 The relation between a belief in original sin and the practice of infant baptism is not easy to trace. The logical connexion is obvious enough: Augustine uses the practice of infant baptism to support the doctrine of original sin. The doctrine appears in Judaism (Loofs, Dogmengeschichte, 3rd Edn., 39 ff.). Tertullian has it (de Anima, 39–41, with Waszink's commentary, pp.446 ff.) and Cyprian (Ep.64.5). See also Loofs, Symbolik 137 f., 266 ff., K. Holl Enthusiasmus u. Bussgewalt 52 ff., 259.

page 396 note 3 K. Holl, Enthusiasmus und Bussgewalt; Oppenheim, op. cit. 64.

page 397 note 1 The least impressive part of Barth's pamphlet is his attempt to avoid the logical consequences of his adoption of Baptist basic principles.

page 400 note 1 In the 6th Edition (1736), pp. 409–445.

page 401 note 1 Cf. Flemington 126 f. where this point is admirably brought out.