I recently attended a baptism at a Catholic church and listened as the priest explained why the church baptizes. First, he stated that it was to cleanse the original sin committed by Adam and Eve. He mentioned other reasons but it was the first one that got me thinking about Christian theology on baptism. We all know that God came to earth in human form as Jesus Christ. He sacrificed himself and died on the cross to free us from our sin. Does this mean that the reason for baptism is not to cast away the original sin because obviously, Christ died on the cross for this sin and other sins? Should we just consider that baptism (which Christ went through to unite himself with God through the Holy Spirit) is the sacrament that unites us with Christ and his church and allows the Holy Spirit to come and dwell in us as we experience life with other Christians?
Dear Bruce:
This is the sort of question the Record once carried a column for answering. Perhaps we’ll publish something on the sacraments down the road. In the meantime, here’s a very short reply.
The church—by which I mean both East and West, Reformed and not—has held or emphasized various understandings over the centuries about both what is accomplished in baptism and by Jesus’ death and resurrection. There is no one “correct” view. If you read the Westminster Confession, you can see what the Scottish Calvinistic Reformers thought. But I suspect that is inadequate for most people today.
At the heart of your question—at the heart of Christian theology—is how humans can look forward to being in the presence of God in the next stage of life. That takes many forms—restoration, purification, theosis (being made godlike), etc. Different denominations have different emphases. (If you look at the wiki on Atonement, you’ll get a pretty good idea of the major themes throughout history.)
In general, baptism reflects what a denomination (or the particular priest/minister) believes is most important about Jesus’ life and death and what he effected in terms of humanity’s relationship to God.
Hence, the variety of images in baptism itself: being washed and restored, being washed of sin, drinking the water of Life (some scholars think this may have been part of the baptismal rite in the church in Corinth), rising from the tomb, breaking the waters of the spiritual womb in rebirth, etc. As well as symbolizing the gift of the Spirit (symbolized in some churches by the ancient practice of signing the cross on the forehead with holy oil) and the sign of incorporation into the Christian family.
In short, your point—which is a very good one—is not necessarily an either/or. They are both orthodox Christian understandings among many.
Hope that’s of some help.
David Harris, editor and publisher
