What biblical reasons are there for the baptism ceremony

In order to understand the proper place of children in the church, it is necessary to understand that the church consists of those who have received the promise of spiritual blessing that was originally given to Abraham.

The Abrahamic covenant Gen. It continued with the nation of Israel Ex. Because Abraham was righteous his sins were forgiven as the result of his faith, he was circumcised as a sign given by God that sealed that righteousness. Physical, outward circumcision signified spiritual, inward cleansing of the heart Ezek. Not only Abraham, but all males in his household, were to be circumcised. Henceforth, all males were to be circumcised as eight-day-old infants, throughout the generations of the covenant community Gen.

Some of those, like his son Ishmael, left the covenant community and renounced the faith of Abraham. A remnant, however, by the grace of God, remained faithful. Into the circumcised community was born Jesus, in whom the promise of spiritual blessing for all peoples of the world would be fulfilled Gal. The line of physical descent from Abraham reached its climax in the person of Jesus vss.

After him, only spiritual descent mattered vss. Converts would no longer be incorporated into the nation of Israel. Consequently, a covenant sign that focused on physical descent through the male line was no longer appropriate. A new sign of the covenant was needed—one that all people, whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, could receive. As we have seen, water baptism was instituted by Jesus as the new sign of entrance into the community of faith.

Essentially, then, baptism replaced circumcision. Implied in this contrast is the fact that baptism had replaced circumcision. There were Judaizers in the church who wanted Gentile converts to be circumcised and to follow the whole Mosaic law.

But in various epistles, Paul insisted that Christians not only had nothing to gain from circumcision and Judaism, but actually had everything to lose!

Writing to the Colossians, he declared that Christians were complete in Christ and should not look to Judaism or any other religion to supplement their faith Col. His statements specifically about circumcision and baptism vss. That is, they have already received that inward circumcision, that spiritual cleansing of the heart, that is effected by the Holy Spirit. In either case, another contrast with circumcision is in view. Physical circumcision removes a small piece of flesh.

When the Spirit cleanses the heart, the whole weight of sin is removed, and the sinful flesh is renounced. However, they would have insisted that this be signified by physical circumcision. Physical circumcision has nothing to add.

A new sign, baptism, has been received. Eastern Orthodox churches and some Protestant denominations practice this method of baptism. They conduct baptism in this way to imitate early church practice, which many theologians believe predominately practiced baptism by submerging individuals in moving bodies of water. A baptism conducted by sprinkling holy water onto someone's head is called baptism by aspersion. The method of baptism is practiced by Catholics and some Protestant denominations.

Proponents of the method argue that the Greek word "baptizo" can mean "to put an element or liquid on or above. People who practice this type of baptism do not deny the validity of baptism by immersion.

Instead, they view their practice as also valid and more practical in modern circumstances. Baptism performed by pouring water onto someone's head is called baptism by affusion. About the 10th century, affusion became the predominant method of baptism.

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