Baptism is a Christian sacrament symbolizing the cleansing of sins and the entry into the Church. It has roots in pre-Christian practices and some Jewish sects. Different Christian denominations have different methods of baptism, including infant baptism and full-immersion adult baptism. The original language of the New Testament scriptures has led to divisions within the Church over the accepted form of baptism, and there is also controversy over the age of responsibility for baptism. Regardless of the form, baptism is seen as a tangible act of contrition and dedication.
In the modern sense of the word, baptism is a Christian rite or sacrament that symbolizes the cleansing of sins or other spiritual impurities. After baptism, Christian believers are received into the body of the Church as sanctified members. Most ceremonies involve the use of water, although different Christian denominations have different methods of baptizing the faithful. Some priests sprinkle water on an infant, while others prefer to fully immerse an adult candidate in a body of water.
The concept actually predates Christianity. The Greek word for baptism has no religious connotation. To the Greeks, it described an immersion or plunge, meaning a sinking ship or a piece of cloth dipped in dye. There is another Greek word, roughly raptizo, which is said to mean sprinkling or pouring out. This distinction between baptizo and raptizo has some bearing on modern Christian ritual.
Some sects within Judaism also practiced a form of baptism before the arrival of Jesus Christ. The essential concept of cleansing one’s spiritual body is similar to modern Christian ritual, but it was also very different in its intent. When John the Baptist began performing his own baptismal rituals, he was in accord with existing Jewish practice. When Jesus Christ arrived at the Jordan River, John the Baptist recognized the difference between his largely symbolic ritual and the future baptism of the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
As Christianity grew in popularity, the sacrament of infant baptism became a vital element in the Catholic Church. During this ritual, an ordained priest sprinkles a few drops of holy water on the child’s head or puts a few drops on his forehead. The newborn ceremony is accompanied by specific readings from Scripture, along with responses between the priest, parents, and congregation. Baptism of an infant is believed to establish a bond between the child and God, leading to a blessed life as a new creature.
Protestant denominations vary widely on the issue. Some of the older denominations, such as Lutherans and Episcopalians, still practice infant baptism as a form of sanctification. Others, such as Traditional Baptists and Methodists, have also adopted the practice of full-immersion adult rituals, but have also retained some forms of infant baptism. Many charismatic churches emphasize the importance of baptizing an adult as a necessary part of a total plan of personal salvation. In these denominations, ritual follows the act of repentance as a form of spiritual death, burial, and resurrection.
Some of the differences between Christian denominations on the accepted form of baptism are found in the original language of the New Testament scriptures. Those denominations that favor sprinkling or pouring out believe that the original Greek translations used the word raptizo, meaning to sprinkle. Others say the word was baptizo, meaning full immersion. This has led to several divisions within the Christian Church, based on disagreements about the God-ordained form.
Another ritual controversy is the age of responsibility. Some Christian denominations believe that a child should be baptized as soon as possible, to live his life without the stain of man’s sin. Others believe it has no spiritual significance until the candidate has reached an age of accountability, usually at age 12. Baptism of adults through full immersion is seen as an act committed by someone who actually understands their sinful nature. Children have no such understanding, so they are protected by God’s grace.
The sacrament of baptism, no matter what form it takes, is a tangible act of contrition that often provides the recipient with a sense of renewed purpose and dedication.
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