The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

IS TO SAY, of the Spirit." It is contended that it is parallel to such an
expression as this: "God and our Father," which means: "God, that is to
say, our Father." In the epexegesis, one thing is spoken of in more than
one aspect, and, hence, under more than one term. For instance, in the
phrase we have quoted: "God and our Father" means: That Being who is
God, as to his nature, and Father, as to his relation to us, God essentially,
and Father relatively; in a word, both God and Father. It does not make
the term God metaphorical, and the term Father the literal substitute for it.
If an epexegesis, therefore, were supposable in John iii. 5, the phrase could
only mean: Born of that which is water, as to its outer part, and Spirit, as to
its internal agent, that is, both water and Spirit. It is, therefore, of no avail to
resort to the epexegesis here, even if it were allowable. But it is not
allowable. There is not an instance, so far as we know, in human language,
in which a noun used metaphorically is conjoined by a simple "and" with
a term which is literal and is meant to explain it. In a word, the resorts of a
false interpretation, which are sometimes very specious, utterly fail in this
case. Our Lord has fixed the sense of his words so surely, that the
unprejudiced who weigh them calmly cannot be at a loss as to their
meaning.
Is Baptism necessary to salvation?
The Augsburg Confession (Art. IX. 1) declares that Baptism "is
necessary to salvation." Is it justified in so doing? Can we accept a
statement apparently so sweeping? Is it a Scripture statement?
In order properly to answer these questions, it is necessary to
determine what the Confessors meant. In all human writings, and in the
Book of God, occur propositions apparently universal, which are,
nevertheless, in the mind of the writer, limited in various ways. What is the
meaning of the proposition of our Confession? Is it absolute, and without
exceptions, and if it meant to allow exceptions, what are they? The first
question we naturally ask, in settling the meaning of our Confession, is,
What is Baptism?
1. What is Baptism?
The Platform, in, defining what Baptism it supposes the Church to
connect with salvation, designates it as "such