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112**Baptism:*Three*Views**written*in*a*friendly,*easy9to9follow*way.*Each*author*provides*a*reasonably*compelling*defence*of*his*position.*And*the*book’s*format*is*conducive*to*a*fruitful*interchange.**All* three* authors* give* a* 309to935* page* presentation* of* their* position,*which*is*followed*by*a*59to910*page*response*from*the*other*two,*and*is*then*concluded*with*an*approximately*5*page*rejoinder*by*the*original*presenter.*This*creates*–*I*dare*say*–*a*fun*dynamic,*allowing*the*reader*to*see*the*different*sides* on* any* given* point* of* dispute* without* getting* bogged* down* in* the*intricacies*of*one*position.*It*is*an*ideal*format*for*this*type*of*topic.***Ware)on)believers’)baptism)*Ware*opens*the*conversation*by*doing*what*Baptist*theologians*typically*do:*he*offers*a*definition*of*the*disputed*term*and*then*marshals*a*host*of*texts*before* the* reader.* To* summarise* in* bite9sized* morsels,* Ware,* who* alone*argues* for* both* a* particular* mode* (immersion)* and* subject* (believers)* of*baptism,*presents*these*challenges:**(1) The*root*of*the*Greek*word*baptō)means*“immerse”*or*“submerge”*(21).*(2) In* terms* of* usage,* the* New* Testament* describes* scenes* of* “going*down* to* the* water”* or* “coming* up* out* of* the* water”* of* believers*(e.g.*Matt*3:16;*Acts*8:38)(21923).*(3) Every*New*Testament*instruction*or*command*of*baptism*involves*repentance,*faith,*or*something*else*that*presumes*conscious*belief*(e.g.*Matt*28:19;*Acts*2:38;*2:41;*8:12;*8:35938;*9:18),*including*the*“household*texts”*(16:32934;*18:8)(24927;*29935).*(4) No* text* in* the* New* Testament* explicitly* mentions* the* baptism* of*infants*(29940),*and*the*favourite*texts*of*paedobaptists*don’t*say*what*they*think*they*say*(e.g.*Acts*2:38939).***(5) “Only* baptism* by* immersion* provides* the* symbolism* of* dying* to*the*old*and*being*raised*to*the*new*life*in*Christ”*(27).**(6) The*old*covenant*incorporated*people*at*two*levels,*both*the*ethnic*and* national* as* well* as* the* spiritual* or* promise;* but* the* new*covenant*incorporates*only*those*who*have*been*forgiven*of*their*sins* and* received* God’s* law* on* their* hearts,* i.e.* those* who* have*repented*and*believed.*Hence,*the*people*of*the*new*covenant,*the*church,* is* not* a* mixed* community* –* “at* least* in) principle) and* by)structure)and)design”*(emph.*orig.,*50;*41947).**There*is*no*category*for*unbelieving*covenant*members.*(7) Circumcision,* too,* functioned* at* both* levels* (ethnic/national* and*spiritual/promise).*Which*means,*there*is*both*continuity*and*dis9continuity*between*circumcision*and*baptism.*Both*are*a*sign*and*seal*of*their*respective*covenants*(see*Rom*4:11),*but*circumcision*
FOUNDATIONS*113**had* an* ethnic/national* element* that* has* fallen* away.* Only* the*spiritual/promise*remains.*Hence,*the*children*of*believers*should*not*be*baptised*(45).**(8) Not* surprisingly,* the* only* explicit* connection* the* New* Testament*makes*between*circumcision*and*baptism*is*drawn*between*spiritual*circumcision*of*the*heart*and*baptism*(Col*2:11912)(46,*116).***(9) A* growing* number* of* scholars* suggest* that* most* churches* prac9ticed* believers’* baptism* in* the* first* four* to* six* centuries* of* the*church’s*existence,*and*when*infant*baptism*was*practiced,*it*was*treated* as* necessary* for* the* remission* of* sins,* hardly* a* theology*most*Protestant*paedobaptists*would*welcome*(47949).*(10) Believers’*baptism*grounds*the*regenerate*nature*of*the*church.**(11) Baptists*link*the*objective*work*of*Christ*with*the*subjective*res9ponse*of*faith*(73).**Ware* rests* his* case* lightly* on* historical* grounds,* largely* on* exegetical*grounds,*but*not*insignificantly*on*historical9redemptive*grounds.***Ferguson)on)paedobaptism)*Sinclair* Ferguson* makes* his* case* mostly* in* this* last* historical9redemptive*category,*which*of*course*is*what*Presbyterians*do*so*well.*He*offers*these*challenges:**(1) In* terms* of* mode,* the* New* Testament* baptismal* accounts* do* not*require*immersion*since*pouring*might*have*occurred*(even*in*Matt*3:16*or*Acts*8:38)*(51953).**(2) The*early*church*attests*to*the*practice*of*infant*baptism,*as*with*the*third*century* Apostolic)Tradition*which*refers*to*baptising*children*who*are*not*yet*able*to*speak*(79984).*(3) As*with*Abraham’s*circumcision,*baptism*is*a*sign*and*seal*of*the*righteousness* that* comes* by* faith.* But* where* believers’* baptism*emphasises* what* the* believer* does* in* responding* by* faith,* the*paedobaptist*emphasises*what*Christ*has*done*(53955;*86991;*92996).*It*is*a*Christo9centric*emblem,*not*a*fidecentric*one.*Emphasis*is*on*the*movement*from*objective*to*subjective,*not*the*opposite.*(4) The*household*baptism*texts*demonstrate*that*the*Old*Testament’s*covenantal* understanding* of* the* family* continues* (56957).* God*would* not* promote* the* family* unit* in* the* Old* Testament* only* to*displace*it*in*the*new,*and*nothing*in*the*New*Testament*suggests*the* family* has* been* displaced* (106907).* The* epochal* movement*from*old*covenant*to*new*presents*not*a*contraction*(removing*the*!
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No 63AUTUMN 2012ContentsEditorial 1
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Foundations*63*(November*2012):*194
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FOUNDATIONS*3**Baptist* Confession*
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Foundations*63*(November*2012):*5:1
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FOUNDATIONS*7**Among*the*points*of*
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FOUNDATIONS*9**Infants”. 9 *The*s
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FOUNDATIONS*11**Baptists* and* paed
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*FOUNDATIONS*“Dipping%is%not%nece
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FOUNDATIONS*15**Few* statements* ha
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20*Infant*Baptism:*Putting*Old*Wine
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44* A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
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48**A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
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60**A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
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