Quintessence of Religious Doctrines - Malankarasyriac Voice

25On the Holy Baptism 49 50Quintessence of Religious Doctrines7. As one approaches the plane of the light of wisdom from thedark sphere of ignorance, through baptism, it is also called thesacrament of light.Ref: 1Pet. 2:9. But you are all the chosen race, the King’spriests, the holy nation, God’s own people chosento proclaim the wonderful acts of God who calledyou out of darkness into his own marvellous light.(G.N.B.)CommentThe imagery of light is brought in to explain the effects ofbaptism. Every person is deemed to be encircled by thegloom of darkness on account of the original sin, till baptismremoves it. By baptism the original darkness is dispelled;human beings are thus led to the grace of the light of purityand sinlessness. There is, therefore, enough justification inchristening baptism, the sacrament of light. After all is said,it is well to remember that, the prayer of man to lead fromdarkness to light has been a cherished one among manyreligions.8. Since those who were born originally from women are rebornas the children of grace through the waters of baptism, thissacrament is hailed the born again ceremony. As the entiremankind has become victims of divine judgement not only dueto omission cum commission but also because of original sinand as the entire bulk of sins is removed through baptism andgrace thus obtained, this sacrament is obligatory for each oneof the faithful.Ref: (a) Jn. 3:3... No one can see the kingdom of God unlesshe is born again. (G.N.B.)(b) Tit. 3:5... He saved us through the Holy Spirit, whogives us new birth and new life by washing us.(G.N.B.)CommentBaptism is like a second birth as our Lord emphatically saysto Nicodemus. The baptismal font is considered to be thewomb of the Mother Church. In ‘The Hymns of Epiphany’Mor Ephrem, the lyre of the Holy Spirit, develops this theme.To use another imagery, baptism is the toll-gate for the entryof a person to the fold of the Ecclesia. Therefore, it isobligatory for everyone to pass through the sacrament ofbaptism.9. For the above reasons this sacraments cannot be denied evento the infants. The office of the God parents has been constitutedas a device of expediency. The God-parents are intended asthe agents of the candidates for baptism, in the duty of dischargingthe obligation of confessing of sins, professing of faith andsubsequently giving timely instructions of righteousness, rectitudeand orthodoxy.Ref: (a) Mark. 10:13, 14, 16. Some people brought childrento Jesus for him to place his hands on them; but thedisciples scolded the people. When Jesus noticedthis he was angry and said to his disciples, “Let thechildren come to me, and do not stop them becausethe kingdom of God belongs to such as these...”Then he took the children in his arms, placed hishands on each of them and blessed them. (G.N.B.)(b) Gen. 17:10. You and your descendants must all agreeto circumcise every male among you. (G.N.B.)(c) Gen. 17:13. Each one must be circumcised and thiswill be a physical sign to show that my covenantwith you is everlasting. (G.N.B.)CommentMembership in the Church is not like obtaining citizenship.The latter devolves on a person by birth either on the basisof the doctrines of ‘Jus Soli’ or ‘Jus Sanguines’. It is throughthe ceremony of baptism that one becomes a member of theChurch. It may, however, be noted that adult baptism is stilladministered as and when needed. The S.O.C., unlike theJewish community, does not at present prescribe a day ordate for baptism. On the authority of Mt. 8 and Mk 2 thesupporters of infant baptism argue that the baptismal parents