Representation of baptism in early Christian art.

Baptism, from Greek βαπτίζω (baptízô), is a religious act of purification by water usually associated with admission to membership or fullness of membership of Christianity. Look up baptism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Image File history File links Baptism_-_Marcellinus_and_Peter. ... Image File history File links Baptism_-_Marcellinus_and_Peter. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is...

The pen15Greek-English Lexicon of Liddell and Scott gives the primary meaning of the word βαπτίζω, from which the English word baptism is derived, as dip, plunge, but indicates, citing Luke 11:38, that it was used also to mean perform ablutions.^[1] A Greek-English Lexicon is the standard lexicographical work of the ancient Greek language, begun in the nineteenth century and now in its ninth (revised) edition. ...

By analogy, the English word "baptism" is used of any ceremony, trial, or experience by which one is initiated, purified, or given a name.^[2] See Other initiation ceremonies below. This article is about the Christian religious act of Baptism. ...

The periodically repeated Jewish purification rite of mikvah is not normally spoken of as baptism, largely because of the Christian associations of the word "baptism". Mikvah (or mikveh) (Hebrew: מִקְוָה, Standard Tiberian  ; plural: mikvaot or mikvot) is a specially constructed pool of water used for total immersion in a purification ceremony within Judaism. ...

This article will mainly consider the practices and beliefs of Christians with regard to this rite and in particular the forms in which they hold that it should be administered.

[edit] Meaning of the Greek word βαπτίζω

Liddell and Scott is not the only authority to point out that the Greek word βαπτίζω did not mean exclusively, dip, plunge, immerge. Scholars of various denominations^[3] point to two passages in the New Testament as indicating that the word was used of something much less than the total immersion of the person. Luke 11:38 recounts that, when Jesus ate at a Pharisee's house, "the Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash (βαπτίζω - literally, "be baptized" or "baptize himself") before dinner." Those who point to this passage say that the Pharisee will not have expected Jesus to immerse himself fully before having a meal and that his surprise will have been at Jesus' omission of the customary ritual washing of the hands.^[4] The other New Testament passage pointed to is Mark 7:3–4a: "The Pharisees ... do not eat unless they wash (νίπτω, the ordinary word for washing) their hands thoroughly, observing the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they wash themselves (literally, "baptize themselves" - βαπτίζω)". This article is about the Christian scriptures. ...

[edit] History

[edit] Background in Jewish ritual

Main article: Mikvah

Although the term "baptism" is not used to describe the Jewish rituals, the purification rites (or mikvah - ritual immersion) in Jewish laws and tradition have some similarity to baptism, and the two have been linked^[5] although their relationship is disputed. In the Jewish Bible and other Jewish texts, immersion in water for ritual purification was established for restoration to a condition of "ritual purity" in specific circumstances. For example, Jews who (according to the Law of Moses) became ritually defiled by contact with a corpse had to use the mikvah before being allowed to participate in the Holy Temple. Immersion is required for converts to Judaism as part of their conversion to cleanse them from former practices. Immersion in the mikvah represents purification and restoration, and qualification for full religious participation in the life of the community, because the cleansed person will not impose uncleanness on property or its owners. (See Numbers Chapter 19, and Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Chagigah, page 12). Mikvah (or mikveh) (Hebrew: מִקְוָה, Standard Tiberian  ; plural: mikvaot or mikvot) is a specially constructed pool of water used for total immersion in a purification ceremony within Judaism. ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah with pronunciation emphasis on the third syllable, kha), is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ... For the musical collective, see Tanakh (band). ... The Torah () is the most important document in Judaism, revered as the inspired word of G-d (the vocal is never spelled), traditionally said to have been revealed to Moses. ... Ger tzedek (Hebrew: righteous proselyte or proselyte [of] righteousness) or Ger (stranger or proselyte) is a gentile (i. ... The Book of Numbers is the fourth of the books of the Pentateuch, called in the Hebrew ba-midbar במדבר, i. ... The first page of the Talmud, in the standard Vilna edition. ... The lost key [The story from Middle East] One night a neighbor strolling by Nasrudins house found him outside under th street lamp brushing through the dust. ...

The mikvah is a rite that is meant to be carried out repeatedly, and is thus essentially different from baptism, which has an unrepeatable character.

[edit] Apostolic period

See also: Apostolic Age

The Bible gives accounts of baptisms performed before this period, in the lifetime of Jesus, by John the Baptist in the Jordan River,^[6] and by Jesus, not personally but rather through his disciples.^[7] The Apostolic Age is, to some church historians, the period in early church history during which some of Christs original apostles were still alive and helping to influence church doctrine, polity, and the like. ... St. ... In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. ...

In the apostolic period, it reports baptisms of about 3,000 persons in Jerusalem within a single day, that of Pentecost,^[8] of men and women in Samaria,^[9] of an Ethiopian eunuch,^[10] of Saul, who was later called Paul,^[11] of the household of Cornelius,^[12] of Lydia's household,^[13] of the Philippi jailer's household,^[14] of many Corinthians,^[15] of certain Corinthians baptized by Paul personally.^[16]

None of these accounts gives an exact description of the method(s) by which baptism was administered in the apostolic period, whether by immersion, by pouring water on someone standing in a stream or pool, or in some other way.^[17] However, the idea of washing implicit in the word βαπτίζω (see above) implies the use of water, though there is only one explicit mention (Acts 8:38) of the use of water in apostolic times.^[18]

Some claim that the mentions of baptisms by John in the River Jordan and that of the spring or pool of water found on the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza (Acts 8:26 and 8:36-38) imply the use of immersion.^[19] They also seek support in the figure of speech of "burial" used in connection with baptism in both Romans 6:3-4 ("Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.") and Colossians 2:12 ("When you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead"). They take this as implying baptism by full immersion to symbolise burial.^[20] Additionally, some take the figure of speech used in John 3:3-5 of how a Christian is "born again" by being "born of water" as implying a baptism of complete immersion in water from which the person baptised comes out from under the water as if being born again.^[21] A figure of speech, sometimes termed a rhetoric, or elocution, is a word or phrase that departs from straightforward, literal language. ...

Others, while not denying that immersion may have been the usual form of baptism in apostolic times, claim that there is no evidence that no other form was used. They point to physical problems in supposing that total immersion was used when, for instance, 3,000 people were baptized in Jerusalem, which only had mikvahs for immersion, in a single day, as recounted in Acts 2:41, or when the whole household of the Philippi jailer were baptized immediately during the night of the earthquake (Acts 16:33); they also point to the explicit recognition in early Christian writings, one of which, the Didache, may even date from apostolic times, that other forms of baptism were valid.^[22] The Didache (, Koine Greek for Teaching[1]) is the common name of a brief early Christian treatise ( 70–160), containing instructions for Christian communities. ...

Many scholars believe immersion, whether partial or complete, was the dominant mode of baptism in the early church.^{[23][24][25][26][27]} Other forms were also admitted in certain circumstances, as today in the East, where immersion continues to be prevalent. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The term Early Christianity...

In imitation of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, early Christians preferred rivers for performing baptisms, and this was also suitable for the baptism of large crowds.^[28] Since rivers were not available everywhere, some important writers of the second and third centuries (Justin, Clement, Victor I, and Tertullian) remarked that seas, lakes, ponds and springs are equally proper baptismal sites.^[28] In the synoptic gospels, Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist. ... Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher) (100–165) was an early Christian apologist and saint. ... Pope Clement I, the bishop of Rome from roughly 88-98 AD who is also called Clement of Rome and Clemens Romanus, is considered to be the fourth pope, after Anacletus, according to Catholic tradition. ... Saint Victor I was pope from 189 to 199 (the Vatican cites 186 or 189 to 197 or 201). ... Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian, (ca. ...

Outside of the Bible, probably the earliest known written instructions for administering baptism is that of the anonymous book of 16 short chapters known as the Didache, or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, which most scholars date to about the year 100.^[29] It gives the following instruction: "Concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water [that is, in running water, as in a river]. But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit."^[30] The Didache (, Koine Greek for Teaching[1]) is the common name of a brief early Christian treatise ( 70–160), containing instructions for Christian communities. ...

On the separate but related question of whether early Christians baptized infants, see the article on infant baptism. Water is poured on the head of an infant held over the baptismal font of a Catholic church in the United States in 2004 In Christian religious practice, infant baptism is the baptism of young children or infants. ...

[edit] Early Christianity

The following period of Early Christianity seems to have introduced little or no changes. Immersion continued to be the usual method of baptism, and there is no evidence to suggest that the practice of the first century differed in any way from what is known more precisely from the second and third centuries. "In the case of the sick or dying, where immersion was impossible, the sacrament was then conferred by one of the other forms. This was so well recognized that infusion or aspersion received the name of the "baptism of the sick" (baptismus clinicorum), because it was hardly an "immersion" or "dipping" in water. Cyprian's Epistle 75 (third century) declared this form to be valid. From the canons of various early councils we know that candidates for Holy orders who had been baptized by this method seem to have been regarded as irregular, but this was on account of the culpable negligence supposed to be manifested in delaying baptism until sick or dying. That such persons, however, were not to be rebaptized is an evidence that the Church held their baptism to be valid."^[27] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The term Early Christianity... This page is about Cyprian, bishop of Carthage. ...

[edit] Middle Ages

In the period between the twelfth and the fourteenth centuries, affusion (pouring) became the usual manner of administering baptism in Western Europe, though immersion continued to be found in some places even as late as the sixteenth century.^[27] Throughout the Middle Ages, there was therefore considerable variation in the kind of facility required for baptism, from the baptismal pool large enough to immerse several adults simultaneously of the 13th century Baptistery at Pisa,^[31] to the half-metre deep basin in the 6th century baptistery of the old Cologne Cathedral.^[32] The Baptistry of the Cathedral Built in Pisa, Italy. ... The Cologne Cathedral (German: , officially ) is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne, under the administration of the Roman Catholic Church and is renowned as a monument of Christianity, of Gothic architecture and of the faith and perseverance of the people of the city in which it stands. ...

Both East and West considered washing with water and the Trinitarian baptismal formula necessary for administering the rite. Scholasticism referred to these two elements as the matter and the form of the sacrament, employing terms taken from the then prevailing Aristotelian philosophy.^[33] Scholasticism comes from the Latin word scholasticus, which means that [which] belongs to the school, and is the school of philosophy taught by the academics (or schoolmen) of medieval universities circa 1100–1500. ... This article is about the philosopher. ...

[edit] Reformation

Further information: Anabaptism

Interpretation of baptism as a sacrament was one of the points of contention between Zwingli and Luther. Anabaptists (re-baptizers, from Greek ana and baptizo; in German: Wiedertäufer) are Christians of the so-called radical wing of the Protestant Reformation. ... Zwinglis Successor Zwinglis successor, Heinrich Bullinger, was elected on December 9, 1531, to be the pastor of the Great Minster at Zürich, a position which he held to the end of his life (1575). ... Luther is a surname, and may refer to: Bill Luther, American politician Bobbi Sue Luther Charles Luther Frank Luther Hans Luther (15th century) Hans Luther, German politician and Chancellor of Germany Karl Theodor Robert Luther Margarethe Luther Martin Luther, German theologian and Augustinian monk who inspired and began the Protestant...

At the time of John Calvin, some held that immersion in water for remission of sins (Acts 2:38), the "burial in baptism" used as a figure of speech in Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12, was not required in Christianity to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Instead, they posited a waterless "baptism in the spirit", citing Jesus on the day of his Ascension in Acts 1:5: "For John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence." See Baptism in Hyperdispensationalism. John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564) was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and was a central developer of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism or Reformed theology. ... A figure of speech, sometimes termed a rhetoric, or elocution, is a word or phrase that departs from straightforward, literal language. ... Also refers to the process of gaining Enlightenment and several meditation techniques. ... This article is about the Christian religious act of Baptism. ...

[edit] Modern practice

Men awaiting baptism in the Jordan River near Lake Kinneret in Israel.

Today, baptism is most readily identified with Christianity, where it symbolizes the cleansing (remission) of sins, and the union of the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection so that he may be called "saved" or "born again." Most Christian groups practice some form of literal water-based baptism and agree that it is important, yet strongly disagree with other groups regarding any or all of several aspects of the rite, such as: Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1880x2350, 1286 KB) A line of people awaiting baptism in the Jordan River at Kinneret, Israel. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1880x2350, 1286 KB) A line of people awaiting baptism in the Jordan River at Kinneret, Israel. ... The Jordan River runs along the border between the West Bank and the Kingdom of Jordan Northern part of the Great Rift Valley as seen from space (NASA) The Jordan River Road sign In spring The Jordan River (Hebrew: נהר הירדן nehar hayarden, Arabic: نهر الأردن nahr al-urdun) is a river in Southwest... The Sea of Galilee with the Jordan River flowing out of it to the south and into the Dead Sea The Sea of Galilee is Israels largest freshwater lake, approximately 53 kilometers (33 miles) in circumference, about 21 km (13 miles) long, and 13 km (8 miles) wide; it... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Look up Resurrection in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

• manner or method of the "baptism", including the necessity of using water
• recipients of baptism
• meaning and effects of baptism

A few Christian groups assert that water baptism has been supplanted by the promised "baptism of the Holy Spirit", and water baptism was unnecessarily carried over from the early Jewish Christian practice. Some require the explicit word "water" to be used in the text if it is to be interpreted as a literal baptism in water.^{[citation needed]} This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

A baptism in a non-traditional setting.

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 516 × 599 pixels Full resolution (1764 × 2048 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 516 × 599 pixels Full resolution (1764 × 2048 pixel, file size: 1. ...

[edit] Manner of baptism

Today, Christian baptism takes many forms among Christian denominations, but the three basic forms are as follows: -

[edit] Aspersion

Main article: Aspersion

.

Aspersion is the sprinkling water on the head. Aspersion is the act of sprinkling with water, especially holy water. ...

[edit] Affusion

Main article: Affusion

.

Affusion is the pouring water over the head. Affusion is a method of Christian baptism where water is poured on the head of the person being baptized. ...

For Christians who baptise by pouring or sprinkling, the washing with water from above pictures the cleansing of one's sins by the blood of Christ, by the Holy Spirit, who unites the baptized person to Christ in His death, and in His resurrection from the dead. For other uses, see Sin (disambiguation). ...

[edit] Immersion

Immersion is the submerging of the entire body in water.

Family being baptized in Atlantic Ocean

Some Christians who immerse either take the same symbol after the fact as above, and/or account it as the penitents necessary obedience to the faith from the heart (see Mark 16:16, Romans 6:17, 1Peter 4:17) by which obedience God remits sins and imparts the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 5:32) which will raise the body up on the last day just as the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, Romans 8:9-11. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Biblical passages such as Romans 6:2-13 and Colossians 2:12-13 lead some Christians to believe that baptism is by full immersion in water in order to represent a death and burial (when the person being baptised is submerged under the water, like they are being buried), and a resurrection (when the person comes up out of the water, like they are rising from the grave) - a "death" and a "burial" to an old way of life focused on sinning, and a "resurrection" to the start of a new life as a Christian focused on God.^[20] John 3:3-5 is also sometimes taken as implying that baptism is by complete immersion in water to represent a birth to a new life as a Christian (when the person being baptised comes out of the water).^[21] It is maintained by some Christians who carry out immersion that other forms of baptism, e.g. sprinkling, fail to adequately represent these symbols of death, burial, resurrection and birth and thus are incorrect methods of baptism.^[19]

Excepting Hyperdispensationalism and a few others who embrace a "faith only" position, baptism is believed to be the point at which the gift of the life-giving Spirit is received, and to portray baptism as an act not of man, but of God. Regardless of the form, baptism is usually a public rite, in testimony to others of the grace of God bestowed upon the person whose remitted sins, and as the seal of God's promises 2Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13 are received in Christ to those who believe. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Hyper-dispensationalism... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      In Christianity...

[edit] Meaning and effects of baptism

There are differences in views about the effect of baptism for a Christian. Some Christian groups assert baptism is a requirement for salvation and a sacrament, and speak of "baptismal regeneration." This view is shared by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, by Churches formed early during the Protestant Reformation such as Lutheran, Anglican, and Restorationist Churches such as the Churches of Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). For example, Martin Luther said: In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite that mediates divine grace, constituting a sacred mystery. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... ... “Reformation” redirects here. ... Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestant Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther. ... Anglicanism commonly refers to the beliefs and practices of the Anglican Communion, the churches that are in full communion with the see of Canterbury. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      For other... Alternate meanings: see Church of Christ (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (disambiguation). ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ...

To put it most simply, the power, effect, benefit, fruit, and purpose of Baptism is to save. No one is baptized in order to become a prince, but as the words say, to "be saved." To be saved, we know, is nothing else than to be delivered from sin, death, and the devil and to enter into the kingdom of Christ and live with him forever.

—The Large Catechism, 1529

For Roman Catholics, baptism by water is a sacrament of initiation into the life of children of God. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1212-13). It configures the person to Christ (CCC 1272), and obliges the Christian to share in the Church's apostolic and missionary activity (CCC 1270). The Catholic Tradition holds that there are three types of baptism by which one can be saved: sacramental baptism (with water), baptism of desire (explicit or implicit desire to be part of the Church founded by Jesus Christ), and baptism of blood (martyrdom) (see topic below : Catholic baptism and salvation). Luthers Large Catechism was written by Martin Luther and published in April of 1529. ... The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference... Historically, a martyr is a person who dies for his or her religious faith. ...

By contrast, Baptist and Calvinist groups espouse baptism as a worthy practice, but say that baptism has no sacramental power, and only testifies outwardly to the invisible and internal operation of God's power, which is completely separate from the rite itself. Calvin may refer to: Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes) Calvin College, a college in Grand Rapids, Michigan People with the surname Calvin: John Calvin, theologian Melvin Calvin, American chemist Susan Calvin, fictional robopsychologist People with the given name Calvin: Calvin Coolidge, American President Calvin Cheng, fashion mogul Calvin Klein, fashion designer...

[edit] Baptism in most Christian traditions

The baptistry at St. Raphael's Cathedral, Dubuque, Iowa. This particular font was expanded in 2005 to include a small pool to provide for immersion baptism of adults. Eight sided font architectures are common symbology of the day of Christ's Resurrection: the "Eighth Day."

The liturgy of baptism in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist traditions makes clear reference to baptism as not only a symbolic burial and resurrection, but an actual supernatural transformation, one that draws parallels to the experience of Noah and the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea divided by Moses. Thus baptism is literally and symbolically not only cleansing, but also dying and rising again with Christ. Catholics believe that baptism is necessary for the cleansing of the taint of original sin, and for that reason infant baptism is a common practice. The Eastern Churches (Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy) also baptize infants on the basis of texts such as Matthew 19:14, which are interpreted as supporting full Church membership for children, and so baptism is immediately followed by Chrismation and Communion at the next Divine Liturgy regardless of age. Orthodox likewise believe that baptism removes what they call the ancestral sin of Adam.^[34] Anglicans believe that Baptism is also the entry into the Church and therefore allows them access to all rights and responsibilities as full members, including the privilege to receive Holy Communion. Most Anglicans agree that it also cleanses the taint of what in the West is called original sin, in the East ancestral sin. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Saint Raphaels Cathedral Saint Raphaels is the cathedral parish for the Archdiocese of Dubuque, in Iowa. ... Nickname: Location in the State of Iowa Coordinates: , Country State County Dubuque Incorporated 1833 Government  - Type Council-Manager  - Mayor Roy D. Buol  - City manager Michael C. Van Milligen Area  - City 71. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  Ranked 26th  - Total 56,272 sq mi (145,743 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 199 miles (320 km)  - % water 0. ... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ... ... Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestant Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther. ... Anglicanism commonly refers to the beliefs and practices of the Anglican Communion, the churches that are in full communion with the see of Canterbury. ... For other uses, see Methodism (disambiguation). ... This article is about the biblical Noah. ... An Israelite is a member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, descended from the twelve sons of the Biblical patriarch Jacob who was renamed Israel by God in the book of Genesis, 32:28 The Israelites were a group of Hebrews, as described in the Bible. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... Moses with the Tablets, 1659, by Rembrandt This article is about the Biblical figure. ... “Original Sin” redirects here. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to... Chrismation is the name given in Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern_rite Catholic churches to the sacrament known as confirmation in the Latin Rite Catholic churches. ... For other uses, see Eucharist (disambiguation). ... The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. ...

Eastern Orthodox Christians usually insist on complete threefold immersion as both a symbol of death and rebirth into Christ, and as a washing away of sin. Latin Rite Catholics generally baptize by affusion (pouring); Eastern Catholics usually by immersion, at least partial. However immersion is gaining in popularity within the Latin Catholic Church. In newer churches, the baptismal font may be designed to expressly allow for baptism by immersion. Older church building may feature this as well by either building a new baptismal font or expanding an existing one. Anglicans baptize by immersion, affusion or sprinkling. The Latin Rite is one of the 23 sui iuris particular Churches within the Catholic Church. ...

Baptists argue that the Greek word βαπτίζω, though, as mentioned above, it is used in the New Testament in other senses, originally meant "to immerse"; as also mentioned above, they interpret some Biblical passages concerning baptism as requiring an immersion of the body in water. They also state that only immersion reflects the symbolic significance of being "buried" and "raised" with Christ (see Romans 6:3-4).

[edit] Comparative summary

Comparative Summary of Baptisms of Denominations of Christian Influence.^{[35] [36] [37]}

Main article: Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is a world-wide affiliation of Anglican Churches. ... The Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia is unique in Western Anglicanism in that the majority of the diocese is Evangelical (low church) in nature, and committed to Reformed and Calvinist theology. ... The Apostolic Brethren (sometimes referred to as Apostolici, Apostoli, Apostles) were a Christian sect founded in northern Italy in the latter half of the 13th century by Gerard Segarelli, a native of Alzano in the territory of Parma. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is... Christadelphians (From the Greek Brothers in Christ) are a Christian denomination which developed in the United Kingdom and North America in the 19th century. ... “Church of Christ” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith... Jehovahs Witnesses (JWs) are members of a worldwide Christian religion. ... Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestant Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther. ... For other uses, see Methodism (disambiguation). ... Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought in Protestant Christian theology founded by the Dutch theologian Jacob Hermann, who was best known by the Latin form of his name, Jacobus Arminius. ... Logo of The Wesleyan Church For the former Wesleyan Methodist Church of Great Britain, see Methodist Church of Great Britain The Wesleyan Church is a religious denomination associated with the holiness movement that has roots in Methodism and the teachings of John Wesley. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Pentecostal can... The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) is an Evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity. ... For other uses, see Assemblies of God (disambiguation). ... Presbyterianism is a tradition shared by a number of Christian denominations which is most prevalent within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... “Quaker” redirects here. ... “Quaker” redirects here. ... It has been suggested that Great Awakening be merged into this article or section. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ... The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated Adventist[1]) Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week, as the Sabbath. ... Disambiguation: This article is about the United States denomination known as United Church of Christ. ... The Evangelical and Reformed Church was an American Protestant denomination formed by the merger (1934) of the Reformed Church in the United States and the Evangelical Synod of North America. ... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ...

[edit] Ecumenical statement

The ecumenical paper Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry, prepared by representatives across a spectrum of Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestants traditions of Christianity, attempts to express a common understanding of baptism, as it is derived from the New Testament. Christian ecumenism is the promotion of unity or cooperation between distinct religious groups or denominations of the Christian religion, more or less broadly defined. ...

" ... according to Acts 2:38, baptisms follow from Peter's preaching baptism in the name of Jesus and lead those baptized to the receiving of Christ's Spirit, the Holy Ghost, and life in the community: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (2:42) as well as to the distribution of goods to those in need (2:45). Those who heard, who were baptized and entered the community's life, were already made witnesses of and partakers in the promises of God for the last days: the forgiveness of sins through baptism in the name of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on all flesh (2:38). Similarly, in what may well be a baptismal pattern, 1 Peter testifies that proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and teaching about new life (1:3-21) lead to purification and new birth (1:22-23). This, in turn, is followed by eating and drinking God's food (2:2-3), by participation in the life of the community — the royal priesthood, the new temple, the people of God (2:4-10) — and by further moral formation (2:11 ff.). At the beginning of 1 Peter the writer sets this baptism in the context of obedience to Christ and sanctification by the Spirit (1:2). So baptism into Christ is seen as baptism into the Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:13). In the fourth gospel Jesus' discourse with Nicodemus indicates that birth by water and Spirit becomes the gracious means of entry into the place where God rules (John 3:5)."^[43]

In Christianity, the First Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament. ... The Eucharist is either the Christian sacrament of consecrated bread and wine or the ritual surrounding it. ... Nicodemus (Greek: Νικόδημος) was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, who, according to the Gospel of John, showed favour to Jesus. ...

[edit] Baptism and salvation in Catholic teaching

In Roman