What Is the Purpose of Baptism?

Baptism, also called Christening, signifies either an acceptance into or personal adoption of the Christian faith. It is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic faith, but is an important tenet of most Christian sects. Baptism generally involves a prescribed ritual blessing with water, and is usually presided over by a minister and congregation of faithful. In traditional rites, baptism is also a purification of original sin.

History

Baptism signifies the new Christian as a member of the faith body of Christ. At the end of the ritual, the baptizer may say, "You are marked as Christ's own forever." Members of the Christian faith share a belief that members of the community are Christ's emissaries on earth, and therefore, members of the "body" of Christ, having a newly acquired divine nature.

Considerations

Generally speaking, any person may baptize another. However, individual sects will have differing rules regarding the ceremony and solemnity of the rite. The baptizer must recite the words, "I baptize you in the name of 'The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.'" These terms refer to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit of the Trinity. There is a school of thought in the progressive church which make the Holy Trinity gender non-specific by calling the three persons of the Trinity something akin to, "the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sustainer." Catholics oppose this practice.

Function

Water is not necessary for baptism in the mind of some, as desire is sufficient for baptism by some theologians. Theologians quote the scripture Galatians 3:26-27 which discusses how faith makes us children of God. Additionally, John the Baptist deferred official criticism of his baptismal practices by saying that he only baptized with water whereas the coming Messiah would be able to baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit.
The Catholic catechism states that Christian martyrs are baptized through their sacrifice for God.

Types

There may be total immersion in some sects. A theological argument has opened up over whether the original scripture prescribes sprinkling of water, pouring, or dunking of the individual. It is generally accepted that water must flow over the person being baptized.

Expert Insight

The council of Nicea in the late fourth century codified baptism as an important aspect of life as a Christian person. The Nicene creed states, "We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins."

Theories/Speculation

The modern theologian John Dominic Crossan wrote that Jewish communities such as the Essenes who were present before and during the time of Christ practiced ritual cleansing. This indicates that baptism was not specific to Christianity, but, rather was a ritual that was adapted by Christianity from Judaism.

Significance

John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan river, despite John's protestations that he was unworthy to do so. Scripture tells us that Jesus replied that it was "just," and the ritual cleansing seems to foreshadow the purification theme that is present in the Crucifixion as well, later in the gospel story. John is theologically viewed a precursor to Jesus throughout the Christian New Testament Bible. He lived in the wilderness, spoke of the coming of a new era, and eventually died a martyr's death.