Q: How have the seven sacraments changed over time? Wolfgang Yes, there is …. Recommended Resource: Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the … A baptism, for those unclear of the concept, is a Christian sacrament of admission and adoption into the religion. And who is anyone to think they can PREVENT [koluo] God [Acts 11.17]?! In the West, Affusionbecame the no… ). There is nothing wrong with selecting another method, such as a baby-naming ceremony or foregoing such traditions altogether, however, as religion played a far larger part in the old world than it does today. A warm wish for the baptism day itself, or for the future, is a great way to go with your written message. 5. It hasn't changed. So you are saying the Apostles only thought it was necessary for gentiles after pentecost? Personal first hand testimonials that witness eachother are not outsider conclusions. I’ve not read any such instruction …”, 1 “When therefore the LORD knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)”. Acts 1:5 and Mt 3,11 are being examined … which of the two baptisms mentioned there by John and by Jesus involves water and which involves spirit? So I wonder what John meant by “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven” However, in the Latin rite (or the Roman Catholic Church), most often Confirmation is not celebrated at the same time as Baptism. Once again, it is clear that this baptism was by immersion, for the Bible records that they “went down into the water” and “came up out of the water” (Acts 8:38, 39). Reread post 1. In baptism there is a real sense of being joined with other believers, not just participating in an individual act of our own spiritual journey. To wash away all other sins committed before the time of Baptism if the person is beyond the age of infancy. For most, it was postcards and letters, which could take weeks to travel across the oceans and continents back to Australia. President Gordon B. Hinckley has stressed how essential it is that new members’ involvement not end at the baptismal font. Wolfgang La Habra: Lockman Foundation, 1995. http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/strongs-exhaustive-concordance/ (accessed March 20, 2013). “Where do you think the several thousand people could be fully immersed in water at the Temple?”. He left because the pharisees had found out he was baptizing more than John. John the Baptist, who is considered a forerunner to Christianity, used baptism … another question: Who do you think immersed women in biblical times? In the postapostolic age of the second century, an apostasy began that touched most Christian doctrines, leaving hardly a single Biblical truth free of Jewish or pagan ingredients. Also, while I of course believe it is important and respectful to adhere to biblical commandments, I understand that the act of baptism is a symbol of being spiritually cleansed of sin and being born to a new life. Iam not sure if anyone is disputing there is also a spiritual cleasing also after pentecost for those baptized in their faith. It was recorded in the Gospel of Matthew as a directive of Jesus, in his last parting command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). We are “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God” (Colossians 2:12). sure … just as there were folks who brought sacrifices, kept sabbath and the rest of the OT Law to their liking … so then what do you make of those ? your guess … indeed, for there happens to be no scripture in support of such an idea. “where did Jesus instruct his apostles to baptize others in water in his name? A.D. 200-258) defends the practice of sprinkling in cases of illness, writing: “You have asked also, dearest son, what I thought of those who obtain God’s grace in sickness and weakness, whether they are to be accounted legitimate Christians, for that they are not to be washed, but sprinkled, with saving water…In the sacrament of salvation, when necessity compels, and God bestows his mercy, the divine methods confer whole benefits on believers; nor ought it to trouble anyone that sick people seemed to be sprinkled or affused, when they obtain the Lord’s grace.”[5]. Constantine changed the relationship of Christianity to the state. It seems your disagreeing on the METHOD only. All who profess to be followers of Christ are directly confronted with the practice of baptism. I have given you verse after verse after verse which CLEARLY witnesses against your claims but for some unknown or maybe known reason you ignore or twist them as you were trained to do. Perhaps Prof. Buzzard (who also has propagated that “complete immersion” is the biblical method of water baptism) can explain why “going into the water” and “coming up out of the water” only means in one case but not the other “complete immersion”? How Lighting Design Hasn't Changed Thank You For Listening “It was all hand dimmers, and the old dimmer boards were Why Does My Baby’s Chin Quiver Occasionally? So baptism in the name of the appointed John brought about the first instance of the HS dwelling in a man amongst mankind. Baptisms in Lutheran congregations have changed over the years. All Right Reserved. Some parents simply dress their child in a plain white shirt and a pair of trousers made for infants. After receiving the gospel joyfully, “he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him” (Acts 8:38). As a result of the elaborate baptismal preparations and ceremonies, “an almost magical aura began to be associated with baptism, resulting finally in the doctrine of baptismal regeneration (power in the water itself).”[11] This doctrine, combined with questions regarding original sin, gave way to the practice of paedobaptism, in order to ensure an infant’s salvation. May God always bless and watch over him.” “Warmest wishes on Amelia’s baptism day. People responded to his call for repentance in light of the coming kingdom by “being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins” (Matt 3:6). https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1540-a-history-of-the-baptism-apostasy (accessed March 20, 2013). They say people detest change but we are changing things all the time, our styles, our likes and dislikes,etc. Once again, it is clear that this baptism was by immersion, for the Bible records that they “went down into the water” and “came up out of the water” (Acts 8:38, 39), None of these records actually say anything about “a complete immersion”!! Jesus said unless one is born of water (natural birth) and spirit (spiritual re-birth) he cannot enter the kingdom. Wolfgang Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. where did Jesus instruct his apostles to baptize others in water in his name? Speaking and interpreting tongues were a teaching tool for the disciples. I agree with what I can read about baptism in the Scriptures and the clear statements regarding baptism from both John the baptist and Jesus …. of water baptism throughout Pentecostal scholarship by reviewing the major voices within the fi eld. 8:16 (For the Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) The views expressed by posters and commentators are not necessarily endorsed by Living Hope International Ministries. How can they have manifestations of something without it. The power of the internet and the huge technological changes we have seen over the past 10 years has completely revolutionised consumerism. Lets look at Peter when he commanded water baptism in Acts 10 .if what you say about the 2 verses is so clear why did Peter not know it 3 years after pentecost? Same with the Samaritans …, The expression “holy spirit “came on them” / “fell on them” describes in the context that they utilized holy spirit after Peter and John had laid hands on them etc …. Water is then poured over the head carefully, washing the newborn child and cleansing them of the sins mankind has performed in the past, namely that of Adam and Eve. Maybe an adult unmarried would have to do this. Baptism in the New Testament was a simple affair that involved a complete immersion in water. As for your Acts 10 ideas, you make Peter contradict what Jesus taught about baptisms … I have already discussed the passages in Acts 10 & 11 in detail to show how they are consistent with the rest of Scripture. However, the time of upheaval that occurred during the formation of the early church led to an evolution of methods and beliefs concerning baptism. As suggested by his title, John’s baptism involved being submerged in water – also evidenced by the fact that the people he baptized were recorded as “coming up out of the water”(Mark 1:10). well, which baptism was to follow from Pentecost (“not many days hence”) onward upon John’s water baptism? “The challenge now is greater than it has ever been because the number of converts is greater than we have ever before known. [17] “Baptists: Believer’s Baptism.” Baptist Distinctives. you know, some that I have heard over many years are plainly slander and false accusations … motivated by thoughts of personal revenge,, etc. From above verse which is a historical reference by whom and when. The Samaritans BELIEVED on Jesus as the Messiah and were baptized in the Name of Jesus yet the Holy Spirit had not come upon ANY of them. Entry into Christian life gives access to true freedom.”[16]. So the enuch was NOT an isolated event nor was just his idea. As I already have pointed out, Jesus could not have given command for a water baptism, and especially not while John the baptist was still baptizing as well! says who? Has the Sacrament of Eucharist changed over time, is it different from the past. a further thought on your “complete immersion” ideas and your “proof text” from Acts 8 about Philip and the eunuch, Later, in the book of Acts, Phillip preaches the gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch as he rode along in his chariot. However, between Jesus’ time and 2012 the ritual itself has been altered significantly to become what is practiced in our Christian churches today. Actually there was a very large pool there but most of these people were already water baptized in the name Jesus so again your theory fails . Never in the biblical record is there mention of elaborate ceremonies or alternative methods of baptism, like pouring or sprinkling, as there were in the second and third centuries. And like many devotions, it has evolved over time. Baptism was the sign of the converted person’s new life in Christ. The fact is the verse does not deny Jesus baptized his disciples himself personally while his disciple baptized others in his name. [7] Lynch, Joseph H. Early Christianity: A Brief History. And you dont think Cornelius the centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man was not. Wolfgang’s first post does not discount the fact that water is present in Acts 8. Many times it is to make things more convenient for ourselves and other times is because of a need to change to stay alive. certainly, water was involved in John’s baptism …. When Reconciliation first came around instead of confessing your sins to the priest privately you would instead announce them to the whole mass and then undertake fasting, praying and works of … All believers are baptized with holy spirit by the Lord, yet not all do utilize holy spirit in manifestation …. Another major development in the baptismal tradition began to unfold in the second and third centuries. The purpose of Holy Baptism. Professor of Practical Theology Westminster Theological Seminary in California In 1994 one of our daughters, while away from home attending college, asked me to explain the rationale I saw in … As i have mentioned before I see water baptism as a sign of entering a Covenant by faith in that it is washing away past sins or as an act of presenting oneself a virgin .I also see other sources for faith such as prayers. And since baptism is a sacrament, it accomplishes that which it signifies. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010,  p 115. Wolfgang already made it clear water was used in Acts 8 but was disputing total immersion . Over thousands of years Baptism has been a tradition in the Church and Christian communities all over the world. It hasn't changed. Only “those judged worthy “to hear the word” became catechumens, and for as long as three years they were instructed and exorcised, and their behavior was observed.”[6] Following the probationary period, catechumens were eligible to be baptized and receive a full membership into the church.