baptism eastern orthodox turn in
TRANSCRIPT
LINCOLN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
BAPTISM
EASTERN ORTHODOX
A RESEARCH PAPER
SUBMITTED
TO DR. CONE
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
BY
TAMMY RAMEY
LINCOLN, ILLINOIS
20 MAY 2014
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Introduction
In an attempt to understand the theological basis and practice of the Eastern Orthodox
view of baptism, this paper looks at the meaning of baptism, what happens during baptism, who
should be baptized, and the proper ritual of baptism. Each area has a focus on a topic of
importance to Orthodox theology and addresses those topics from both the perspectives of the
Eastern Orthodox Church, the Baptist view, and the author’s thoughts. The review of the movie
Les Miserables is a study on how the movie relates the theological concepts of baptism as seen
from an Orthodox perspective.
In the closest of differing theologies, baptism can be exceptionally controversial.
Comparing and contrasting the theological concepts of baptism from the Eastern Orthodox
Church and those built from a Baptist background cannot be much further apart. It is therefore
important to remember moving forward that the New Testament does not clearly define the
proper ritual of baptism; and so what we comprehend of baptism “must be inferred from passing
comments.”1 With this in mind, it is important to have a very basic understanding of the structure
and theology of the Eastern Orthodox Church in order to appreciate the complexities of their
view of baptism.
What Does Baptism Mean?
The symbolism of baptism within the Eastern Orthodox Church is ultimately about
worship. Like the Jewish ceremonies, which are the forbearers of Christian ceremonies, the
symbolism of baptism is “a means of existential identification with the past…, as a means of re-
creating the original event and existentially participating in those events that have accomplished
1 Daniel J. Harrington, “Baptism in Scripture,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 1, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1993), 336.
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our salvation.”2 Easter, the day of baptism, is a day of celebration as the Eastern Orthodox
Church welcomes the catechumen into the body and together they worship through the
celebration of the Eucharist.3 In fact, the baptism process is the individual’s first true act of
worship in the church. As the child is inducted into the church and therefore the accessibility to
the sacraments through baptism, he is inducted not only to the body but the worship of that body.
In the understanding and tradition of Baptists, “worship is an encounter with God. It is
dialogue – revelation and response.”4 While baptism is seen as a symbol and the ceremony is
considered a special part of a worship service. The idea of symbolism is slightly different,
meaning that the symbol is an outward sign of what has already been done by and through the
Holy Spirit; and thus the symbolism invites the believer to worship and give thanks for his
salvation. He is not currently participating in the saving work of God but enters “the saving
sphere of God’s gracious activity in the world.”5 However, much like in the Eastern Orthodox
view, the act of baptism is the act of worship. For the individual, it is an act of worship through
“obedience to Christ”6 and as such is an expression of one’s freedom. The baptism is also a point
of communal worship as it is administered “publicly before the congregation, who similarly
confess their own faith as they listen to the watery sermon proclaimed by the baptized”7 and
remember their own public declaration of faith.
2 Donald L. Williams, “Biblical Worship as Re-Presentation of Saving Events,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 1, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1993), 87.
3 Lawrence E. Mick, “Baptism in the Early Church,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 6. The Sacred Actions of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1994), 109.
4 G. Thomas Halbrooks, “A Baptist Theology of Worship,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 2, Twenty Centuries of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1994), 293.
5 H. Stephen Shoemaker, “Southern Baptist Convention Churches,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 6. The Sacred Actions of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1994), 50.
6 Sheila Klopfer, “From Personal Salvation to Personal Baptism: The Shaping Influence of Evangelical Theology on Baptism,” Baptist History and Heritage (Summer/Fall 2010): 70. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
7 ibid, 76.
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What Really Happens?
While baptism is a participation in active worship within the Eastern Orthodox Church,
one of the main actualities that occurs during the act of baptism is the individual’s inclusion into
the church. Pointing to Scriptures such as Colossians 1:13, 1 Peter 2:9, Colossians 2:11-13 and
others, the Eastern Orthodox Church explains that the Apostolic Church saw baptism as a rite
through which a person became a participant and member of the Body of Christ and had access
to the sacraments.8 During this ceremony, the convert renounced sin, confessed faith in Christ,
and become a part of the community of the church.9 Not only does baptism include one in the
physical body of the church, but it is also inclusion into the Kingdom of God. When Paul says
that baptism is like circumcision, he is saying that just as a Jewish boy was known to be a part of
God’s covenant people because of the circumcision, the Christian is known to be a part of the
Kingdom because he has been baptized and declared his unification with Christ.10 Early fathers
and theologians, such as Origen, also point to the truth in their works that baptism “added one to
the church.”11
So it is in the Baptist view. The act of Baptism is the inclusion into the church. Baptists
would point to many of the same Scriptures and would agree that baptism is the declaration of
faith through which the individual becomes a member in the Body of Christ. They would also, at
times, go so far as to say that the individual’s baptism gives them the right to partake in the
Lord’s Supper, especially in cases where the doctrine calls for closed communion. Pastors such
8 Daniel J. Harrington, “Baptism in Scripture,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 1, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1993), 335.
9 Geoffrey W. Bromiley, “History of New Testament Worship,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 1, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1993), 108.
10 Daniel J. Harrington, “Baptism in Scripture,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 1, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1993), 335-336.
11 Everett Ferguson, ““Baptism according to Origen.” EQ 78, no. 2 (2006): 129. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
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as Daniel Merrill, who pastored a large church in Maine in the 1700’s, believed that the one
being baptized “not only… submitted to Christ, but also to the body of Christ – the gathered
Church.”12 It is here that the Western Church might have the ability to see a similar action and
reliance on the Holy Spirit as they submit to each other and strive towards the understanding of
fellowship as understood in Acts 2:42-47. This fellowship does not come lightly and is entered
into through obedience to Christ through baptism and submission to one another striving for
unity within the Body in communion with the Holy Spirit. Yet, having said this, it is only
through faith that one enters into the Kingdom of God.
Who Should Be Baptized?
Although the difference between the Eastern Orthodox Church and Baptist have thus far
been a matter of syntax and what might be called subtle differences in the process of how the
Holy Spirit acts or interacts with the person being baptized and the congregation, the differences
of who should be baptized are far more pronounced. As mentioned above, it is conceded by both
parts that the Scriptures themselves to not give clear guidelines to whether infants, children, or
adult believers can be baptized.13 However, it seems clear that most people being baptized in the
early church were adults. There are those who question whether passages where whole
households, which are said to have been baptized, included infants and children. Yet, the better
argument is that of the comparison to circumcision and covenant. It is Paul who makes this
comparison in Colossians. The covenant of circumcision was made with Abraham and his
descendants. Eight day old boys were not asked if they wished to be circumcised and thus enter
into the Jewish community. Rather, the decision was made for them by their parents who were
12 Sheila Klopfer, “From Personal Salvation to Personal Baptism: The Shaping Influence of Evangelical Theology on Baptism,” Baptist History and Heritage (Summer/Fall 2010): 71. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
13 Daniel C. Lane, “Some Difficulties in Covenant Theology’s View of Baptism as a ‘Seal.’” Bibliotheca Sacra 165 (April-June 2008): 164. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
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already members of that community. Some scholars believe that the New Covenant which the
Church today is a part of works in this same way. It is the parent’s decision to enter their child
into the community of God and responsibility to raise that child into faith leading to confirmation
of the baptism.14
While Eastern Orthodox agrees with this argument, scholars such as Origen point to a
time of confusion and discussion of the practice of baptizing infants. Origen states that Scripture
and the Spirit should lead an individual to a place of faith, desiring repentance and forgiveness
and even writes about the question of how this is accomplished in the mind of an infant. Origen
tries to bring resolve to this question by writing, “Every soul that has been clothed with a human
body has its own ‘stain’.”15 In other words, not to accepting original sin, which had not been
developed yet and which the Eastern Orthodox deny, Origen was saying that because infants
have a human body, there is a need to be washed clean. Although Origen accepts infant baptism,
it would appear that it was still a rare occurrence in his time.16 As noted above, infant baptism
has been the rule since the sixth century. Due to the lack of missions in the Eastern Orthodox
Church, there is little need for adult baptism and infant baptism is still the rule.17
In Baptist thought, it is important to read the Scripture and keep interpretation as to its
meaning simple. It is also true that Scripture is the main authority and should therefore rule over
tradition. Baptists in the time of the Great Awakening believed that infant baptism “was born
14 Ibid, 165 and Daniel J. Harrington, “Baptism in Scripture,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 1, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1993), 336-337.
15 Sheila Klopfer, “From Personal Salvation to Personal Baptism: The Shaping Influence of Evangelical Theology on Baptism,” Baptist History and Heritage (Summer/Fall 2010): 67. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
16 Everett Ferguson, ““Baptism according to Origen.” EQ 78, no. 2 (2006): 137-134. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
17 John Wivliet (Commentary), “The Eastern Orthodox Baptismal Liturgy,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 6. The Sacred Actions of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1994), 154.
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from tradition and a complicated interpretation of the Bible.”18 Both The Philadelphia
Confession and The New Hampshire Confession state that baptism is for believers.19 Baptists
would agree with Origen that a person who is coming to baptism should be led by Scripture and
the Spirit to a place of faith, forgiveness, and repentance. To the Baptist, this excludes infant
baptism as a viable option.
The author is unsure of her stance in this situation. There are many Christians who show
both the fruit of the Spirit20 and love for their neighbor21, both of which are signs of the Spirit and
Christianity, who were baptized as infants. While Paul compares baptism to Jewish circumcision,
he also tells us that it is a matter of the heart.22 This is a concept which is also stated in the Old
Testament as God explains the promises Israel will be blessed with if they obey.23 In no way
should this mean that baptism is not important, but perhaps in our choosing to obey Christ
whether in following our confession of faith with baptism or confirmation, God is circumcising
our hearts and honoring the promise of that baptism. Relationships are unique, and God has
made each of us unique. Is it outside the realm of possibility that God could choose to act
differently than how we think he should? It is still believed, as a general rule, that believer’s
baptism should be the norm.
What is the Correct Process?
The surrounding ritual of the baptismal ceremony is another place in which the Eastern
Orthodox Church and the Baptist Denomination differ. The Chrismation is an anointing which in
the Eastern Orthodox Church “is inseparable from the sacraments of Baptism and Divine
18 Sheila Klopfer, “From Personal Salvation to Personal Baptism: The Shaping Influence of Evangelical Theology on Baptism,” Baptist History and Heritage (Summer/Fall 2010): 66. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
19 ibid, 66-68.20 Galatians 5:22-23.21 John 13:34-35.22 Romans 2:28-29.23 Deuteronomy 30:6.
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Communion.”24 It is inseparable because in Eastern Orthodox thought, it is in the Chrismation
that the one being baptized receives both the Seal of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit himself.
Tertullian explained the connection between baptism and Chrismation as the water purifying and
readying the baptized for the reception of the Holy Spirit. In action, it is the anointing of oil to
several places on the body, “symbolizing that the entire body with the soul is the recipient of this
gift.”25 This sacrament has been existent from the Apostolic Age and was first believed to have
been administered through the laying on of hands. Soon it was administered through the
anointing of Myrrh and/or oil.
Given the connection of the laying on of hands and the anointing with the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit, Chrismation has roots that span much farther back than to just the Apostolic
Church. Rather, those roots can be traced all the way back to the great fathers of Israel:
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The blessing of the covenant was often transferred to the next
generation through the laying on of hands such as in Genesis 48. A stronger connection is found
in the anointing of priests, prophets, and kings throughout the Old Testament.26 During this
period, “to anoint a person or an object was to bless that person or thing and set it apart for
religious purposes.”27 Another and greater connection is that of the Holy Spirit connected with
these anointings. When Saul, the first king of Israel was anointed, he was endowed with
prophesying and the dwelling of the Holy Spirit on him. As we transfer into the New Testament,
24 George Dion Dragas, “The Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit: The Sacrament of Chrismation.” Greek Orthodox Theological Review 56 (January-April 2011): 143. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
25 John Wivliet (Commentary), “The Eastern Orthodox Baptismal Liturgy,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 6. The Sacred Actions of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1994), 162.
26 George Dion Dragas, “The Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit: The Sacrament of Chrismation.” Greek Orthodox Theological Review 56 (January-April 2011): 143-152. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
27 Janice E. Leonard, “Anointing with Oil,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 1, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1993), 278.
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the laying on of hands and/or the anointing of oil results in the Holy Spirit indwelling the one
being Chrismated.28
There is no equivalent to Chrismation in Baptist theology. The outpouring of the Holy
Spirit upon the repentant occurs at the time of repentance. Baptism and any laying on of hands
that might occur are merely a visual symbol of what is believed to have already occurred or to be
a dedication and sending out ceremony. For David Benedict, the “laying on of hands was a
common means of completing the initiation into the church.”29 Like with the baptismal rite itself,
the New Testament does not define a set way in which the Holy Spirit is imparted. Rather there
are several passages that describe different processes including the initial imparting on the
Apostles through tongues of fire, laying on of hands, baptism and then laying on of hands, and
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a Gentile family after simply accepting the Truth of Jesus
Christ as Lord.30 There is one sure biblical result in connection with the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit which is that it “inevitably results in an outpouring of praise to the Lord on the part of the
one baptized.”31
Les Miserables and the Ideology of Baptism in Action
The plot of Les Miserables focuses on Jean Valjean, a convict who was released four
days prior to the opening of the movie after nineteen years of imprisonment for stealing a piece
of bread. He is an angry and bitter man who after being prodded by an elderly woman, asks for
28 George Dion Dragas, “The Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit: The Sacrament of Chrismation.” Greek Orthodox Theological Review 56 (January-April 2011): 148-151 ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
29 Sheila Klopfer, “From Personal Salvation to Personal Baptism: The Shaping Influence of Evangelical Theology on Baptism,” Baptist History and Heritage (Summer/Fall 2010): 72-73. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
30 J. Rodman Williams, “Laying on Hands,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 1, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1993), 277.
31 Janice E. Leonard, “Spirit Baptism in the New Testament,” in The Complete Library of Christian Worship Vol. 1, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1993), 271.
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something to eat from the Bishop. Valjean is stunned when the Bishop cordially invites Valjean
in to have supper at his table. He is further surprised and distrusting when the Bishop offers him
a comfortable bed to sleep in for the night. After dreaming of prison, Valjean awakens and
decides to steal the silverware. The Bishop interrupts him; and being caught in the act, Valjean
knocks him out.
The following day, the police approach the Bishop with Valjean in tow. Though he has
told them he was given the silver, they are suspicious and believe he has stolen it from the
Bishop. Rather than confirm the truth, the Bishop confirms that he did indeed give the silver to
Valjean; and that Valjean, in his rush, forgot the candlesticks which were worth the most money.
Sending him on his way, the Bishop tells Valjean, “Don’t forget! Don’t ever forget, you
promised to become a new man.” In answer to Valjean’s wondering of why, the Bishop says,
“Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to me. With this silver, I’ve bought your soul.
I’ve ransomed you from fear and hatred. Now I give you back to God.” Throughout the
remainder of the movie, Valjean attempts to shed his previous identity – name and character.
With a new name, he adopts a character which is humble, forgiving, merciful, and in many ways,
Christ like.
Javert, the new prefect of police in the town where Valjean has become Mayor and a
respected business man, is completely engrossed in the letter of the law with no ability to show
mercy or grace to anyone who might break the law, including himself. Eventually, we learn that
Javert is the son of a thief and a prostitute fearing his own nature. He strongly believes that a
man cannot reform and is a slave to his nature – i.e. once a criminal, always a criminal. Javert
lives his life in fear of breaking the law and then in fear of required punishment once it is broken.
He is an honorable man and attempts to accept and even force proper chastisement for his own
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law breaking. At one point, Valjean must order Javert to forgive himself so that Valjean will not
have to dismiss him from the police. Javert with his tight hold on justice and the law lives a life
of annoyance, anger, and judgment.
Throughout the movie, Valjean having received grace in the beginning has shown mercy
and grace to Javert four times sparing either his life or his position and reputation. Confused as to
why Valjean did not kill him, Javert poses the question to Valjean who responds, “I don’t have
the right to kill you.” In his inability to understand, dispense, or receive grace, Javert begins a
short monologue: “I’m going to spare you from a life in prison, Jean Valjean. It’s a pity the rules
don’t allow me to be merciful. I’ve tried to live my life without breaking a single rule. You’re
free.” Having removed the cuffs from Valjean, he places them on his own wrists and falls into
the river committing suicide. Jean Valjean is finally completely free.
There are many images of the symbolism which encompasses the Eastern Orthodox
perspective of baptism in Les Miserables. Jean Valjean will be the catechumen who is prodded to
seek refuge with the Bishop. The Bishop is the triune God. He is God the Father when he
receives the criminal Valjean into his home and loves him unconditionally. He is God the Son in
that he suffered for and forgave Valjean rather than justly having him thrown into jail. The
Bishop is God the Holy Ghost when we makes a way for Valjean to discard his old and take on a
new identity through the gift of the candlesticks. Valjean accepts the grace which has been given
him and fulfills his promise to become a new man. In this new life, he becomes a respected
business man who cares for his workers. He also becomes the mayor of a small town which
flourishes on the economy based on Valjean’s factory. Yet, without warning his old life in the
form of Javert appears and threatens the existence of Valjean’s new identity. Glimpses of the old
man appear as he is rushed and so misses the opportunity to show mercy to Fantine who is also
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simply trying to recover from poor choices in her past. Eventually, Valjean reveals his true
identity to the court which is about to wrongfully imprison a man it thinks is Jean Valjean. In
order to keep his promise and care for Cosset, Valjean again sheds his old identity and becomes a
new man.
Ten years after moving to Paris, Valjean has created a prison for both himself and Cosset
as they never leave the walls of the convent and Cosset has promised to take her vows the
following year. Her dreams of seeing the outside world pull Valjean from his refuge, and he once
again adopts a new identity. Now Valjean is working directly with the poor at the convent,
preparing food for the soup kitchen. He is engaged on a closer level with the mission he was
made for to love and care for those around him. This time it is the love Cosset has for Marius
which threatens to expose the truth of Valjean’s past. Once again the old life of sin and
judgment, represented by Javert, appear to threaten Valjean’s new life. Learning of Cosset’s
identity, Javert attempts to use her to obtain his target of Valjean. Recognizing that Javert is not
truly the concern, Valjean decides to let his enemy go and that saving the life of his daughter’s
love is more important than his escape from Javert, the representation of his old life overtaking
him. When Javert, the representation of the old life, overcomes Valjean, he decides not to hide
from him or to fight him but to accept the reality that the old life has overcome him and
destroyed any chance at a new life. Yet, in this simpler surrender which actually started at the
beginning of the movie, Jean Valjean overcomes his past as he in truth forgives himself. Javert,
who must have justice cannot understand this mercy and thus dies, leaving the Valjean with
freedom and the ability to truly become a new man without the threat of his past haunting him.32
32 Les Miserables, directed by Bille August (1998; Culver City, CA: Columbia Pictures, 2000), DVD.
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In the Eastern Orthodox tradition when a catechumen comes for baptism, he is washed of
all the sin and filth that has come before or that is innate in his being. His sins are forgiven, and
he is given a new identity in Christ. As he communes with and in the church, he grows and
becomes that new man. Yet, his old nature will occasionally rear its head and the baptized person
might try to hide or fight that old nature. But that old man is dead and has no power when we
face it openly and honestly. The law which it attempts to live by has no power over the grace and
mercy of God which has been lavished upon us and which we are to lavish upon others. As we
recognize the powerlessness and death of that old self, we find a new freedom as we enter into a
fullness of our identity in Christ.
Conclusion
An understanding of the highly symbolic nature of Eastern Orthodox theology is the first
step toward understanding their view of baptism. As with everything in the church, the meaning
of baptism is an invitation to worship God and participate in the workings of the Holy Spirit as
he works in the Body of Christ. One of the realities of what happens as a person is baptized is
that the person is included into the church and therefore, into the Body of Christ. In the tradition
of the Eastern Orthodox Church, it is rare for adults to present themselves for baptism, except
from the occasional convert. Rather, the typical baptism is performed on infants. One ceremony
which always accompanies baptism is Chrismation, the gifting of the Seal of the Holy Spirit.
These aspects of Eastern Orthodox baptism are only a small part of the whole process of how a
catechumen becomes a full fledge member of the Church.
In contrast, Baptists have a completely different understanding of baptism. They
understand baptism to be a symbol which calls people to worship. But this symbolism is an
outward sign of what the Spirit has already done and calls for a response of thanksgiving and
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praise. Upon baptism, Baptists enter the fellowship of the local Church. However, entrance to the
Kingdom is dependent upon one’s relationship with God and repentance. Contrary to infant
baptism, Baptists believe that a convert must be able to have and understand a desire for true
repentance; and therefore, Baptists adhere to believer’s baptism. The giving of the Holy Spirit is
not clearly defined, but is believed to indwell the believer upon asking for the forgiveness of
sins, repentance, and submission to Jesus as Lord and Savior.
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Ferguson, Everett. “Baptism according to Origen.” EQ 78, no. 2 (2006): 117-135. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
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Lane, Daniel C. “Some Difficulties in Covenant Theology’s View of Baptism as a ‘Seal.’” Bibliotheca Sacra 165 (April-June 2008): 164-177. ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 18, 1014).
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