Baptism Research Paper - 1711 Words

Baptism As Both Sign and Symbol Throughout the course of organized religion both present and past, ritualistic acts of praise and worship have been practiced as a sign of both love and honor to God. Catholicism refers to these rituals as sacraments. As Christians and members of this faith, the first sacrament received by each member is Baptism. This sacrament has not only been practiced since the beginning of our faith, but has deep meaning and symbolic ties to the start of creation with Adam and Eve. I hope to prove through both illustration and published works how Baptism as a sacrament is both a sign and symbol of humanities desire to become closer to God by cleansing them of original sin through this ritual and rite of passage.†¦show more content†¦Just as Christ was crucified and died, our submersion in water symbolizes us too dying with him. In turn, our removal from the water symbolizes our rebirth and connection with Christ giving us our first divine-human encounter. The depth of such an act clearly portrays how vital of a part cleansing of sins by way of water is important and used in our faith since the beginning of time and an example of initiation into Christ’s life. Water has, since the beginning of time, been used to symbolize cleansing and new beginnings and in turn a major reason why this sign is seen as such in the symbolic ritual. In conjunction with water being a sign of initiation into the church so are the symbolic acts of the priest during the sacrament. â€Å"The symbolic act of laying hands by the priest, parents and godparents during the anointing of the initiate with chrism emphasizes the sacrament’s communal character.† (Mueller 139) As all of the parties involved are members of the church, baptism is the first act of initiation of us into our own Christ filled community known as the church. Involving various active member of the church brings together the church of past, present and future alike. The pri est acts as Christ, who through his ownShow MoreRelatedTrinitarian Baptismal Formula1231 Words   |  5 PagesBaptism is introduced in the Gospels when John the Baptist begins his ministry as the forerunner of Jesus Christ. Johns baptism was a baptism of repentance for Jews; he preached a simple message to the Jews that they were to repent of their sins in preparation for Kingdom of God and the coming of the Messiah. In Matthew 3:13-17, Jesus comes down to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and heRead MoreBackground . The Book Of Acts Or The Acts Of The Apostles1523 Words   |  7 Pagesdocumented in the holy bible. Through the book of Acts Luke emphasizes about baptism through the Holy Spirit, it is through the Holy Spirit that God fills the people. According to Luke’s documentation of the work of Christ’s apostles in the Roman Empire, the Holy Spirit played a crucial role in the compulsion of the apostles in the continuation of Christ’s mission (Shelton James, 2000). This paper will provide a research on the issue of the Holy Spirit as portrayed in the Book of Acts. Holy SpiritRead MoreAre Miraculous Gifts For Today?1670 Words   |  7 Pageswas easy to follow and his line of reasoning and through were conclusive. I thought Saucy brought up some very insightful points. It was obvious through his writings that he has spent an extraordinary amount of time studying and contemplating his research and positions. I especially enjoyed his definitive statements from the Bible such as â€Å"the Bible never says† or â€Å"the Bible isn’t clear†. These kinds of statements make me pull out the Bible to check for myself. However definitive Saucy might haveRead MoreThe Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements and Speaking in Tongues3214 Words   |  13 PagesHistory and Theologies of Pentecostals and Charismatics†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 a. Brief History of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.2-3 b. The Beliefs of the Pentecostals and Charismatics†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..............3-5 III. The Bible and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.....5 IV. The Bible and Gifts of the Holy Spirit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6 V. Scholarly Perspectives on Speaking in Tongues †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 a. Speaking in Tongues: A Reversal of the Babel Event at Pentecost†¦Read MoreThe Baptism Of The Holy Spirit2399 Words   |  10 PagesB04_Price_Chad Liberty University The Baptism of the Holy Spirit Chad R. Price Bibl 364 B04 October 16th, 2015 Dr. Timothy Swinson, Professor The Baptism of the Holy Spirit Thesis statement Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is an amazing feeling and one that can be a fulfilling experience. Introduction In this research, the paper would discuss ?The baptism of the Holy Spirit?. It would be supported with examples from the Holy Scriptures. Further, this paper is designed to provide the clearestRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Between Gnosticism And Christianity1254 Words   |  6 Pagesdiscuss at further length later in this paper. There were also several key leaders of the early Christian church who denounced Gnosticism for heresy and claimed that it was pseudo way to Christianity. 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For a more specific example of the asset baptism was, one can look to sections of the letter Nzinga wrote to Portuguese army commander Bento Banha Cardoso when sheRead MoreArtists Most Closely Associated with Snyder County, PA1737 Words   |  7 PagesHerbert Bell in The History of Northumberland County identifies Geistweit as the pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran and Reformed Church, in Jackson Township (Northumberland County), from 1796 to 1800 â€Å"and possibly longer†, and Corinne and Russell Earnest in Papers for Birth Dayes identify him as a teacher in Aaronsburg in Centre County from 1794 to 1804. His work with the Middlecreek, Buffalo, Penn’s, and Brush Valley congregations as well as his duties as a teacher must have kept him constantly on the moveRead MoreThe Holy Spirit Of Acts1321 Words   |  6 PagesLIBERTY UNIVERSITY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ACTS A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. C. TODD HARTLEY IN COMPLETION OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BIBL 364 BY HENRY PATTERSON LYNCHBURG, VIRGINA OCTOBER 16, 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------2 THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT-----Read MoreThe Baptism Debate Essay3011 Words   |  13 PagesLIBERTY UNIVERSITY THE BAPTISM DEBATE A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR MARSHALL WICKS, PHD IN COMPLETION OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THEO 350-B02 BY RANDY WILSON LYNCHBURG, VA MAY 28, 2011 Introduction The debate over baptism has become one that encompasses so many areas. Where most theological discussions are concerned with a primary topic, baptism debates consist of many. Debates on the purpose of baptism, the benefits of baptism, who baptism was designed for, and