Lord's Day Questions with proof texts
Link to audio recording of LD 27 (start at minute 26:34)
Continuation of audio recording, LD 27 (Continued: starts at "Of Circumcision", p. 669)
Summary (NotebookLM)
Lord's Day 27 focuses on the theological understanding of baptism. It addresses questions regarding the nature of baptism, including whether it itself washes away sins (answer: no, only Christ's blood and the Holy Spirit do), why it's called "the washing of regeneration," and whether infants should be baptized (answer: yes). The commentary extensively defends infant baptism, using biblical arguments and addressing common objections from Anabaptists. Finally, it compares and contrasts baptism with circumcision, showing how baptism replaced circumcision as the sign of the covenant in the new testament.
Chapter Content: An Examination of Baptism and Circumcision
I. Question 72: The Nature of Baptism
This section explores whether the act of washing with water constitutes the washing away of sins. The commentary emphasizes that only the blood of Christ and the Holy Spirit possess the power to cleanse from sin. It distinguishes between proper and improper forms of speech regarding sacraments, highlighting that sacramental language should be understood figuratively.
II. Question 73: The Significance of Symbolic Language
This section delves into the reasons why the Holy Spirit utilizes symbolic language like "washing of regeneration" to describe baptism. It identifies three key reasons: the analogy between physical and spiritual cleansing, the confirmation of faith through visible signs, and the inseparable connection between the sign and the thing signified in the sacrament.
III. Question 74: The Baptism of Infants
This section addresses the question of infant baptism. It argues in favor of the practice, contending that infants of believing parents are part of God's covenant and church, making them eligible for baptism. It presents four arguments in support of this position: the inclusion of children in God's covenant, the extension of the benefits of salvation to infants, the use of baptism as an initiatory rite, and the substitution of baptism for circumcision in the New Testament.
IV. Addressing Objections to Infant Baptism
This section anticipates and responds to four common objections against infant baptism: the lack of explicit scriptural command or example, the requirement of prior teaching, the interpretation of household baptisms as excluding infants, and the perceived lack of faith in infants. The commentary utilizes scriptural evidence and theological reasoning to refute each objection.
V. Theses Concerning Baptism
This section presents 17 concise statements summarizing key theological points about baptism. It covers topics such as the purpose of baptism, the role of the Holy Spirit, the relationship between the outward sign and inward grace, the qualifications for baptism, and the validity of baptism performed by heretics.
VI. Of Circumcision: Understanding Its Significance
This section shifts focus to circumcision, exploring its connection to baptism. It outlines six key areas of inquiry: the definition of circumcision, the reasons for its institution, the reasons for its abolishment, its replacement by baptism, the similarities and differences between circumcision and baptism, and the significance of Christ's circumcision.
VII. Exploring Circumcision in Detail
This section delves deeper into the various aspects of circumcision. It explains the three classes of individuals within the Jewish Church, addresses objections to the exclusion of females from circumcision, elaborates on the reasons for its institution, and explains why it was abolished with the coming of Christ.
VIII. Comparing and Contrasting Circumcision and Baptism
This section provides a detailed comparison of circumcision and baptism, highlighting their shared features and points of divergence. It examines their common purpose as signs of God's grace, their symbolic representation of regeneration, their role as initiatory rites, and their differences in outward form, age and sex requirements, historical context, and specific promises associated with each.
IX. The Significance of Christ’s Circumcision
The final section explores the reasons behind Christ’s circumcision despite his sinless nature. It emphasizes that Christ's circumcision solidified his place within both the Old and New Covenants, symbolized his assumption of humanity’s sin and fulfillment of the law, and served as a crucial aspect of his humiliation and sacrifice for humanity's redemption.
What are the theological arguments for and against infant baptism?
Arguments for Infant Baptism
Covenant Inclusion: Infants of believing parents are considered part of God's covenant people. The sources argue that God's covenant with Abraham included his descendants ("I will be a God unto you and your seed after you"), signifying that children are inherently part of the covenant community. This concept is further linked to the idea of the visible church, which encompasses both professing adults and their children.
Promise of Redemption: The promise of redemption through Christ's blood and the Holy Spirit is seen as applying to infants as well as adults. The sources argue that since infants are recipients of these blessings, they should also receive the sign of the covenant, which is baptism.
Baptism as the New Circumcision: The sources draw a strong parallel between circumcision in the Old Testament and baptism in the New Testament. They argue that baptism has replaced circumcision as the sign of entry into the covenant community. Since infants were circumcised, the argument extends that infants should also be baptized.
Household Baptisms: The sources cite examples of household baptisms in the New Testament (Acts 16:15, 33; 1 Cor. 1:16), suggesting that entire families, including infants, were baptized. While the sources acknowledge that these accounts don't explicitly mention infants, they argue against interpreting these passages as excluding children.
Infant Faith: The sources address the counter-argument that infants lack faith by proposing the concept of "inclination to faith" in infants. They suggest that infants of believing parents possess a potential for faith that is nurtured within the covenant community.
Arguments Against Infant Baptism (as presented by the sources)
The sources primarily focus on refuting arguments against infant baptism raised by the Anabaptists. Here are the main counterpoints addressed:
Lack of Explicit Scriptural Command: Anabaptists argue that infant baptism lacks a specific command or example in Scripture. The sources respond by emphasizing the general command to "baptize all nations" which they interpret as inclusive of children.
Inability to Be Taught: Anabaptists argue that infants cannot be taught, and therefore, should not be baptized based on the command to "teach all nations, baptizing them." The sources counter that this command primarily applies to adults who are capable of being taught and making a profession of faith. They argue that infants within the covenant community are already considered disciples.
The sources strongly condemn the Anabaptist rejection of infant baptism as a "grievous heresy" and attribute their beliefs to the influence of the devil.
Conclusion
The sources provide a comprehensive defense of infant baptism grounded in covenantal theology, biblical interpretation, and historical church practice. They engage with counter-arguments, particularly from the Anabaptist perspective, and seek to demonstrate the theological validity and importance of baptizing infants within the Christian church.
How does baptism relate to the concepts of cleansing and covenant?
Baptism is a sign of spiritual cleansing. The sources explain that, while the outward act of washing with water does not itself wash away sins, it symbolizes the cleansing that occurs through the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Catechism uses the analogy of water washing away physical filth to illustrate how the blood and Spirit of Christ cleanse the soul from sin.
Baptism serves as a "divine pledge and token" that assures believers of their spiritual cleansing. It's not merely a symbolic act but a confirmation of the reality of the believer's spiritual cleansing.
Baptism is a sign of the covenant between God and his people. Just as circumcision was a sign of the covenant for the people of Israel in the Old Testament, baptism serves this purpose in the New Testament. The Catechism emphasizes that infants should be baptized because they, like their parents, belong to the covenant and people of God.
The covenant signified by baptism includes the promises of redemption from sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit, who works faith. These promises are extended to both adults and infants within the covenant community.
Baptism serves as a rite of initiation into the Christian Church, distinguishing believers from unbelievers. This was the function of circumcision in the Old Testament, and it is now fulfilled by baptism in the New Testament. By being baptized, individuals are publicly identified as members of the covenant community and set apart from the world.
What are the key distinctions between baptism and circumcision?
Outward rites and ceremonies: Circumcision involved the physical cutting off of the foreskin, while baptism involves being washed with water.
Age and sex: Only males were circumcised, and this was always done on the eighth day after birth. Baptism is performed on both males and females and can occur at any age.
Signification: Circumcision was a sign of the grace of God to the posterity of Abraham and a promise of the Messiah to come. Baptism signifies the Messiah already come.
Promise: Circumcision had a specific promise of the land of Canaan as a resting place for the church until the Messiah arrived. Baptism has no such temporal promise attached to it.
Obligation: Circumcision obligated those who received it to keep the entire Mosaic Law, including the ceremonial, judicial, and moral laws. Baptism only binds people to the moral law, which is equivalent to repentance and faith.
Objects and Duration: Circumcision was meant only for the descendants of Abraham and would last only until the coming of the Messiah. Baptism is for all nations and will continue until the end of the world.
The sources also note that baptism has replaced circumcision in the New Testament, signifying the same thing through different rites and serving the same purpose. Both are signs of adoption into God's family and serve as sacraments of initiation and reception into the church.