On Baptism

This treatise was written about 400 A.D. Concerning it Aug. in Retract. Book II. c. xviii., says: I have written seven books on Baptism against the Donatists, who strive to defend themselves by the authority of the most blessed bishop and martyr Cyprian; in which I show that nothing is so effectual for the refutation of the Donatists, and for shutting their mouths directly from upholding their schism against the Catholic Church, as the letters and act of Cyprian. Aeterna Press

You've been baptized. But do you understand what it means? Baptism is the doorway into membership in the church. It's a public declaration of the washing away of our sin and the beginning of our new life in Christ. But the sacrament that is meant to unite us is often a spring of division instead. All Christians use water to baptize. All invoke the triune name. Beyond that, there's little consensus. Talk about baptism and you're immediately plunged into arguments. Whom should we baptize? What does baptism do? Why even do it at all? Peter Leithart reunifies a church divided by baptism. He recovers the baptismal imagination of the Bible, explaining how baptism works according to Scripture. Then, in conversation with Christian tradition, he shows why baptism is something worth recovering and worth agreeing on.

Gain an understanding of baptism from four main traditional perspectives. Of all the sacraments, the practice of baptism is often the most disputed. Christians hold different views of its exact significance, who should receive baptism and how old they need to be, the practice of rebaptism, and baptism as a requirement for church membership. In Understanding Four Views on Baptism, four historic views on baptism are considered in depth: Baptist view: baptism of the professing regenerate by immersion (presented by Thomas J. Nettles) Reformed view: infant baptism of children of the covenant (presented by Richard Pratt Jr.) Lutheran view: infant baptism by sprinkling as a regenerative act (presented by Robert Kolb) Church of Christ view: believers' baptism on the occasion of regeneration by immersion (presented by John Castelein) Each view is presented by its proponent, then critiqued and defended in dialogue with the book's other contributors. Here is an ideal setting in which you can consider the strengths and weaknesses of each stance and arrive at your own informed conclusion. The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.

Michael Green offers biblical and ecumenical answers to disputed questions about baptism. The gateway into the church. An individual’s testimony to faith and repentance. The reception of the Holy Spirit. The meaning of baptism varies wildly between different Christian traditions. Seeking common ground, Michael Green turns to Scripture to assess the varieties of baptismal theology. Though Green assents that baptism is no substitute for saving faith, he endorses infant baptism, confronting common objections head-on. He also addresses the related problems of confirmation and rebaptism. Green’s lively and clear argument will challenge and intrigue readers of all denominations.

The Christian church confesses "one baptism." But the church's answers to how, whom and when to baptize, and even what it means or does, are famously varied. This book provides a forum for thoughtful proponents of three principal evangelical views to state their case, respond to the others, and then provide a summary response and statement. Sinclair Ferguson sets out the case for infant baptism, Bruce Ware presents the case for believers' baptism, and Anthony Lane argues for a mixed practice. As with any good conversation on a controversial topic, this book raises critical issues, challenges preconceptions and discloses the soft points in each view. Evangelicals who wish to understand better their own church's practice or that of their neighbor, or who perhaps are uncertain of their own views, will value this incisive book.

The issue of baptism has troubled Protestants for centuries. Should infants be baptized before their faith is conscious, or does God command the baptism of babies whose parents have been baptized? Popular New Testament scholar Scot McKnight makes a biblical case for infant baptism, exploring its history, meaning, and practice and showing that infant baptism is the most historic Christian way of forming children into the faith. He explains that the church's practice of infant baptism developed straight from the Bible and argues that it must begin with the family and then extend to the church. Baptism is not just an individual profession of faith: it takes a family and a church community to nurture a child into faith over time. McKnight explains infant baptism for readers coming from a tradition that baptizes adults only, and he counters criticisms that fail to consider the role of families in the formation of faith. The book includes a foreword by Todd Hunter and an afterword by Gerald McDermott.

"Jesus commands the disciples in Matthew 28 to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Baptism is an important part of life in the Christian church, but it is also mysterious and the cause of much disagreement. In Baptism: Answers to Common Questions, Guy M. Richard tackles the key questions that people have about baptism, unfolding all that the Bible has to say about what it means, how and to whom it is to be administered, and how God blesses His people through this sacrament"--