• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

Status
Not open for further replies.

KEPLER

Crux sola est nostra theologia
Mar 23, 2005
3,513
223
3rd Rock from the Sun
✟19,898.00
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Married
nobdysfool said:
Interesting comments, or should I say, "judgments". Care to back them up with quotes? And where have I denied Covenant Theology?

"Judgments", eh? Care to look back at post #2 in this thread? (pot, meet kettle)

As for covenant theology, you sure seemed to have veered off track in that last sentence in post #42. (Or perhaps you're one of those so-called "Reformed Baptists" which of course are actually neither, but that's a different thread.) But what do I know, I'm just a heretic...
 
Upvote 0

frumanchu

God's justice does not demand second chances
Site Supporter
Apr 5, 2003
6,719
469
48
Ohio
✟85,280.00
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Libertarian
KEPLER said:
frumanchu seems to think that Romans 6:3-4 is NOT talking about water baptism...? Calvin certainly thought it was!

Not exactly. I was pointing out what I believed to be an errant statement by Sentry regarding water baptism vs "Spirit baptism." I think there are serious errors in Sentry's sacramentology.

I recognize water baptism as a sign and seal of covenant grace and fully affirm the view set forth in the Westminster Confession, Ch XXVIII.
 
Upvote 0

nobdysfool

The original! Accept no substitutes!
Feb 23, 2003
15,018
1,006
Home, except when I'm not....
✟21,146.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Constitution
KEPLER said:
"Judgments", eh? Care to look back at post #2 in this thread? (pot, meet kettle)

You mean where I said Baptismal Regeneration is heresy? That is a statement of theological fact. Nothing wrong with pointing out the Truth.


Well, sorry I stepped on your toes. As for the last sentence in post #42, regarding our walk with Christ, is it or is it not ultimately individual? That was my point. I fail to see how that contradicts Covenant Theology, unless you have a different definition of the term than I do.
 
Upvote 0

Edial

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Nov 3, 2004
31,716
1,425
United States
✟108,157.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
I can tell you one think for sure - I'm glad I do not meet your approval.

And by the way, were you ever approached about your attitude in the light of associating yourself with Christ?

And if so, anything you would care to share about that might be considered constructive, ... in the light of Christ that is?

Ed
 
Upvote 0

KEPLER

Crux sola est nostra theologia
Mar 23, 2005
3,513
223
3rd Rock from the Sun
✟19,898.00
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Married

Ed,

I didn't call anyone a heretic.

And I used smilies liberally.

Kepler
 
Upvote 0

KEPLER

Crux sola est nostra theologia
Mar 23, 2005
3,513
223
3rd Rock from the Sun
✟19,898.00
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Married

My toes are fine, thanks for asking!

Your statement in post #42 was a response to Prodromos' statement that, "These (RCs, EOs, and Lutherans) make up the vast majority of christians around the world," which, while factual, is not (as you rightly point out) a logical proof for a position's validity. But then you got careless.

nobodysfool said:
Ultimately, the Christian walk is personal, not corporate or vicarious, and each believer is responsible to seek out Truth, and learn from the Holy Spirit.

"Not corporate"??!!

Calvinists baptise their children precisely because Calvinists believe that their own theology is correct, n'est pas? Now, as I indicated in my post, I am presuming that you are a real Calvinist and not a so-called "Reformed Baptist." Covenant Theology, by its very nature, is communal, not individual. Now while I think all who hold Covenant Theology would agree that any indivudual adult person's destiny (heaven or hell) is a matter of that individual person's relationship to a just and Holy God, none would say that any individual's "Christian walk" (your words!) was done alone. And for many of us, that Christian walk starts at birth.

Indeed, from the moment of our birth, our parents and other members of the community of faith look out for us, do they not? They do, and that responsibility arises out of their Covenant Relationship to God and to one another: Christianity does NOT happen in a colection of lots of individual little bubbles; it happens in a family and in a community. Good Reformed theologians know that God uses means to call his elect and bring them into the family. God does not work out of thin air, as it were, to effect regeneration. Put another way, the total number of people in the entire history of the world who have been regenerated by God through a direct and unmediated "zapping" by the Holy Spirit, is (to the best of my knowledge) ONE. That was Paul on the road to Damascus, and even in that case, I suspect that actual regenration did not occur until he reached Damscus and Ananias laid hands on him. Scripture does not say explicitly. But it does clearly indicate that God uses other members of the believing community to bring about the faith of new members. This is part and parcel of Covenant Theology. Covenant Theology REQUIRES a community. Covenant Theology REQUIRES means of grace. Covenant Theology leaves no room for indivdualistic and random "zapping" of people for conversion OR sanctification. Both of these events happen "inside" the community of the Covenant. Anyone who says otherwise had better go join a Pentecostal Church.

I refer you to two parts of a lecture series delivered by a Reformed pastor (and erstwhile friend of mine)("erstwhile" only becasue we haven't spoken for over ten years, not because we had any falling out or anything) which does a good job of demonstrating the corporate nature of the Covenant (as it relates to Baptism, which is the subject of the thread). Part 1 and Part 2.

"Not vicarious"??!!

When you said that the Christian walk is not "vicarious"...well, frankly, I sure hope it is. My theology says that "ultimately" it is Christ who walked my Christian walk for me, and it was in my Baptism that God attached the benefits of His perfectly lived life to me (it's a little thing we call the imputed righteousness of Christ...ever heard of it?). And I can't know of that righteouness of Christ outside a community that is faithful to him. Covenant Theology might not express what I said in exactly the same way, but I know for a fact that it agrees more with my statement than it does yours.

"Each believer is responsible to seek out truth"??!!

Outside of the community of faith, how on earth can this happen? To a man, every Reformer attacked and dismissed asceticism as unbiblical, because it denied the necessity of community. The Heidelberg Catechism declares that the primary way God uses to apply His grace to His faithful is through the preaching of the Word (Heid. Cat. LD 25). The Belgic Confession, speaking of the duty of believers to remain in a community (a church) says there "is no salvation apart from it, no one ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself, regardless of his status or condition" and that part of the reason for this is that believers have a duty to "build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them as members of each other in the same body." (Art 28).

Mind you, I have not attacked you because you are Reformed (I'll leave that for another post! ); I have corrected you because your statement was not a good reflection of what Reformed theology teaches; it was careless. I don't believe that you meant to do it, but you enabled someone to yank the work of the Holy Spirit out of the context of the Covenant community, and also strip Him of the means of Grace. It is precisely careless statements like yours that allow people to turn to anabaptist and pentecostal theology.
 
Upvote 0

Edial

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Nov 3, 2004
31,716
1,425
United States
✟108,157.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
KEPLER said:
Ed,

I didn't call anyone a heretic.

And I used smilies liberally.

Kepler
The flippant attitude towards all, the disrespectful address towards the names, the judgemental dogmatics towards one's denominational affiliations are in no way diminished by a liberal amount of smileys.

Ed
 
Upvote 0

KEPLER

Crux sola est nostra theologia
Mar 23, 2005
3,513
223
3rd Rock from the Sun
✟19,898.00
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Married
Edial said:
The flippant attitude towards all, the disrespectful address towards the names, the judgemental dogmatics towards one's denominational affiliations are in no way diminished by a liberal amount of smileys.

Ed

Ed,

I will confess to one error, which was to make reference to something you said in another thread and conflate it with your posts in this thread. In this thread, you had not made the statement that you have "just become a Lutheran". Other people viewing this thread, therefore, may not have seen your posts here as being strange. Your posts in this thread reflect a standard Baptist view of baptism. It was calling yourself a Lutheran in another thread combined with your profession of Baptist doctrine here that I referred to as a strange looking child. That's a misrepresentation by omission on my part. I apologize for that.

Insofar as sharing something constructive in the light of Christ, I will offer this...

Lutherans believe, teach, and confess the following:
and also
We deny, however, that baptism works ex opere operato, that is, there is no special power in the water itself, rather it is the Word (logos) that is with the water that cleanses us:

Lutheran theology explicitly connects the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with Water Baptism, because it is the Holy Spirit that is working in water baptism. It is not a magical or mechanical operation. In fact, it's not even something that we do.

Lutherans do not see Baptism as OUR work. Baptism is GOD's work:
God can work any way he chooses to work. If he wants to heal people using a snake on a stick, he can do that, because...well,...because He's God. If He wants to appear as a burning bush, pillar of cloud, etc etc etc. I'm pretty sure I've presented these reasons to you before.

Who are we to say to God, "You can't work through water!"?

Once we understand that baptism is NOT something that we do, that rather, it is something God does to us, verses like Acts 2:38 straighten themselves out.
 
Upvote 0

Edial

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Nov 3, 2004
31,716
1,425
United States
✟108,157.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
No problem. Done with.

I agree.

One must define "salvation".

By salvation I mean justification before God as in the case of Abraham.

Infant Baptism depends on the request of his parents, so God would bless the child, give him grace. And God will honor the request of his parents as per the Baptism of Moses when the infants also were baptised (into Moses) while crossing the parted sea. He will grace the child.

But that grace does not mean salvation, since the boy might will grow up and deny God and forego that grace that he had when he was baptised.

When the child dies and was baptised it is looked at that he will go to heaven, since the grace of God (during infant baptism) remained on him.

I do not have aproblem with that statement, since I cannot disprove it Scripturally.

I they are wrong, they will answer to God for that teaching. But I do not have a problem with it.

The child had grace of God in/on him when his parents baptised him - no problem. Agreed.
The child refuses God whe he grows up and looses that grace - no problem. Agreed.
The child receives Christ by faith alone when is grown up - he is justified. And no one can un-justify him.

If some call that grace of God on a child salvation - no problem, since salvation has a variety of meaning in the Scriptures.

BUT, if one calls a child "justified" in the eyes of God because of an act of infant baptism - problem.

But I did not hear anyone say that.

Did this answer the question, at least partially?

Thanks,
Ed
 
Upvote 0

KEPLER

Crux sola est nostra theologia
Mar 23, 2005
3,513
223
3rd Rock from the Sun
✟19,898.00
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Married
I sense some hesitation here on you part...Am I misreading that?

Let me dive in, feet first, full throttle, cold turkey (and every other metaphor I can mix in): when an infant is baptised (with water and in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, this is what Lutherans believe happens:

God
1) forgives its sins (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16)
2) washes it clean (Eph 5:25-6; Titus 3:5)
3) buries it with Christ (Rom 6:3-4)
4) clears its conscience (1 Pet 3:21; Heb 10:22-3)
5) gives it the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-7; 1 Cor 6:11)
In short, in its baptism, God saves the child.


Edial said:
But that grace does not mean salvation, since the boy might will grow up and deny God and forego that grace that he had when he was baptised.
Sadly, yes. Some children who are baptized leave the faith. Lutherans do not hold to the idea of "once saved, always saved." (We also, for the record, don't hold to any ideas about "backsliding" or "carnal Christians" ala Lewis Sperry Chafer.) Grace isn't something you "trip" out of; to get out of God's hand requires blatant rejection of the Gospel (unbelief).

Which "they" are you referring to? I'm kinda lost here.

According to Lutheran doctrine, the child is justified in the eyes of God. Not because of an act (see? that's putting it back into our hands!), but because "God justifies the wicked." To put it in Aristotleian terms, God's Grace is the sufficient cause of Justification. Baptism is a material cause.

Question: are you attending an ELCA congregation, LCMS, WELS, or other? This is definitely something to discuss with your pastor (especially if you are in an LCMS or WELS church!)

As a member of a "Confessing" congregation (LCMS & WELS), when you stand in the Sanctuary as a child is baptized, and you read along with the rest of the congregation and make the responses with the rest of the congregation, you are making an explicit, categorical declaration (a confession!) that you AGREE with what the rest of the Congregation believes is going on in that event! That is what Lutherans mean when we say, "We Believe, Teach, and Confess".
 
Reactions: BigNorsk
Upvote 0

frumanchu

God's justice does not demand second chances
Site Supporter
Apr 5, 2003
6,719
469
48
Ohio
✟85,280.00
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Libertarian

Baptismal Regeneration. Thank you for clearly stating the doctrine. I don't agree with you on this doctrine, but it's certainly much easier to discuss the disagreement when your position is explicit

I do find it curious though that this appears to be at odds with the doctrine of sola fide.




What is the Lutheran response to the Scriptures speaking of God preserving believers in their faith, keeping them from stumbling, etc?


Actually, properly stated, Lutheran doctrine holds that baptism is the instrumental cause. The material cause is the righteousness of Christ imputed to the individual.



Ahhh...if only more churches were covenantal churches...
 
Upvote 0

KEPLER

Crux sola est nostra theologia
Mar 23, 2005
3,513
223
3rd Rock from the Sun
✟19,898.00
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Married
Really? How so?

What is the Lutheran response to the Scriptures speaking of God preserving believers in their faith, keeping them from stumbling, etc?
He does and He will. This is the backside of election. God has an elect people. Those who are saved are saved by the Grace of God alone. Period. Those who perish do so of their own free will, because they rejected the genuine offer of Grace from God (IOW, there is no such thing as election to perdition).

Lutherans do not and have never tried to reconcile the question of why some believe WHILE others do not:


As for assurance,


It all boils down to Law and Gospel.

Actually, properly stated, Lutheran doctrine holds that baptism is the instrumental cause. The material cause is the righteousness of Christ imputed to the individual.
Good point; I stand corrected.

Ahhh...if only more churches were covenantal churches...
 
Upvote 0

Edial

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Nov 3, 2004
31,716
1,425
United States
✟108,157.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
This cannot be, at least in 4), since the child's conscience is most probably clear. Unless you are saying they feel a guilt of sin, that is.

You just took a bunch of verses concerning baptism and applied it to an irresponsible baby as if they apply.


KEPLER said:
Sadly, yes. Some children who are baptized leave the faith. Lutherans do not hold to the idea of "once saved, always saved." (We also, for the record, don't hold to any ideas about "backsliding" or "carnal Christians" ala Lewis Sperry Chafer.)
Of course they do not, because they do not see saved (in the infant) as justified by God. And no one that I know of ever said that anyone can un-justify what God justified.
It is by faith, through grace.

KEPLER said:
Grace isn't something you "trip" out of; to get out of God's hand requires blatant rejection of the Gospel (unbelief).
You cannot mean that.
Are you saying that is a baby is baptised and then grows up in a Chinese farm without hearing the gospel the baby goes to heaven?
What if he embraced Buddhism and is quite fluent in it? And in all this he never "blatantly rejected the Gospel".


KEPLER said:
Which "they" are you referring to? I'm kinda lost here.
By "they" I refer to people that teach that if the baby dies baptised it automatically goes to heaven, the Lutheran hierarchy.
I do not disagree with that, since I cannot disprove it Scripturally.
But if they (the teachers) are wrong about that teaching, they will be responsible to God concerning it.


KEPLER said:
According to Lutheran doctrine, the child is justified in the eyes of God. Not because of an act (see? that's putting it back into our hands!), but because "God justifies the wicked."
Justified? And then when the child rejects God he gets "un-justified" by God?

Justifiied is a strong word.


KEPLER said:
To put it in Aristotleian terms, ...
But Aristotle was a pagan.
What does he know about things of God?

KEPLER said:
... God's Grace is the sufficient cause of Justification. Baptism is a material cause.
I understand that.
I would have insisted that a man cannot "make" God do things, such as save.
And baptising someone in water and claiming that the infant is justified forever IS making God do things.

But since you yourself are saying that a child can "lose" salvation, it was not then a "salvation" in a context of justification of God, which is impossible to "lose".

No problem.

KEPLER said:
... Question: are you attending an ELCA congregation, LCMS, WELS, or other? This is definitely something to discuss with your pastor (especially if you are in an LCMS or WELS church!)
I discussed it with the Pastor.
My final question was: "Pastor, if you baptise a baby and then he grows up to be an adult and puts his faith in Jesus Christ and then realises that he wants to be baptised as an adult, would you baptise him again as an adult?"
He thought for a little while and said: "Yes".



I never witnessed a baptism of a baby in a Lutheran Church while being a member.

But if ANYONE would ask ME whether the child would be going to heaven if died right after the baptism, they would hear a resounding: "I do not know".

Thanks,
Ed
 
Upvote 0

nobdysfool

The original! Accept no substitutes!
Feb 23, 2003
15,018
1,006
Home, except when I'm not....
✟21,146.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Constitution

I think you missed the point of what I was saying. My point was that we individually must deal with Christ, on a personal level, and cannot be a "Christian by association". It's like the old saying, "God has no grandchildren". You are not a Christian just because your Dad was one. And you can't be a Christian without participation, which was the thrust of my "vicarious" remark (which might be interpreted as a small dig at RC's)

You read far too much into what I was saying. I appreciate your explaining what you thought you saw in my words, but I assure you, that was not what I was saying. Much of what you say I agree with.
 
Upvote 0

Schroeder

Veteran
Jun 10, 2005
3,234
69
OHIO. home of THE Ohio State Buckeyes
✟26,248.00
Faith
Anabaptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Constitution
nice. mine i thought was pretty funny, a little sarcastic but funny. your strong christian ethics and humility and caring just shout at us in this post. i didnt think sarcasim was a gift of the Spirit. but i did like my being a peanut and a nut. that was clever. i have not said i think it should be done away with. it is you suggesting i am suggesting such a thing. i have been water baptized. i think it should be taught correctly. that it was never commanded by Christ. he does not make commands and not exp[lain why. no passages are given to explain the use of it or how it is to be done or when ect. Why not if it is such a important aspect in our faith. it as caused much devision in the Church that it is hard to think theat God would say to do such a thing and not make it clear as the correct method and use of it so as not to cause a problem within the Church.
 
Upvote 0

stabalizer

Active Member
Dec 31, 2005
58
0
73
✟22,668.00
Faith
Christian
I always have understood baptism, (water) as calling on the name of the Lord.

Baptized (immersed) into His death and raised in newness of life.

In actuallity when you come up out of the water haven't you asked Him to put His name on you.? the old man being dead and your old name!

Can't regeneration, (spirit baptism) come at the same time or if later, does it matter.?

From faith to faith.

Isn't faith a combination of believing and then appropriating an action in response to a promise of God?
 
Upvote 0

Schroeder

Veteran
Jun 10, 2005
3,234
69
OHIO. home of THE Ohio State Buckeyes
✟26,248.00
Faith
Anabaptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Constitution
stabalizer said:
I always have understood baptism, (water) as calling on the name of the Lord.
the use of "in the name of the lord" was used to signify a association with the person named in scripture being Christ and or through the person as in its use in healing. so as is taught by most it is used to associate yourself with Christ as agreeing to what he has taught. 1 cor 1 shows this idea and why Paul becomes angry at those who were argueing over the idea of who baptized them and not who the person was they doing it for Christ.

Baptized (immersed) into His death and raised in newness of life.
no scripture explains or says it is water that does this. BUt scripture says in John 3:6 that the SPirit gives us the SPirit, which would in turn join us in to Christ who is in the SPirit, as 1 cor 12:13 says.

In actuallity when you come up out of the water haven't you asked Him to put His name on you.? the old man being dead and your old name!
actually it is the SPirit that changes the concience of us to live a new life hence, to be born again. read heb. 9-10
Can't regeneration, (spirit baptism) come at the same time or if later, does it matter.?
acording to Peter they received the Spirit baptism when they believed Acts 11:17 read Acts 15:8 God saw there hearts and saw it truelly believed and he gave them the Spirit. so regeneration is always only when we receive the Spirit of Christ, because without it we could never obey or understand what GOd desires in us 1 cor 2(i believe)

From faith to faith.

Isn't faith a combination of believing and then appropriating an action in response to a promise of God?
faith after salvation never before because scripture says without the Spirit there is no pleasing God.
 
Upvote 0

stabalizer

Active Member
Dec 31, 2005
58
0
73
✟22,668.00
Faith
Christian
frumanchu said:
Can somebody have true saving faith and be saved without being baptized?

My response is ; yes

Are you speaking only about water baptism? Or Spirit baptism? or both?

I say yes because of this scripture;

1John 5:16" If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death."

My take is this a prayer that's completely intercessory, a stand in the gap prayer.
 
Upvote 0

stabalizer

Active Member
Dec 31, 2005
58
0
73
✟22,668.00
Faith
Christian

Absolutly not! No faith and youe become convicted.?

no faith and you can repent?
 
Upvote 0

Schroeder

Veteran
Jun 10, 2005
3,234
69
OHIO. home of THE Ohio State Buckeyes
✟26,248.00
Faith
Anabaptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Constitution
stabalizer said:
Absolutly not! No faith and youe become convicted.?

no faith and you can repent?
Faith in what is the question. you have Faith in the gospel message being taught to you. God works in you to convict you, that is why it says God draws you near. it is not our doing but Gods through his Spirit working on our conscience. Yes no Faith in God but Faith in that what is spoke to you of Christ is true, BUT we could not even have this Faith if it was not for Gods Spirit working in us at the time it is being told to us. once we believe and GOd sees it is TRUE in our hearts, we will have a FAITH in God that what he promised through Christ, OUR inheretance, will be given us. There is a Faith before salvation and after, but they are different. Scripture makes it clear in 1 cor 2 that we can not please God with out the Spirit in us, we dont get the Spirit untill we believe in his Son, so the Faith before salvation must be something else. it is Faith in the message of Christ through the working of God on our conscience. Jn 3:5 speaks of the Spirit and natural birth not water baptism. read verse 8, it says that is of those born of the SPIRIT, NOT of both. Acts 10 says clearly that forgiveness is by belief in verse 43. There is no command to water baptize. why would God ask for something of us when he says Christ fullfilled the reguirements of the Law. and that in Rom 5 he said Chtrist did the one act of obediance and righteousness already. to say such things and then say we must do a one act makes no since does it?
 
Upvote 0
Status
Not open for further replies.