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Why does baptism only benefit the person being baptized and not the believing congregation who witnesses (and participates) in the sacrament?
Honestly? I have thought about this for years, and I do in fact lean toward the idea it blesses all who are present at the baptism, since it isn't shown to the baptized alone but all who watch.
Do a believer benefit in the Lord's Table who doesn't participate, but observe?
Let me ask another question.
If baptism is a means of grace for all believers - including those who witness baptism - is the conveyance of this grace tied to the moment of administration? In other words, is it possible to benefit from witnessing a baptism a few days later, upon reflecting on baptism's meaning?
Yes, we probably need better guidance about what we mean by the word benefits.Yes and no. Observing is participating, as part of the participation is the observation of the giving and the taking of bread and wine. But if one does not receive the bread and wine, he does not receive the full benefit of the sacrament in that way. But he may still benefit from the Lord's Supper by simply reflecting upon previous Suppers he has attended and received. In the Reformed view, the conveyance of grace is not tied to the moment of administration.
Interesting question...
I'll have to think more about that one, what do you believe?
Yes, we probably need better guidance about what we mean by the word benefits.
Hmm. I would agree that receiving a sacrament does not confer salvation upon anyone, but the grace conveyed by the sacrament has to be different--or more meaningful--than what might be said to come from just feeling edified (or reflective or something like that) from watching!
That the grace conveyed through the sacraments is not tied to the moment of administration. We may experience grace in the moment we celebrate, but the grace may also come later as we reflect upon the event.
This is part of the reason why it makes sense to baptize the children of believers. All those who believe in the congregation benefit from witnessing the baptism. And the baptized child may benefit from their own baptism later in life as they reflect upon baptism and realize that they, too, have been baptized.
Not a lot different, is it?
Your second paragraph is a syllogistic fallacy to prove a doctrine absent from Scripture.
What is a syllogistic fallacy? The doctrine of applying sacraments to the children of believers is not absent from Scripture. But I was not attempting to prove this doctrine here, only to provide a partial rationale for it.
Let me put it this way...if there is a sense of assurance, it is not a special benefit obtained thanks to watching a sacrament be received by someone else. It would be about the same IMO as whatever you feel after seeing a great sunset or a beautiful cathedral. Yes, it may put you in mind of higher, spiritual, verities, but it is only remotely related to what the sacraments were ordained for.I think that the biblical concept of assurance is stronger than a general feeling of edification.
You're trying to reach a false conclusion using certain reasoning that may be true.
Let me put it this way...if there is a sense of assurance, it is not thanks to watching a sacrament be received by someone else. It would be about the same IMO as whatever you feel after seeing a great sunset or a beautiful cathedral. Yes, it may put you in mind of higher, spiritual, verities, but it is only remotely related to what the sacraments were ordained for.
Let me put it this way...if there is a sense of assurance, it is not thanks to watching a sacrament be received by someone else. It would be about the same IMO as whatever you feel after seeing a great sunset or a beautiful cathedral. Yes, it may put you in mind of higher, spiritual, verities, but it is only remotely related to what the sacraments were ordained for.
Well, then substitute a painting by Michaelangelo, if we want the comparison to be between explicitly religious scenes.However, watching a great sunset or beautiful cathedral isn't pictures of the Word as we see in the Lord's Supper and Baptism.
Well, then substitute a painting by Michaelangelo, if we want the comparison to be between explicitly religious scenes.
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