Category: Baptism

You Must Be Born Of Water And Spirit

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5). What does it mean to be “born of water and of the Spirit”? Some see this text as support for the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. Accordingly, they claim that the sacrament of baptism is necessary to enter the kingdom of God. However, such a reading is tenuous and unbiblical. We will first demonstrate that “water” here refers to the inward cleansing of the Holy Spirit. And secondly, we will give five reasons why “water and the Spirit” does not refer to the sacrament of baptism.… Read More You Must Be Born Of Water And Spirit

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Paedo-Baptism, Yes; Paedo-Communion, No.

A common objection against infant baptism by credo-baptists is that if children are to be baptized, then, for the sake of consistency, they ought to also be admitted to the Lord’s Supper. In other words, the logical conclusion of infant baptism necessarily leads to the absurdity of infant communion; paedocommunion is obviously unbiblical and absurd,… Read More Paedo-Baptism, Yes; Paedo-Communion, No.

Paul J. Barth3 Comments

The Consensus of Zürich on the Sacraments

Consensus Tigurinus, or the Consensus of Zürich, was written by John Calvin and Heinrich Bullinger as a response to the renewed opposition that Martin Luther had made to the Reformed understanding of the Sacraments. These 26 articles on Reformed Sacramentology were presented by both of them to Zürich and Geneva as a Reformed consensus, and they were adopted by both churches.… Read More The Consensus of Zürich on the Sacraments

Paul J. Barth1 Comment

Baptism Now Saves You | William Ames

The outward baptism doth not save us of itself, but the inward, because outward baptism is common to the hypocrites as well as to the faithful, it comes not unto the soul, and it hath no saving power in itself. This may serve to admonish us, not to put too much trust and confidence in the outward Sacraments, or to rely thereupon, that we are baptized and partake of the Lord’s Supper, but  always to seek the spiritual grace of the Sacraments.… Read More Baptism Now Saves You | William Ames

Paul J. Barth1 Comment