Holy Baptism

What is Baptism? Simply put, baptism is our death, burial, and resurrection in union with Jesus Christ.  It is a rite of passage, given by Christ to the Church, as an entrance into the Kingdom of God and eternal life.

The Apostle Paul describes the promise of God in this “mystery,” as most Orthodox call it, most succinctly when he writes, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). To baptize (Gr. baptizo) literally means to immerse, to put into. Historically, the Orthodox Church has baptized by triple immersion, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19).

In the Old Testament, baptism was pictured by the passage of God’s people with Moses through the Red Sea (1 Cor. 10: 1, 2). John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Covenant, baptized in water unto repentance (Mark 1:4; Acts 19:4).  John’s baptism was received by Jesus, who thereby transformed the water and baptism itself. In the New Covenant, baptism is the means by which we enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5), are joined to Christ (Rom. 6:3), and are granted the remission of our sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

What Results from Baptism? From the start, the Church has understood baptism as:

(1) A first and second dying. Our first dying with Christ in baptism was our death with Him on the Cross.  In the fourth century, Cyril of Jerusalem instructed his new converts: “You were led by the hand to the holy pool of divine baptism… and each of you was asked if he believe in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. And you made that saving confession, you descended into the water and came up again three times. In the very same moment you died and were born.”

The second death of baptism is continual – dying to sin daily as we walk in newness of life. St. Paul writes to the Colossians concerning baptism (Col. 2:12) and concludes by saying, “Therefore put to death your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5).

(2) The resurrection of righteousness. This is our life in Christ, our new birth and entrance into God’s Kingdom (John 3:3), our “newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). It is our being joined to Christ in His glorified humanity and indwelt by God Himself (John 14:23). Our relationship with God is not something static, a legal fiction given to us by a divine Judge. Rather this is a dynamic and real life in Christ, holding the promise of everlasting life. Our resurrection to new life now forms a prelude to the resurrection of our body at Christ’s Second Coming.

(3) An intimate and continual communion with God. We are raised to new life for a purpose: union and communion with God. In this sense baptism is the beginning of eternal life. For this reason, Peter writes that baptism now saves us (1 Pet. 3:21) – it is not the mere removal of dirt from our bodies, but it provides us with “a good conscience toward God.”

Because of these promises, the priest prays for the newly baptized, thanking God “who has given us, unworthy though we be, blessed purification through holy water, and divine sanctification through life-giving chrismation, and who now also has been pleased to bring new life to Your servant newly illuminated by water and the Spirit, and granted remission of sins – voluntary and involuntary.”

from the Orthodox Study Bible

Romans 6: part 1

More than a symbol:

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

“Paul grounds freedom from sin in the Sacrament of Baptism: Do you not know? Ignorance of what happens when we are baptized is a great enemy. For because of ignorance many are miserably defeated in their battle against sin. What Christ accomplished on the Cross – an actual and real death to sin – baptism is to us: an actual and real death to sin, a liberation from it. Thus, in our union with Christ through baptism, in His death and Resurrection, lies the power for victory over the law, the power, of sin. In this sense baptism is an exact likeness to Christ’s death on the Cross. Baptism is reality! It is not something that somehow “stands for” reality.  The Cross is the power of God for overcoming sin (1Cor. 1:18), and baptism is our Cross! There we tap into the power of God to say no to sin’s commands and temptations.”

“If Christ was buried for us, how are we buried with Him? Through baptism. For what Christ accomplished in the grave – an actual and real burial of sin – baptism is to us: an actual and real burial of sin.  Our old, mortal nature is replaced by a renewed nature capable of living righteously.”

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“United together refers to being planted and growing together, clearly implying the expectation of fruit. In the likeness of His death means baptism has a real unity with Christ’s death. For the Holy Spirit unites the reality of being immersed in the water to the reality of Christ going to the Cross and the grave. Yet we are not “united together in His death,” but in the likeness of His death. We did not die in our flesh with Christ on the Cross, nor does our human nature die. We also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection is literally translated “we shall be of the resurrection.” The likeness of His resurrection is the new life received in baptism. But Paul is referring here to the future resurrection of the body. If we truly participate in baptism’s likeness to Christ’s death, then we are prepared for the resurrection of the body.”

“Knowing this is understanding baptism and its reality in the Christian life. Old man does not refer to human nature as such but to the power of sin in human nature; the body (the complete whole) of sin refers to thew hole self, body and soul, under the law of sin and of death. And so it is sin that is crucified with Him, not some kind of “sinful nature.” We and human nature are not destroyed, sin is. Not only are we dead to sin, but sin is dead to us. The law of sin is completely defeated, and we are no longer to be its servants.”

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

“Do not let sin reign implies that sin’s power over us is not inevitable; it is something we allow by our free will. Man’s will was the first aspect of human nature damaged in the Fall and, therefore, is the first thing Christ heals. His healing enables us to make right choices, especially against in. For the Christian, sin is not longer a power which reigns and puts one in bondage. Though our mortal body demands pleasures, we can direct it rather than allowing it to direct us. Lusts, the sinful passions, we can resist, for sin has no power but what we give it. Only our own listlessness, dejection, indifference or laziness can defeat us. In Christ, we have no excuses. We can “help it,” we can avoid sin. For in Christ, we are restored to what God intended human nature to be.”

Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Confession

 One argument.

 

We need to confess our sins ONLY to GOD – not to a man.  Only GOD can forgive and REMEMBER no more.

   

    1Tim 2:5  For there is one God and one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus.

    1 John 1:9   If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

    Heb.10:11-22  (verse 17)  And their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.

    Heb. 8:12  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities and will remember no more.

 

And from another one of my family members:

 

Where does the Orthodox church stand on the issue of confession. I hope they agree that God alone forgives us of our sins…not a priest. Below is a quick list of some verses regarding forgiveness / confession:

Mr 11:25 -
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.

Mr 11:26 -
["But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."]

Lu 5:21 -
The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

Lu 11:4 -
`And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’ “

Lu 17:3 -
“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

Lu 17:4 -
“And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, `I repent,’ forgive him.”

Lu 23:34 -
But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

1Jo 1:9 -
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When I read these verses I can clearly see that their are 2 types of forgiveness we can identify in them. First, we as Christians are directed to forgive others of transgressions against us, and as we forgive others Christ then forgives us. Second, where Christ forgives us of our sins as only He can do.

I’m not sure why it is necessary in the eyes of Catholicism and Orthodoxy to utilize a man to confess our sins. The following questions are my own thoughts regarding this and things that I think you need to take a hard look at:

Don’t you think that at the moment you are aware of sin in your life you should immediately take that unconfessed sin to God and ask Him for forgiveness?

Wouldn’t you think that God would be much happier with you confessing that sin at the moment you are aware of it as opposed to waiting until you can go to confession?

Why would you want to go around with unconfessed sin burdening you, and keeping you out of fellowship with Christ until you have a chance to go to confession?

What I’m getting at is that sin grieves the Holy Spirit. We are told not to grieve the Holy Spirit in Eph. 4. We should, in my opinion do our absolute best to confess our sins at the time the Holy Spirit convicts us of them…plain and simple.

In light of this, I believe that I Tim 2:5 is clear in that we should go directly to Christ, who is our mediator between God and us. Christ is also the one who stands at the right hand of God and intercedes for us (Rom 8:27). I see no scriptural basis for us to have anyone take our confessions to God and intercede for us on our behalf. This would have been true in the Old Testament, but remember that the the temple veil was torn at Christ’s crucifixion, giving us direct access to God.

My Response:

No Orthodox priest would ever say that you can’t confess sins to God by yourself. But there is something to be said for saying your sins out loud and repenting in the presence of another person.

One ‘proof-text’ is John 20:23 “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”

Secondly, a Priest is a representative of Christ (not the vicar of Christ, that whole Pope thing is totally foreign in the Orthodox Church) and so also is a Pastor, after all, he is the shepherd of the flock, Christ’s body. And so, this is what goes on in confession.

Order of Confession
- I say the Trisagion prayers and Psalm 51. and then i say:
“I have sinned, O Lord: forgive me. O God, be gracious unto me a sinner.
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I confess to thee all the hidden and open sins of my heart and mind, which I have committed unto this present day; wherefore I beg of thee, the righteous and compassionate Judge, remission of sins and grace to sin no more.

Priest says:
My sister, inasmuch as thou hast come to God, and to me, be not ashamed; for thou speakest not unto me, but unto God, before whom thou standest.
-the Priest questions me concerning my sins and afterwards says:

“My spiritual child, who hast confessed to my humble self, I, humble, and a sinner, have not power on earth to forgive sins, but God alone; yet through that divinely spoken word which came to the Apostles after the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, saying: Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted, and whosoever ins we retain, they are retained, we too are emboldened to say: Whatsoever thou hast said to my most humble self, and whatsoever thou hast not succeeded in saying, either though ignorance, or through forgetfulness, Whatever it may bew: God forgive thee in this present world, and in that which is to come.”

-makes the sign of the cross of me and says:
“God it was who forgave David through Nathan the Prophet, when he confessed his sins, and Peter weeping bitterly for his denial, and the sinful woman in tears at his feet, and the Publican, and the Prodigal Son: May that same God forgive thee all things, through me a sinner, both in this present world, and in that which is to come, and set thee uncondemned before his dread Judgment Seat. And now, having no further care for the sins which thou hast declared, depart in peace.”

END RESPONSE

It seems to me that the Order of Confession really addresses all the objections, and satisfies them accordingly.  There are really good articles at www.stgeorgecathedral.net about confessions.

I was talking to a woman the other day at Church about Confession.  She said that it was an emptying of yourself of your sin, so that God’s grace comes in, and at the moment of absolution you are in perfect communion with God.  It’s not about saying your sins to the Priest, it’s about saying them to God.

It makes me want to cry to be faced with all the horrible things I’ve done and then be told that God forgives me.  I have my confession at 2:00 today, so maybe I’ll have an update, but then again, maybe not.

 

Beautiful: 

I behold Thy Bridal Chamber, richly adorned, O my Savior.  But I have no wedding garment to worthily enter.  Make radiant the garment of my soul, O Giver of Light, and save me.

 

Update:  I went to Confession, and it was a lot better than I thought it would be.  My whole idea about not crying though, that was a waste of time.  oh well. *shrugs*  God is good.