Reformed baptismal theology
Baptism is the sacrament of initiation into the visible church, or body of people who publicly claim faith in Christ.
[4] During the Reformation, Martin Luther rejected many of the Catholic Church's seven sacraments, but retained baptism and the Lord's Supper.
He saw many practices of the medieval church as abuses of power intended to require work in order to merit forgiveness for sin after baptism rather than faith alone.
[7] Through his arguments with Anabaptists, Zwingli arrived at the position that baptism was a sign of the covenant between God and his people, but that it did not convey grace to the baptized.
He saw baptism as essentially identical to the circumcision of Israelites in the Old Testament in this respect, and used this idea in polemics against Anabaptists.
[10] John Calvin was influenced by Martin Luther's idea of baptism as God's promises to the baptized person attached to the outward sign of washing with water.
[12] Calvin carefully distinguished between the outward sign of the washing of water with the promises that baptism signifies while maintaining that they were inseparable.
[15] Theologians more carefully defined the sacramental union of baptism, or the relationship between the outward washing with that which it signifies.
[16] In the high orthodox period (middle to late seventeenth century), theologians such as Hermann Witsius expanded the covenantal meaning of baptism using analogies such as Noah's Ark and the crossing of the Red Sea, which carried the theological themes of the resurrection and eternal life.
He was ambivalent about the practice of infant baptism, teaching that it was not an essential institution, but could be continued as long as the church was faithful in bringing children to confirmation.
[20] In the twentieth century, Karl Barth, an influential Swiss Reformed theologian, argued that baptism should not be administered to infants because it represented a completed association with Christ which could only be accepted or rejected by adults.
Further, Barth in his later years rejected the idea that baptism was actually used by God to accomplish anything, or could even properly be called a sacrament.
German Reformed liberation theologian Jürgen Moltmann, on the other hand, saw infant baptism as inappropriately associated with the national church.
[26] In Reformed theology, sacraments are held to be, along with the word of God preached, the means of grace.
[27] In the sacraments, God graciously condescends to use common material objects to communicate divine promises to people.
Its effect is negative, resulting in judgement, for the faithless; while it confers Christ and his benefits for the faithful.
[27] In Reformed sacramental theology, the sign (in the case of baptism the external washing with water) may be described in terms of the thing signified (regeneration, remission of sin, etc.
[36] The Reformed tradition holds that baptism is primarily God's promise or offer of grace to the baptized.
[44] As members of the visible church, baptized Christians are believed to have obligations to live in love and service to Christ and his people.
[57] Reformed Christians believe that immersion is not necessary for baptism to be properly performed, but that pouring or sprinkling are acceptable.
However, prominent Old School theologian Charles Hodge strongly opposed this view and held that baptisms involving washing with water in the name of the trinity and the intent to comply with Christ's command were valid.
