The Catechism

Agenda

• Agenda• Introduction• Objective• Discussion• Closing• Next Week

IntroductionsWho am I and who are these people sharing the table with you

Who are we?

• Turn to someone you don’t know and tell them• Your Name

• Ask them their name and one of the following questions:• What is the greatest thing you accomplished in the last year• What is the biggest thing you are looking forward to in the

next year• What city were you born in• What does your first and last name mean?• Where did you get your education and what did you focus

on or what was your favorite subject• What is your favorite time of year and why

ObjectiveWhy am I here today

Objective: For The Course

• To gain a greater understanding of the Creator of the Universe

• To Gain a greater understanding of the Lutheran understanding of the Christian Faith

DiscussionThe Essence of the Thing

Prayer Prior to Studying the Bible

• Almighty God, heavenly Father, you give all the gifts of life and living, and you bid us to love you with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. During this time of study and learning and writing, grant to us the protection of your Holy Spirit, that we become neither weary nor proud, and that in all things we might, with our words, bring honor and glory to your Word, Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Schedule

Notes Sun Mon Tue WedThu

rFri Sat

The Bible 9 10† 11 12 13 14 15

The Ten Commandments 16 17 18* 19 20† 21 22

The Apostles Creed 23 24* 25* 26* 27† 28 29

The Lord’s Prayer 30 31 1 2* 3 4 5†

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism 6 7 8 9 10† 11 12

The Office of the Keys & Confession 13† 14† 15† 16† 17 18† 19

The Sacrament of the Eucharist 20 21 22 23† 24* 25 26

“The Christian Life” 27 28

*Feast or Festival†Commemorations

Objective: Week Five

• To gain a greater understanding of Baptism

Sacraments

What is a Sacrament?

• An Act or Right1. Instituted by God2. In which God Himself has joined his Word to

the visible element3. And by which he offers, gives and seals the

forgiveness of sins earned by Christ

Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation, St. Louis: Concordia, 1991, 236

How Many Sacraments are There?

• “We have now finished the three chief parts of the common Christian doctrine. Besides these we have yet to speak of our two Sacraments instituted by Christ, of which also every Christian ought to have at least an ordinary, brief instruction, because without them there can be no Christian; although, alas! hitherto no instruction concerning them has been given” – Luther’s Large Catechism 4:1

How Many Sacraments Are There?

• “And here you see that Baptism, both in its power and signification, comprehends also the third Sacrament, which has been called repentance, as it is really nothing else than Baptism.” Luther’s Large Catechism 4:74-75

How many Sacraments Are There?

• “If we define the sacraments as rites, which have the command of God and to which the promise of grace has been added, it is easy to determine what the sacraments are, properly speaking. For humanly instituted rites are not sacraments, properly speaking, because human beings do not have the authority to promise grace. Therefore signs instituted without the command of God are not sure signs of grace, even though they perhaps serve to teach or admonish the common folk. Therefore, the sacraments are actually baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and absolution (the sacrament of repentance)” – The Defense of the Augsburg Confession 13:3-4 Of the Number and Use of the Sacraments

What of the Other Rites

• Confirmation and Extreme Unction1 are rites received from the Fathers which not even the Church requires as necessary to salvation, because they do not have God's command. Therefore it is not useless to distinguish these rites from the former, which have God's express command and a clear promise of grace. - The Defense of the Augsburg Confession 13:6 Of the Number and Use of the Sacraments

1. Anointing of the Sick which is a part of Last Rites

What of the Other Rites

• Matrimony was not first instituted in the New Testament, but in the beginning, immediately on the creation of the human race. It has, moreover, God's command; it has also promises, not indeed properly pertaining to the New Testament, but pertaining rather to the bodily life. Wherefore, if any one should wish to call it a sacrament, he ought still to distinguish it from those preceding ones [the two former ones], which are properly signs of the New Testament, and testimonies of grace and the remission of sins. -- The Defense of the Augsburg Confession 13:16 Of the Number and Use of the Sacraments

What of the Other Rites

• [We under stand the priesthood as] “the ministry of the Word, and administering the Sacraments to others, but they understand it as referring to sacrifice; as though in the New Testament there ought to be a priesthood like the Levitical, to sacrifice for the people, and merit the remission of sins for others. We teach that the sacrifice of Christ dying on the cross has been sufficient for the sins of the whole world, and that there is no need, besides, of other sacrifices, as though this were not sufficient for our sins. Men, accordingly, are justified not because of any other sacrifices, but because of this one sacrifice of Christ, if they believe that they have been redeemed by this sacrifice. They are accordingly called priests, not in order to make any sacrifices for the people as in the Law, so that by these they may merit remission of sins for the people; but they are called to teach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments to the people.” -- The Defense of the Augsburg Confession 13:7-10 Of the Number and Use of the Sacraments

What of the Other Commandments of God?

• Lastly, if among the Sacraments all things ought to be numbered which have God's command, and to which promises have been added, why do we not add prayer, which most truly can be called a sacrament? For it has both God's command and very many promises; and if placed among the Sacraments, as though in a more eminent place, it would invite men to pray. Alms could also be reckoned here, and likewise afflictions, which are, even themselves signs, to which God has added promises. But let us omit these things. For no prudent man will strive greatly concerning the number or the term, if only those objects still be retained which have God's command and promises. -- The Defense of the Augsburg Confession 13:16-17 Of the Number and Use of the Sacraments

Baptism

What is Baptism

• Greek: βαπτίζω• to immerse, to dip • to be over one's head (in debt)• to be soaked (in wine)• to dip, steep, dye, color• To sink, disable, overwhelm, go under,

overborne

• The Greek is from an Endo-European word: *gwebh • to dip, sink

Examples in the Bible

• The First Example in the Bible:• Because they formerly did not obey, when God's

patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. - (1 Peter 3:20-22 ESV)

Examples in the Bible

• The Israelites were Baptised• For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers

were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. – 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 ESV

Examples in the Bible

• Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. – Isaiah 1:16-17 ESV

• On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. – Zechariah 13:1 ESV

What does this all mean

• These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. – Hebrews 9:6-14 ESV

Why do we baptize today?

• And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

What does it mean to be baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

• For to be baptized in the name of God is to be baptized not by men, but by God Himself. Therefore, although it is performed by human hands, it is nevertheless truly God's own work. From this fact every one may himself readily infer that it is a far higher work than any work performed by a man or a saint. For what work greater than the work of God can we do?

What is Baptism?

• From this now… …how to answer the question what Baptism is, namely thus, that it is not mere ordinary water, but water comprehended in God's Word and command, and sanctified thereby, so that it is nothing else than a divine water; not that the water in itself is nobler than other water, but that God's Word and command are added.

What does Baptism Give or profit?

• “…we must also learn why and for what purpose it is instituted; that is, what it profits, gives, and works. And this also we cannot discern better than from the words of Christ above quoted: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Therefore state it most simply thus, that the power, work, profit, fruit, and end of Baptism is this, namely, to save. For no one is baptized in order that he may become a prince, but, as the words declare, that he be saved. But to be saved, we know, is nothing else than to be delivered from sin, death, and the devil, and to enter into the kingdom of Christ, and to live with Him forever.”

How can water do this?

• Baptism is quite another thing than all other water; not on account of the natural quality but because something more noble is here added; for God Himself stakes His honor, His power and might on it. Therefore it is not only natural water, but a divine, heavenly, holy, and blessed water, and in whatever other terms we can praise it,-all on account of the Word, which is a heavenly, holy Word, that no one can sufficiently extol, for it has, and is able to do, all that God is and can do [since it has all the virtue and power of God comprised in it].

What does such baptizing with water signify

• “It signifies that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, again, a new man daily come forth and arise; who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” – Luther’s Small Catechism

• We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. - Romans 6:4 ESV

Something a bit more fun!

• Table Talk - No. 394: Prenatal Baptisms Are Ridiculed on December, 1532“[According to Aristotle] the whole soul is in each and every part of the body. On this basis they baptize a fetus which has not yet been fully brought into the world. Augustine treated of this at great length. If I prick my finger, my whole body feels it. Therefore, when I baptize a finger I baptize the whole body.“I don’t wish to be baptized thus. But I don’t care about the element, whatever one may have. Indeed, it’s enough to speak the words. Let the children be committed to our Lord God. The baptism itself is of no concern to me. Besides, the Word is the principal part of baptism. If in an emergency there’s no water at hand, it doesn’t matter whether water or beer is used.”

Something a bit more fun!

No. 5446: Does the Kind of Water Affect Valid Baptism? Summer or Fall, 1542 The doctor [Martin Luther]: “I wish to ask Dr. Jacob whether children should be baptized in warm water.” Dr. Jacob: “Yes.” Dr. Luther: “This becomes a change of elements, and cold water terrifies like the law.” Dr. Jacob: “The cold is accidental. Besides, the law is often called fire too.” Dr. Luther: “It’s true. Water that’s too hot can also terrify, if this is to be determinative.” Dr. Jacob: “Should a child be baptized with wine? I hear that such a thing happened,” etc. Dr. Luther: “If it’s done, it’s done by accident. So in this instance what happened was that in an emergency the poor women laid hold of wine, thinking it was something else. That child shouldn’t be baptized again because when I take something to be something—when I think it’s water, even if it really is something else—there’s no danger at all. Under the papacy priests often elevated water instead of wine.”