Is baptism literal or symbolic?

Question

I believe it is symbolic. The reason I think so is because of this: how can baptism literally wash away sin? We are born with it, you can not get rid of it. The only way is to be saved, to say this would be saying that once baptised we don't sin anymore? Am I right? That is why I believe we say it is symbolic. But just open for what you feel also, because I really don't know the other versions out there.

speaking in tongues tc is not the right answer, read your bible more.

where are the people that don't believe all this?

Answer 1

yes you are right to say that Baptism is symbolic, but the churches view is literal. John the Baptist taught that Baptism physically washed away your sin, thus being born again as a sinless being, which upon you could live out the rest of your life without sin in the worship of God. The Christian Church changed his philosophy to their own and now we are all born of sin??? so we need to have our children Baptised to make them born again! this is done because the child is born with no knowledge of God, thus it is a sin, so the rite of Baptism introduces the child to God! it is all done to integrate the church into your life from an early age so they can dominate your faith and subjugate your conscience until you believe that which they tell you as truth.

Answer 2

Romans 6:3-4 Will show what Baptism is all about. Even in the Old Testement they did not use water to wash there sins away. They used the blood. Same thing applies today except Jesus paid the sin debt once and for all.

Answer 3

I agree that it is symbolic of taking your old self and submerging it and raising up to your new self that has been cleansed by the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. If you have been saved, and never go through the baptismal, you are still saved. This is only a symbol--one that is good for the congregation also, because if there is an unsaved person in the congregation, this could be a way to open that converstaion about the saving work of Christ.

Answer 4

Holy Baptism is *not* merely symbolic!! The idea that Baptism is merely symbolic is an unbiblical & unorthodox idea that first came into practice with the Anabaptists. The Bible does not teach that Baptism is symbolic, the Church Fathers do not teach that it is symbolic, but rather something very real happens in Baptism. We may not understand how it happens (that's why it's called a "Sacrament"; the "how" is a mystery.)

If you reject the anti-biblical teaching of the higher critics that would tell you Genesis 1-11 didn't really happen, in order to be consistant, you must also reject the teaching of the "higher critics" (Armenian; Anabaptists) who use their own finite, fallible reason to conclude that Baptism is merely a symbol, doesn't forgive sins or save from the devil, doesn't grant eternal life, is man's work.

We cannot by our own human, finite, fallible reason tell God that one of His chosen means of grace is not actually a means of grace! This is called using our human reason magisterially to tell God what He means in His Word, rather than taking Him at His Word (& using human reason only ministerially to interpret His Word): Eisegesis (read into God's Word what we think it ought to say--Genesis 3: Matt. 4--this is the practice of Satan who we know is a liar) vs. Exegesis (read out of God's Word what He is actually trying to convey to us).

Baptism is *not* a work, or act of obedience on the part of the person receiving it. Holy Baptism is God's work for an individual. Yes, Jesus died once for all--that is for all people, not just the elect. He then distributes that forgiveness of sins to individual people through His chosen means of grace: the Word (The Bible: Law & Gospel properly distinguished) & Sacrament (Holy Baptism & Holy Communion).

No, you are mistaken. Once Baptized, we are still in a sinful world with temptation & we will sin. But we are no longer identified with that sin (Old Adam)--that is sin no longer makes us who we are. Rather we are identified with Christ (New Adam) who is sinnless--that is, we become children of God. This is the mystery of the now & not yet: we are both saint through the forgiveness of all our sin at Baptism (wear Jesus' righteousness) & sinner because we still live in this sinful world (wear the old man's flesh) at the same time (read Romans 7--although Paul is a child of God, he still struggles with sin). When a believer dies, God will permenantly robe them with Jesus' rigtheousness, but until then we are still in the flesh where we are constantly fighting the Old Adam. The difference is that we actually fight against the Old Adam & hate sin, whereas before our Baptism we embraced the Old Adam and enjoyed sinning.

All these things are not merely based on how I feel about the subject. God tells us these things in His objective Word.

Those who would deceive you into thinking that Baptism is merely a symbol & man's work, have cheated themselves & you out of God's pure Gospel, by turning Baptism into a work of humans or a law. No, if we are indeed saved by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone, *as written in Scripture alone* (we learn in Scripture that Baptism does indeed save: 1 Peter 3:21, Titus 3:5-8), Baptism is one of God's means of grace, His work for the individual. Holy Baptism is an extension of Christ on the Cross *for us*! This is a wonderful thing that shouldn't be polluted by man's fallible, finite reason!

Answer 5

It is both. a physical baptism is an act that symbolically washes away past sins. Current sins would have to be confessed to God and you would have to have a repentant heart (mortify the sin not justify it)

When Jesus was baptized by John, John did not want to do it he felt he was not worthy, but Jesus said you must suffer it so. Jesus I believe didn't need this baptism for sins but so he could receive the Holy Spirit.

Answer 6

Baptisim is a symbolic act by which we show our repentance for our sins and our acceptance of Christ's sacrifice. We come out of the water a new creature with our past sins literally washed away in God's sight.

Baptism does not, however, mean that we have the right to continue sinning, we must constantly be learning exactly what God defines as sin and repent of those things we do that fall short of His standards.

Answer 7

I agree with you. The act of submersion in water is a symbolic event. It is basically the coming out of the closet of Christians standing in front of God and everyone in the Church, saying "Hey I have freely chosen to serve the Lord God with all my heart and soul. Out of this love and service I will obey and follow him in water baptism." That's it, for a person to be Baptized in water that is straddling the fence thinking that being Baptized is going to literally save them is a falacy. If your not on fire for God and willing to put him first in your life than Baptism in water is a waste of time. It won't save you, and in the long run might hurt your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Because after all he doesn't want a wishy washy Christian, he doesn't want a Simon he wants a Peter. You are right on track with your bible based belief of submersion.

Answer 8

It symbolizes an imperative - purification of mind. We are not born sinful, only susceptible to believing in others' ideas of what is good/evil about us, which becomes our conditioned ego identity. Because we cannot "pull two bows" (serve two masters) the body-level identity has to die for rebirth of the authentic Christ Self. This requires a process of purification - washing away of the old self.

Answer 9

I believe baptism is symbolic, and perhaps meant as an outward sign of an internal spiritual change.

Answer 10

It is not literal of washing away our sins, as our sinful nature we were born with. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward condition. It is absolutley neccessary, and not works. Peter commands to be baptized in Acts 10. You are right, just becuase we are baptized doesn't mean we don't sin, it just gives us the passage to the gift of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in tongues. It allows us to put on the robe of righteousness as the Bible says.