Orthodox infant Baptism - What is the meaning of it?

Question

Thanks for the answers. Anyone know why they oil the baby before submerging him?

Answer 1

I am Orthodox. Fr K answered well, I believe.
About the oil, it is called the Holy Chrism and is put on the baby's (or Adults) forehead, ears, mouth, hands, feet using a tiny paintbrush to make the sign of a cross.
I don't know the exact theological meaning of it. I suggest that you ask an Orthodox priest.
Every baptism begins with an exorcism, so maybe it's part of that.

Answer 2

Baptism is a symbol of the choice death and cleansing of the person to become alive and cleansed when risen. (An acceptance of dieing out the old man and putting on the new by accepting Jesus as your new life.)
Infants can't make this decision they are still in an age of innocence.
That's why NO infants were baptized in the Bible because it requires a decision on the part of the person being baptized.

I PETER 3:21
21 ¶ The like figure whereunto [even] baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good CONSCIENCE toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

GREEK LEXICON -- STRONG'S NUMBER 4893

4893 suneidesis {soon-i'-day-sis} suneivdhsiß from a prolonged form of 4894; TDNT -- 7:899,1120; n f

AV -- conscience (32)
1a) the consciousness of anything
1b) the soul as distinguishing between what is morally good and bad, prompting to do the former and shun the latter, commending one, condemning the other; the conscience

Infants don't have a conscience to discern what is good or evil
blessings

Answer 3

I haven't gone to the Orthodox Church in years. But my Greek cousin told me that they believe in infant Baptism(complete submersion like the baptists). The oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit.(Acts2:4, Pentecost). In the Creed (I presume it's called the Nicene Creed), which is confessed publicly in the Orthodox Liturgy by everyone in attendance they state "I believe in One
Baptism for the remission of sins". I think they are referring to this Baptism when they say that. If the person to be Baptized is older then the Baptism is performed either in a large body of water or in some cases they do what is termed a Christening in which the priest sprinkles the believer with
water that has been blessed.
In any case I was Baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church as a baby, but chose to be Baptized as an adult in a non-denominational Pentecostal church. And when I go to Israel I will be Baptized in the Jordan! So there you are.
I Cr 13;8a
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The important thing is that we love Jesus!!!

Answer 4

There is no spiritual value to infant baptism at all. Although when my first daughter was born my mother was horrified that I was not immediately seeking to have her baptised, tell me that not doing so would mean she could not go to heaven should she die. (Mom was a devout Catholic) As it turns out we did seek to have her baptised, in the Catholic church, since we really didn't have any church we belonged to and both my husband and I were raised Catholic.

The church initially refused because my husband had been married, for 6 months, at age 18, and he and I were not married in the church because they refused. The Priest did offer to have my husband's marriage annulled, for a cost of $1500, and then all would be right with God. I had a hard time seeing how God needed my $1500 to forgive a sin as a young non-believer.

We now belong to a wonderfully sound Biblical church. My daughter who is 11 will be baptised next year, having been born again this past December.

God bless.

Answer 5

It's one of the sacraments of the orthodox church, a sort of introduction to the Christian belief. Jesus was the first to be baptized, by Saint John, in the river of Jordan. Baptism symbolically fills you with the light, the belief in the father, the son and the holy spirit. You can read more about what differs the orthodox church from the western church in the link below.

Answer 6

Same as 99% of all Christians who practice it.

Infant baptism has been the normal practice of Christians throughout the entirety of the Christian era, from the early church up to the present time. It is still the practice today among Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholics, and most Protestant denominations. It was never a controversial or debated issue until about 1525, when those in the "Anabaptist" movement rejected infant baptism and began re-baptizing each other, viewing their infant baptisms as invalid.

The earliest explicit reference to child or infant baptism is in the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus, about 215 A.D.:

"Baptize first the children, and if they can speak for themselves let them do so. Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for them." (Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition 21:15, c. 215 A.D.)

Even Martin Luther and John Calvin, the two primary founders of the Protestant Reformation, both believed in infant baptism:


Of the baptism of children we hold that children ought to be baptized. For they belong to the promised redemption made through Christ, and the Church should administer it to them. (Martin Luther, The Smalcald Articles, Article V: Of Baptism, 1537)

"If, by baptism, Christ intends to attest the ablution by which he cleanses his Church, it would seem not equitable to deny this attestation to infants, who are justly deemed part of the Church, seeing they are called heirs of the heavenly kingdom." (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1559)

Answer 7

nowhere in scriptures it says baptism is the outward act of the inward replace of the convert to Christianity. scriptures tells us it is the skill by technique of which God reported that we are able to attain the salvation blood of Christ. scriptures also tells us you should have confession and repentance and an ongoing obedient faith. all those issues are required for salvation, yet to sum it up you should have obedient faith. merely as Jesus changed into buried contained in the tomb and raised we are buried with baptism and raised. nowhere does it say you should have witnesses on your baptism or that the only baptizing you should have authority. the authority is contained in the calling on the call of God the daddy, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Answer 8

As a baby I was baptized in a Eastern Orthodox Church. It was my dad's church. Mom was a Jewish holocaust orphan.

We all became Roman Catholic before I understood the difference, then bounced around in Protestant churches dad decided to try.

As far as I'm concern my real baptism came after I gave my heart to the Lord in a Protestant church, in my 30's, and got baptized (full immersion) in full knowledge, and freely choosing it.

My parents both gave their hearts to the Lord too. Dad didn't say the sinner's prayer until he was on his death bed.

Answer 9

again father k has the answer. very sound, very biblical, very historically correct. I agree with him.

Answer 10

It is a false teaching that accomplishes nothing spiritually.