Read the Large Catechism with me.
Ten-minute studies on short readings from the Large Catechism.
Let's do this.
Click on the link below and read the short assigned reading. Then, if you have time, check out what I have to say about it. If not, no problem. Just soak up the goodness of the LC.
Short Preface Part 3: Click here and read the sections titled "Of Baptism" and "Of the Sacrament."
The basics:
- Go into all nations, baptizing and teaching them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Luther says this statement is sufficient knowledge of Baptism from scripture.
- Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper by saying, "This IS my body. This IS my blood." in reference to the bread and wine.
- Baptism and the Lord's Supper, along with the three parts studied before (the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer) make up the five parts of the entire Christian doctrine which must be constantly reviewed, quoted, and studied.
- After learning these five parts, hymns and Psalms may be added to the learning.
- The Catechism should be preached simply as to be entered in the mind for memory.
My thoughts:
My family and I just returned from an amazing church retreat focused on Baptism, and today happens to be our youngest daughter's first Baptismal birthday (we will celebrate at our local frozen yogurt joint in a little while). Baptism is awesome, isn't it? And it is amazing that we can think we know so much about Baptism, and yet we are as simple minded as an infant at the font.
At the retreat, a group of very wonderful and faithful pastors gave presentations and sermons on topics surrounding Baptism. I could write for about 10 pages on all the goodness I received from each of them (aren't faithful pastors the greatest gift?), but since I will have so much time to discuss Baptism with all of you as we continue reading, I will just give a few points that really struck me.
1. When people ask why we Baptize infants, our response should simply be, "Why shouldn't we?" There are no Biblical answers to that question.
2. When considering what Baptism signifies, we should break down the word signify. Baptism is a sign on us - a sign that shows Christ has taken our sins upon Him and filled us instead with His righteousness. And the significance of this is that we are covered in Him, and therefore, heirs to His kingdom.
3. Baptism is an adoption into Christ's Holy Church. As an earthly example of this type of relationship, we compared the adoption of a child into a family. We discussed being heirs to a kingdom because of our birthright as adoptees. We discussed who holds the power in adopting us - Christ in Baptism versus the judge in a courtroom.
4. When Christ says, "Do this in remembrance of me," remembrance takes on a very physical and earthy remembering. This word does not just mean you think back and say, "Yes, I remember when you did that." This word means you are physically connected to the events of all of Christendom. Receiving the Lord's Supper in your mouth connects you to your Baptism, to Christ death on the cross, to His healing of the blind and lame, to the sacrifices of lambs in the Old Testament - ALL of it. Every single story of Biblical history - the Lord's Supper ties you to each of those in a true remembrance.
5. Time is a human condition. God created time for us, but He exists outside of time. Therefore, we live in two realms - one in time and one in eternity. Therefore, we were baptized in time, and we are baptized in eternity. As Christians, we are continuously living in our Baptism in the present tense, and yet we know there was a particular time and place in which we were Baptized.
Seriously, I could go on like this forever. It really was that good.
