Full Text for Pastoral Theology and Practice- Volume 13 - Baptism in Other Churches (Video)

ROUGHLY EDITED COPY LUTHERAN PASTORAL THEOLOGY & PRACTICE LPTP-13 Captioning Provided By: Caption First, Inc. P.O. Box 1924 Lombard, IL 60148 800-825-5234 www.captionfirst.com *** This text is being provided in a rough draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. *** >> ERIC: I think I mentioned that I serve a congregation on the east coast, New Jersey to be specific. We have a large number of immigrant communities in our local area, many of which originate from South America�-- Peruvian, Colombian, and the like. A good number of these immigrants are Catholic. Do we consider baptisms done in other churches valid baptisms? As you can tell, I'm specifically interested in our stance on Roman Catholic baptisms, but I'm sure we should know about baptisms in other denominations as well. >> PROF. SENKBEIL: Okay. Thanks for asking that question, because all of us who are involved in preparing for the office of the ministry want to serve in whatever location in a way that's consistent with what we've been given. You know, we confess in the third article of the creed "I believe in the holy Christian church, the communion of saints." In other words, we're not confessing that we're the only Christians, but rather all those who are called by Christ to be his own people, all those who are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit who are gathered around God's Word and Sacraments, these all belong to the holy Christian church in earth and, to be sure, in heaven where those saints are in glory. So it would be wrong of us to act in what is called a sectarian way, namely, thinking that we're the only Christians. Even as we are concerned about being consistent and faithful to the doctrine that we've been given in God's word and, for that reason, are interested in practicing church fellowship only with those Christians that believe, teach, and confess this one scriptural faith, we're not thereby denying that God the Holy Spirit indeed calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies his whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. So what's a pastor to do when someone comes to him saying "I want to join your Lutheran congregation" and he or she has been baptized let's say, as you said, in a Roman Catholic church? Well, certainly, the first question a faithful pastor would ask is: Is this a legitimate baptism? Has it been done as Christ himself has instituted it? And, certainly, the Roman Catholic communion does indeed confess the Holy Trinity, the ancient and apostolic faith, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Such is the first question then we would ask of any candidate for membership in our church. Have they been baptized? Have they been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit as Jesus gave us this sacrament of washing in the name of the triune God? But, you know, Eric, it's not really just a matter of saying those words. It's certainly possible�-- in fact it is a fact there are some people in this world today who might use that formula -- I believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit�-- and might even baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And yet they deny officially that very doctrine that God is three separate persons in one undivided substance. And so it's important that, as a faithful pastor, we would certify that this person has not only been baptized through the proper formula, but�-- that is, in a church, in a fellowship that indeed confesses the Trinitarian faith. These days also one might be concerned about churches that, for whatever reason, cultural or otherwise, might alter the baptismal formula. For example, baptizing in the name of the mother and of the son and the Holy Spirit, avoiding the very words that God himself has used to identify himself as father. Or perhaps avoiding it in another way by baptizing in the name of the creator, the redeemer, and the sanctifier. So I think a faithful pastor simply in a very personal way and a very personable way can inquire where has that person been baptized and with what words? One certainly looks at a church such as you mentioned, the Roman Catholic church, as being very consistently faithful in using and confessing this Trinitarian faith and in baptizing as Christ himself has instituted. But, in the case of other Christian fellowships, one must be careful about how these words were done and, in fact, what that church, in the case of a nonChristian fellowship or a sectarian group, what, in fact, that group really believes and teaches and confesses. So it's important, as you say, that you want to be careful about these matters. *** This text is being provided in a rough draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. ***