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Down in the River to Pray: Revisioning Baptism as God's Transforming Work
John Mark Hicks, Professor of Theology at Lipscomb University, and Greg Taylor, former missionary in Uganda and Managing Editor of newWineskins, have co-authored a book on baptism entitled Down in the River to Pray: Revisioning Baptism as God's Transforming Work.
http://johnmarkhicks.faithsite.com/cont ... ?CID=53318
Baptism is more important than you think, but not for the reasons you suppose.
Many believe baptism is simply the sign of salvation already received. Others believe it is an indispensable command that legally divides those heading to heaven from those going to hell. Baptism is more important than either think.
Baptism is a performative, or effectual, sign through which God works by his Holy Spirit to forgive, renew, sanctify and transform. It is a symbol by which we participate in the reality that it symbolizes. We must not reduce it to a mere symbol or sign that only looks to the past without any present power or reality. Baptism is more important than that.
Neither is baptism, however, the technical line between heaven and hell. It is not primarily a loyalty test or a command satisfied by legal performance of the rite. We must not reduce baptism to a line in the sand. Such a reading of baptism’s function reduces its significance to a technical legal requirement. Baptism is more important than that.
While baptism is both a sign and a command, it is more. While it signifies participation in the gospel and submission to it is obedience to the divine will, baptism points beyond itself and effectually participates in God’s transforming work. God is at work through baptism to transform fallen humanity into his own image, to transform the fallen human community into a people who share the life of the divine, triune community.
God’s goal is to conform humanity to the image of his Son (Romans 8:29-30). Transformation is God’s fundamental aim. Everything God does, everything God commands, serves that goal. Baptism serves that end. Baptism must never trump, negate or simply point to a faint testimony of transformation, but transformation must always shape and determine baptismal theology.
Baptism is important because it serves the end of God’s transforming work. It is more important than a sign or a command because its significance lies in its function as a means of transformation into the divine image and inclusion in the divine community where divine presence empowers transformation. It is not simply one among many commands, but neither is it the command. Baptism is God’s transforming work and serves the divine goal of transformation.
John Mark Hicks, Professor of Theology at Lipscomb University, and Greg Taylor, former missionary in Uganda and Managing Editor of newWineskins, have co-authored a book on baptism entitled Down in the River to Pray: Revisioning Baptism as God's Transforming Work.
http://johnmarkhicks.faithsite.com/cont ... ?CID=53318
Baptism is more important than you think, but not for the reasons you suppose.
Many believe baptism is simply the sign of salvation already received. Others believe it is an indispensable command that legally divides those heading to heaven from those going to hell. Baptism is more important than either think.
Baptism is a performative, or effectual, sign through which God works by his Holy Spirit to forgive, renew, sanctify and transform. It is a symbol by which we participate in the reality that it symbolizes. We must not reduce it to a mere symbol or sign that only looks to the past without any present power or reality. Baptism is more important than that.
Neither is baptism, however, the technical line between heaven and hell. It is not primarily a loyalty test or a command satisfied by legal performance of the rite. We must not reduce baptism to a line in the sand. Such a reading of baptism’s function reduces its significance to a technical legal requirement. Baptism is more important than that.
While baptism is both a sign and a command, it is more. While it signifies participation in the gospel and submission to it is obedience to the divine will, baptism points beyond itself and effectually participates in God’s transforming work. God is at work through baptism to transform fallen humanity into his own image, to transform the fallen human community into a people who share the life of the divine, triune community.
God’s goal is to conform humanity to the image of his Son (Romans 8:29-30). Transformation is God’s fundamental aim. Everything God does, everything God commands, serves that goal. Baptism serves that end. Baptism must never trump, negate or simply point to a faint testimony of transformation, but transformation must always shape and determine baptismal theology.
Baptism is important because it serves the end of God’s transforming work. It is more important than a sign or a command because its significance lies in its function as a means of transformation into the divine image and inclusion in the divine community where divine presence empowers transformation. It is not simply one among many commands, but neither is it the command. Baptism is God’s transforming work and serves the divine goal of transformation.