reformed theology reformed theology baptism signifying baptized person union christ christ treated christ preaching god word means grace god offers christ people believed effect holy spirit effects believed beneficial faith christ reformed theology baptism initiation visible church body people publicly claim faith christ baptism signifies regeneration sin believe children express faith christ baptized baptism believed beneficial faith christ baptized basis promise faith come fruition later life history background christian theology prior reformation taught including baptism means instruments god grace people considered valid regardless administered received received grace medieval spoke obstacle mortal sin blocks grace insisted recipient positively open responding faith order receive benefit baptism believed holy spirit transform believer offered benefits sins regeneration holy spirit believed necessary forgiveness sins committed baptism reformation rejected catholic_church seven retained baptism lord supper saw practices medieval church abuses power intended require work order merit forgiveness sin baptism faith attached promise salvation baptism taught life baptism spent dying sin reformation reformed earliest theologian considered reformed tradition vigorously opposed worship practices believed based tradition bible disagreed refused children grounds arguments arrived position baptism sign god people convey grace baptized saw baptism essentially identical old testament respect idea emphasis baptism pledge oath prove unique reformed tradition successor continued teaching continuity god baptism emphasized baptism indicates duties baptized response god grace influenced idea baptism god promises baptized person attached outward sign washing water maintained idea baptism public pledge insisted secondary baptism meaning sign god promise forgive sin maintained effective instruments bringing promises represent maintained promises refused baptized effect case carefully distinguished outward sign washing water promises baptism signifies maintaining theology similar differs way preaching word god placed preaching level saw confirmation added preaching word god end sixteenth century eighteenth century period known reformed reformed theology developed meaning baptism carefully defined union baptism relationship outward washing signifies high orthodox period middle late seventeenth century expanded meaning baptism crossing red_sea carried theological themes resurrection eternal life period saw emergence common reformed saw baptism sign baptized fellowship christ sign seal grace result children modern influential nineteenth century reformed theologian saw baptism way church receives new members taught faith baptism ambivalent practice infant baptism teaching essential institution continued long church faithful bringing children confirmation saw baptism primarily individual initiating community rejected idea baptism connected old testament scottish nineteenth century reformed theologian sought articulate reformed theology baptism modern world preferred writings writing later reformed orthodox overly elevated value argued baptism applies adults expressing faith act baptism twentieth century influential swiss reformed theologian argued baptism administered represented completed association christ accepted rejected adults later years rejected idea baptism actually god accomplish properly called instead taught water baptism human act obedience views called neo reason identified views believer oath continued accept validity infant believe baptized later reformed reacted views baptism appealing idea baptism promise accomplished reality idea baptism replacement theologian emphasized idea baptism god word establishing church individual response comes god act baptism german reformed liberation theologian hand saw infant baptism associated national church saw baptism properly free response god reformed churches generally maintained practice infant baptism despite critiques theology reformed theology held word god preached means grace god use common material objects communicate divine promises people grace promised consists benefits god people christ person god believer confirm promises communicated preaching preaching merely symbolic representative reality refer actually create reality saving grace holy spirit actually bringing effect promises beneficial faith remains regardless recipient response effect negative resulting judgement christ benefits faithful reformed believe instituted context god people believe god makes provides physical signs associated old testament signs include rainbow appeared following believed sign god descendants signs sanctions god period signs baptism lord supper reformed theology sign case baptism external washing water described terms thing regeneration sin etc close connection example baptism said save baptism called regeneration distinction sign thing sign seen pledge seal inward washing regeneration union sign thing means use purpose visible action changed substance remains meaning reformed tradition holds baptism primarily god promise offer grace baptized baptism said union christ death burial resurrection baptized christ person meaning god father treats treats christ baptism baptized christ history meaning person said died buried raised christ baptized person identity christ based christ action baptism person action union christians words institution baptism christians united members trinity reformed tradition baptism function rite initiation church secondary function sign god promise grace reformed distinguish visible church consists publicly claim faith christ children invisible church consists actually faith baptism believed member visible invisible church believed impossible know member invisible church members visible church baptized christians believed obligations live love service christ people obligations referred improvement baptism reformed christians baptism replacement baptism new testament christians jews old testament seen ritual god judgement passes person cut flesh rest person cutting christ death seen perfection baptism similarly entire body subjected judgement death order raised new life believe baptism sign regeneration making new creature based connection found regeneration washing water baptism represents forgiveness sin blood christ similarly blood animals baptism held entire reformed tradition effect regeneration incapable faith faith come fruition later reformed teach baptism necessarily bound forgiveness sins outward rite baptism said sins necessary baptized person participate faith order receive benefit infant baptism notable exceptions born believing parents reformed christians basis continuity old god israel new church old god saving purpose new having families individuals reformed christians believe baptism embraced faith benefit recognize faith come later life preceding baptism said possess seed faith come fruition later baptism administered based promise faith offered sponsors usually parents kept later age mode administration believe necessary baptism properly performed pouring acceptable said symbolize blood christ removal guilt sin ordained ministers permitted administer baptism reformed churches contrary emergency baptism roman catholic churches performed non ministers generally considered valid reformed churches rejecting ceremonies roman catholic church use salt accept validity performed basis substance baptism remains baptized ceremonies baptism repeated
Reformed baptismal theology