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HOLY BAPTISM
Luther's
Little Instruction Book (The Small Catechism of Martin Luther)
Part Four:
Holy Baptism
Translated by Robert E. Smith June 10, 1994
The Sacrament
of Holy Baptism: The Simple Way a Father Should Present it to
His Household
- Q. What
is Baptism?
A. Baptism is not just plain water, but it is water contained
within God's command and united with God's Word.
Q.
Which Word of God is this?
A. The one which our Lord Christ spoke in the last
chapter of Matthew: “Go into all the world, teaching
all heathen nations, and baptizing them in the name of the
Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
- Q. What
does Baptism give? What good is it?
A. It gives the forgiveness of sins, redeems from death
and the Devil, gives eternal salvation to all who believe this,
just as God's words and promises declare.
Q.
What are these words and promises of God?
A. Our Lord Christ spoke one of them in the last chapter
of Mark: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
but whoever does not believe will be damned.”
-
Q.
How can water do such great things?
A. Water doesn't make these things happen, of course.
It is God's Word, which is with and in the water. Because,
without God's Word, the water is plain water and not baptism.
But with God's Word it is a Baptism, a grace-filled water
of life, a bath of new birth in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul
said to Titus in the third chapter: “Through this bath
of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which He poured
out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that
we, justified by the same grace are made heirs according to
the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.”
- Q. What
is the meaning of such a water Baptism?
A. It means that the old Adam in us should be drowned
by daily sorrow and repentance, and die with all sins and evil
lusts,and, in turn, a new person daily come forth and rise from
death again. He will live forever before God in righteousness
and purity.
Q. Where
is this written?
A. St. Paul says to the Romans in chapter six: “We
are buried with Christ through Baptism into death, so that,
in the same way Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of
the Father, thus also must we walk in a new life.”
_________________
This text
was translated in 1994 for Project Wittenberg by Robert E. Smith
and has been placed in the public domain by him. You may freely
distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any comments
or suggestions to Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library
at:
Concordia
Theological Seminary.
E-mail: CFWLibrary@CRF.CUIS.EDU
Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA
Phone: (219) 481-2123
Fax: (219) 481-2126
If you
would like to talk to a pastor about what Lutherans believe,
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