Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Baptism Now Saves You (Part II)

Protestant Objection #2:

"We get baptized because Jesus got baptized. We do not believe that it effects anything in the soul with regard to salvation. It’s a matter of obedience to the example that Jesus set for us, and that’s all it is."

Catholic Answer:

Why would Jesus set an example of doing something if that something did absolutely nothing for us? For something that actually does nothing for our souls, Jesus, Paul, and Peter sure made a big deal about it.

And doing something just because Jesus did it and for no other reason is fallacious reasoning at the core. There are many things Jesus did that Protestants don’t feel the need to do, so why feel the need to be baptized just because Jesus was baptized? Jesus preached in Jerusalem, but I don’t see very many Protestant pastors convincing their congregations that they, too, must preach in Jerusalem as a matter of obedience to the example that Jesus set for us. Jesus was circumcised, but I don’t see many Protestant women getting in line. He turned water into wine at Cana, but most Baptists would have no such thing at their weddings. Besides, if people really wanted to follow the example that Jesus set for us in regard to Baptism, then anyone who desired Baptism would be required to wait until they’re 30 years old, which is generally the accepted age of Jesus when He was baptized. Those older than 30 are out of luck. Anyone older or younger than 30 would simply be disobedient to the example of Jesus if they even attempted an immersion into the saving waters.

1 comment:

Nicholas Jagneaux said...

Jesus was circumcised, but I don’t see many Protestant women getting in line.

Or Protestant men, for that matter. In Europe (or Belgium, at least), circumcision is not the norm for men, Protestant or Catholic.