Religion

Baptism – with water or FIRE?

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11)

What does this mean? We’ll look at Catholic teaching – the contrast helped me see the importance of what Swedenborg writes here. Begin with … confession!

Baptism: https://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/a-guide-to-catholic-baptism/

Baptism does five things specifically.

  1. It forgives all sins … and it relieves the punishment for those sins.
  2. It makes the newly baptized person “a new creature.”
  3. It turns the person into a newly adopted son of God and a member of Christ. Baptism incorporates a person into the Church, which is the body of Christ.
  4. It brings someone into the flock of the faithful and brings them to share in the royal priesthood of Christ (1 Pet. 2:9-10). …
  5. Last, but certainly not least, baptism leaves an indelible spiritual mark (character) of belonging to Christ on the soul.

DO YOU KNOW … what does Swedenborg agree with here?

The three uses of Baptism (from True Chrisianity):

  1. Bring People into the Christian Church and at the Same Time to Bring Them into the Company of Christians in the Spiritual World (paragraphs 677-680); [see 3&4, above]
  2. Allow Christians to Know and Acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as Redeemer and Savior, and to Follow Him (681-683);
  3. Lead Us to Be Regenerated (684-687).

Returning to my commenter, “The Sacraments … are not earthly, they are the closest a human being can get to heaven while here on earth.”

This represents a misunderstanding of the difference between something being “Earthly” or “Heavenly”

THE LAW OF “Influx”.

The inner self flows into the outer self and produces the effects sought by the will and the intellect. The outer self does not flow into the inner self. A flow that goes inward is unnatural, because it goes against the divine design; a flow that goes outward is natural, because it follows the divine design. (672)

The Lord replaced circumcision with baptism:

“… when the Lord came into the world, he abolished these symbolic acts [of the Old Testament], all of which were external in nature, and established a church with practices that were all internal in nature. The Lord dispelled the allegories and revealed the true forms themselves, …” (670)

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.” (Hebrews 10:1)

Baptism replaced circumcision, and represents essentially the same thing:

“… rejecting the cravings of the flesh, and therefore being purified from evils.” (674)

Is that where the Catholics get the idea that baptism leaves a “indelible spiritual mark on the soul”? But both are still natural, earthly actions.

… no physical act of washing that can reach our spirit and cleanse it as well. [Section 2] All criminals, robbers, and thieves have the ability to wash themselves until they gleam; but that washing does not wipe away the characteristics that make them criminals, robbers, and thieves. (672)

… both of these rituals, circumcision and baptism, were intended only as a sign and a reminder to be purified from evils. This purification is what truly makes people “chosen.” An outward change without an inward change is like a church building with no worship inside; it is useless to everyone, except perhaps as a stable for animals. (676)

Notice the flow from spiritual to natural in these comments by John the Baptism, as well as the supremacy of the spiritual:

“… He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:31-36)

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11)