Baptism as the beginning lesson
Many Christians begin to learn about the Trinity through knowledge of Baptism. This is also a starting point for others in apprehending why the doctrine matters to so many Christians, even though the doctrine itself teaches that the being of God is beyond complete comprehension. The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed are often used as brief summations of Christian faith. They are typical of trinitarian statements which are professed by converts to Christianity when they receive baptism, and at other times in the liturgy of the church, particularly in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Trinitarian Christians are baptized "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). Thus, their Christian life, and the Christian understanding of salvation, typically begins with a declaration related to the Trinity. Basil the Great (330–379) explains:
"We are bound to be baptized in the terms we have received, and to profess faith in the terms in which we have been baptized."
At the baptism of Jesus, trinitarians believe that the Trinity appeared: "And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:16–17, RSV). To trinitarians, the three persons of the Trinity were made manifest at once, in connection with the baptism of Jesus.
"This is the Faith of our baptism", the First Council of Constantinople declared (382), "that teaches us to believe in the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. According to this Faith there is one Godhead, Power, and Being of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
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2 comments:
BeeBee:
In Sunday's Telegraph (12/4) Deborah Adler wrote a letter that made my blood boil. I read about her disgust with the new drive to allow "Merry Christmas" to be a greeting from retailers. As if you could say anything were new about it.
She said the death-camp inmates were treated to taunts of Merry Christmas. I wonder why Santa Claus didn't make it to the Nuremberg Trials?
My father's friend was a POW in a prison camp in the wake of the Battle of the Bulge. I don't think he told his captors he wanted to leave because he wasn't a Jew. And did the troops liberating Buchenwald go into town and have a Coca Cola when they found out that Jews were a heavy demographic being held?
Believe me you're getting the travel-sized trial version of what is going to face Ms. Adler when I fire off a letter to the editor.
KAT
Dear Kat,
I sent a letter already today! Charles Richardson confimed that he got it. I am hoping that it is in tomorrow's paper. This is getting way out of hand in this country. Do you know that I read that in Syria there are 10% of the population that is Christian, and of course Syria is a complete secular Country. According to this story online, the Christians have all celebration times for their faith as a federal holiday. No one bothers them with their worship services, and it seems to be working fine.
Tonight on CNN, they showed the first commercial Christmas card that was produced in around 1844, and it said Merry Christmas and Happy New Years. Look at all of the Curriers and Ives Christmas prints that were produced. I am sure the paper will get many letters over that letter from Ms. Adler.
On the O'reilly Factor Friday night, a guy named Jackie Mason who Bill introduced as a Jew said that the people that want to remove Christmas from the holiday of Christmas time are some sick people. Jackie went on to say the ACLU is some sick people as is Georgia Soros.
I signed an online petition yesterday for the boycot of Target, and they had already 500,000 signatures. Thanks for reading the blog, and Merry Christmas. I have checked your blog but I am sure you are busy with school. Take care.
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