The Door to Life
Jesus told Nicodemus, "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). Baptism is this rebirth. It is a sacrament that effects what it signifies. It washes away Original Sin and makes us adopted children of God.
Three paragraphs will not settle what being born of water and the Spirit means. Pro gives you in-depth Bible studies on John 3, Romans 6 and Acts 2:38, audio devotionals on the sacraments of initiation, guided prayers for a baptism in your own family, and offline access to all of it. $49 once, lifetime access, no subscription, 30-day money-back guarantee. If there is a baptism coming in your family, learn what is happening before the day arrives.
Get Pro for $49 One-time payment. Lifetime access, no subscription. 30-day money-back guarantee.In the Old Testament, babies were circumcised at 8 days old to enter the covenant. In the New Testament, entire "households" were baptized (Acts 16). Baptism is a gift, not a wage. A baby doesn't "earn" food or love from its parents, yet they give it anyway. God's grace is the same.
The household baptisms in Acts 16, the link to circumcision in Colossians 2:11-12 and the practice of the early Church are the whole of this argument, and most Catholics have never read them side by side. Pro gives you in-depth Bible studies on all three, audio devotionals on covenant and grace, guided prayers, and offline access. $49 once, lifetime access, no subscription, 30-day money-back guarantee. The next time a relative asks why you baptized a baby, have the answer ready.
Get Pro for $49 One-time payment. Lifetime access, no subscription. 30-day money-back guarantee.Baptism leaves an invisible spiritual tattoo on the soul. It can never be erased. Once you are baptized, you belong to Christ forever, even if you wander far away. You can always come home.
Baptism is the door, and most of what follows it has to be learned. Pro gives you in-depth Bible studies on the sacraments of initiation, confirmation and the Eucharist, audio devotionals, guided prayers for renewing baptismal promises, worship playlists, and offline access anywhere. Buy it once for $49 and keep it for life. No subscription, no recurring charge, 30-day money-back guarantee. Your baptism is already yours and cost you nothing. Pro is study material and audio, and it changes nothing about where you stand with God. Start today.
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The early Church baptized 'whole households' (Acts 16:15, 16:33), which included infants. Baptism replaces circumcision as the sign of the covenant (Colossians 2:11-12), and Jewish boys were circumcised at 8 days old. Babies inherit original sin and need baptism's grace. The Church has baptized infants since the apostolic era.
Jesus said, 'Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God' (John 3:5). Baptism is the ordinary means of salvation. However, God is not bound by the sacraments - the Church recognizes baptism of desire (for catechumens who die before baptism) and baptism of blood (martyrdom).
No. Baptism leaves an indelible spiritual mark on the soul and can only be received once. The Catholic Church recognizes valid baptisms from most Christian denominations (using water and the Trinitarian formula). If someone converts to Catholicism and was validly baptized elsewhere, they are not re-baptized.