from 'ethiopianorthodox.org
The Mystery of Baptism
“He who believes and is
baptized will be saved; but
he who does not believe will
be condemned.” (Mk. 16:6).
Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water
and the spirit he can not
enter the kingdom of
God.” (John 3:5).
In accordance with such
writings of the Holy
Scriptures, the Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahido Church
baptizes male infants at the
age of 40 days and female
infants at the age of 80
days, (Lev. 12:2-7). Yet if an
infant is sick, so that the
infant may not die before
being baptized and be
subjected to the
unchangeable order of the
Lord Jesus Christ, “unless
one is born of water and the
spirit he can not enter the
kingdom of God”, the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido
Church baptizes infants just
as they come even prior to
the above fixed baptismal
dates. In addition, if an adult
believes and requests
baptism, the Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahido Church
willingly complies and
baptizes him or her.
Few words from the
Holy Scriptures that
testify Baptism
“Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt.
28:19). And Peter said to
them, “Repent, and be
baptized everyone of you in
the name of the Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of your
sins; and you shall receive
the gift of the Holy
Spirit” (Acts. 2:38). “And he
commanded them to be
baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ” (Acts. 10:48).
“Do you not know that all of
us who have been baptized
into His death “ (Rome 6:3).
“For by one Spirit we were
all baptized into one body –
Jews or Greeks, slaves or
free- and all were made to
drink of one spirit” (1 Cor.
12:13). “Baptism, which
corresponds to this, now
saves us (you), not as a
removal of dirt from the body
but as an appeal to God for a
clear conscience…” (1 Pet.
3:12). Such words testify to
the usefulness of our
Baptism. (2)
|
|