Review for Believers Baptism by Thomas R Schriner

Believer'south Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ . Edited by Thomas R. Schreiner and Shawn D. Wright. NAC Studies in Bible & Theology. Nashville, Tenn: B & H Bookish, 2006. 364 pages, Hardcover. $nineteen.99.

(Review copies courtesy of B&H Publishing)

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Notation: This is volume 2 in the NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY STUDIES IN BIBLE AND THEOLOGY.

Special Features: Frontward by Timothy George; Author Index; Subject Index; Scripture Alphabetize

Sample Chapter: PDF

ISBN: 0805432493 / 9780805432497

DCN: 243.161 B431 LCCN: BV803 .B34 2006

Subjects: Baptist Doctrine, Baptism, Biblical Theology

Believer's Baptism, edited by Schreiner and Wright, covers a multitude of theological and historical aspects all centered on the rite of Christian baptism. The goal of their presentation is to show that baptism is only for those who have professed faith in Christ and that the practice of infant- or paedo- baptism compromises the gospel itself. The volume is well-researched, and the importance and preservation of this sacred Christian rite are found within this study.

Schreiner and Wright organize their presentation in 10 singled-out chapters, each focusing on a unlike historical practice. Each chapter is written by a different author, focusing kickoff on baptism proper so often expanding the give-and-take into the fashion and method. Each writer concludes his section past summarizing his findings and explaining the necessity of holding to a baptismal view that is strictly for those who have professed faith in Christ.

The organization greatly lends itself to both a strength and a weakness. As mentioned above, the primary focus of the book pertains to a historical look at baptism. The start 3 chapters motility from baptism in the Gospels to Acts and then into the Epistles. These chapters nowadays baptism every bit shown in the New Testament. Following this, the authors trace how baptism was historically initiated, moving from the Patristic Fathers into the present age. For anyone looking for a historical presentation on the manner and method of baptism, this book is an essential reference. Still there is a limit as to what tin can be gathered from extrabiblical historical resources. Since the aim of the study is to refute the practice of infant baptism, boosted aspects of baptism are only glossed over.

An additional forcefulness of this written report pertains to the presentation of historical movements. While on a biblical level in that location is a limit to claiming a motion's position as right, understanding why a movement held a specific view is often invaluable in understanding certain doctrines and their evolution. The 6th chapter by Johathan H. Rainbow is such an instance of presenting a perception of where we are and how we got at that place. He explains the lives of Zwingli and Hubmaier and how their respective thinking on baptism led to the reemergence of believer's baptism. In summarizing his thoughts, Rainbow comments, "It is not the insistence that baptismal recipients be believers that distinguishes baptist theology, but the definition of a 'laic' as a person who confesses Christ freely and intelligently with his or her own mouth. Given the history of the doctrine, the best descriptive term for the position of both Anabaptists and Baptists is not 'laic baptism' but 'confessor baptism'" (p. 204).

The simply major deficiency in this study is Stein's presentation on Lukean Baptism. He seems to nowadays a view on the significance of baptism reverse to the other authors. He first notes that "repentance, faith, and baptism are all portrayed in Acts equally resulting in the reception of the Holy Spirit" (p. 41). Later, he comments, "At times, all the same, baptism is mentioned and the gift of the Spirit is not … Nevertheless Luke expects his readers to presume in these abbreviated accounts that those baptized had received the Spirit" (p. 46). While Stein never states that baptism is a requirement for conservancy, simply for reception of the Holy Spirit, he completely misses the symbolic or identificatory attribute of baptism. In my opinion, this error leads him downwardly the road to reformation theology.

Overall, this study on baptism is worthwhile to anyone wanting to understand that sacred Christian rite. Though the presentation and organisation are geared more than toward the theology educatee than the average layman, I personally would recommend this book to pastors. Often believers don't sympathise why specific rites are performed and why certain beliefs are held to. It is the pastor's prerogative to properly pastor his sheep. In club to aid assistance him in answering questions surrounding baptism, I strongly recommend Believer'south Baptism.

On a more than personal level, I gained the well-nigh benefit from the historical presentations. Prior to reading Believer's Baptism, my cognition of the argue surrounding this rite was limited to my Church History course, which only briefly touched on the field of study. While the presentation was clearly organized against paedobaptism, the study left me wondering how sure organizations are still able to pull the proverbial wool over their members' eyes into assertive either protection of conservancy comes from this rite of personal identification.

^{Stewart MacLean Jr. teaches Music K-viii at the Promise of Detroit University (Detroit, MI) and provides woodwind instrument classes for Detroit intercity youth through the Southeastern Michigan Arts Forum. Stewart is a Fellow member of Lakes Baptist Church (Walled Lake, MI) and holds a B.A. in Music Education from Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Northland Baptist Bible College (Dunbar, WI). Stewart is currently pursing a Primary of Divinity from Organized religion Baptist Theological Seminary (Ankeny, IA). Visit his web log.}

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