Opinion
By Val Obienyem
TODAY is the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. This solemn occasion invites reflection on a question that crossed my mind and which I now pose: Is John’s baptism Christian baptism?
The celebration of feasts such as today’s not only underscores the Church’s deep spiritual heritage but also reaffirms the beauty of orthodoxy. Through the wisdom of its liturgical calendar, the Church harmonises its life with the Bible. Last Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, and today, the Baptism of Our Lord. This rhythm is no coincidence; it is a profound testament to how the Catholic Church has ensured the life and ministry of Christ remain an ever-living reality within the Church’s life and teachings.
As is often the case, dissenting voices are quick to challenge the Catholic Church’s leadership in the Christian world. Figures like Damina, who spread heretical claims, will prance forward to declare that baptism is either unnecessary or unbiblical. Others, echoing the views of the Anabaptists, argue that infant baptism is invalid and insist on re-baptising those baptised as infants. These arguments fail to grasp the richness and theological depth of the Church’s understanding of baptism, which is firmly rooted in Scripture and tradition.
I have always reminded those who attack Rome for bringing Christianity to Africa that Rome was also the place where Christianity faced its greatest challenges. While reflecting on baptism, it is worth remembering that under Emperor Septimius Severus, baptism was deemed a crime in Rome. This was the environment in which St. Perpetua and her companions were martyred for their faith and for choosing to receive baptism despite the consequences.
Consider the methods of baptism, for instance. The Catholic Church, guided by apostolic practices, recognises three valid forms of baptism: immersion, sprinkling, and affusion (pouring). Some argue, with little scriptural backing, that Christ was baptised by immersion, as if to suggest one method holds superiority over the others. However, the Bible is silent on the precise manner of Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan – we were not told the method John used at the banks is Jordan. What is important is the spiritual reality it symbolises – the inauguration of His public ministry and the manifestation of the Trinity.
Another critical aspect of baptism lies in the formula used. The Church teaches that baptism, even when administered by heretics, is valid provided it is done in the Trinitarian formula—“in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). This is why the Catholic Church accepts baptisms performed by Anglicans while rejecting those of certain Pentecostal groups that deviate from this essential formula.
I recall a striking case involving a priest whom it was discovered that his baptism had been performed with an invalid formula. As a result, all his subsequent sacraments automatically became null and void, including his priesthood.
He had to start afresh, receiving a valid baptism and being reordained. This incident illustrates the profound significance of baptism – not merely as a ritual, but as the foundational sacrament that cleanses us from sin, makes us Christians, and opens the door to the other sacraments. This is part of what our priests study under Sacramental Theology and tomorrow, gutter heresiarch like Damina would start questioning or crossing swords with them.
The question of the appropriate age for baptism is another area of contention. Most Orthodox Churches baptise at all ages, affirming that baptism is a gift of God’s grace, not contingent upon the individual’s age or reason. We are baptised into the faith of the Church, which nurtures us in that faith. Moreover, Scripture offers evidence that entire households, which logically included children and infants, were baptised during the apostolic age (Acts 16:33; 1 Corinthians 1:16). To reject infant baptism is to reject the fullness of what baptism signifies – a sacrament of grace, not merely a personal declaration of faith.
As we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord, it is a timely reminder of the Catholic Church’s unique ability to embrace the totality of Christian life in its theology, sacraments, and liturgy. While other denominations may borrow from her traditions, reject certain practices, or timidly criticise others, the Catholic Church remains the guardian and repository of the fullness of Christian faith and truth. She is, indeed, the living witness to Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, offering a continuity that no other tradition can rival. Take it or leave it, but the Catholic Church is the bedrock of Christianity.
12th January, 2025.C.E
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