The Pope visited Ireland this weekend and everyone has been talking about the abuse scandal etc. While I join my voice with those calling for more to be done, this is not the only issue I have with this man.
During his visit he talked about baptism and its importance. Here's a quote from a similar talk the pope gave back in April (source)
“Why baptize a child who does not understand?” the pope asked “When we baptize a child, the Holy Spirit enters that child, and the Holy Spirit makes... the Christian virtues grow in that child, who will then flourish.”
His statement on Saturday in Dublin was very similar.
One thing about being 'reformed' is that I believe the Bible has higher authority than any other religious teacher. Everyone, including the most learned theologians must bow before Scripture and if they teach anything contrary to it they are in the wrong. So what does the Bible say?
Receiving the Holy Spirit is a salvation issue.
"...anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him." Romans 8:9
We receive the Spirit by faith in the Word of God, not works or acts.
"Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?" Galatians 3:2
Pentecost gives a great example of how we see baptisms place alongside the preaching of God's word.
Peter preaches and in Acts 2:41 it states
"So those who received his word were baptized..."
Peter had preached a clear explanation that Christ had been crucified, raised back to life and was now exalted as Lord and about 3,000 were added to the Church that day. Receiving the word means that we hear and believe the Gospel. We trust that Christ's work was enough for our salvation. It is at this point of belief that we receive the Holy Spirit. If we believe, we have received the Holy Spirit and if we have received the Holy Spirit, we have believed.
The Spirit of Christ leads us into obedience and we openly and publicly express our salvation and faith in Jesus through baptism. The Spirit transforms our lives and we begin to live more and more obediently to the Word of God, and less and less in sin. Baptism is an expression of faith and a public declaration that we have been filled by the Spirit of Christ, not a means to receive salvation or the Spirit.
Summary
We receive the Spirit through faith in the word of God (Galatians 3:2) not by works such as baptism. But baptism is an expression of our salvation (Acts 2:41). If we have not received the Spirit we are not saved (Romans 8:9). And so by pointing people to receive the Spirit by baptism the pope is pointing to an unBiblical means of salvation and offering false hope that baptising infants secures them with the Spirit. I guess that leads to a whole different argument "should infants be baptised?" I see no Scripture pointing to it and anyone i've talked to have given vague answers with stretched thoughts about texts. baptism is for believers and not for making believers.
