Glenn+,

Thank you for posting this. I think that it is a very nicely done project that will be a helpful starting point in putting together various materials and lessons on baptism!

Sincerely,

Dominic Taranto+
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: GMSpencer@...<mailto:GMSpencer@...> 
  To: faithandlife@...<mailto:faithandlife@...> 
  Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 7:35 PM
  Subject: [FaithandLife] the meaning of the new birth


  Dear Fr. Mike:

  I have gone through the Baptismal service of the 1928 BCP and isolated 33 
  statements that refer in some sense to the effect and benefit of Holy Baptism. I 
  have grouped the statements into eight general categories and color coded 
  them. If you don't pick up the color I have assigned a number to the category. 
  There are two numbers at the end of each citation. The first number is the number 
  assigned to the category and the second number is the order of appearance in 
  the BCP of that categorical statement. For example the eleventh citation has 
  the numbers 1 (category) and 1 (order of appearance in the BCP). 

  1. "that which by nature he cannot have"   3   (1)
  2. "baptized with Water and the Holy Ghost"   7   (1)
  3. "received into Christ's holy Church"    4 (1)
  4. "be made a living member of the same" 4 (2) 
  5. "remission of sin" 274   8 (1)
  6. "spiritual regeneration"    3   (2)
  7. "the everlasting benediction of they heavenly washing"    2 (1)
  8. "Give thy Holy Spirit to this Child" 7 (2)
  9. "That he may be born again" 3    (3)
  10. "made an heir of everlasting salvation" 5   (1)
  11. "die to sin and rise to newness of life" 278   1 (1)
  12. "sinful affections may die in him" 1 (2)
  13. "all things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in him" 2 (2)
  14. "power and strength to...triumph, against the devil, the world, and the 
  flesh." 1 (3)
  15. "dedicated to thee" 2 (3)
  16. "endued with heavenly virtues" 2 (4)
  17. "everlastingly rewarded" 6 (1)
  18.   "mystical washing away of sin" 8 (4)
  19. "receive the fulness of grace" 2   (5)
  20. "ever remain in the number of they faithful children"   5 (2)
  21. "We receive this Child into the Congregation of Christ's flock" 4 (3)
  22. "sign him with the sign of the Cross" (a soldier of Christ) 1   (4)
  23. "this Child is regenerate"   3   (4)
  24. "grafted into the body of Christ's Church"   4 (4)
  25. "this beginning" 3 (5) 
  26. "that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Child with thy Holy Spirit" 
  3   (6) 
  27. "to receive him for thine own Child"   5 (3)
  28. "to incorporate him into they holy Church" 4 (5)
  29. "being dead to sin" 1 (5)
  30. "live unto righteousness"   2 (6)
  31. "buried with Christ in his death" 281   1 (6)
  32. "may be partaker of his resurrection" 6 (2)
  33. "he may be an inheritor of thine everlasting kingdom" 6 (3)

  Eight Categories of Meaning

  1. There are six statements that refer to breaking sin's hold on the baptized 
  person. Yellow
  2. There are six statements that refer to the positive righteousness in the 
  baptized. Turquoise
  3. There are six statements that refer to spiritual regeneration or the New 
  Birth. Duke Blue
  4. There are five statements that refer to the reception of the baptized into 
  the Church of God. Red
  5. There are three statements that refer to the baptized as being made a 
  Child of God. Peach
  6. There are three eschatological references vis-à-vis the baptized child. 
  Periwinkle
  7. There are two (three counting #26) statements that refer to the reception 
  of the Holy Spirit. Lime    8. There are two statements that refer to 
  remission or forgiveness of sin. Green

  Conclusion: Baptism is the New Birth by which is meant Adoption as Sons of 
  God, the reordering, through the supernatural action of the Holy Spirit upon the 
  soul of the baptized by which the faculties of the soul that were wounded in 
  the Fall are enlivened, renewed, and reoriented toward God, such that, we may 
  be forgiven our sins, but further that sin's hold upon the soul is broken and 
  we are free not only to resist sin, but positively, truly to grow into the 
  image and likeness of God not merely through imputation, but now, by the grace of 
  God, by real participation in the life of God. The true home of the baptized 
  is the Church of God who administered the life-giving sacrament by Christ's 
  commandment and this Church abides in three states, Militant, Expectant, 
  Triumphant, in whose fellowship we pray by God's grace to continue to our life's end. 


  This could use some refinement. 
  Glenn+

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