My copy is the third edition, revised by H.L. Carpenter, M.A., D.D. Bishop of Oxford, "New Impression" October 1963.

I like it, but what do I know?

Frank 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: charles scott<mailto:crscottblu@...> 
  To: faith life<mailto:faithandlife@...> 
  Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 12:10 PM
  Subject: [FaithandLife] BICKNELL ON BAPTISM



  BICKNELL ON BAPTISM

   

  Brothers+

   

  Am I wrong in my assumption that men in both the APA and the REC can find some stastements in Bicknell's commentary on the 39 Articles with which they agree?

   

  Most of us have many an old book of theology and a variety of prayer book commentaries.  Some paragraphs here and there are useful and may be adapted to our time..  In the sampling below, are there items on which we agree that can be made more understandable to a 20th century young pagan?

   

  I like more than I dislike Bicknell's article on Holy Baptism p. 369 of his "The Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England", originally put forth in 1919, my edition went to press in 1959.  The "however" is that this sort of work, though heavily based on Scripture, is not easily understood by today's readers.  Also, Bicknell spends a great deal of time and space in his book arguing against positions, fighting wars, the principals of which are not readily identifiable by today's young adults.

   

  Bicknell weighs in against Christian socialists on page 443 of his book. This is 

  understandable because of the "Revolting Russians" and other godless communists that were having their way in the world in his time and in much of the 20th century.  Little space is given to social problems that have come to the fore in our day such as the stability of the family, materialism, sexual morality and the ever decreasing space for God talk in the public square.  Those were not the big issues in 1919.

   

  Bicknell does, however, give a balance to the teaching on baptism which was hotly controverted in his day. Here are some quotes from his 13 pages of exposition.

   

  "From first to last the New Testament knows of no other means of entrance into the Church.  A Christian and a baptized person are synonymous terms." (p 369)

  "It is noticeable that the Didache both speaks of baptism 'into the name of the Lord' and also gives the Trinitarian formula showing that the two are not in any way inconsistent or mutually exclusive." P. 370 (Bicknell also shows that Eusebius uses both baptismal formulas.)

  "What meaning is given to Baptism in Scripture?  Primarily it signified the public acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord or Messiah and entrance into the New Israel. . . .Scripture makes it clear that baptism is not only a sign of profession but a means of grace." (p370-371)

  In reference to John 3, Bicknell writes, "Nicodemus stands in the same relation to the new Israel as a Gentile to the old Israel.  He must become a 'new creature'.  But whereas Jewish baptism and even John's baptism was only with water, the baptism that admits into the Kingdom of God is 'of water and Spirit' - the preposition not being repeated binds the two words into a single phrase.  This baptism not only symbolizes cleansing and new life, but bestows them. . . . Some have seen an allusion to Genesis 1:2.  The new man rises from the water of baptism at the creative touch of the Spirit of God, even as the world sprang to life as He moved on the faces of the waters at the first creation.  The root idea is perfectly clear.  At our first birth we receive the initial capacity for life in this present world:  at our new birth the initial capacity for life in the Kingdom of God and 'the age to come'.   The same thought underlies the whole of the New Testament teaching on Baptism" (Titus
   3:5, I Cor 12:13, Galatians 3:27).  P 371

  "By our new birth in baptism we become in Christ (I Cor 15:22).  Christ is the new Adam, the source of a new and regenerate humanity.  Henceforward the Christian is to live and do all things in Christ (Eph 1:3,2:6).  As members of Christ His life is within us (I Cor 6:15)" p.372

  "Henceforth the baptized is to reckon himself 'dead to sin but alive unto God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:10, Col 3:1-3).  In I Peter 3:20-21 stress is laid on present salvation begun here and now through baptism. The Church is the ark in which safety may be found.."  p. 372

  "This baptism not only symbolizes new birth but conveys it, since by it we are members of Christ.  Again by baptism 'as by an instrument, they that receive baptism rightly are grafted into the Church.'  This simply expresses the same truth from another standpoint.  The Church is Christ's body.  The metaphor of grafting comes from Romans 11:17. . . The promises of the forgiveness of sin . . . by the Holy Ghost are visibly signed and sealed.  It is as being in Christ that we are forgiven."  P. 372

  "By ourselves we can not be all that God meant us to be.  . . .Only Jesus Christ has ever lived on earth a human life as a true Son of God, and by baptism He imparts to us the power of His own human sonship.  Only He can fully restore our capacity for filial love and obedience and take away the sin that has destroyed sonship.  So, too, it is as members of Christ that we share His election and are among 'the elect people of God' (Romans 16:13 and Ephesians 1:4) and are inheritors of His Kingdom. 'I was made a member of Christ, the child of God and inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven'.  Baptism, therefore like the Eucharist, has an eschatological reference; it is a pledge not only of the new life with and for God in this world, but also of our final inheritance of eternal life at 'the manifestation of the sons of God', when we shall receive our 'adoption, namely, the redemption of our bodies' (Romans 8:19,23)." P. 373

  "Again, much confusion has arisen because the word 'regeneration' has been used in different senses.  The Prayer-Book means by it simply incorporated in to Christ.  All baptized persons are 'regenerate' in this sense. . . .In this sense a baptized person who has made no effort to live up to his privileges is not 'regenerate'.  If we use Prayer-Book language we say that regeneration needs to be supplemented by conversion.  The actual renewal of the soul requires both the gift of the grace of God in baptism and also the personal surrender of the will to that grace.  A man should be both regenerate and converted.  Regeneration is the work of God: it is accomplished in a moment:  by it new powers are placed in our grasp.  Conversion is our work in conjunction with God:  it calls for effort and self surrender to the divine will.  Conversion may precede regeneration of follow it."  P 375

   "Whatever blessings God may bestow outside, by baptism we enter within the circle of God's covenanted mercies.  No conversion, however complete, can of itself guarantee full and abiding union with Christ.  The normal means of that union, where it can be had is baptism, followed by a life lived in the fellowship of the Church." P. 375

   

  Am I wrong in thinking that we find common ground in this exposition; more with which we can agree than disagree?

   

  I think there is much good in Bicknell, as well as other of the commentaries from another day.  It is ok for clergy and advanced students, but who in the 20-50 age group will take the time to read or listen to extended arguments replete with historical references to problems with which we are not dealing today?

   

  Last year, when I moved to the Indianapolis area, some really fine Christians at Good Shepherd, all of them with college educations and also "cradle Episcopalians" asked that I teach the members of this small mission the basics of Anglicanism.  This small, 20+ year old mission had existed for 20 years with no resident or regular clergy.

  The request was specifically that we review the 39 articles, the sacraments, the creeds and the Prayer Book.  

   

  In that particular, peculiar, nearly unique class, it was possible to use chapters from the old prayer book commentaries, quotes from theological and historical tomes to illuminate the meaning of the articles and show how we face some of the same sort of issues today.

  These retired people had time to read and think and were accustomed to the language presented.  Some of these folks actually did reading in advance of the class and appeared to have some understanding of history as they entered the discussions.  These were advanced students compared with those we commonly meet in society.   That was the upside.  The down side was that even these could not maintain concentration for more than 10 weeks, we had to be very selective of what to cover and what to save for another year.  

   

  I doubt there will be many times I can re-use the materials gathered for that effort.  How often do we have the opportunity to engage that sort of audience in discussion and learning?  That sort of introduction to Christ and our faith is not possible with most in our society

   

  We need to work together producing more teaching materials that will aid the youth of our time to understand the mystery of faith.

   

   

  Charles+

   

   

   

   


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