Where does the teaching come from? Is it Scriptural?
Here are some Scriptural references given to support baptism of desire:
Luke 7:47 “Many sins are forgiven her because she hath loved much.”
John 14:21: “He that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father; and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him.”
Luke 23:43: “This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.”
The following is a quote from “Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma” and shows the belief was present in the early Church:
Quote:
The chief witnesses from Tradition are St. Ambrose and St. Augustine. In the funeral oration on the Emperor Valentine II, who died without Baptism, St. Ambrose says: “Should he not acquire the grace for which he longed? Certainly: As he desired it, he has attained it… His pious desire has absolved him”. … St. Augustine declared: “I find that not only suffering for the sake of Christ can replace that which is lacking in Baptism, but also faith and conversion of the heart, if perhaps the shortness of the time does not permit the celebration of the mystery of Baptism.”
End quote.
Does it deny John saying no one comes to the Father but through Jesus?
No. No one enters heaven accept through Jesus. Without His atoning death, heaven would be closed to all humans. It is only because of Him that anyone can enter heaven - through His merits, through having His supernatural life of grace in our souls.
Does it allow for for someone who has never even heard the Good News preached to still possibly get to heaven?
Yes, it does. A person who truly seeks to please God according to the knowledge they have been given, who desires to love and know God is desiring Jesus even tho he doesn’t realize it - for Jesus is God.
Does it explain, is it menat to explain, how OT prophets can be in heaven even though they are not part of the New Covenant?
It isn’t meant to explain how OT persons can be in heaven.
St. Peter tells us Jesus went and preached to the dead after His resurrection.
1 Peter 3:18-20 …in which He went and preached to the spirits in prison who formerly did not obey when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah…
1 Peter 4:6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead…
It is generally held that they then had an opportunity to accept or reject. One might assume that those who loved God and sought to do His will would be the ones who accepted Jesus.
It may be that something similar happens with baptism of desire. Perhaps Jesus comes in the final moments and the “good” non-Christian has a similar opportunity to accept Jesus. I’m just speculating here!!
Nita
