Baptism of the Holy Ghost and Confirmation

[Anima_Christi]

Is the “baptism of the Holy Ghost” in the New Testament the same thing as the sacrament of confirmation? It seems to make sense, as people receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands of the apostles, just as we receive Confirmation by the laying on of hands by the bishop or priest today.
If the baptism of the Holy Ghost is the same as Confirmation, how did Cornelius and his family receive it before baptism in Acts ch. 10?
And if the baptism of the Holy Ghost is not Confirmation, what is it and where is Confirmation in the Bible?

 

[otm]

Anima Christi:

Is the “baptism of the Holy Ghost” in the New Testament the same thing as the sacrament of confirmation? It seems to make sense, as people receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands of the apostles, just as we receive Confirmation by the laying on of hands by the bishop or priest today.
If the baptism of the Holy Ghost is the same as Confirmation, how did Cornelius and his family receive it before baptism in Acts ch. 10?
And if the baptism of the Holy Ghost is not Confirmation, what is it and where is Confirmation in the Bible?

Confirmation is the completion of the Rites of Initiation into the Church; it is the anointing. It has been a while since I reviewed the theological explanations of Confirmation, but there are five fairly distinct, but not contradictory theological explanations of the Sacrament.

Given that the anointing of the Holy Spirit occured at least in one reported circumstance before Baptism to a group in Acts (and it would appear, before a physical anointing), I would hesitate to make a complete identification between Confirmation and the anointing of the Spirit. That does not, however, mean that Confirmation is not an anointing of the Spirit. Keep in mind, too, that one is anointed with the Holy Spirit, too, in Baptism.

 

[sententia]

Holy Ghost is during baptism- of “water and the spirit”- I batize X int he name of the father and the son and the holy Spirit

 

[LSK]

In New Testament times the sending of the Holy spirit was usually associated with baptism. But there are some places in the New Testament where there is a special ‘sending’ of the Holy Spirit after baptism. Chapter 8 of Acts of the Apostles tells how the people of Samaria were evangelized and baptized by Philip, and when the news reached Jerusalem, the apostles "sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them: They had only been baptized…Then they laid hand on them and they received the Holy Spirit: (8:14-17: see Acts 19. Refer also to the Catechism #1285 through 1321). This is one of the passages in the New Testament relied upon by the Holy Mother Church to discern the Sacrament of Confirmation.

 

[DianJo]

To add: Also look at Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore ler us leave the elementary teachings of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the deadn and the eternaljudgement.”

To quote CA Library: Notice how in this passage we are walked through the successive stages of the Christian journey - repentance, faith, baptism, confirmation, resurrection and judgement. This passage encapsulates the Christian’s journey toward heaven and gives what theologians call the order of salvation or the ordo salutis. It well qulifies as the “elementary teachings” of the Christian faith.

The laying on of hands mentioned in the passage must be confirmation: the other kinds of imposition of hands (for ordination and healing) are not done to each and every Christian and scarcely as part of the order of salvation.

The other verses that speak to Confirmation are Acts 8:14-17, 9:17, 19;6.

In the early church the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist were all given at the same time. The converts at the time were mostly adults. Once it was legal to be Christian, it became a metter of logisitcis as so many people wanted to become Christian, it was all the priests could do to Baptize and bishops were sometimes very far away. Therefore Confirmation became separated from Baptism, Reconciliation and Eucharist.
I believe the Eastern rites and Orthodox still give them all together.

 

[otm]

DianJo:

To add: Also look at Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore ler us leave the elementary teachings of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the deadn and the eternaljudgement.”

To quote CA Library: Notice how in this passage we are walked through the successive stages of the Christian journey - repentance, faith, baptism, confirmation, resurrection and judgement. This passage encapsulates the Christian’s journey toward heaven and gives what theologians call the order of salvation or the ordo salutis. It well qulifies as the “elementary teachings” of the Christian faith.

The laying on of hands mentioned in the passage must be confirmation: the other kinds of imposition of hands (for ordination and healing) are not done to each and every Christian and scarcely as part of the order of salvation.

The other verses that speak to Confirmation are Acts 8:14-17, 9:17, 19;6.

In the early church the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist were all given at the same time. The converts at the time were mostly adults. Once it was legal to be Christian, it became a metter of logisitcis as so many people wanted to become Christian, it was all the priests could do to Baptize and bishops were sometimes very far away. Therefore Confirmation became separated from Baptism, Reconciliation and Eucharist.
I believe the Eastern rites and Orthodox still give them all together.

And we give them all together to adults who have not been baptized and join the Church.