I would say the NT text confirms that the newness of life in Christ is brought about through Baptism.
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21)
Here, Peter clearly links baptism to salvation. It is not just an appeal to God (as you say below, the “Spirit of intention”) by itself, but Baptism, which
is that appeal to God.
When in John’s Gospel Jesus says you must be “born again of water and spirit,” note that the witness of the early church was demonstrably clear and universal that this passage was referring to water baptism. They didn’t just believe in baptismal regeneration; the early church fathers indicate that this verse is precisely referring to it – something some Christians today are eager to deny.
& the very passage you reference indicates that it is *through *Baptism that we participate in the saving work of Christ:
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)
It would be odd for Paul to speak of Baptism as actually uniting the Christian to Christ’s own death if it were only a declaration or symbol. Rather, it accomplishes something, so that we are able to “walk in the newness of life”.
I think baptism can be very powerful, but I don’t know if the power is in the water or in the spirit of one willing to accept it.
This power is not in the water but in Christ. The sacraments are not magic. Whenever someone administers a sacrament, it his Christ. It is Christ baptizing, it is Christ forgiving, it is Christ healing. Surely you believe that through prayer, God sometimes accomplishes a miracle. Something analogous could be said here: The power is not in the words of prayer, or even the person’s intention or holiness. It is in God, who has chosen to operate through the person. In the case of sacraments, God has promised to act every time.
This is the understanding of Christianity from very early times. In the early church after a round of persecutions, Christians debated whether a lapsed priest who returned to the church could in fact validly baptize and lead the Eucharist. It was affirmed that he could, because the power is through Christ in the Spirit – not in the man.
If we say baptized babies are saved, what about babies who die too soon or who die before they are even born? Would a just God treat 2 babies that die in the NICU differently because one had water baptism? No one answered me earlier, but thinking back I had many opportunities to baptize a Jewish or atheist hospice patient while they were delirious and hours from death.?
No baby goes to hell, if that is what you are wondering. The Catholic teaching is that no one goes to hell without freely separating herself from God. The issue is not hell; rather, is that baby meant to experience the growth of grace in union with his Heavenly Father, or not? Original Sin sounds scary, but it essentially means the
absence of grace or union with God that we were created for.
As for the Jewish or atheist patient – even if delirious and unable to make clear their wishes or intentions, it would otherwise seem to not want baptism, right? If they were atheist or Jewish up to that point, then we do not go against their wills. One must be freely baptized.
The fact is, there are oddities in whatever perspective we take. If some kind of faith is the ordinary means for salvation, without baptism, well then what about those who have never heard of Christ? What of the deaf and blind? What of an infant? Christ commanded the last supper (regardless of our understanding of it). But what about those with serious allergies or alcoholism? Etc.
And what about the criminal on the cross who expressed faith in who Jesus was and "Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43? He wasn’t baptized, so clearly one can be saved without baptism. I think it is different in his case and one who is newly learning in their faith and preparing for baptism, as opposed to those who may never get baptized because they just never bother and don’t put their Christian walk as a high priority. But, even in Catholicism, an unbaptized individual in RCIA classes who meets an untimely death is considered to have the potential to be saved by ‘baptism of desire.’ I have never used this term, but I agree that the spirit of intention as opposed to the actual water is where the saving grace is found.
The criminal on the cross also did not have a Bible, the full gospel teaching, etc. But Christ wants us to have those, and in a sense, these are ordinary ways Christ accomplishes our salvation. Baptism is the instrument he has established. It is an extension of the incarnation principle: God, pure spirit, chose to become man and relate to us. He healed through matter. He knows we are bodily creatures and so saves us in that way.
God desires all to be saved and will save anyone he can. No one who lives is without his help and grace.
It does not follow that just because someone can be saved without baptism, baptism is therefore not salvic. Someone can also be saved without explicit faith or knowledge of Christ. Or without the Bible. Or without having any familiarity with Christianity. Rather, Christ established baptism as the ordinary vehicle of his grace.
). The infant/child can then accept or reject the gospel at the age of accountability or any point thereafter, which is what Catholic teaching says as well.
