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Foundations

  1. 1 Sola Scriptura vs. Scripture & Tradition
  2. 2 Sola Fide vs. Faith & Works (Justification)
  3. 3 Mary & the Saints
  4. 4 The Eucharist (Real Presence & the Mass)
  5. 5 Papal Authority & Apostolic Succession
  6. 6 Purgatory & Indulgences
  7. 7 Church of Christ-Specific Issues
  8. 8 Calvinist-Specific Issues (TULIP vs. Grace & Free Will)
  9. 14 The Canon of Scripture (Why Catholic Bibles Have 73 Books)
  10. 22 What “Justified” Means (and Paul vs. James)

Sacraments

  1. 9 Confession & Reconciliation
  2. 15 Baptism (and Why Catholics Baptize Infants)
  3. 19 Holy Orders & Priestly Celibacy
  4. 20 Confirmation (Is It an Extra Ceremony?)

Pastoral

  1. 10 Salvation Outside the Church

Practice

  1. 11 Images & Repetition (Statues & the Rosary)

Marian Dogmas

  1. 12 Immaculate Conception & Assumption
  2. 18 Mary’s Perpetual Virginity (and “the Brothers of Jesus”)

Capstone

  1. 13 The Nicene Creed, Line by Line

Church History

  1. 16 The “Great Apostasy” Claim (Did the Church Fall Away?)
  2. 17 The Abuse Scandal (Can This Be Christ’s Church?)
  3. 21 The Church Fathers (Who They Were and How to Cite Them)

Showing reference sheets.

Reference · Teaching 15

Baptism — Cheat Sheet

Positions at a glance

PositionClaim
Church of ChristImmersion after a personal confession of faith is part of salvation; infant baptism is invalid.
Baptist / Bible-churchBeliever's baptism is a public symbol of salvation already received.
Reformed (Presbyterian)Baptism is the covenant sign, so infants of believers are baptized, but it does not itself save.
CatholicA sacrament that forgives sin and gives new birth; given to believing adults and to infants.

Key verses

VerseUsed for
Acts 2:38Shared: repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.
John 3:5Catholic: born of water and the Spirit.
1 Peter 3:21Shared with Church of Christ: "baptism now saves you."
Mark 16:16Protestant: belief comes before baptism.
Acts 16:15, 16:33; 1 Cor 1:16Catholic: household baptisms, which suggest but don't prove infants.
Colossians 2:11-12Catholic: baptism as the new circumcision.
Acts 2:39Catholic: "the promise is for you and for your children."

Types

TypeFulfilmentNamed bySource
CircumcisionBaptismNT-attestedCol 2:11-12
AdamChrist, the second AdamNT-attestedRom 5:14; 1 Cor 15:45
The Flood and Noah's arkBaptismNT-attested1 Pet 3:20-21

The one-line argument to remember

Start where you agree. Baptism truly forgives sin and saves. Then the real question is only whether children of believers may receive it, as they received circumcision.

Nuance to hold onto