INTRODUCTION
This is the fourth in a series of five post evaluating the statements on baptism in the Heidelberg Catechism (HC) and probing the logic and coherence of those statements and their scriptural support as cited in the HC reference notes. Some statements appear inconsistent with other statements in the HC, or they cite scriptures out of context, or they lack scriptural support, or they appear problematic on other grounds. These posts do not address paedobaptist vs credobaptist arguments, but look only at the internal consistency and coherence of the arguments made in the HC. Questions as to what a sacrament is or how it functions are not addressed.
A slightly modified version of all five posts combined into one paper is available at the following link: The (In)Coherence of the Heidelberg Catechism on Baptism_bv
The teaching on baptism in the HC are contained in Question and Answer 69 through 74, in Lord’s Days 26 and 27. Each post in this series will cover one or more Question and Answer (Q&A) sets. The text of the HC Question and Answer is quoted and discussed, and the HC’s scripture citations are also quoted, using the NASB. Citations are expanded at times to provide context. The text of the HC quoted here are taken from the current Canadian Reformed Church online version.
The critiques on this blog of statements and claims in the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism are NOT directed primarily at the original authors of those documents. I believe that the original authors did their best to summarize the main Christian doctrines, based on their concerns and priorities, the extent of their knowledge, and the theological assumptions and paradigms of their time and place. What I am critiquing is the apparent failure of today’s Reformed community to review, update, revise and reform these documents to reflect the current state of knowledge in the various fields of Biblical studies (see also the ABOUT ASKING QUESTIONS page).
Question and Answer 72
72. Question. Does this outward washing with water itself wash away sins?
Answer. No, only the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sin.
Excellent! Short and to the point scriptural question and answer. But then how can the HC let stand the immediately preceding Answer 71 which states that “….Scripture calls baptism the washing of rebirth and the washing away of sins? It appears that the HC attempts to address the contradiction between Answer 71 and 72 in the following Question and Answer 73.
Question and Answer 73
73. Question. Why then does the Holy Spirit call baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins?
Answer. God speaks in this way for a good reason. He wants to teach us that the blood and Spirit of Christ remove our sins just as water takes away dirt from the body.1 But, even more important, he wants to assure us by this divine pledge and sign that we are as truly cleansed from our sins spiritually as we are bodily washed with water.2
1 1 Cor 6:11; Rev 1:5; 7:14. 2 Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom 6:3-4; Gal 3:27.
Question and Answer 73 do not actually resolve the contradiction between Answer 71 and 72, it simply restates and even reinforces the unscriptural content of Answer 71. Do Titus and Acts really teach baptismal regeneration as claimed in Answer 71? HC Question 73 says that the Holy Spirit say so, and Answer 73 says that God so speaks and teaches, but no further scriptures are cited in support. Answer 73 basically repeats what has already been stated in Answer 69.
Scripture Citations
The scriptures cited in Answer 73 Notes 1 and 2 have all been previously cited, with the sole addition of Galatians 3:27.
Galatians 3:27: “ For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
There is no support in Galatians 3:27 for the HC’s claims in Answer 73. The Galatians citation speaks of the believer being identified with Christ, an aspect of the Christian life that the HC in this series of Questions and Answers does not discuss.
The critique in the last paragraph of the discussion on Answer 69 (see Part 1) is applicable to Answer 73 as well. One might further wonder that if God was so concerned that the external observable rite of baptism provide assurance of the inner spiritual reality of the washing away of sins by Jesus’ blood, then the baptismal practice of sprinkling as practiced in most if not all Reformed communities seems less suitable than immersion as practiced by most Baptist communities.
One also wants to know what the difference is between the first main sentence in Answer 73: “He wants to teach us that the blood and Spirit of Christ remove our sins just as water takes away dirt from the body”, and the second main sentence: “But, even more important, he wants to assure us by this divine pledge and sign that we are as truly cleansed from our sins spiritually as we are bodily washed with water”. Perhaps the restatement provides the HC an opportunity to claim that baptism is not only a ‘sign” but also God’s ‘pledge”. The latter is devoid of scriptural support.
It is noteworthy that every Question/Answer from Q/A 69 through Q/A 73 uses some combination of the words “Spirit” and “wash/clean/remove sins” as summarized below:
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- A. 69: “…his blood and Spirit wash away….my sins”
- A. 70: “To be washed with Christ’s blood means to receive forgiveness of sins…To be washed with his Spirit means to be renewed by the Holy Spirit…”
- Q. 71: “…he will wash us with his blood and Spirit…”
- A. 72: “…only the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins.”
- A. 73: “…the blood and Spirit of Christ remove our sins…”
Four out of five of the above state that cleansing from sin requires washing with Jesus’ blood and washing with Jesus’ Spirit (= the Holy Spirit). The teaching seems to be that both the blood and the Spirit are required in combination. However Answer 70 (correctly) states that forgiveness is achieved by Jesus’ blood alone. This is contradictory and confusing. Not one of the texts cited in support of these HC statements mentions a “washing with the Spirit” let alone that “Spirit washing” removes sins; why then is that phraseology used in the HC? If the HC cannot cite a single text that supports this wording, presumably no such text exists.
As noted previously in the discussion under Answer 69, the scriptural pattern is that the Holy Spirit is given or poured out only upon those who have already been cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The purpose of the gift of the Spirit is not to cleanse from sin, but to empower believers to be faithful witnesses to the truth of the gospel, to live righteously and to keep God’s commandments. Thus in Acts 1:4-5,8 the risen Messiah ” …commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.….. 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses…..”
It is remarkable that the HC does not mention the outpouring of or baptism in the Holy Spirit, either in these two Lord’s Days on baptism or anywhere else. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a major teaching of the NT and is one of the primary characteristics of the NT Church which distinguishes it from the OT people of God. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is mentioned in many of the scriptures cited by the HC in this series of Questions and Answers. Why in spite of its scriptural emphasis, does the HC have nothing to say about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and instead propound a doctrine about the washing away of sins by the Spirit which has little if any Scriptural basis?