The Mystery of Baptism: Part 4

 

Baptism is the sacred mystery through which a person is born again of water and the Holy Spirit and becomes a member of Christ's Church. This article explains how baptism is rightly administered according to Holy Scripture and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. It also examines the significance of immersion, the Christian name, and the proper age for receiving this life-giving sacrament.

How is Baptism Administered?

If the person to be baptized is a sub-Christian (ንዑሰ ክርስቲያን—የእምነት ትምህርትን በመከታተል ላይ ያሉ ግን የሥላሴን ልጅነት ያላገኙ), he or she must first receive instruction in the basic teachings of the faith and confess that faith. In the case of children, those who become the child’s Christian mother or father (የክርስትና እናት ወይም አባት) make this confession on behalf of the child. During the baptismal rite, the person is immersed in water three times, symbolizing Christ’s death and resurrection, and is baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). When a married couple with children receives baptism, the entire family should first be instructed in the faith, confess that faith, and receive baptism together. Following baptism, the newly baptized must partake of the Holy Body and Precious Blood of Christ; otherwise, the baptism is not considered complete.

Only bishops and priests are authorized to administer baptism within the ranks of the priesthood, because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ entrusted this authority specifically to the eleven apostles (Matthew 28:19). Deacons are not permitted to perform baptism (Matthew 28:19; ፍትሐ ነገሥት, verse 3). Any “baptism” conducted outside the priesthood is considered merely a washing rather than true baptism; therefore, the person must receive the authentic baptism through which he or she receives the grace of sonship.

Moreover, baptism, which bestows divine sonship, is not performed by sprinkling (በመርጨት / በንዝሐት), except when running water (ፈሳሽ ውኃ) or a basin filled with water (ውኃ የሞላበት ገንዳ) cannot be obtained. Rather, it is administered through immersion (በመድፈቅ ወይም በመንከር). Any other practice, apart from this exception, diminishes its symbolism and proper order (ሥርዓት). By its very meaning, baptism, which grants divine sonship, signifies entering into the water and rising out of it. Therefore, it is administered through triple immersion in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). This is the form of baptism revealed in Holy Scripture and faithfully preserved in the life and practice of the Church.

In the Acts of the Apostles it is written: “ሰረገላውም ይቆም ዘንድ አዘዘ፥ ፊልጶስና ጃንደረባው ሁለቱም ወደ ውኃ ወረዱ፥ አጠመቀውም። ከውኃውም ከወጡ በኋላ የጌታ መንፈስ ፊልጶስን ነጠቀው፤ ጃንደረባውም ሁለተኛ አላየውም፥ ደስ ብሎት መንገዱን ይሄድ ነበርና።” (Acts 8:38–39). The expression “ከውኃውም ከወጡ በኋላ” clearly indicates that the eunuch had been baptized through immersion in water.

Similarly, Scripture teaches: “እንግዲህ ክርስቶስ በአብ ክብር ከሙታን ከተነሣ እንዲሁ እኛም በአዲስ ሕይወት እንድንመላለስ፥ ከሞቱ ጋር አንድ እንሆን ዘንድ በጥምቀት ከእርሱ ጋር ተቀበርን። ሞቱንም በሚመስል ሞት ከእርሱ ጋር ከተባበርን ትንሣኤውን በሚመስል ትንሣኤ ደግሞ ከእርሱ ጋር እንተባበራለን፤” (Romans 6:4–5; Colossians 2:12).

Here, “burial” (መቀበር) signifies entering into the grave (መቃብር), while “resurrection” (ትንሣኤ) signifies rising out of the grave. Therefore, the mystery of baptism, which unites the believer with Christ’s death and resurrection, is expressed through the act of going down into the water and rising from it again. This clearly reveals that sonship baptism is properly performed through full immersion (መንከር), preserving its biblical symbolism, spiritual meaning, and sacramental order.

In the verses, “እንደ ምሕረቱ መጠን ለአዲስ ልደት በሚሆነው መታጠብና በመንፈስ ቅዱስ በመታደስ አዳነን እንጂ፥ እኛ ስላደረግነው በጽድቅ ስለ ነበረው ሥራ አይደለም። (Titus 3:5)” and “አሁንስ ለምን ትዘገያለህ? ተነሣና ስሙን እየጠራህ ተጠመቅ ከኃጢአትህም ታጠብ። (Acts 22:16),” the term “washing” “ “መታጠብ” refers to the washing of the entire body through baptism, as reflected in the words spoken to Saul. This understanding is also confirmed in the four Gospels, which describe our Lord’s baptism as His entering into and coming out of the water: “ኢየሱስም ከተጠመቀ በኋላ ወዲያው ከውኃ ወጣ፤ እነሆም፥ ሰማያት ተከፈቱ የእግዚአብሔርም መንፈስ እንደ ርግብ ሲወርድ በእርሱ ላይም ሲመጣ አየ፤ (Matthew 3:16).” The expression “came up out of the water” clearly points to immersion as the proper form of baptism. Moreover, just as physical birth takes place from the womb, so too spiritual birth—being “born of water and the Spirit”—takes place through immersion in water. Therefore, baptism is rightly called “being born again” (John 3:3).

Christian Name (የክርስትና ስም)

A name distinguishes one person from another. Just as a child receives a name from his or her parents at physical birth, so also a Christian name is given at spiritual birth through water and the Holy Spirit in baptism. Thus, a person may have two names: the name given by his or her parents and the Christian name received at baptism.

One who believes in Christ is called a Christian, signifying that he or she belongs to Christ. Accordingly, a Christian name reflects both faith in Christ and baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity. It may also commemorate the day of baptism. Within the life of the Church, especially during spiritual services, this Christian name is used.

This practice has a clear biblical foundation. God renamed Abram as Abraham, Jacob as Israel, Simon as Peter, and Saul as Paul, signifying a new identity, mission, and calling.

Age Limit for Baptism

All who believed the apostles' message were baptized, regardless of age (Acts 16:15; 1 Corinthians 1:15). In later practice, however, parents assumed responsibility for raising their children in the faith, and infants were baptized: boys on the fortieth day and girls on the eightieth day after birth. This practice is rooted in the Old Testament, where the children of Israel were brought to the temple—males on the fortieth day and females on the eightieth day—to be presented and enrolled among God's covenant people as heirs of the Promised Land (የተስፋይቱ ምድር ወራሾች) (Leviticus 12:1–10). Likewise, according to the Book of Jubilee (ኩፋሌ) 4፡9, Adam entered the Garden of Eden on the fortieth day of his creation and Eve on the eightieth day. In the same way, children are baptized on these days and received into the Church, the earthly image of the heavenly Jerusalem.

In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, parents and Christian fathers and mothers bear the responsibility of nurturing and guiding their children in the faith. They pledge to teach them, so that through baptism the children may inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (የወላጆቻቸውን ርስተ መንግስተ ሰማያት ይወርሳሉ።). Those who were not baptized on the fortieth or eightieth day, however, may receive baptism at any age after learning and confessing the Tewahedo faith. There is no age limit for baptism; as long as a person is alive, he or she may receive it.

Conclusion

As taught in Holy Scripture and preserved by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Holy Baptism is administered according to the order established by Christ. Through this sacred mystery, believers are born again, receive a Christian identity, and become heirs of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, it should always be administered in accordance with its biblical symbolism, spiritual meaning, and sacred order.