Lesson video

Hi, my name's Miss Minton, and welcome to this Christianity practises lesson on Christian beliefs about baptism.

Now by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain the sacrament of baptism and its significance for Christians today.

Now we'll be drawing upon prior knowledge of the sacraments within Christianity, but there'll also be lots of new learning today.

Don't worry though, because I'm here to guide you through each step of our lesson, and I'm confident that by the end, you'll achieve this outcome.

So let's get started by taking a look at our key words for today.

We have baptism, initiation, original sin, and sacrament.

Now, baptism is the sacrament where people become members of the church, and it involves the use of water as a symbol of washing away sin.

Initiation refers to the action of admitting someone into a society or a group typically using a ritual.

Original sin refers to the belief that human nature is flawed and that we all have a tendency to sin.

And traditionally, this is believed to have been inherited from Adam and Eve.

And finally, a sacrament is an outward sign of an invisible and inward blessing by God.

For example, baptism or the Eucharist.

Now our lesson today will have two parts.

We'll start by looking at baptism within Christianity, and we'll then move on to look at the significance of baptism today.

So let's get started and have a look at baptism within Christianity.

Now, to get started, I'd like you to consider the following questions.

Are you a member of a group or a club? How did you join this group or club? And did you have to do anything special to show that you joined? So pause the video and either talk to a partner or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So hopefully, you've been able to discuss a group or a club that you are part of, and any specific actions that took place to show that you joined that group.

Now, these specific actions, rituals or procedures that take place to show that you've joined a group known as initiation or initiation rights.

And when someone is initiated into a group, it means they're officially welcomed into that group and they're now an official member.

Now, initiation is really common within religious traditions, and there's often set rituals or acts that take place to acknowledge and celebrate that a person has joined a religious group.

And within Christianity, baptism is what's often used to initiate members into the Christian community.

Now many Christians consider baptism to be a sacrament.

So many Christians consider baptism to be an outward and visible sign of God's invisible grace.

So let's check your understanding.

Which of the following keywords defines the action of officially welcoming or admitting a person into a group? A, involve, B, initiation, C, introduce, or D, incorporate? Fantastic.

The correct answer is B initiation refers to the action of officially welcoming or admitting somebody into a group.

Well done.

Now the practise of baptism within Christianity has its roots in biblical teaching.

And in the gospels, Christians learn that Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist in the river Jordan.

And the gospel of Matthew 3:16-17 says this, "As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water.

And that moment, heaven was opened and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and a lighting on him.

And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my son whom I love.

With him, I am well pleased.

'" Now, many Christians today celebrate baptism to follow in the steps of Jesus.

Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself.

How does this passage tell Christians that Jesus was baptised? So what happened and what was used? Off you go.

So Jesus was baptised using water.

And we know this because this passage says that Jesus went up out of the water.

So he emerged from the water once he was baptised.

Now I'd like you to pause the video again, but this time, I want you to discuss what happened after Jesus was baptised.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So this passage tells Christians that after Jesus was baptised, the Holy Spirit descended upon him.

So the Holy Spirit came down from heaven.

And at this moment, God the Father also spoke.

Now the features and events of Jesus' baptism are also reflected in baptism rituals today.

And key features of baptism today include the use of water.

And water is often used to wash away or symbolise the washing away of sin.

And this happens because the individual is being welcomed into their new life as a follower of Jesus.

So they need to be cleansed of sin.

Now, another feature that's used within baptism today that's also seen in Jesus' baptism is the trinity.

And within baptism rituals, there are often references to the trinity.

And this usually happens when the religious leader says the words, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," to declare that that individual has been baptised in the name of the Trinity.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false.

Water is used during baptisms as a symbol of the trinity.

Fantastic.

That statement is false.

But why is that statement false? Well, it's because water is used to either wash away sin or symbolise the washing away of sin.

There are specific references to the trinity, but it's not the use of water.

So well done for identifying that that statement is false and for identifying the reason why.

Now within Christianity there are different beliefs about when a person should be baptised, so at what stage in their life baptism should take place.

Some Christians believe that a person should be baptised as a baby or as a very young child, and this is known as infant baptism.

Whereas other Christians believe that a person should actually be baptised when they're an adult, and this is known as believer's baptism.

Now, infant baptism is usually practised by Christians who believe in original sin.

So for example, many Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Christians.

Now original sin is the belief that all humans are naturally sinful because we've descended from Adam and Eve.

And Adam and Eve were the individuals who committed the first sin and disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden.

And some Christians believed that this means we've inherited that sin and that is known as original sin.

Now because sin prevents salvation, this can lead to the belief that individuals should be baptised as soon as possible to wash away and cleanse the original sin to make salvation possible.

Now, infant baptism usually has the following features.

The sign of the cross, which is made on the baby's forehead, and this is a sign of the trinity.

So the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Anointing with oil.

And this is when oil is used and placed on the baby's head, and it's a sign of strength and blessing.

Promises, which is when parents and godparents promise to raise the child according to the Christian faith.

Holy water is also used and it's poured over the baby's head as they are baptised, and this washes away the original.

A white garment is usually worn by or placed on the baby as a sign of a new life, and a candle is usually lit to show that the baby now has the light of Jesus in their life.

Now in contrast to infant baptism, some Christians believe that baptism should actually take place during adulthood when a person is able to make their own decision about their beliefs and understand the commitment of baptism.

Now, examples of denomination that practise adult baptism or believer's baptism include Baptist and Pentecostal churches.

Now like there are key features of infant baptism, there's also key features of adult or believer's baptism, and this often includes full immersion in water.

So the individual goes completely underwater, usually in a pool, but it can also be done in seas, rivers, and lakes.

And when they rise from the water, this symbolises that they've entered a new life and it's symbolic of the washing away of sin.

They also usually include a testimony or confession of faith, and this is when the individual will read from the Bible and give a personal testimony of their faith and belief in Jesus.

The trinity is also a common feature of believers' baptism as well.

And when the individual is baptised, it's done so in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

So let's check your understanding, true or false.

Believer's baptism takes place during early childhood and involves holy water being poured on the individual's head.

Fantastic.

That statement is false.

But why is that statement false? Well, it's because believer's baptism is the type of baptism that takes place during adulthood, not childhood.

And it also involves full immersion underwater.

Infant baptism is the type of baptism that takes place during early childhood or when an individual is a baby.

And this is the type of baptism that involves holy water being poured on the individual's head.

So well done for identifying that that statement is false and for identifying the reason why.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task.

I'd like you to explain to different types of baptism within Christianity.

Some guidance that you might like to use when responding to this task is to give a point stating one type of Christian baptism and then develop that point by explaining what this type of baptism is and its features.

Then offering a second point, giving a different type of Christian baptism, and then again, develop that point by explaining that type of baptism and its features.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work drawing that task.

So you are asked to explain two different types of baptism within Christianity.

And your response might be similar to this.

One type of baptism within Christianity is infant baptism.

Infant baptism occurs when an individual is a baby or very young child, and it takes place at this age to cleanse the individual of original sin and initiate them into the Christian community.

A different type of baptism within Christianity is believer's baptism, which occurs when an individual is an adult.

Believer's baptism takes place during adulthood because this is when an individual is mature enough to understand the commitment of baptism.

Believer's baptism usually involves full immersion in water, and when the individual rises from the water, they begin their new life as a follower of Jesus.

So weld done again for your work on that task.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at Christian beliefs about baptism.

Now Sofia and Jun are discussing the importance and significance of baptism for Christians today.

Sofia says, "I think baptism is important for Christians today because it shows that they're following in Jesus's footsteps as Jesus was also baptised." Jun says, "I think baptism is also important for Christians today because it makes salvation possible.

This is because in infant baptism, an individual is cleansed of original sin, making life in heaven possible." Now I'd like you to see if you can think of any other reasons why baptism might be significant for Christians today.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that baptism is significant for Christians because it can bring a person closer to God.

It also officially initiates an individual into the church, so into the Christian community, and it can symbolise a new beginning for that individual.

Baptism is also considered to be a public declaration of faith, and some Christians believe that individuals actually receive the Holy Spirit and God's grace through baptism as a sacrament.

Now, as well as these reasons for many Christians, baptism is also significant because Jesus actually commanded it.

And we see this in the gospel of Matthew 28:19, which says this, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Now this passage shows Jesus commanding his disciples to spread his word and encouraging other people to also follow him.

Now, Jesus also says that his followers should be baptised in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

And many Christians view this instruction as a command to be baptised and therefore, view the practise of baptism as a sacrament.

So let's imagine that I've been asked to give one reason why baptism is significant for Christians today.

I've said that baptism welcomes an individual into the Christian community.

Now I'm going to ask you the same question and I'd also like you to give one reason why baptism is significant for Christians today.

So pause the video and have a go.

So you may have said that baptism is a declaration of faith, that it allows an individual to receive God's grace, that Jesus commanded baptism, that baptism can bring a person closer to God, or that baptism is a sacrament.

So well done if you've got one of those answers or something similar.

We're now going to look at some examples of Christians who've been baptised and why their baptism was significant to them.

Starting with Danielle, who is a Roman Catholic.

Danielle says, "Within the Roman Catholic church, baptism is one of the seven sacraments.

The sacrament of baptism was an important event for me and my family.

When I was baptised as an infant, my original sin was washed away.

Being baptised as a Roman Catholic Christian means that I can receive the other sacraments in the Catholic church and grow closer to God on my journey towards salvation.

As an older child, I confirmed my baptismal promises during the sacrament of confirmation." Next up, we have Fiona who is an Anglican Christian.

Fiona says, "In my church, baptism is one of the two sacraments and it often takes place during early childhood.

I was baptised as a young child and my children were baptised as infants too.

It was important to me for my children to be baptised so that they could officially be part of the Christian community.

I was able to choose godparents for my children who would be role models of faith and support them on their journey." Now we have Charlie, who is a Baptist Christian.

Charlie says, "In my church, we practise believer's baptism.

I was baptised when I was 17, which was last year.

Because this was the age I felt mature enough to fully understand the commitment of baptism.

My baptism was an important moment in my life, and when I began a new stage in my life of following Jesus.

My baptism was a symbol of my faith in Jesus and I was able to share this moment publicly with others in my church community." Finally, we have Asher who is a Pentecostal Christian.

Asher says this, "I was baptised as an adult in my late teens when I understood what it meant to follow Jesus.

On the day of my baptism, my family and church friends gathered and I shared a short testimony about how Jesus had changed my life.

I was then baptised by being immersed in water.

Being baptised was a special moment for me because it showed that my old life was gone and I was starting fresh with Jesus.

My baptism has since allowed me to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." So what we've seen from these examples is not only can baptism take place at different points within a person's life, but it can also be significant for many different reasons.

So let's now check your understanding.

True or false, baptism is only significant for Christians who are baptised as adults.

Fantastic.

That statement is false.

But why is that statement false? Well, it's because baptism is also significant for Christians who are baptised as a child, and this is because baptism has welcomed them into the Christian community.

And for some Christians such as Roman Catholic Christians, baptism enables them to celebrate other sacraments and confirm their baptismal promises later in life through the sacrament of confirmation.

So well done for identifying that that statement is false and for identifying the reason why.

It's now time to have a go at a task.

I'd like you to complete the table by explaining why baptism is important for Christians today.

The table is broken up into types of baptism, infant baptism, and believer's baptism.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you were asked to complete the table to explain why baptism is important for Christians today.

For infant baptism, you may have said that infant baptism is significant because it's believed to cleanse an individual from original sin and make salvation and life in heaven possible.

For believer's baptism, you may have said that believer's baptism is significant because it symbolises an individual making a decision to start a new life following Jesus, and it shows that a person has faith and belief in Jesus.

So world and again for working on that task.

We've now reached the end of our lesson, but before we finish, let's take a look at some of the key things that we've learned.

So we've learned that baptism is when an individual is welcomed into the Christian community and that many Christians consider baptism to be a sacrament.

We've seen that Jesus' baptism has influenced the practise of baptism within Christianity today, and that water and the trinity are key features of baptism.

We've seen that some Christians believe that holy water actually away original sin, whereas other Christians believe that the water is symbolic of washing away sin and starting a new life.

We've also seen that there are different types of baptism.

So infant baptism and believer's or adult baptism.

We've seen that infant baptism is significant because it washes away original sin and can lead to salvation.

And that believer's baptism is significant because it's a declaration of faith and symbolises a new life following Jesus.

So a huge world done for all of your work today.

It's been wonderful learning with you.