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Title: A Christian's Quick Guide to Baptism

Subtitle: The Water That Unites

Author: Robert Letham

Narrator: Ralph Lister

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-01-17

Publisher: christianaudio.com

Genres: Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

Publisher's Summary:

What is Christian baptism? Is it, as many believe, a mere symbol? When should someone be baptized? In A Christian's Quick Guide to Baptism, Robert Letham answers such questions from scripture. He reflects sensitively on historic Christian teaching and avoids the extremes that often mark discussions of this subject, making this a book for everyone.

Letham's plain talk will not leave beginners bemused, nor will it frustrate those who want to make real progress in their theological understanding. It is a "tragedy", says Letham, that Christians should think of baptism as "the water that divides". The sign of our union with Christ should unite Christians, not least because it does not focus on our actions, but on God's mighty deeds. Baptism belongs to him. It must always be administered in connection with faith, yet that does not mean Christians do anything to receive or to earn baptism. They are to be baptized solely because of God's gracious promises.

Members Reviews:

An Excellent Introduction to Baptism

It has been said that the doctrine of the sacraments serves as a litmus test for the strength or weakness of any system of theology. This is true because our theology of the Sacraments draws upon our broader conception of the grace of the gospel and how the Triune God communicates Christ and the benefits of salvation to us (see pp. 102-104). In particular, the Sacraments serve as a window into what are often referred to as "the means of grace."

Robert Letham's contribution to the new Christian's Pocket Guide series is an outstanding addition to a series that promises to serve the church well for years to come. This short book is a great achievement. It is one of the most profound, simple, and compelling treatments of the subject of baptism in a short space that this reviewer has read. Letham's treatment is comprehensive without being overwhelming. He has rooted the doctrine of baptism into an entire biblical theology that is confessionally Reformed and accessible to readers who have no prior knowledge of the subject, yet he addresses virtually all questions that are pertinent to his topic (Including a refutation of Karl Barth and others in less than six pages! Pp. 62-67.).

The book consists of two primary sections and a conclusion that comprise nine brief chapters. The first two chapters address the theological method that we bring to reading our Bibles as well as how we view the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. Then, using the Noahic covenant as an important precedent, Letham stresses in chapter three the manner in which sacraments are God's actions in making promises to us and not merely the badges of our professions of faith. Chapter four helpfully illustrates the relationship between individuals and the corporate body of the church. These four chapters masterfully set the stage for all that follows by challenging our Western individualism with the biblical balance between the corporate and the individual. The following two chapters demonstrate what baptism means in terms of cleansing from sin and union with Christ. Union with Christ encompasses every aspect and benefit of salvation and this is what baptism signifies, seals, and applies in the lives of believers.