Baptism as well as Eucharist is one of the two Sacraments of Christian church, and is a sacred sign to which Holy Spirit gives the grace. In Judaism, the Old Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls and other materials contain data of baptism, which was administered to proselyte along with other purifying rites as a sign of spiritual purification. In Christianity, baptism is often referred to in the Gospels, Acts and Epistles of Paul. However, in Christianity baptism is not regarded as only a rite that cleanses the soul from sin. Baptism is a symbol of participating in Christ's death and resurrection, of repentance, mercy and washing away sin, and of receiving the gift of Holy Spirit. Moreover, it is a rite that symbolizes incorporation into the church and being accepted as a member of Heaven.
Among the data on baptism rites that clearly manifest the theological meanings, are Didache and Apostolic Tradition. Several important facts may be found when researches are made in these data, including other materials of early churches on baptism.
First, the church gave the candidates for baptism a detailed and systematic preparatory education, and they were selected through close examination.
Second, the water used in baptism was what is called "living water" and the rites were taken the form of immersing in water three times, this number "three" deriving its origin from the "Trinity". The summary baptism in the form of pouring water was also acknowledged at that time.
Third, around the early third century baptism rites ─ a set of dramatic formal initiation acts ─ were firmly established, including pre-baptism rite and post-baptism rite, the chrismation.
Fourth, the baptism rites were necessarily connected with Eucharist.
Fifth, after giving the baptism rites, the importance of baptism as well as the deeper meaning of receiving it was indoctrinated to the baptized through Mystagogy.
In a word, it can safely be said that early churches established a definite and ritualized baptism rites, and through education and examination, prescribed in the formalities of these rites, the baptized were accepted into the community of church.
This kind of dramatic initiation procedure also existed in Korean Methodist Church. Unlike Presbyterian Church, Methodish Church, which from the first had the probation system, called upon the new followers rigorous discipline and close examination. They had to go through the processes of inquirer, probationer, baptized member, and full member.
The Methodist Church showed adaptability for the form of baptism rites, not adhering to any one form. There were three kinds of forms ─ immersion, pouring and sprinkling, and Baptism was administered, taking circumstances into account. South Methodist Episcopal Church administered the baptism of children and youths, besides baptism of infants and adults. As a result, anyone who wanted to receive baptism was permitted irrespective of his or her age. Among the baptism rites administerd by South Methodist Episcopal Church, was a rite of imposition of hands, one of the formalities of confirmation, which also can be found in the documents of early churches on baptism like Apostolic Tradition. The existence of the confirmation rite indicates that there were two kinds of baptism ─ baptism with water and baptism with Holy Spirit.
The church trained up probationers, establishing a system of several classes ─ inquirer, probationer, baptized member, and full member, and faithfully teaching them doctrines. Meanwhile, such mentors as class leaders and teachers continued to inculcate Christianity in their minds. Besides this part assigned to mentors, they also recommended probationers to get baptism or to make an entry into the full member class.
The probationers who apply for baptism and full member class were subjected to a close examination in their faith. They had to make profession of their faith openly before the congregation, acknowleding their belief in Santa Trinitas, and making "open profession" at the Quarterly Conference, the district gathering of today.
However, after 1931, when North and South Methodist Church were incorporated into Chosun Methodist Church, the rites of baptism were much simplified. Chosun Methodist Church eliminated the procedure of reading Bible and the rite of imposition of hands, prescribed in the document of South Methodist Church, as well as the baptism of children and youths. Chosun Methodist church set much value on the provisions in the document of North Methodist Church and adopted them, with the result that the honorable tradition of South Methodist Church vanished completely. The church deleted the rite of imposition of hands, which was administered right after the baptism in the early church, weakening the meaning of baptism with Holy Spirit. The elimination of the baptism of children and youths led it to set limit to the age to receive baptism, and eventually blocked the way for them to become members of the community of faith through baptism.
Moreover, growth-oriented ministers who had been occupied with evangelizing as many people as possible, made baptism, which new believer receives for once in his life, a common, formal act. As a result, this deplorable tendency exerted undesirable influences upon the baptized: for example, they often do not understand exactly the intrinsic meaning of baptism, or after receiving baptism they readily leave church without feeling the stings of conscience, or they are apt to forget the solemn promise to God they swore to keep when baptized. Such is not only the phenomenon in Methodish Churches, but also in all churches in our country.
With the second Vatican Council as a momentum, the churches in Korea have come to a most important turning point to reconsider the meaning of receiving people's initiation into Christianity. Reflecting deeply upon the importance of laity education, the church has come to discuss sincerely the revival of catechumenate of early church. It is essential that the church should ritualize the whole process to transform the new believers from the old way of living and pattern to the new way of living and pattern ─ that is, to initiate them into the community of church, the body of Christ. This kind of effort has produced the RICA(The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult) which has the characteristics of early church rather than Catholic Church. It can safely be said that it is a product of the great effort to recover the procedure of initiation into Christianity of early church. That is the reason why The Catechumenal Process of Anglican Church concerning the procedure of initiation of early church, which has the four-stage pattern, closely resembles the RICA of Catholic Church.
I have made new suggestions concerning baptism as an initiation into church, giving consideration to the phased procedure of initiation of early Korean Methodist Church, to that of early church, to the RICA of Catholic Church, and the theory of Westerhoff Ⅲ, a pedagogist in the field of theology. They dealt with three touchstones of worship ─ the relationship with Christ, understanding and public service, and the relationship with living, for the reason that baptism is not a mere physical washing with water, but a comprehensive, symbolic act of individual transformation of living and solemn verbal promise to the community of church.
In short, baptism is not a superficial, physical act of washing; it should give the baptized the occasion to build up their character, to experience spiritual death and resurrection with Jesus Christ, to make a resolve to devote themselves to God, and to become devout believers dedicating to the community of verbal promise. That is the reason why I used the term "Praxis" as the title of this thesis. It is a matter of course that baptism rites include responsibility and duty of the probationers to the community of verbal promise, as the rites are the public event in which probationers and community of church participate together.
The baptism procedure I suggested consists of four processes ─ inquirer, baptism probationer, waiting, and devotion and renewal. These processes are so composed as to administer according to the calendar, centering around Easter day. In each process the probationers must undergo rigorous training and education, confession of faith, and confirmation of their living; in the meantime mentors such as class leaders and teachers should sincerely play their important parts. After finishing each process, probationers must receive "rite of acceptance", "rite of election", "rite of baptism", and " rite of reconfirmation of baptism verbal promise".
It is to be noted that the new baptism procedure, I suggested, includes some traditions of early Korean Methodist Church that should be recovered and maintained. First, through baptism the probationers should make profession of their faith and resolution to devote themselves to Christianity before the community of faith. Second, they should undergo rigorous training and education, as well as confirmation of their faith. Third, the church should assume the responsibility to train and nurture them through its connectors like classes. Fourth, the church should administer baptism irrespective of the age of the new believers after the education and confirmation of faith. Fifth, baptism should not be a superficial formality but a rite of celebration to become a member of the church. Sixth, the church should repeatedly administer the rites to reconfirm the verbal promise of baptism so that the baptized may recollect and reaffirm the pledge they made as the chosen people of God.
The baptism procedure I suggested according to the above-mentioned principles, will require, through the phased procedure of initiation of early church and early Korean Methodist Church, strict training and confirmation, united relationship with community, and repeated renewal of the verbal promise. The church is to reconfirm these acts through the rites of each process; all the community is to participate in them, positively and actively.
It is needless to say that baptism is a sacred command of Jesus Christ and indispensable process to become a Christian. However, it is neither the physical washing with water nor a formal act administered in the church. Now is the time when the church should take drastic measures to answer the following question, not "how to increase the new believers" but "how to nurture believers of deep faith". I think the ritualized procedure for baptism will rightfully answer this most urgent and important question. However, above all things, it is absolutely necessary that the churchmen should have a renewed recognition of the theological meaning of baptism and take up a positive mental attitude in their pastoral duties.