326 Dimensions of Baptism
baptism, in what precedes it and in what follows. God is the primary agent
in Christian moral transformation.
By 'faith' I mean something more than affirming the creeds of the
Church. Faith is more than believing that something is the case, although I
shall argue that there are necessary trinitarian beliefs implicit in the candi-
date coming for baptism. The faith has formal content but, as importantly,
I understand living in faith to be active trusting obedience towards God.
Faith is primarily a gift of God more than a human achievement, although
both God and ourselves are involved in the life of faith. It is an activity,
for faith shows itself in deeds. Faith without a corresponding way of life is
not the faith of the baptized. Indeed, faith without works is dead.
These 'definitions' obviously beg a host of questions in themselves but
their meaning will become clearer, I hope, in the way the words are used.
One final preliminary comment is to acknowledge that I come from the
believer's church tradition in which only those who confess faith in Christ
for themselves are baptized. It may be that my argument can be related in
part to paedobaptists but my understanding of Church, baptism and, some-
times, discipleship is different from theirs.
White's own study indicated that for Paul there was a clear understand-
ing that converts would live differently, walking in newness of life (Rom.
6.4). In his letters he can refer the readers back to their former ways of life
which are now inconsistent with their new status in Christ (1 Cor. 6.11).With other New Testament writers he uses the image of having moved
from darkness to light (2 Cor. 4.6; 1 Pet. 2.9; Jn 9).
Such references could be multiplied. Many of them are in contextswhere Paul is referring directly or indirectly to baptism. One of the most
obvious is Rom. 6.1-4. Here Paul draws particularly on the images of
burial and death. In our baptism, our total immersion, we are buried with
Christ, we die with him and are laid in the tomb with him. Our old self is
united with him in his death. We die with Christ, baptized into his death.
And that identification with Christ in his death relates to our hope of shar-
ing with him in his resurrection. The baptismal action expresses and
participates in the fundamental reality of the person and work of Christ.
The Synoptic Gospels all record Jesus' baptism. John, less obviously,
implies that Jesus is baptized by John. Matthew, in particular, is sensitive
to the theological puzzle of Jesus being baptized by one who was offering
a baptism in repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John the Baptizer
draws back but is persuaded by Jesus to baptize him and 'in this way to
fulfil all righteousness' (Mt. 3.13-17). The passage admits of several