Troubled Waters: Rethinking the Theology of Baptism
Overview
Baptism has been a contested practice from the very beginning of the church. In this volume, Ben Witherington rethinks the theology of baptism and does so in constant conversation with the classic theological positions and central New Testament texts. By placing baptism in the context of the covenant, Witherington shows how advocates of both believer’s baptism and infant baptism have added some water to both their theology and practice of baptism.
This volume carefully assesses topics with a firm biblical basis and provides readers with a deeper understanding of the foundations—as well as the contemporary implications they bring. Perfect for scholars, students, pastors, and laypersons alike, the Logos edition of these theological works is fully searchable and easily accessible. Scripture passages are linked directly to your English translations and to the original Greek text, and important theological concepts are linked to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of resources in your digital library.
Key Features
- Examines baptismal theology from a New Testament perspective
- Seeks to explore the core issues of baptism, seeking to offer new insights
- Discusses the difference between different baptismal theologies
Contents
- Getting Our Feet Wet: The Antecedents of Christian Baptism outside the New Testament
- John’s Baptism—Totally Immersed in His Work: Pre-Christian Initiations in the New Testament and Pre-sacramental Texts
- Parting the Waters: The Beginnings of Water Baptism as a Christian Rite—The Acts of the Apostles
- Trial by Water Ordeal: Paul and Burial with Christ
- Breaking the Waters of Birth: Water Baptism in the Johannine Literature?
- Down in the Flood: Baptism in Hebrews and 1 Peter
- A Rite of Passage: A Theology of Water Baptism in the New Testament
- Postscript—Coming Up for Air: Coming Up for Air: Where Do We Go from Here?
Praise for the Print Edition
[Witherington] offers pastoral guidance and correctives for both baptismal practices so that the fuller goals for Christian baptism will be achieved.
—David A. deSilva, Trustees’ Professor of New Testament and Greek, Ashland Theological Seminary
Baptism debates flooded churches and seminaries a generation back and, without settling issues once and for all, the flood subsided. Standing now alone, with a peaceful olive branch in his hand, is Ben Witherington, asking Christians once again to go back both to those debates and to the Bible. Let’s join him.
—Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University
Product Details
- Title: Troubled Waters: Rethinking the Theology of Baptism
- Author: Ben Witherington III
- Publisher: Baylor University Press
- Publication Date: 2010
- Pages: 153
About Ben Witherington III
Ben Witherington III (PhD, Durham University) is Amos Professor for Doctoral Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky, and is on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University, Scotland. Witherington has twice won the Christianity Today best biblical studies book-of-the-year award, and his many books include We Have Seen His Glory: A Vision of Kingdom Worship and socio-rhetorical commentaries on Mark, Acts, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Galatians, Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
Top Highlights
“But the statements that we have in the New Testament on water baptism are primarily descriptive, not prescriptive, which is especially true of the often debated texts found in Acts.” (Page 8)
“Because water baptism is at most a secondary theme in the New Testament, used for illustration, ethical reinforcements, or theological development, we should realize that any deductions about correct Christian practice of water baptism are drawn not from clear-cut prescriptive statements in the New Testament about how one ought to perform the rite, but from what one can conclude from various descriptive statements and theologoumena that reveal who was baptized then and what it meant.” (Pages 8–9)
“What may we conclude about the household formula in the New Testament? First, there are no clear cases where infants might be involved or referred to by such a formula. Moreover, the two accounts of the Cornelius story specifically exclude the possibility of infants being baptized even if they were part of the family. I see no reason that the phrase his (whole) household cannot mean the family in its entirety, as Jeremias contends; however, I find no evidence in the texts he cites for infants being present or, if present, being baptized. I do find evidence in Acts 11:14ff. that God’s promise extended to Cornelius’s progeny (as in Acts 2:38–39), but promise given and promise received are not synonymous.” (Page 65)
“A related question is the problem of distinguishing when the New Testament is explicitly referring to water baptism and when texts are simply using baptismal language to speak of Spirit Baptism or some other aspect of Christian conversion or experience. We also need a clear understanding of the following issues: (1) What is the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament in principle and practice? (2) What is the New Testament view of the Christian family? (3) What is the New Testament view of the church and how one becomes a part of it? (4) Is water baptism an act of God, a response of a human being to the divine initiative, or both?” (Pages 3–4)
- Title: Troubled Waters: The Real New Testament Theology of Baptism
- Author: Ben Witherington III
- Publisher: Baylor University Press
- Print Publication Date: 2007
- Logos Release Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Baptism › Biblical teaching; Electronic books
- ISBNs: 9781602580312, 9781602580046, 9781280839672, 9781481301442, 1602580316, 1602580049, 1280839678, 1481301446
- Resource ID: LLS:TRBLDWATERWITHER
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T03:28:46Z
Ben Witherington III (PhD, University of Durham) is Jean R. Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary. A prominent evangelical scholar, he is also on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland. Witherington has written over forty books, including The Jesus Quest and The Paul Quest, both of which were selected as top biblical studies works by Christianity Today. His other works include The Indelible Image, Women and the Genesis of Christianity, The Gospel Code, A Week in the Life of Corinth and commentaries on the entire New Testament. He also writes for many church and scholarly publications and is a frequent contributor to Patheos and Beliefnet. Witherington is an elected member of the prestigious Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, a society dedicated to New Testament studies. He is a John Wesley Fellow for Life, a research fellow at Cambridge University and a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Society of Biblical Literature, Society for the Study of the New Testament and the Institute for Biblical Research. He previously taught at institutions like Ashland Theological Seminary, Vanderbilt University, Duke Divinity School and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. An ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church and a popular lecturer, Witherington has presented seminars for churches, colleges and biblical meetings around the world. He has led numerous study tours through the lands of the Bible and is known for bringing the text to life through incisive historical and cultural analysis. Along with many interviews on radio and television networks across the country, Witherington has been seen in programs such as 60 Minutes, 20/20, Dateline and the Peter Jennings ABC special Jesus and Paul—The Word and the Witness
