Thesis (MTh (Old and New Testament))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Baptism has been an important aspect of the Christian community and faith since its very beginnings.
This study investigates Paul’s reference to baptism since the Pauline epistles are the oldest written
records that we have on the topic of baptism and because of the foundational role the Pauline gospel
still has for the identity of contemporary Christianity. In his various letters, Paul often mentions or
alludes to baptism, but Paul never writes a passage that could be titled ‘On Baptism’, where he presents
his theology of baptism. Neither does he describe the act of baptism nor how it is administered. Instead,
in the texts where he mentions baptism he is actually discussing something else. This leads to the
questions: Why did Paul deem it necessary to refer to the baptism in the various contexts of his letters?
What does baptism mean for Paul, as can be concluded from these texts? How did he use the baptism in
his arguments and what conclusions did he draw from his references to baptism? This study aims to
answer these questions through exegetical analysis of the separate texts 1 Cor 6:11, 12:12-13; Gal 3:27
and Rom 6:3 in their various contexts in an attempt to arrive at Paul’s understanding of baptism, how it
serves as basis for the early Christian self-definition and group identity, and which kind of ethos is
promoted on the basis of the ethical implication of baptism as an integrating ritual in Pauline
Christianity.
It becomes evident that for Paul the baptism is very important and central to the Christian faith and
community, therefore he utilises the common participation and meaning of baptism as a foundation for
other aspects of his theology: righteousness, new life in the Spirit, Christology, soteriology,
ecclesiology, pneumatology and eschatology. By referring to their baptism Paul reminds believers of
what they experienced at that point in time and what that now implies for their lives here and now, as
well as for their future expectation and hope. The strength of Paul’s argument and the consequences
thereof is rooted in the actual experience and event of the believers’ baptism. It is clear that Paul
advocates a total and radical change of identity where the believer completely and utterly identifies
with Christ in and through the baptism and he uses different metaphors to describe this identification
with Christ. When Paul writes that they are one in Christ it has ecclesiological relevance grounded in
Christ’s passion and resurrection. However, Paul also closely associates the baptism with the Spirit.
The baptism is where the Spirit is received and the baptism occurs in/through the Spirit, but everything
that occurs at the baptism occurs on God’s initiative.
The baptism serves as a cornerstone for Pauline ethics because by accepting God’s salvation through
faith and the baptism, believers are transformed to live a new life in the sight of God and being guided
by the Spirit leads to a new ethos for the individual and the community of faith. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doop speel nog altyd ‘n belangrike rol in die Christen gemeenskap. Hierdie studie ondersoek
Paulus se verwysings na die doop, aangesien die Paulinies briewe die oudste skriftelike dokumente is
wat na die Christelike doop verwys, as ook a.g.v. die bepalende invloed wat die Paulinies evangelie
steeds vandag op die Christelike identiteit het. In sy onderskeie briewe, verwys Paulus gereeld na die
doop, maar daar is geen gedeelte wat as ‘Oor die doop’ geklassifiseer kan word, waar hy sy teologie
aangaande die doop aanbied nie. Hy beskryf ook nooit die aksie of uitvoering van die doop nie. In die
tekste waar hy die doop noem, bespreek hy eintlik iets anders. Dit lei tot die vrae: Hoekom ag Paulus
dit nodig om na die doop te verwys? Wat beteken die doop vir Paulus soos uit hierdie tekste afgelei kan
word? Hoe gebruik hy die doop in sy argumentvoering en wat is sy gevolgtrekkings? Hierdie studie
poog om hierdie vrae te antwoord deur eksegetiese analise van 1 Kor 6:11, 12:12-13; Gal 3:27 en Rom
6:3 in hul verskeie kontekste, met die doel om Paulus se verstaan van die doop te bepaal, hoe dit dien
as basis vir die Christen identiteit en watter etos aangemoedig word vanuit die etiese implikasies wat
die doop as intree-rite in die Christen gemeenskap oordra.
Dit word duidelik dat die doop vir Paulus uiters belangrik en van kardinale belang vir die Christen
geloof en gemeenskap is. Daarom gebruik hy die algemene deelname en betekenis van die doop as
basis vir ander aspekte van sy teologie: geregtigheid, nuwe lewe in die Gees, Christologie, soteriologie,
ekklesiologie, pneumatologie and eskatologie. Deur na hul doop te verwys, herinner Paulus die
gelowiges aan dit wat hulle ervaar het op daardie oomblik van die doop en wat dit tans vir hul lewens
hier en nou beteken, as ook vir hul toekomstige hoop en verwagting. Die krag van Paulus se argument
en die gevolge daarvan is gewortel in die ervaring van die gelowige se doop. Dit is duidelik dat Paulus
‘n radikale en totale verandering van identiteit voorhou, waar die gelowige geheel en al met Christus
identifiseer deur die doop en Paulus gebruik verskillende metafore om hierdie identifisering met
Christus te beskryf. As Paulus dus skryf dat hulle een is met Christus het dit ekklesiologiese waarde
wat gegrond is in Christus se lyding en opstanding. Paulus verbind die doop egter ook direk met die
Gees. Die doop is waar die Gees ontvang word, maar die doop vind ook deur/in die Gees plaas. Alles
wat egter by die doop plaasvind, gebeur a.g.v. God se inisiatief.
Die doop dien dan sodoende as hoeksteen vir Paulus se etiek, want deur God se verlossing deur geloof
en die doop aan te neem, word gelowiges verander om ‘n nuwe lewe in die aangesig van God te leef,
gelei deur die Gees wat lei tot n nuwe etos vir die individu sowel as die gemeenskap van gelowiges.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6742 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | De Lange, Jana |
| Contributors | Mouton, Aletta Elizabeth Johanna, Breytenbach, Jan Cilliers, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 105 p. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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