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Baptized into Gods Family (Stock #15n0543)

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Das does a service to the Christian Church and especially to those who understand the sacrament of Baptism as primarily the beliver's confession, act, or response.

By building his case using the Old and New Testament Scripture, as well as Church history, Das demonstrates that God is the creator, initiator, and bestower of new life in Baptism, and that this new life that is bestowed is not limited to subjects who can verbalize their faith in Christ.

God does not limit this washing of regeneration and forgiveness to adults or mature children. His mercy extends to all people, regardless of sex, social status, race, ethnicity, or age. Christians in the last four hundred or so years, not Christ, have placed limits on those suited for baptism. The New Testament and early church history attest to this fact: newborns all the way to the elderly are included in this holy work of God.

"Baptized into God's Family" is the best book written on the Lutheran doctrine of infant baptism. A. Andrew Das does not write anything that is necessarily new or controversial. What makes this book wonderful is that it explains the historic Lutheran doctrine of infant baptism in a simple and clear manner without suffering a loss of theological substance.

The Chapters of the book are as follows:
1. Baptism and Original Sin.
2. Baptism for Salvation and Forgiveness of Sins
3. Infant Faith and Baptism-Part 1
4. Infant Faith and Baptism-Part 2
5. Christ's Command in Matthew 28:18-20
6. Paul's Comparison of Circumcision and Baptism
7. Jewish Baptismal Customs at the Time of Christ.
8. The Baptism of Entire Families and Households
9. Members, by Baptism, of the Family of God!
10. The Testimony of the Early Church
11. A Summary of the Biblical Material

This book is excellent for:
1. Lutheran Pastors who want a concise review of the subject for Sunday school or for personal edification.
2. Interested Lutheran laity
3. Non-Lutherans who want a clear and concise introduction to the Lutheran teaching of infant baptism without confusing Lutheran terminology.

If this topic is interesting to you I would also recommend the book, "Scriptural Baptism: A Dialog between John Bapsted and Martin Childfont" by Uuras Saarnivaara.

Das had the dilemma which most contemplating infant baptism face: baptism, law or gospel? God's gift or man's choice of accompishment, symbol of salvation?

Winsomely, convincingly from Scripture, Jewish baptismal customs at Christ's time, early Christian church, Das shows that from outset, baptism is gospel, gift, grace, God's power to saving through the washing of sins by water and Word.

His exposition of Scripture is strong asset. Slowly, choosing common understood terms and supposed obstacles to baptizing infants, Das exposes the fallacies of Believer Baptism. One cannot find Scripture to support a person deciding to be saved: because of Original Sin, which is another strong point of this book, since he sets it out at outset of the problem baptism with God doing the saving, accomplishes.

This is outstanding book to clarify why one does believe with Scriptural explanation from wide source use, and challenge to those who question this Biblical and church historical practice.