/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

Let's continue.

Also at issue is how one should take the genitive συνειδήσεως.If objective, then it would refer to the pledge of a Christian to maintain a good conscience, but if subjective, it would be the good conscience from which a Christian makes a commitment to God in baptism. The present consensus seems to be in favor of an objective genitive, with the ἐπερώτημα understood as consisting of the commitment or ‘pledge’ made at baptism to preserve a good conscience, that is, mindfulness of God or proper conduct, in one’s subsequent life.

For instance see:

Achtemeier, 1 Peter,pp.271–72; Elliott, 1 Peter,p.681. Also taking it as an objective genitive, referring to the baptizand’s pledge to maintain a good conscience, are Reicke, Disobedient Spirits,p .185; J. N. D. Kelly, A Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and of Jude (BNTC; London: Black, 1969), p. 162; Roger Omanson, ‘Suffering for Righteousness’ Sake (1 Pet 3:13–4:11)’, RevExp 79 (1982), p. 444; Leonhard Goppelt, A Commentary on 1 Peter, trans. John E. Alsup (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1993), p. 258; R. T. France, ‘Exegesis in Practice: Two Samples’, in I. H. Marshall (ed.), New Testament Interpretation: Essays on Principles and Methods (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1977), p. 275. However, Michaels, 1 Peter,p.216, holds out for a subjective genitive.

On this reading the συνείδησις ἀγαθή refers to the content of the ‘pledge’ undertaken at baptism. Hence, the view of baptism as a formal and public contract with subsequent binding force on the parties involved

There is just one problem, that contract view is simply one aspect. Other aspects like Romans and Galatians focuses on participation in Christ's death and resurrection or putting Christ on at the moment of Baptism.

The Reformed view is also flawed because the weakened sense of sacramental realism means those who want assurance cannot look to Baptism and say, "this contract assures me I am in so I dont have to be afraid". Take Calvin's explicit mention that even a Reprobate seemingly can have the fruits of the Spirit and it's just anxiety on top of anxiety

>>718209

>those who want assurance cannot look to Baptism and say, "this contract assures me I am in so I dont have to be afraid"

But that's literally the purpose of baptism in the Reformed view

<Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church; but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in the newness of life. Which sacrament is, by Christ's own appointment, to be continued in his Church until the end of the world.

t. Westminster Confession of Faith.

>Take Calvin's explicit mention that even a Reprobate seemingly can have the fruits of the Spirit and it's just anxiety on top of anxiety

But you can also have certainty that your faith is authentic and you are not a reprobate. Besides, assurance in Reformed orthodoxy is based on Christ's work, not on ourselves.

>>718219

Notice something, WCF says that Baptism just as Baptists see it is a "sign" of ingrafting and regeneration. So this fits nicely with a Baptist who sees it as simply a "symbol". It also states nothing about having union with Christ or somehow participating in His death and resurrection in that Sacrament.

Reformed orthodoxy claim to look at Christ for assurance but then we ask, where do you find Christ? If you say "Scripture", then you are taking from the Sacramentalist worldview and saying that we can indeed place a sense of trust in external objects for assurance, which is literally the logic of Concord. That only makes your rants against Sacramentalists all the more irrational.

Secondly, the fact that you claim you can know simply opens up the door to a situation where you look at yourself. In fact ironically Calvin does this somewhat where he says we can regard Christ as near to us. That requires interiority as the direction contra Luther where one have to look at Christ crucified outwards and then be directed inwards as faith makes Christ present as the apprehension makes him present in the believer

>>718239

Actually Baptism is a physical act. Even the authoritative Bauer's lexicon makes this very clear in defining NT usage of "Baptism"

Calvinist and Baptist btfo