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What if someone has an active intention to receive baptism and yet still chooses to persist in or cling to a sin?Can such a person be baptized? The answer depends on what we mean by “can.” If by “can” we mean, “Will the person be validly baptized?”, then the answer is yes. Aquinas teaches that such a baptism would be valid insofar as it communicates the “seal” or “indelible mark” mentioned in previous chapters (cf. CCC 1 …

Grandparents often find themselves wondering if they are permitted to baptize their grandchild when his parent doesn’t want him baptized. And not just grandparents, but also caring individuals. I’ve had folks ask me this question countless times. It demands a thorough response. Let’s start with what we shouldn’t do: baptize the child in secret. The Code of Canon Law (CIC) states that “for an infant to be baptized licitly . . . the pare …

There aren’t too many passages where Paul speaks about baptism. However, in the passages where he does mention it, his theology is profound and worth unpacking. The two passages that we will look at, respectively, are 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Romans 6:3-4, 7, 17-18, the passage from Romans 6 being the clearest and strongest text. 1 Corinthians 12:13 Let’s start with 1 Corinthians 12:13, where Paul writes, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” The “ …

When it comes to biblical support for the belief in baptismal regeneration, there’s no better place to start than with Jesus himself. John 3:3-5, commonly known as the “Born Again” discourse, is the key passage for Jesus’ revelation of baptismal regeneration. Here’s the text: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second t …

As we continue our inquiry as to what it means to be a saint, we need to answer the question: “How does someone become a saint?” The answer depends on precisely what is meant by saint. If saint is taken to refer to simply being united to Christ (and thus a Christian), then the answer is baptism. St. Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.&rdqu …