As John Calvin had done in the Institutes, the Confession first discusses the teaching of Scripture about the sacraments in general. Then it gives special attention to the two sacraments of the New Testament, baptism and the Lord’s supper. This arrangement is followed because there are also Old Testament sacraments, which are only mentioned in passing in chapter 27 (para. 5).

The first paragraph of the present chapter identifies baptism as meeting the definition of a sacrament (see chap. 26, para. 1). It was ordained by Christ. It is a sign and seal of the covenant of grace. By publicly admitting the one who receives it to the visible church, baptism marks the difference between the church and the world. By pointing to surrender of one life to God to walk in newness of life, it is a solemn engagement of the person to live a life of service to God.

As a sign, baptism represents Christ and His benefits. John Murray, in his book Christian Baptism, follows Calvin in seeing a threefold significance in this ceremonial washing. It portrays our union with Christ, our renewal by the Holy Spirit, and our cleansing from sin. These three things are expressed here in different words: “ingrafting into Christ,” “regeneration,” and “remission of sins.” As usual, the proof texts should be consulted to see the biblical basis for this interpretation of the meaning of baptism.

As a seal, baptism confirms our interest in Christ. Calvin says that a sacrament is like the official seal on a government document, which gives authenticity to the message found there. Baptism is for the sake of our assurance; it confirms the promises of the gospel.

In Matthew 28:18-20, after Jesus had commanded His apostles to baptize those who became disciples, He added the promise, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The promise and the command are for the same time period. For this reason, baptism is to continue until Christ returns.

The second and third paragraphs tell how baptism is to be performed. Since it is a ceremonial washing (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q. 94), it requires the use of water. In explaining baptism, it is often said that the water signifies the blood of Christ, or the Holy Spirit, or both. However, the Scripture does not directly state this, and neither does the Confession. It seems best to avoid the confusion of saying that the water represents two different things (blood and Spirit), and to focus on the action of washing, which points to forgiveness and renewal through union with Christ.

Baptism is performed “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” These words embody the doctrine of the Trinity, for there is one divine name, which designates three distinct persons. Rowland Ward writes, “Baptism speaks of a new relationship being cemented with the one into whose name you are baptized.” The covenant of grace involves a relationship between the living God and redeemed sinners, which is confirmed by the ordinance of baptism.

Since baptism is fundamentally a ceremonial washing, the amount of water and the way in which it is applied are, according to the Confession, relatively unimportant. The Confession favors pouring or sprinkling but does not reject immersion as a valid mode of baptism. This view is favored by the covenantal language of Ezekiel 36:25-27, an important passage for understanding the symbolism: “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.…I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.…You will be my people, and I will be your God.”

The fourth paragraph speaks of those who are to be baptized. For adults, it is “those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ.” In a missionary situation, like that of the New Testament church, those who hear and respond to the gospel are baptized upon profession of faith, the kind of faith that leads to a commitment to obey Christ. In our increasingly secularized culture, we should expect that we will see many coming to receive adult baptism, as God blesses the preaching of the gospel.

However, baptism is not only for believing adults, but for their children. This has been a point of disagreement among Christians since the time of the Reformation. The case for infant baptism does not rest on a few proof texts, but on an understanding that God deals with His people by way of covenant. Since the Fall, God has been saving those whom He has chosen by the same covenant of grace. He revealed that covenant to Abraham, and gave him circumcision as its sign and seal (Gen. 17:3-14; Rom. 4:1-12). The fundamental meaning of circumcision was spiritual; it was not a sign of outward ceremonial holiness, but of the cleansing of the heart.

With the coming of Christ, the covenant sign was changed from circumcision to baptism (Col. 2:11-12). There was no indication, however, that the children of believers were now excluded from the covenant sign. Instead, a high proportion of the baptisms recorded in the New Testament were of households, pointing to the fact that God continued to deal with families, not just individuals, in His covenant. (For a fuller treatment of this subject, see Calvin’s Institutes, Book IV, chapter XVI, or John Murray’s Christian Baptism.)

Paragraph 5 of this chapter is responding to Roman Catholic teaching about baptism, which is found to some degree in Lutheran and Anglican doctrine. Since God has commanded the church to practice baptism, it is sinful to despise or neglect it. On the other hand, baptism does not in itself produce the new birth or salvation. Therefore, a person like the repentant thief on the cross, who had no opportunity to be baptized, was assured by Jesus that he would be in heaven (Luke 23:40-43). On the other hand, not everyone who receives baptism, whether adult or child, is born again. Baptism is only effective for those to whom God also grants the gift of true saving faith.

The efficacy (effectiveness) of baptism is the subject of paragraph 6: “By the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited and conferred by the Holy Ghost, to such…as that grace belongeth to.” (In this context, “exhibited” and “conferred” are synonyms.) The sacraments, including baptism, are means of grace. To understand this, however, we must remember the function of sacraments. They are for the confirmation and strengthening of faith in the Word. They do not operate in and of themselves, separately from the Word of God. Salvation comes from hearing and responding to the gospel. When a person has believed, then baptism has an impact in his or her experience, to give assurance of God’s grace.

This function of baptism is not restricted to the time when it is actually administered. For an adult believer, the experience of being baptized is remembered, and that memory serves to strengthen faith. One who has been baptized as an infant comes to know and understand that fact and its meaning through the reports of parents or others. Then the Lord uses the knowledge to draw the person to the Savior, or to confirm his relationship with Him. In either case, baptism operated through faith in the Savior and His Word.

Baptism signifies the work of the grace of God in our lives, which has a definite beginning. At a certain time, we are given new life by the effectual calling of the Spirit; we are justified once and for all by believing in Christ; we are united with Christ in a relationship that can never be broken. Since these things are true, the last paragraph of the chapter teaches that baptism is to be administered only once.

It seems appropriate to conclude our discussion of baptism by quoting Question 167 of the Larger Catechism: “How is our baptism to be improved by us?” (i.e., “How may we benefit from our baptism?”) “The…duty of improving our baptism, is to be performed…by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein; by being humbled for our sinful defilement;…by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin, and of all other blessing sealed to us in that sacrament; by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ, into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace; and by endeavouring to live by faith to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness, as those that have therein given up their names to Christ; and to walk in brotherly love, as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body.”