From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John

Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture

Jane Austen
(A Biography)

Solomon Among the Postmoderns

The Baptized Body

1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary

The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter

A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons

Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature

Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen

The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism

A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel

Against Christianity

From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution

Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy

Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper

A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament

Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature

Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays

Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life

The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church

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Theology - Liturgical: Baptism and salvation

Responding to Sinclair Ferguson’s defense of infant baptism in Baptism: Three Views, Anthony Lane attacks the use of “sign and seal” as the “controlling framework” for one’s theology of baptism.  He points out that for Ferguson the “proper” function of baptism is to “display and portray God’s grace,” and lists the pages where Ferguson talks about how baptism “points” and “symbolizes” and “signifies” and “proclaims.”  Lane charges: “This theme owes much to Reformed theology, little to the New Testament.”

Instead, Lane argues, “for the New Testament writers, the prime function of baptism is not to ‘portray’ grace but (together with faith) to receive it.”  He lists the key New Testament passages on baptism and points out the obvious: “These all portray baptism not as a symbol pointing to something but as having a role in the reception of salvation – not of course in opposition to faith but together with it.”

That’s easy for a Baptist (or a “dual-practice” advocate) like Lane to say.  It’s harder for a paedobaptist. But Lane is exactly correct, and defenses of infant baptism will not persuade Baptists until they convincingly account for what Lane calls “the instrumental role of baptism in receiving salvation.”