Views on Baptism Luther

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Commentary on Galatians, Gal 3:27
"This old man must be put off with all his works (Eph 4; Col 1)...This is NOT done by changing a garment, or by any laws or works, but BY A NEW BIRTH, and the renewing of the inward man, which is done IN BAPTISM, as Paul said: 'All you that are baptized, have put on Christ.' Also, 'According to His mercy has he saved us by the WASHING of the NEW BIRTH (regeneration), and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.' (Tit 3:5)"

"they who are baptized are regenerated and renewed by the Holy Spirit to a heavenly righteousness and to eternal life. There arises in them also a new light..."

"Therefore, the righteousness of the law, or of our own works, is not given to us in baptism, but Christ Himself is our garment...To be dressed with Christ...is [to be dressed] with REMISSION OF SINS, righteousness, peace, consolation, joy of spirit, SALVATION, LIFE, and Christ Himself.

"...a NEW BIRTH, which is wrought in baptism. ...you are clothed with a new garment: the righteousness of Christ. Therefore, baptism is a thing of GREAT FORCE AND EFFICACY."

It is perfectly clear from these words that Luther did NOT (unlike today's Evangelicals) believe that sins were remitted and entrance to Christ was gained by faith alone apart from baptism.

Table Talks, On Baptism,
#292 - "Heaven is given to me freely, for nothing. I have assurance of this confirmed to me by sealed covenants, that is, I am baptized, and regularly partake the scrament of the Lord's Supper. ...when I have the seal of baptism and the Lord's Supper prefixed to [the promise of the Father], then I am well provided for."

#301 - "When Jesus Christ directed his apostles to go and instruct and baptize all nations [Matt 28:19], he did not mean that children should be excluded. The apostles were to baptize all the Gentiles, young or old, great or small. The baptism of children is distinctly required in Mark 10:14, 'The kingdom of God is of little children.'"

#304 - "When, in a difficult birth, the arm or leg of the baby alone comes out, we must not baptize that limb, under the idea that thereby the infant can receive baptism. Still less can it be pretended that you baptize a child not yet come into the world, by pouring water on the mother. ...John clearly shows that such practises are prohibited by Scripture: 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God'. We must not, therefore, baptize a child until it has actually come into the world, whole and entire. ...If an infant...is so extremely weak and feeble that there is clear danger of its dying before it can be carried to the church, then the women present should baptize it themselves, in the usual way. ...baptism has in this way been administered to the child, 'from necessity'.

Like the AnteNicene Fathers and Augustine, but unlike Calvin, Luther also defined Jesus' "born of water" in John 3:5 to be a reference to baptism.

#305 - Someone sent to know if it was permissible to use warm water in baptism? Luther replied, "Tell the blockhead that water, warm or cold, is water."

#306 - In 1541, Menius asked Luther, in what way a Jew should be baptized? Luther replied, "You must fill a large tub with water and, having removed his clothes, cover him with a white garment. He must then sit down in the tub, and you must baptize him quite under the water..."

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