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The Question Regarding Christening
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To address the question regarding ‘Christening,’ several areas will be looked at.
Is Christening the same as Baptism?
To answer the question directly, from a biblical and historical perspective, it is not. In true Christianity, Baptism is an initiation into the faith explicitly practiced at the very beginning of the early church. It was done so as instructed by Jesus Christ Himself[1] and conveyed by the Apostles. In the book of Acts 2:28-41, on the day of Pentecost, it is through the exhortations of St. Peter, that three thousand are added to the Christian community through baptism. One would be hard-pressed to find an overriding dictum from Jesus, the Apostles, or the early church recommending “Christening” or any other practice as a substitute or replacement for Baptism.
St. Peter says several things. He says to “repent” and be “baptized,” it is for “Forgiveness of sins,” it is done in order to “Save yourselves,” and it is part of God’s “Promise” for not only those present but their “Children” as well.
38 Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.39For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”40He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day. (Acts 2:38-41)
The notion of 'christening' comes about well over 1,500 years after this first Pentecost and after the onset of the Protestant Reformation. It is a byproduct of the disunity brought on by the Protestant false doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Christening comes from those who had issues with and took exception to the truth of the sacrament of baptism as taught by the church and rendered by the apostles concerning baptism.
Christening strays far from the mandate for baptism given by Jesus, preached and practiced by the Apostles, and promulgated by certain early church fathers during the first few centuries of Christianity. The idea of Christening is a way for some churches to somehow initiate new members into their church. It is more or less a welcoming into their church and a feel-good ceremony.
Ships are christened, not people!
Certain so-called Christian denominations teach an individual gets “christened” in the name of Jesus. This is not correct! They will lay claim to a person being set apart to follow Christ which is very close to a tenant taught about baptism but they use man-made reasoning to skirt the obvious. They will even try to site some bible passages claiming implicit support for their position, even though they are forgetting the primary one found in Matthew 28:18-20[1] which is explicit about baptism as being commanded by Jesus. Also consider Ephesians 4:3-6. [2]
As mentioned the idea of “Christening” people came over 1500 years after Jesus gave a very clear command to the apostles which they followed and that was to baptize in the ‘Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ All those centuries baptism was in place before certain 'Christian' churches started using the idea of christening. At its onset, said idea was applied only to sailing ships.
It is unfortunate for those church communities practicing christening to use it as a substitute for the baptism of infants and small children. Yet given the cited scripture passage above, Peter the Apostle says that baptism is for ”you and to your children.” There is nothing explicit or implicit in scripture allowing for anything separate like christening to be a substitute for baptism.
What are the roots of the idea of christening?
I find it ironic that many "non-denominational churches" who practice christening, will allege falsely that certain practices of the Catholic church are from pagan practices, or allege some Catholic dogmas come directly from the pagan Romans. With regards to the practices of christening done by certain non-denominational churches, as they say, "The proof is in the pudding." For you see the idea of Christening does not come from the Apostles or the early centuries of the church, but, it came from an old and very, very pagan Viking practice.
Christening, (except it wasn’t called ‘christening’) gets its beginning from the pagan Vikings as a practice where they used blood from an animal or human sacrifice to a pagan god. The blood was splashed onto their ships as an appeal to their pagan gods for a safe voyage. The practice continued for some centuries during he "Viking era." Later as the Nordic lands were Christianized the sacrifice aspect was discontinued, but the practice of ‘blessing a ship’ for a safe voyage continued. Instead of blood, red wine was used. Much later a white wine or champagne was used instead of red wine because of the known roots and the use of red wine was an affront to the Blood of Christ as offered in the Holy sacrifice of the Mass.
It is at this later point in time, it is referred to as a christening. Its emphasis was a way of blessing the ship and its use. Soon that changed just as a way to name or inaugurate ships. In essence, the idea of “a christening” came from a pagan tradition. Originally it was intended for ships and was never intended for people or as substitute for baptism.
So when it comes to christening, who are the ones following a practice stemming from pagan roots and a manmade tradition?
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Matt 18-20 : 18 Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.* And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”Ephesians 4:3-6: 3 striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:4one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call;5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
What about Dedications?
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What about Dedications?
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The notion of dedication or being dedicated into or by a church is another man-made tradition not found explicitly in the Bible (At least as it concerns a substitute for infant baptism) which is used by "non-denominational churches” to skirt around the idea of infant baptism or baptism of small children, or baptism altogether.
It is not dark in its inception as "christening" but equally misses the mark of having a biblical and historical perspective. Perhaps the word is spreading amongst these churches about “Christening’s pagan roots.” So now something different needs to be invented, instead of the Christ-given mandate to Baptize. There is no authoritative directive coming from Christ Himself or the Church regarding “Dedications.” This practice is not found within the centuries referred to as “The early Church.”
Like christening, the idea of dedicating strays far from the sacrament of baptism as commanded by Christ, given by the Apostles, promulgated by certain early church fathers and used in the church during those centuries up to modern days.
The idea of dedicating is a way for some churches to somehow establish that the parents or undergoing to raise their child in Christ. It is a nice thought, but it all is more or less a feel-good ceremony. Interestingly, in the full baptism rite (Citing the Catholic Baptism as an example) the parents and godparents of an infant or child openly state their intention to raise their child in the light of Christ.
Proponents of the practice of "dedication" will quote from Romans chapter 12 where St. Paul is telling the Christians of Rome to be "Dedicated." They use this as their basis to "Dedicate" infants and not baptize them. St. Paul in Romans 12 does not explicitly nor implicitly suggest this to be a manmade “dedication” process as a replacement for baptism for infants and small children. In Romans 12 Paul is speaking to those already “Baptized” into the church, and wants to assert the idea to be dedicated to following Christ. Also, consider what St. Paul says in Ephesians 4:3-6.
The use of this passage in Romans to support the idea of "dedicating infants" is taken so far out of context it just isn't funny. Romans 12 refers to being dedicated (committed practice) to a way of life as a Christian. In other words, once baptized you must remain a committed Christian. In a similar way, how the word would be used today to express someone's wholehearted commitment to a cause or their job, or even their convictions in faith. The word dedicated and its use has nothing to do with an initiation into Christianity.
The only time "Dedication" is used as a way to set something apart for the purpose of serving God, is found in the Old Testament. And it was usually buildings that were dedicated. In the Old Testament’s feast of Dedication (referred to today as Hanukah). This feast applied to the Temple (a place, a building) being set apart for the worship of God. Therefore, buildings are dedicated not people.
Different cultures in the past and present would dedicate buildings. In today's secular world, there is the concept of building dedications. For example, a public library, theater, or public office building may not necessarily be dedicated to the purposes of God.
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