as a householder is to hold it up to his servants in a simple manner.
To the first.
What is baptism? Answer:
Baptism is not bad water alone, but it is the water set in God's commandment and connected to God's Word.
What then is such a word of God? Answer:
As our Lord Christ speaks Matthew in the last, "Go ye into all the world, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
On the other hand.
What does baptism give or benefit? Answer:
It works forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal bliss to all who believe; as the words and promise of God read.
What are such words and promise of God?
Response:
Since our Lord Christ speaks Marci at the last: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Third.
How can water do such great things? Answer:
Water, of course, does not do it, but the word of God, which is with and by the water, and faith, which trusts in such a word of God in the water; for without the word of God the water is bad water and no baptism, but with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a bath of the new birth in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says to Tito in Chapter 3: "Through the bath of regeneration and renewal, the water is a water of life and a bath of the new birth in the Holy Spirit.
of the Holy Spirit, which he hath poured out upon us richly through JESUS Christ our Savior, that we through the grace of the same might be justified, and be heirs of eternal life according to the hope." This is certainly true.
Fourth.
What does water baptism like this mean? Answer:
It means that the old Adam in us is to be drowned by daily repentance and
die with all sins and evil lusts, and again come forth daily and be raised a new man, living in righteousness and purity before God forever.
Where is that written? Answer:
St. Paul to the Romans on the 6th says: "We are buried in death together with Christ through baptism: that as Christ is raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life."