Baptism

On Script has a good interview with Alan Street about his book called Caesar and the Sacrament.

Alan Street explains that the word sacramentum was the oath of loyalty of a Roman soldier. He pledged allegiance to Caesar unto death. Christians borrowed the term and applied it to baptism.

Baptism was an act of resistance. Not overthrowing the Roman government by violence, but saying that I am giving my allegiance to the Kingdom of God and therefore resisting Rome’s agenda.

Baptism is a political act, not just a spiritual once. By making baptism a religious rite, we have devalued it.

This interview is worth a listen. The message is a good companion to Mathew Bates Gospel Allegiance.