baptism and forgiveness with EIS

LNJVO@cc.newcastle.edu.au
Sun, 26 May 1996 09:05:59 +1000

I've been reading with interest the discussion on EIS, forgiveness, and
baptism. I first came across this debate in New York some twenty years ago.
There seem to be good christian scholars--Baptists included--on either side
of the debate. Could black and white thinking be a partial cause of the
problem? Could it be that the different proponents are looking at proof,
should there be such a thing, rather than evidence? And let's face it,
it is obvious from the b-greek discussions, to say the least, that there
are weighty evidences on both sides of the issue--could there perhaps
be a third position?

As was suggested by one contributor, I see the value of checking EIS
against the totality of its usages in all of the Greek classical and
Hellenistic literature. That would certainly give a better balanced
view it would seem.

According to Liddell and Scott at least EIS has a wide range of reference
and can thus focus on purpose or goal as well as relation--in regard to,
with respect to, etc. Hence, as has been shown on b-greek, EIS can refer to
baptism in the setting of what has already happened and as a public witness
to the same. Furthermore, there are also reference to forgiveness without
mention of baptism. And of course, there is also the case for baptism for
the purpose of obtaining forgiveness. I sometimes wonder about the case
of those who have not been able to be baptised, for health reasons, or on
the occasion of a death-bed experience.

I guess what I'm saying is that with reference to either Greek or theology
I have no problems either way--and neither am I alone in such a conclusion.
I have no problems either way--and neither am I alone in such a conclusion.anÀ