HC 73

Heidelberg Catechism

Q73. Why then does the Holy Spirit call baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins?

God speaks in this way for a good reason. He wants to teach us that the blood and Spirit of Christ remove our sins just as water takes away dirt from the body. But, even more important, He wants to assure us by this divine pledge and sign that we are as truly cleansed from our sins spiritually as we are bodily washed with water.

Proof texts

1 Cor. 6:11 — [11] And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Rev. 1:5 — [5] and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
Rev. 7:14 — [14] I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Mark 16:16 — [16] Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Acts 2:38 — [38] And 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.
Rom. 6:3-4 — [3] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Gal. 3:27 — [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

For discussion

The Assembly cited 1 Cor. 6:11 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
7 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
WSC Q88 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
WLC Q149 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WSC Q88 · WLC Q149 · WCF 27.1 · BC 8.1 · BC 8.2 · BC 8.3 · 1689 28.1