Baptism Quote by Hans Urs von Balthasar
“The Church does not dispense the sacrament of baptism in order to acquire for herself an increase in membership but in order to consecrate a human being to God and to communicate to that person the divine gift of birth from God.”
About This Quote
Source Theology: Theodramma, 1975
Baptism consecrates individuals, not merely grows church numbers.
In simple terms: Baptism is a divine gift.
Key Takeaway
Value personal transformation over statistics.
Themes
faith
sacraments
spiritual formation
community
Mood
reverent
thoughtful
Type
theological
inspirational
When to use this quote
- church rites
- personal counseling
- faith education
- spiritual direction
Key Concepts
theology
sacramental grace
human dignity
Questions to Reflect On
- How does baptism shape personal identity?
- What role should the church play in individual sanctification?
A Different Perspective
Institutional focus on numbers can dilute meaning.
![“The effect of this Sacrament [Baptism] is the remission of every sin, original and ac tual.” quote by Joseph Pohle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3ee/joseph-pohle-3769_sacrament_the-effect-of-this-sacrament-baptism-is_2490902.jpg)
![“The Church was redeemed at the price of Christ's blood. Jew or Greek, it makes no difference; but if he has believed, he must circumcise himself from his sins [in baptism (Col. 2:11-12)] so that he can be saved . . . for no one ascends into the kingdom of heaven except through the sacrament of…” quote by Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0f3/ambrose-9220_baptism_the-church-was-redeemed-at-the-price-of_2194608.jpg)
![“[Christ's] mission and work it is to help against sin and death, to justify and bring life. He has placed his help in baptism and the Sacrament [i.e., communion/Eucharist/Lord's supper], and incorporated it in the Word and preaching. To our eyes Baptism [capitalized in original] appears to be…” quote by Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1fc/martin-luther-106_air_christ-s-mission-and-work-it-is-to-help_2225886.jpg)
