“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
Baptism is usually thought of as the first of sacraments of the Armenian Church, and it is through baptism that one is adopted and becomes a co-heir to the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Armenian Orthodox Church, along with many other Orthodox churches, do not follow the teaching of "original sin" and do not teach that through baptism one is cleansed and absolved of the “original sin”. Rather, the service represents Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and our adoption as children of God. The individual is immersed in sanctified water three times in the name of the Holy Trinity, which symbolizes the three days Christ lay in the tomb following the Crucifixion (Romans 6:4).
The ceremony of immersion is accompanied by the following prayer: “This ______(name)______ servant of God, coming from the state of catechumen to baptism, is being baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and, being expiated by the blood of Christ from the captivity of sin, receives the adoption of the Heavenly Father, becoming co-heir with Christ and a temple for the Holy Spirit.”
Also during the time of baptism, the individual is anointed with holy chrism (muron). This ceremony links the newly baptized to generations of faithful who have been baptized in the Armenian Church in the centuries past. At the conclusion of the service, the newly baptized individual receives his or her first Holy Communion. Thus, the newly baptized is fully prepared to take part in the life of the Church and the Orthodox Faith.
Christian parents are encouraged to baptize their children by the eighth day or up to the 40th day after birth. The godfather at the baptism must be a member of the Armenian Orthodox Church, and should not be a blood relative so that he can create a new spiritual relationship with his godchild. It is the godfather’s responsibility to oversee his godchild’s spiritual growth, for the godfather is entrusted with the responsibility of the child's soul.
If you have questions or would like to perform a service, please contact Fr. Ghevond.
