Section A (Answer Q. 1. Approx. 1000 words.) 1. At the end of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus rises from the dead and commissions the apostles to spread the Good News. He says to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mk 16:15-16). These are strong words. Whatever else this passage tells us, it clearly states that baptism is essential for salvation and living the Christian life. (Ordinarily, this happens through sacramental baptism as in the case of Christians. According to Catholic theology, however, non-Christians can also be saved through a “baptism by desire.” In either case, baptism is necessary for salvation.) Indeed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission (CCC 1213). Drawing on Scripture and the themes and material delivered in ST 215, comment on this passage from the Catechism and answer the question: Why is baptism so important for being a Christian? In your answer, be sure to relate elements from this passage to different parts of the module: Christology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology. Don’t worry about the distinction between sacramental baptism and ‘baptism by desire’. The point of the question is for you to write about the sacrament in relation to Christ, the Church, and our final end. What are the effects of baptism and why is it so important? To answer this question, you have to think about the relationships between the themes of the module. How is Christ related to salvation? How is salvation related to the Church? How is the Church related to our final end? And finally, how is baptism related to all of these? Pick apart the Catechism passage quoted above and draw relationships between it and the themes in the module. A consideration of the following passages of Scripture can help: Rm 6:3ff.; Acts 2:37-38; 2 Cor 5:17; Col 2:12ff.