All Who Believe and Are Baptized
All who believe and are baptized
The hymn expresses the Lutheran understanding of baptism as God's covenant promise that unites faith and sacrament, assuring believers of their incorporation into Christ's death and resurrection. It embodies the forensic and transformative aspects of baptismal grace central to Lutheran sacramental theology.
History & Background
Written by Tobias Clausnitzer, a German Lutheran pastor, in 1663 as part of a larger baptismal hymn. The text was adapted into English and became widely used in Lutheran hymnals, appearing in TLH (1941), LBW (1978), and LSB (1941-1944).
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 437
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 194
- Lutheran Service Book — 601
- Lutheran Worship — 225
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 301
- Voices Together — 478
Translation
Benjamin Schmolck (English adaptation)
Bulletin Note
Written by Tobias Clausnitzer in 1663, this hymn embodies the Lutheran recovery of baptism as God's covenant word—uniting faith and sacrament in the assurance of death and resurrection with Christ.
Preaching Connection
This hymn proclaims how baptismal grace transforms the Law's demand for belief into the Gospel's gift of incorporation into Christ, making the sacrament itself a living seal of resurrection promise.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- The Definition & Command of Baptism Small Catechism — Holy Baptism
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Law to Gospel: from the demand of belief and baptism, through Christ's redemptive work and Spirit-empowered perseverance, to doxological assurance of eternal inheritance
Themes
Baptism and faith Promise and assurance Resurrection life Christian identity