Much has been said about baptism in the two-thousand plus years of church history. There are many perspective whether Easter or Western, Paedo or Credo, immersion or christening, etc. My task here has less to do with the previous list, and more to do with baptisms role in the early church concerning salvation.
A Very Brief History and Introduction
Baptism in the Jewish world seems to very much related to the Mikvah, or purity bath that Jews would partake in before Sabbath, festival, or holy event. So, when John came baptizing it was not some new or unique rite that he created. It should also be noted that immersion, like in the Jewish Mikvah, was in preference though it was not an absolute necessity:
“And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whoever else can; but you shall order the baptized to fast one or two days before.” (Didache, section 7)[1]
So in summary: Baptism was done to believers and their children in the early church, preferably by immersion.
Baptism in the New Testament
In the NT there seems to be a very strong connection between baptism and salvation, ie more than just a sacrament after conversion.
1. With John, you have baptism involved in repentance and the forgiveness of sin.[2] 2. In Jesus’ baptism you have the giving of the Spirit, and his anointing as elect son, and king.[3] 3. In Acts you have baptism and repentance bringing about the liberating gift of the Holy Spirit, and the washing away of sins[4] 4. In Paul you have identification with Jesus’ death through baptism, and the promise of resurrection and life.[5] 5. And in Peter you have Baptism that saves you, and is the pledge of a good conscience toward God.
As you can see I have briefly went through a few of the NT text and we see that baptism: Is part of repentance, fills with the Spirit, anoints/elects, washes away sins, associates you with with Jesus’ death and resurrection, and it saves you. A straight forward reading of the text challenges many protestant positions on baptism, specifically Symbolism as the primary purpose of baptism.
Now that we have textual evidence that the early church might have viewed things differently, we could safely assume from the NT textual evidence that the Apostles taught some form of baptismal regeneration. But, many protestants cringe at this thought we must take it a step further and examine what the early Patristics thought about baptism.
The Ante-Nicene Fathers[6]
THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS (c. A.D. 70)
Now let us see if the Lord has been at any pains to give us a foreshadowing of the waters of Baptism and of the cross. Regarding the former, we have the evidence of Scripture that Israel would refuse to accept the washing which confers the remission of sins and would set up a substitution of their own instead [Jer 22:13; Isa 16:1-2; 33:16-18; Psalm 1:3-6]. Observe there how he describes both the water and the cross in the same figure. His meaning is, “Blessed are those who go down into the water with their hopes set on the cross.” Here he is saying that after we have stepped down into the water, burdened with sin and defilement, we come up out of it bearing fruit, with reverence in our hearts and the hope of Jesus in our souls. (11:1-10)
THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS (c. A.D. 140)
“I have heard, sir,” said I, “from some teachers, that there is no other repentance except that which took place when we went down into the water and obtained the remission of our former sins.” He said to me, “You have heard rightly, for so it is.” (The Shepherd 4:3:1-2)
They had need [the Shepherd said] to come up through the water, so that they might be made alive; for they could not otherwise enter into the kingdom of God, except by putting away the mortality of their former life. These also, then, who had fallen asleep, received the seal of the Son of God, and entered into the kingdom of God. For, [he said,] before a man bears the name of the Son of God, he is dead. But when he receives the seal, he puts mortality aside and again receives life. The seal, therefore, is the water. They go down into the water dead [in sin], and come out of it alive. (ibid 9:16:2-4)
ST. JUSTIN MARTYR (inter A.D. 148-155)
Whoever is convinced and believes that what they are taught and told by us is the truth, and professes to be able to live accordingly, is instructed to pray and to beseech God in fasting for the remission of their former sins, while we pray and fast with them. Then they are led by us to a place where there is water; and there they are reborn in the same kind of rebirth in which we ourselves were reborn: In the name of God, the Lord and Father of all, and of our Savior Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they receive the washing with water. For Christ said, “Unless you be reborn, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” …The reason for doing this, we have learned from the Apostles. (The First Apology 61)
ST. THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH (c. A.D. 181)
Moreover, those things which were created from the waters were blessed by God, so that this might also be a sign that men would at a future time receive repentance and remission of sins through water and the bath of regeneration — all who proceed to the truth and are born again and receive a blessing from God. (To Autolycus 2:16)
ST. IRENAEUS (c. A.D. 190)
“And [Naaman] dipped himself…seven times in the Jordan” [2 Kings 5:14]. It was not for nothing that Naaman of old, when suffering from leprosy, was purified upon his being baptized, but [this served] as an indication to us. For as we are lepers in sin, we are made clean, by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the Lord, from our old transgressions, being spiritually regenerated as new-born babes, even as the Lord has declared: “Except a man be born again through water and the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Fragment 34)
TERTULLIAN (inter A.D. 200-206)
A treatise on our sacrament of water, by which the sins of our earlier blindness are washed away and we are released for eternal life will not be superfluous…..taking away death by the washing away of sins. The guilt being removed, the penalty, of course, is also removed…..Baptism is itself a corporal act by which we are plunged in water, while its effect is spiritual, in that we are freed from sins. (On Baptism 1:1; 5:6; 7:2)
…no one can attain salvation without Baptism, especially in view of the declaration of the Lord, who says: “Unless a man shall be born of water, he shall not have life.” (On Baptism 12:1)
ST. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (ante A.D. 202)
When we are baptized, we are enlightened. Being enlightened, we are adopted as sons. Adopted as sons, we are made perfect. Made perfect, we become immortal….”and sons all of the Most High” [Psalm 82:6]. This work is variously called grace, illumination, perfection, and washing. It is a washing by which we are cleansed of sins; a gift of grace by which the punishments due our sins are remitted; an illumination by which we behold that holy light of salvation — that is, by which we see God clearly; and we call that perfection which leaves nothing lacking. Indeed, if a man know God, what more does he need? Certainly it were out of place to call that which is not complete a true gift of God’s grace. Because God is perfect, the gifts He bestows are perfect. (The Instructor of Children 1:6:26:1)
RECOGNITIONS OF CLEMENT (c. A.D. 221)
But you will perhaps say, “What does the baptism of water contribute toward the worship of God?” In the first place, because that which has pleased God is fulfilled. In the second place, because when you are regenerated and born again of water and of God, the frailty of your former birth, which you have through men, is cut off, and so …you shall be able to attain salvation; but otherwise it is impossible. For thus has the true Prophet [Jesus] testified to us with an oath: “Verily, I say to you, that unless a man is born again of water….he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Recognitions 6:9)
ST. CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE (c. 200 – 258 A.D.)
But afterwards, when the stain of my past life had been washed away by means of the water of re-birth, a light from above poured itself upon my chastened and now pure heart; afterwards through the Spirit which is breathed from heaven, a second birth made of me a new man… Thus it had to be acknowledged that what was of the earth and was born of the flesh and had lived submissive to sins, had now begun to be of God, inasmuch as the Holy Spirit was animating it. (To Donatus 4)
[When] they receive also the Baptism of the Church…then finally can they be fully sanctified and be the sons of God…since it is written, “Except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (Letters 71[72]:1)
[It] behooves those to be baptized…so that they are prepared, in the lawful and true and only Baptism of the holy Church, by divine regeneration, for the kingdom of God…because it is written, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (Letters 72[73]:21)
SEVENTH COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE (c. A.D. 256)
And in the gospel our Lord Jesus Christ spoke with his divine voice, saying, “Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” …Unless therefore they receive saving Baptism in the Catholic Church, which is one, they cannot be saved, but will be condemned with the carnal in the judgment of the Lord Christ.
Footnotes
1 Roberts-Donaldson English Translation of the Didache
2 Mark 1:4, Matt 3:11, and Luke 3:3
2 Matt 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-34
4 Acts 2:38, Acts 13:24, Acts 22:16
5 Romans 6:3-7, Col 2:12
6 Taken from a collection/essay: http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/num2.htm
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