Baptism Pre Constantine III

2 years ago
65

III. Acts Baptism

Pentecost Peter Acts 2:38
#1226 Indeed St. Peter declares to the crowd astounded by his preaching: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." The apostles and their collaborators offer Baptism to anyone who believed in Jesus: Jews, the God-fearing, pagans. Always, Baptism is seen as connected with faith: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household," St. Paul declared to his jailer in Philippi. And the narrative continues, the jailer "was baptized at once, with all his family."

Phillip baptizing of Ethiopian Eunuch Act 8:38

Peter baptizing the household of Cornelius after his vision of clean & unclean animals Acts 10:44-48

Households, confession of faith. Baptism & Confession both sacraments meant to keep us in state of grace.

Martin Luther or early Protestants did not get rid immediately infant baptism. Later derivations somehow move away from practice.

Baptism less associated with Christ and more like John the Baptist view. Outside purview of our timeline.

Mainline Protestantism maintain infant baptism.

IV. Paul’s theological perspective
1227 According to the Apostle Paul, the believer enters through Baptism into communion with Christ's death, is buried with him, and rises with him:

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

The baptized have "put on Christ." Through the Holy Spirit, Baptism is a bath that purifies, justifies, and sanctifies.

New-man
Death and resurrection with Christ.

Baptism of the apostles, is there a recounting? Assumption baptized by Christ. Refer to apocryphal texts. Silence presumes ascent.

V. A quote that I heartily agree with, “The early church was unanimous that we are saved by grace, through, faith, not by works. They were also unanimous in their belief that baptism was a work of God and that salvation occurs upon baptism–it is the point in time that a person is forgiven of their sins. Like I said in my response to your first question, this is the unanimous testimony of all early church fathers.
John Oakes
Ancient understanding.

VI Following the viewpoint where applicable of Patristic Fathers listed from our Eucharistic Studies
A. Clement of Rome (97)
Some use this text, take out of context, which is pretext. Clement does not mention baptism. He is rightly talking about Faith and the action of God, nothing about whether baptism is necessary or a ‘work’.
Clement of Rome (?-110), “And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Chapter 32).
Necessary requirements, no man save oneself. Baptism highlights, no man baptizes himself. Needs cooperation. God assure man in his humility lest he boast. No man can pardon own sins, go to another. Need male and female to bring forth new life, co-creator with God needs to be a he/she. Humility & certainty.

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