Hi Diedre, I am one of your fans. I did not want to enter into this thread other than to make a single, quick, historical observation.
My native church as a youth was actually a wonderful experience, partly due to it’s simplicity because we knew so little about any principles beyond the most basic principles of interacting with one another. However, in hindsight, we were also quite naïve to historical realities.
My Pastor would admit before the congregation that he did not know if baptism was needed or not but that he, himself, did believe in “tubbing” and occasionally, in a service, would invite any with interest to be “baptized” by him. “Tubbing” was a euphamism for baptism...a subtle reminder that it wasn’t “quite” the real thing. The Pastor meant well, and was trying to serve members who believed baptism was important, while not offending others who didn’t believe it was necessary. In this "Church of the In Between", our baptismal services were, after all was said and done, a “monkey see (i.e. read), monkey do” display, done as a naive attempt to do what the congregation had read in the bible that real Christians used to do. Gone was the real and authorized ordinance; the original replaced by a re-enactment of the real thing. There was no concrete and authentic covenant made to God in the process of “tubbing”. I doubt most of the congregation had the faintest idea of the nature of the ancient baptismal covenant (or “seal” as the early christians called it), nor it’s relationship to the atonement. The Pastor did not know, and what he did not know, he could not teach anyone else.
If the earliest Christian “seal” (covenant) of baptism has evolved into a mere “caricature” of or counterfeit of the original, this is not the first time the ordinances evolved in that way. In early textual traditions, Moses complained that the “Boundary shifters” among Israel would change the very ordinances and doctrines he gave them (and he’s saying this on the same day he is giving them), is confirmed by Barnabas as he tells the ancient Saints : “concerning the water (baptism), it is written with reference to Israel that they would never accept the baptism that brings forgiveness of sins, but would create a substitute for themselves” (Bar 11:1)
I am not faulting them in their desires to imitate the real thing. “Churches of the In Between”, are left to attempt (often with the very best intentions) to re-enact the ordinances, but there is no authorization for the ordinances. There is little underlying genuine understanding as to what might be happening in these re-enactments of ordinances. Such counterfeit ordinance are NOT usually meant to mock the real thing, but are simply the best that can be done by an organization that has no authority, nor prophetic guidance, yet they read that such things were done by early Christians. What are they to do but attempt to imitate?
The Christianities today who know longer understand the original import and essence of Baptism, are simply caught in the same process as Israel and as the Galatians and other Christian forefathers in the loss of, and evolution of, important traditions. The Catechumens (or early converts to Christianity) were supposed to be taught many things BEFORE baptism :
“Let the one who is to be instructed in piety be taught before baptism: knowledge concerning the unbegotten God, understanding concerning the only begotten son, and full assurance concerning the Holy spirit. 2 Let him learn the order of a distinguished creation, the sequence of providence, the judgment seats of different legislation, why the world came to be and why man was appointed a world citizen. 3 Let him understand his own nature, of what sort it is. Let him be educated in how God punished the wicked...5 And how God, though he foresaw, did not abandon the race of men, but summoned them at various times from error and folly into the understanding of truth....6 Let the one who offers himself learn during his instruction these things and those that are related to them. (Hellenistic Synagogal Prayers - # 8 Instruction for the Catechumens - AposCon 7.39.2-4)
The import of having such knowledge before baptism was partly because, to these Christians, baptism represented a covenant made with God and one was to know the choice and commitment one was making before making the covenant associated with baptism.
BAPTISM WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY TO THESE ANCIENT CHRISTIANITIES
Early Christianity taught that “Baptism is a great thing, ...Because if people receive it they will live” (The gospel of Phillip). In his vision of the church as a Tower built upon a lake of water, Hermas asks the angel, “Why is the tower built upon water, madam?”, the angel replies “it is because your life was saved and will be saved through water.” (Her 11:5) This descent into the water of Baptism, was associated with a great blessing and thus it was taught:
“ blessed are those who, having set their hope on the cross, descended into the water, because he speaks of the reward “in it’s season” (Barnabas 11:8)
Barnabas explained one meaning underlying this scriptural symbolism :
“By this he means that while we descend into the water laden with sins and dirt, we rise up bearing fruit in our heart and with fear and hope in Jesus in our spirits.” (Bar 11:11).
The increase in hope was connected to the promise and covenant within the ordinance.
Because it was a covenant, it was offered only to those who were WILLING and WANTING (and thus “worthy”) to make such a the covenant. Thus the officer of the guard, Annaias “being learned in the law, came to know our Lord Jesus Christ from the sacred scriptures, which I approached with faith” could claim he “Was accounted worthy of holy baptism”. (The Gospel of Nicodemus - Prologue)
TO THESE ANCIENT CHRISTIANS, BAPTISM WAS A SYMBOL OF A COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND MANKIND
Just as a seal was a symbolic “Hallmark” or sign that authenticated, confirmed, or attested to a thing, Baptism was seen as a similar symbol :
“For before a man,” he said, “bears the name of the Son of God, he is dead, but when he receives the seal, he lays aside his deadness and receives life. The seal, therefore, is the water; so they go down into the water dead and they come up alive. Thus this seal was proclaimed to them as well, and they made use of it in order that they might enter the kingdom of God.” ( Her 93:34)
Though baptism was a physical ritual, the ritual was simply a symbol of a spiritual reality. The critical thing that was happening was invisible. The covenant itself was NOT the physical ordinance, but rather it was the internal commitment and changing of the heart of the person. The physical ordinance is merely a sign that a covenant was made. Though the physical ritual was imitated repeatedly by later Christian counterfeits, the actual covenant that took place within the heart; the authority to perform the ordinance; and the associated internal conditions could not (and still cannot) BE imitated nor counterfeited. The commandments and the ordinances of the Lord were always “written on the tablets of your hearts” (I Clement 2:8) and, the Lord knows our hearts....
AUTHENTIC BAPTISM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH AUTHENTIC REPENTANCE
In this authentic covenant, one might claim : “And he shall wash my soul with a laving from the land, And he shall raise me on wings upwards to dwellings. And shall set me in the treasure-house of the Father, where no thieves shall loiter.” (Govishn Ig Griv Zindag)
However, Christian counterfeiters became willing to baptize those unfit and unwilling as though God could be fooled into giving the Gift of the Holy Ghost to those who were simply “made wet”. They did not commit to have FAITH, to become HUMBLE and importantly, to REPENT of their sins before authentic baptism. The authentic promise was made : “in the TRUTH of Your covenant…to cleanse ONESELF from uncleanness…and THEN he shall enter the water (BAPTISMAL LITURGY 4Q414) The counterfeiters lacked faith, repentance and sincerity, yet still complained (both then and now) when they have no holy Ghost.
If the convert did not uphold his side of the covenant of Baptism by humility and authentic repentance before undergoing the ordinance of baptism, then the Lord was under no obligation to uphold his side of the covenant of cleansing and bestowal of the Holy Spirit. The sequence was very important in this case (and in other cases).
“ and there are the two commandments: Unless they are performed in proper sequence they leave one open to the greatest sin. It is the same with the other commandments. (Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs - Napthali 8:9)
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