WHY IS BAPTISM IMPORTANT

The short answer – because Jesus commands it. Jesus Himself was baptized. Matthew 28:16-20 “Go make disciples of all the world, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them all things I have commanded you.” Baptism is mentioned 92 times, and in almost every book of the New Testament. In the book of Acts, we see that every conversation experience was accompanied by a baptism. Acts 22:16 And now why do you delay? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name. Other accounts of baptisms are: Acts 2:38, 41, Acts 8:36–38, Acts 9:18, Acts 10:46–48, Acts 16:14–15, Acts 16:33, Acts 18:8, Acts 19:5-6. Faith in Christ and baptism seemed to be the established (normative) way of becoming a Christian in the New Testament and early church.

The church of the first three centuries, wrote prolifically about the importance of baptism. They believed baptism brought about regeneration (the new birth) Cf. John 3:3-5. This was the prevailing view of the entire church begining with the disciples of the apostles – through the 16th century, even among the reformers Luther, Calvin, and Wesley. Granted we don’t know the exact context in which they spoke about regeneration; we can at least deduce and generalize, they thought it was of paramount importance!

Whatever your view is on baptism, let’s set aside the debate. The Bible says: get baptized! Even if you get baptized in a hot-tub, swimming pool, or sprinkled in someone’s home by a few Christian friends. Just do it, make haste! Let’s quickly review the primary views of baptism.

1. BAPTISMAL REGENERATION – NECESSARY FOR SALVATION

All of the church leaders up to the 16th century; many of whom were disciples of the apostles, believed that baptism is essential for salvation; and have written in support of this view. This is the view of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Lutheran churches; The Reformers, Martin Luther and John Wesley also held this view. Those who hold this view teach that the communicant is born-again in baptism Cf. John 3:5, and receives forgiveness from original sin. This doesn’t guarantee them Heaven, as they must still receive Christ through faith, once they come of age. This view also teaches that salvation is conditioned on remaining faithful; for those who endure to the end shall be saved.

2. COVENANT BAPTISM – RITE OF PASSAGE

The Mosaic Covenant had the sign of circumcision which was performed on infant males. This was a rite of passage, in that they were included in the covenant that the Lord made with Israel; and therefore, partook in the blessings and protection of the Lord. The Swiss Reformer John Calvin taught that baptism was a covenant sign, a means of grace, and brought about regeneration. Many Reformed and Presbyterian Churches believe that baptism replaced circumcision (but not regeneration); therefore, they practice infant baptism for the same reasons. Once the communicant is of age, they must still place faith in Christ. The Catholic & Orthodox Churches also share a bit of this covenant view in their rites of baptism.

3. NECESSARY FOR REGENERATION

Some Protestant Churches such as the Church of Christ, teach that baptism is essential for salvation, baptism is an act of faith, whereby one enters into a covenant with God, and they are regenerated. Only those who have reached an age of reason, and have made a decision for Christ may be baptized. They don’t adhere to the doctrine of original sin.

4. SYMBOLIC – PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Most Evangelical Churches practice this form of baptism; this was the view of the Anabaptists of the 16th century. They teach that baptism is for believers, those who have already been born-again, by praying something like a sinner’s prayer. Baptism is a public testimony of what God has already done in their soul; an outward sign of an inward grace. They don’t believe in a covenant sign or regeneration of the communicant. These churches often have baby dedication ceremonies instead of infant baptisms, very similar to the Covenant view. Many of these churches will have the recipient recite their testimony of conversion in front of the entire congregation; as a public confession of faith, just prior to going down into the water.

APPENDIX – EARLY CHURCH FATHERS – QUOTES

Click here to view a flowchart of the Church Fathers and their relationships with the apostles.

35-101 AD CLEMENT OF ROME a disciple of the Apostles Paul and Peter “For if we do the will of Christ, we shall find rest; otherwise, nothing shall deliver us from eternal punishment, if we disobey His commandments. For thus also says the Scripture in Ezekiel, If Noah, Job, and Daniel should rise up, they should not deliver their children in captivity. Now, if men so eminently righteous are not able by their righteousness to deliver their children, how can we hope to enter into the royal residence of God unless we keep our baptism holy and undefiled? Or who shall be our advocate, unless we be found possessed of works of holiness and righteousness?” (First Epistle of Clement)

?-250 AD IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH a disciple of the Apostle John “Let none of you turn deserter. Let your baptism be your armor; your faith, your helmet; your love, your spear; your patient endurance, your panoply” (Letter to Polycarp 6).

?-80 AD HERMAS read in most congregations and included in the earliest canon of scripture “‘I have heard, sir,’ said I, ‘from some teacher, 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)

?-145 AD BARNABAS “Regarding [baptism], 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; Is. 16:1 Letter of Barnabas 11:1)

110-165 AD JUSTIN MARTYR “The “Constitutions of the Holy Apostles” also refer to John 3:5. There, the one who refuses to be baptized is to be condemned as an unbeliever, partially on the basis of what Jesus told Nicodemus … “He that, out of contempt, will not be baptized, shall be condemned as an unbeliever, and shall be reproached as ungrateful and foolish. For the Lord says: ‘Except a man be baptized of water and of the Spirit, he shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ And again: ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned.'” (Justin Martyr “Constitutions of the Holy Apostles,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 7, pg. 456-457.)

110-165 AD JUSTIN MARTYR “There is no other way [to obtain God’s promises] than this-to become acquainted with Christ, to be washed in the fountain spoken of by Isaiah for the remission of sins, and for the remainder, to live sinless lives.” (Justin Martyr, Trypho chap. 44)

110-165 AD JUSTIN MARTYR “Those who are convinced that what we teach is true and who desire to live accordingly are instructed to fast and to pray to God for the remission of all their past sins. We also pray and fast with them. Then we bring them to a place where there is water, and they are regenerated in the same manner in which we ourselves were regenerated. They then receive the washing with water in the name of God (the Father and Lord of the universe) and of our Savior Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. For Christ said, ‘Unless you are born again, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven”‘ [John 3:5]. (Justin First Apology chant 61)

115-188 AD THEOPHILUS “On the fifth day the living creatures which proceed from the waters were produced, through which also is revealed the manifold wisdom of God in these things; for who could count their multitude and various kinds? Moreover, the things proceeding from the waters were blessed by God, that this also might be a sign of men’s being destined to receive repentance and remission of sins, through the water and laver of regeneration, as many as come to the truth, and are born again, and receive blessing from God.” (Theophilus, “To Autolycus,”, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2, pg. 101)

115-188 AD THEOPHILIS “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 12:16).

120-205 AD IRENAEUS a disciple of Polycarp (a disciple of John) “As we are lepers in sin, we are made clean from our old transgressions by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the Lord. We are thus spiritually regenerated as newborn infants, 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.'” Irenaeus, “Fragments From Lost Writings”, no. 34, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, pg. 574)

120-205 AD IRENAEUS a disciple of Polycarp (a disciple of John) “This class of men have been instigated by Satan to a denial of that baptism which is regeneration to God, and thus to a renunciation of the whole faith.” (Against Heresies, bk. 1, chap. 21, sec. 1, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, pg. 345.)

120-205 AD IRENAEUS a disciple of Polycarp (a disciple of John) “`And [Naaman] dipped himself … seven times in the Jordan’ [2 Kgs. 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).

150-200 AD CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA “Being baptized, we are illuminated; illuminated, we become sons; being made sons, we are made perfect; being made perfect, we are made immortal … This work is variously called grace, and illumination, and perfection, and washing. Washing, by which we cleanse away our sins; grace, by which the penalties accruing to transgressions are remitted; and illumination, by which that holy light of salvation is beheld, that is, by which we see God clearly.” (Clement of Alexandria, “The Instructor,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2, pg. 215)

150-200 AD CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA “This work is variously called grace, and illumination, and perfection, and washing. Washing, by which we cleanse away our sins. Grace, by which the penalties of our sins are canceled. And illumination, by which that holy light of salvation is beheld, that is, by which we see God clearly.” (Clement Instructor bk. 1, chap. 6)

150-200 AD CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA “We are washed from all our sins, and are no longer entangled in evil. This is the one grace of illumination, that our characters are not the same as before our washing… In the same way, therefore, we also, repenting of our sins, renouncing our iniquities, purified by baptism, speed back to the eternal light, children to the Father.” (Clement of Alexandria, “The Instructor,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2, pg. 216-217.)

140-203 AD TERTULLIAN “[N]o 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'” (Baptism 12:1).

140-230 AD TERTULLIAN “The prescript is laid down that ‘without baptism, salvation is attainable by none’ chiefly on the ground of that declaration of the Lord, who says, ‘Unless one be born of water, he hath not life.'” (On Baptism, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3, pg. 674-675)

140-230 AD TERTULLIAN “After the world had been hereupon set in order through its elements, when inhabitants were given it, ‘the waters’ were the first to receive the precept ‘to bring forth living creatures.’ Water was the first to produce that which had life, that it might be no wonder in baptism if waters know how to give life.” (Tertullian, “On Baptism,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3, page 670)

215 AD HIPPOLYTUS “And the bishop shall lay his hand upon them [the newly baptized], invoking and saying: ‘O Lord God, who did count these worthy of deserving the forgiveness of sins by the laver of regeneration, make them worthy to be filled with your Holy Spirit and send upon them thy grace [in confirmation], that they may serve you according to your will” (The Apostolic Tradition 22:1).

215 AD HIPPOLYTUS “The Father of immortality sent the immortal Son and Word into the world, who came to man in order to wash him with water and the Spirit; and He, begetting us again to incorruption of soul and body, breathed into us the Spirit of life, and endued us with an incorruptible panoply. If, therefore, man has become immortal, he will also be God. And if he is made God by water and the Holy Spirit after the regeneration of the laver, he is found to be also joint-heir with Christ after the resurrection from the dead. Wherefore I preach to this effect: Come, all ye kindreds of the nations, to the immortality of the baptism” (Discourse on the Holy Theophany 8).

248 AD ORIGEN OF ALEXANDRIA”The Church received from the apostles the tradition of giving baptism even to infants. For the apostles, to whom were committed the secrets of divine mysteries, knew that there is in everyone the innate stains of sin, which are washed away through water and the Spirit” (Commentaries on Romans 5:9).

248 AD ORIGEN OF ALEXANDRIA”“Formerly there was baptism in an obscure way … now, however, in full view, there is regeneration in water and in the Holy Spirit. Formerly, in an obscure way, there was manna for food; now, however, in full view, there is the true food, the flesh of the Word of God, as he himself says: ‘My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink’ (John 6:56) (Homilies on Numbers 7:2)

200-253 AD CYPRIAN: “[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).

256 AD CYPRIAN: “[I]t 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'” (72[73]:21).

200-258 AD CYPRIAN “But if the baptism of heretics can have the regeneration of the second birth, those who are baptized among them must be counted not heretics, but children of God. For the second birth, which occurs in baptism, begets sons of God.” (Cyprian, “The Epistles of Cyprian,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5, pg. 393)

200-258 AD CYPRIAN “For he who has been sanctified, his sins being put away in baptism, and has been spiritually re-formed into a new man, has become fitted for receiving the Holy Spirit; since the apostle says, ‘As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.’ (Cyprian, “The Epistles of Cyprian,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5, pg. 387-388)

200-258 AD COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE “Nicomedes of Segermae said: My opinion is this, that heretics coming to the Church should be baptized, for the reason that among sinners without they can obtain no remission of sins. (“The Seventh Council of Carthage Under Cyprian,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5, pg. 567)

200-258 AD COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE “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 Universal Church, which is one, they cannot be saved, but will be condemned with the carnal in the judgment of the Lord Christ” (VII Carthage).

345 AD CYRIL “The Lord… has granted repentance at Baptism, in order that we may cast off the chief – nay rather the whole burden of our sins, and having received the seal by the Holy Ghost, may be made heirs of eternal life.” (Cyril of Jerusalem, “On Baptism,” Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. 7, pg. 16)

345 AD CYRIL “When going down, therefore, into the water, think not of the bare element, but look for salvation by the power of the Holy Ghost: for without both thou canst not possibly be made perfect. It is not I that say this, but the Lord Jesus Christ, who has the power in this matter: for He saith, ‘Except a man be born anew’ (and he adds the words) ‘of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ Neither doth he that is baptized with water, but not found worthy of the Spirit, receive the grace in perfection. Nor if a man be virtuous in his deeds, but receive not the seal by water, shall he enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Cyril of Jerusalem, “Catechetical Lectures,” Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. 7, pg. 15.)

350 AD CYRIL “If any man does not receive baptism, he does not have salvation. The only exception is the martyrs, who, even without water, will receive baptism, for the Savior calls martyrdom a baptism [Mark 10:38]… Bearing your sins, you go down into the water; but the calling down of grace seals your soul and does not permit that you afterwards be swallowed up by the fearsome dragon. You go down dead in your sins, and you come up made alive in righteousness” (Catechetical Lectures 3:10, 12).

360 AD ATHANASIUS “[A]s we are all from earth and die in Adam, so being regenerated from above of water and Spirit, in the Christ we are all quickened” (Four Discourses Against the Arians 3:26[33]).

375 AD BASIL THE GREAT “This then is what it means to be `born again of water and Spirit’: Just as our dying is affected in the water [Rom. 6:3, Col. 2:12-13], our living is wrought through the Spirit. In three immersions and an equal number of invocations the great mystery of baptism is completed in such a way that the type of death may be shown figuratively, and that by the handing on of divine knowledge the souls of the baptized may be illuminated. If, therefore, there is any grace in the water, it is not from the nature of water, but from the Spirit’s presence there” (The Holy Spirit, 15:35).

379 AD BASIL THE GREAT “For prisoners, baptism is ransom, forgiveness of debts, the death of sin, regeneration of the soul, a resplendent garment, an unbreakable seal, a chariot to heaven, a royal protector, a gift of adoption” (Sermons on Moral and Practical Subjects 13:5).

381 AD AMBROSE OF MILAN “The Church was redeemed at the price of Christ’s blood. Jew or Greek, it makes no difference; but if he has believed, he must circumcise himself from his sins [in baptism (Col. 2:11-12)] so that he can be saved … for no one ascends into the kingdom of heaven except through the sacrament of baptism … `Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God'” (Abraham 2:11:79-84).

381 AD AMBROSE OF MILAN “You have read, therefore, that the three witnesses in baptism are one: water, blood, and the Spirit (1 John 5:8): And if you withdraw any one of these, the sacrament of baptism is not valid. For what is the water without the cross of Christ? A common element with no sacramental effect. Nor on the other hand is there any mystery of regeneration without water, for `unless a man be born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God'” (The Mysteries 4:20).

381 AD COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE “We believe … in one baptism for the remission of sins” (Nicene Creed).

382 AD GREGORY OF NYSSA “[In] the birth by water and the Spirit, [Jesus] himself led the way in this birth, drawing down upon the water, by his own baptism, the Holy Spirit; so that in all things he became the first-born of those who are spiritually born again, and gave the name of brethren to those who partook in a birth like to his own by water and the Spirit” (Against Eunomius 2:8).

387 AD JOHN CHRYSOSTOM “[N]o one can enter into the kingdom of Heaven except he be regenerate through water and the Spirit, and he who does not eat the flesh of the Lord and drink His blood is excluded from eternal life, and if all these things are accomplished only by means of those holy hands, I mean the hands of the priest, how will anyone, without these, be able to escape the fire of hell, or to win those crowns which are reserved for the victorious? These [priests] truly are they who are entrusted with the pangs of spiritual travail and the birth which comes through baptism: by their means we put on Christ, and are buried with the Son of God, and become members of that blessed Head” (The Priesthood 3:5-6).

390 AD JOHN CHRYSOSTOM “In the Law, he that hath sin is punished; here, he that hath sins cometh and is baptized and is made righteous, and being made righteous, he liveth, being delivered from the death of sin … For in Baptism the sins are buried, the former things are blotted out, the man is made alive, the entire grace written upon his heart as it were a table.” (John Crysostom, “Homilies on Second Corinthians,” 390 AD, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. 12, pg. 307)

388 AD GREGORY NAZIAN “Such is the grace and power of baptism; not an overwhelming of the world as of old, but a purification of the sins of each individual, and a complete cleansing from all the bruises and stains of sin. And since we are double-made, I mean of body and soul, and the one part is visible, the other invisible, so the cleansing also is twofold, by water and the spirit; the one received visibly in the body, the other concurring with it invisibly and apart from the body; the one typical, the other real and cleansing the depths” (Oration on Holy Baptism 7-8).

400 AD THE APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTIONS “Be ye likewise contented with one baptism alone, that which is into the death of the Lord [Rom. 6:3, Col. 2:12-13] … [H]e that out of contempt will not be baptized shall be condemned as an unbeliever and shall be reproached as ungrateful and foolish. For the Lord says, `Except a man be baptized of water and of the Spirit, he shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ And again, `He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be damned'” [Mark 16:16] (Apostolic Constitutions 6:3:15).

419 AD AUGUSTINE “Those who, though they have not received the washing of regeneration, die for the confession of Christ–it avails them just as much for the forgiveness of their sins as if they had been washed in the sacred fount of baptism. For he that said, `If anyone is not reborn of water and the Spirit, he will not enter the kingdom of heaven,’ made an exception for them in that other statement in which he says no less generally, `Whoever confesses me before men, I too will confess him before my Father, who is in heaven'” [Matt. 10:32] (The City of God 13:7).

WHY IS BAPTISM IMPORTANT

The short answer – because Jesus commands it. Jesus himself was baptized. Matthew 28:16-20 “Go make disciples of all the world, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them all things I have commanded you.” It seems as though many church leaders today, don’t consider baptism to be important; despite it being mentioned 92 times, and in almost every book of the New Testament? I know many who profess Christ, and waited years to get baptized, probably because they never heard a sense of urgency from the pulpit! The Apostles and the early church definately saw an urgency for baptism; as though baptism and salvation go hand-in-hand.

In the book of Acts, we see that every conversation experience was accompanied with baptism. Acts 22:16 And now why do you delay? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name. Other accounts of baptisms are: Acts 2:38, 41, Acts 8:36–38, Acts 9:18, Acts 10:46–48, Acts 16:14–15, Acts 16:33, Acts 18:8, Acts 19:5-6. A profession of faith and baptism, seemed to be the established way of becoming a Christian in the New Testament and early church.

The church of the first three centuries, wrote prolifically about the necessity of baptism for salvation; they believed that baptism brought about regeneration (the new birth) Cf. John 3:3-5. This was the prevailing view of the church (even among Luther, Calvin, and Wesley) through the 16th century.

The testimony of the early Church Fathers are important, due to their closeness in time and relationship to the apostles (some were disciples of John and Peter). We’ve accepted their authority in determining which books make up the New Testament, and their doctrines of: the divinity of Christ, trinity, christology, etc.; all of which both Protestants and Catholics have stood on through the ages. For these reasons; I think we ought to hear what they had to say about baptism. (See their writings in the appendix)

At the end of the day – whatever your view on the efficacy of baptism; let’s set aside the debate. God said get baptized! Even if you get baptized in a hot-tub, swimming pool, or sprinkled in someone’s home by a few Christian friends. Just do it, make haste! Let’s quickly review the primary views of baptism.

1. BAPTISMAL REGENERATION – NECESSARY FOR SALVATION

All of the church leaders up to the 16th century; many of whom were disciples of the apostles and were martyrs, believed that baptism is essential for salvation. Barnabas, 70 AD, Clement of Rome 101 AD, Hermas 140 AD, Theophilus 181 AD, Justin Martyr 148 AD, Irenaeus 190 AD, Tertullian 200 AD, Clement of Alexandria 202 AD, Origin 248 AD, Cyprian 258 AD, Augustine 419 AD (just to mention a few); have written in support of this view.

This is the view of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Lutheran churches; The Reformers, Martin Luther and John Wesley also held this view. Those who hold this view teach that the communicant is born-again in baptism Cf. John 3:5, and receives forgiveness from original sin. This doesn’t guarantee them Heaven, as they must still receive Christ through faith, once they come of age. This view also teaches that salvation is conditioned on remaining faithful; for those who endure to the end shall be saved.

2. COVENANT BAPTISM – RITE OF PASSAGE

The Mosaic Covenant had the sign of circumcision which was performed on infant males. This was a rite of passage, in that they were included in the covenant that the Lord made with Israel; and therefore, partook in the blessings and protection of the Lord. The Swiss Reformer John Calvin taught that baptism was a covenant sign, a means of grace, and brought about regeneration. Many Reformed and Presbyterian Churches believe that baptism replaced circumcision (but not regeneration); therefore, they practice infant baptism for the same reasons. Once the communicant is of age, they must still place faith in Christ. The Catholic & Orthodox Churches also share a bit of this covenant view in their rites of baptism.

3. NECESSARY FOR REGENERATION

Some Protestant Churches such as the Church of Christ, teach that baptism is essential for salvation, baptism is an act of faith, whereby one enters into a covenant with God, and they are regenerated. Only those who have reached an age of reason, and have made a decision for Christ may be baptized. They don’t adhere to the doctrine of original sin.

4. SYMBOLIC – PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Most Evangelical Churches practice this form of baptism; this was the view of the Anabaptists of the 16th century. They teach that baptism is for believers, those who have already been born-again, by praying something like a sinner’s prayer. Baptism is a public testimony of what God has already done in their soul; an outward sign of an inward grace. They don’t believe in a covenant sign or regeneration of the communicant. These churches often have baby dedication ceremonies instead of infant baptisms, very similar to the Covenant view. Many of these churches will have the recipient recite their testimony of conversion in front of the entire congregation; as a public confession of faith, just prior to going down into the water.

APPENDIX – EARLY CHURCH FATHERS – QUOTES

Click here to view a flowchart of the Church Fathers and their relationships with the apostles.

35-101 AD CLEMENT OF ROME a disciple of the Apostles Paul and Peter “For if we do the will of Christ, we shall find rest; otherwise, nothing shall deliver us from eternal punishment, if we disobey His commandments. For thus also says the Scripture in Ezekiel, If Noah, Job, and Daniel should rise up, they should not deliver their children in captivity. Now, if men so eminently righteous are not able by their righteousness to deliver their children, how can we hope to enter into the royal residence of God unless we keep our baptism holy and undefiled? Or who shall be our advocate, unless we be found possessed of works of holiness and righteousness?” (First Epistle of Clement)

?-250 AD IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH a disciple of the Apostle John “Let none of you turn deserter. Let your baptism be your armor; your faith, your helmet; your love, your spear; your patient endurance, your panoply” (Letter to Polycarp 6).

?-80 AD HERMAS read in most congregations and included in the earliest canon of scripture “‘I have heard, sir,’ said I, ‘from some teacher, 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)

?-145 AD BARNABAS “Regarding [baptism], 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; Is. 16:1 Letter of Barnabas 11:1)

110-165 AD JUSTIN MARTYR “The “Constitutions of the Holy Apostles” also refer to John 3:5. There, the one who refuses to be baptized is to be condemned as an unbeliever, partially on the basis of what Jesus told Nicodemus … “He that, out of contempt, will not be baptized, shall be condemned as an unbeliever, and shall be reproached as ungrateful and foolish. For the Lord says: ‘Except a man be baptized of water and of the Spirit, he shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ And again: ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned.'” (Justin Martyr “Constitutions of the Holy Apostles,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 7, pg. 456-457.)

110-165 AD JUSTIN MARTYR “There is no other way [to obtain God’s promises] than this-to become acquainted with Christ, to be washed in the fountain spoken of by Isaiah for the remission of sins, and for the remainder, to live sinless lives.” (Justin Martyr, Trypho chap. 44)

110-165 AD JUSTIN MARTYR “Those who are convinced that what we teach is true and who desire to live accordingly are instructed to fast and to pray to God for the remission of all their past sins. We also pray and fast with them. Then we bring them to a place where there is water, and they are regenerated in the same manner in which we ourselves were regenerated. They then receive the washing with water in the name of God (the Father and Lord of the universe) and of our Savior Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. For Christ said, ‘Unless you are born again, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven”‘ [John 3:5]. (Justin First Apology chant 61)

115-188 AD THEOPHILUS “On the fifth day the living creatures which proceed from the waters were produced, through which also is revealed the manifold wisdom of God in these things; for who could count their multitude and various kinds? Moreover, the things proceeding from the waters were blessed by God, that this also might be a sign of men’s being destined to receive repentance and remission of sins, through the water and laver of regeneration, as many as come to the truth, and are born again, and receive blessing from God.” (Theophilus, “To Autolycus,”, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2, pg. 101)

115-188 AD THEOPHILIS “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 12:16).

120-205 AD IRENAEUS a disciple of Polycarp (a disciple of John) “As we are lepers in sin, we are made clean from our old transgressions by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the Lord. We are thus spiritually regenerated as newborn infants, 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.'” Irenaeus, “Fragments From Lost Writings”, no. 34, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, pg. 574)

120-205 AD IRENAEUS a disciple of Polycarp (a disciple of John) “This class of men have been instigated by Satan to a denial of that baptism which is regeneration to God, and thus to a renunciation of the whole faith.” (Against Heresies, bk. 1, chap. 21, sec. 1, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, pg. 345.)

120-205 AD IRENAEUS a disciple of Polycarp (a disciple of John) “`And [Naaman] dipped himself … seven times in the Jordan’ [2 Kgs. 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).

150-200 AD CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA “Being baptized, we are illuminated; illuminated, we become sons; being made sons, we are made perfect; being made perfect, we are made immortal … This work is variously called grace, and illumination, and perfection, and washing. Washing, by which we cleanse away our sins; grace, by which the penalties accruing to transgressions are remitted; and illumination, by which that holy light of salvation is beheld, that is, by which we see God clearly.” (Clement of Alexandria, “The Instructor,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2, pg. 215)

150-200 AD CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA “This work is variously called grace, and illumination, and perfection, and washing. Washing, by which we cleanse away our sins. Grace, by which the penalties of our sins are canceled. And illumination, by which that holy light of salvation is beheld, that is, by which we see God clearly.” (Clement Instructor bk. 1, chap. 6)

150-200 AD CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA “We are washed from all our sins, and are no longer entangled in evil. This is the one grace of illumination, that our characters are not the same as before our washing… In the same way, therefore, we also, repenting of our sins, renouncing our iniquities, purified by baptism, speed back to the eternal light, children to the Father.” (Clement of Alexandria, “The Instructor,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2, pg. 216-217.)

140-203 AD TERTULLIAN “[N]o 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'” (Baptism 12:1).

140-230 AD TERTULLIAN “The prescript is laid down that ‘without baptism, salvation is attainable by none’ chiefly on the ground of that declaration of the Lord, who says, ‘Unless one be born of water, he hath not life.'” (On Baptism, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3, pg. 674-675)

140-230 AD TERTULLIAN “After the world had been hereupon set in order through its elements, when inhabitants were given it, ‘the waters’ were the first to receive the precept ‘to bring forth living creatures.’ Water was the first to produce that which had life, that it might be no wonder in baptism if waters know how to give life.” (Tertullian, “On Baptism,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3, page 670)

215 AD HIPPOLYTUS “And the bishop shall lay his hand upon them [the newly baptized], invoking and saying: ‘O Lord God, who did count these worthy of deserving the forgiveness of sins by the laver of regeneration, make them worthy to be filled with your Holy Spirit and send upon them thy grace [in confirmation], that they may serve you according to your will” (The Apostolic Tradition 22:1).

215 AD HIPPOLYTUS “The Father of immortality sent the immortal Son and Word into the world, who came to man in order to wash him with water and the Spirit; and He, begetting us again to incorruption of soul and body, breathed into us the Spirit of life, and endued us with an incorruptible panoply. If, therefore, man has become immortal, he will also be God. And if he is made God by water and the Holy Spirit after the regeneration of the laver, he is found to be also joint-heir with Christ after the resurrection from the dead. Wherefore I preach to this effect: Come, all ye kindreds of the nations, to the immortality of the baptism” (Discourse on the Holy Theophany 8).

248 AD ORIGEN OF ALEXANDRIA”The Church received from the apostles the tradition of giving baptism even to infants. For the apostles, to whom were committed the secrets of divine mysteries, knew that there is in everyone the innate stains of sin, which are washed away through water and the Spirit” (Commentaries on Romans 5:9).

248 AD ORIGEN OF ALEXANDRIA”“Formerly there was baptism in an obscure way … now, however, in full view, there is regeneration in water and in the Holy Spirit. Formerly, in an obscure way, there was manna for food; now, however, in full view, there is the true food, the flesh of the Word of God, as he himself says: ‘My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink’ (John 6:56) (Homilies on Numbers 7:2)

200-253 AD CYPRIAN: “[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).

256 AD CYPRIAN: “[I]t 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'” (72[73]:21).

200-258 AD CYPRIAN “But if the baptism of heretics can have the regeneration of the second birth, those who are baptized among them must be counted not heretics, but children of God. For the second birth, which occurs in baptism, begets sons of God.” (Cyprian, “The Epistles of Cyprian,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5, pg. 393)

200-258 AD CYPRIAN “For he who has been sanctified, his sins being put away in baptism, and has been spiritually re-formed into a new man, has become fitted for receiving the Holy Spirit; since the apostle says, ‘As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.’ (Cyprian, “The Epistles of Cyprian,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5, pg. 387-388)

200-258 AD COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE “Nicomedes of Segermae said: My opinion is this, that heretics coming to the Church should be baptized, for the reason that among sinners without they can obtain no remission of sins. (“The Seventh Council of Carthage Under Cyprian,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5, pg. 567)

200-258 AD COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE “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 Universal Church, which is one, they cannot be saved, but will be condemned with the carnal in the judgment of the Lord Christ” (VII Carthage).

345 AD CYRIL “The Lord… has granted repentance at Baptism, in order that we may cast off the chief – nay rather the whole burden of our sins, and having received the seal by the Holy Ghost, may be made heirs of eternal life.” (Cyril of Jerusalem, “On Baptism,” Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. 7, pg. 16)

345 AD CYRIL “When going down, therefore, into the water, think not of the bare element, but look for salvation by the power of the Holy Ghost: for without both thou canst not possibly be made perfect. It is not I that say this, but the Lord Jesus Christ, who has the power in this matter: for He saith, ‘Except a man be born anew’ (and he adds the words) ‘of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ Neither doth he that is baptized with water, but not found worthy of the Spirit, receive the grace in perfection. Nor if a man be virtuous in his deeds, but receive not the seal by water, shall he enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Cyril of Jerusalem, “Catechetical Lectures,” Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. 7, pg. 15.)

350 AD CYRIL “If any man does not receive baptism, he does not have salvation. The only exception is the martyrs, who, even without water, will receive baptism, for the Savior calls martyrdom a baptism [Mark 10:38]… Bearing your sins, you go down into the water; but the calling down of grace seals your soul and does not permit that you afterwards be swallowed up by the fearsome dragon. You go down dead in your sins, and you come up made alive in righteousness” (Catechetical Lectures 3:10, 12).

360 AD ATHANASIUS “[A]s we are all from earth and die in Adam, so being regenerated from above of water and Spirit, in the Christ we are all quickened” (Four Discourses Against the Arians 3:26[33]).

375 AD BASIL THE GREAT “This then is what it means to be `born again of water and Spirit’: Just as our dying is affected in the water [Rom. 6:3, Col. 2:12-13], our living is wrought through the Spirit. In three immersions and an equal number of invocations the great mystery of baptism is completed in such a way that the type of death may be shown figuratively, and that by the handing on of divine knowledge the souls of the baptized may be illuminated. If, therefore, there is any grace in the water, it is not from the nature of water, but from the Spirit’s presence there” (The Holy Spirit, 15:35).

379 AD BASIL THE GREAT “For prisoners, baptism is ransom, forgiveness of debts, the death of sin, regeneration of the soul, a resplendent garment, an unbreakable seal, a chariot to heaven, a royal protector, a gift of adoption” (Sermons on Moral and Practical Subjects 13:5).

381 AD AMBROSE OF MILAN “The Church was redeemed at the price of Christ’s blood. Jew or Greek, it makes no difference; but if he has believed, he must circumcise himself from his sins [in baptism (Col. 2:11-12)] so that he can be saved … for no one ascends into the kingdom of heaven except through the sacrament of baptism … `Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God'” (Abraham 2:11:79-84).

381 AD AMBROSE OF MILAN “You have read, therefore, that the three witnesses in baptism are one: water, blood, and the Spirit (1 John 5:8): And if you withdraw any one of these, the sacrament of baptism is not valid. For what is the water without the cross of Christ? A common element with no sacramental effect. Nor on the other hand is there any mystery of regeneration without water, for `unless a man be born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God'” (The Mysteries 4:20).

381 AD COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE “We believe … in one baptism for the remission of sins” (Nicene Creed).

382 AD GREGORY OF NYSSA “[In] the birth by water and the Spirit, [Jesus] himself led the way in this birth, drawing down upon the water, by his own baptism, the Holy Spirit; so that in all things he became the first-born of those who are spiritually born again, and gave the name of brethren to those who partook in a birth like to his own by water and the Spirit” (Against Eunomius 2:8).

387 AD JOHN CHRYSOSTOM “[N]o one can enter into the kingdom of Heaven except he be regenerate through water and the Spirit, and he who does not eat the flesh of the Lord and drink His blood is excluded from eternal life, and if all these things are accomplished only by means of those holy hands, I mean the hands of the priest, how will anyone, without these, be able to escape the fire of hell, or to win those crowns which are reserved for the victorious? These [priests] truly are they who are entrusted with the pangs of spiritual travail and the birth which comes through baptism: by their means we put on Christ, and are buried with the Son of God, and become members of that blessed Head” (The Priesthood 3:5-6).

390 AD JOHN CHRYSOSTOM “In the Law, he that hath sin is punished; here, he that hath sins cometh and is baptized and is made righteous, and being made righteous, he liveth, being delivered from the death of sin … For in Baptism the sins are buried, the former things are blotted out, the man is made alive, the entire grace written upon his heart as it were a table.” (John Crysostom, “Homilies on Second Corinthians,” 390 AD, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. 12, pg. 307)

388 AD GREGORY NAZIAN “Such is the grace and power of baptism; not an overwhelming of the world as of old, but a purification of the sins of each individual, and a complete cleansing from all the bruises and stains of sin. And since we are double-made, I mean of body and soul, and the one part is visible, the other invisible, so the cleansing also is twofold, by water and the spirit; the one received visibly in the body, the other concurring with it invisibly and apart from the body; the one typical, the other real and cleansing the depths” (Oration on Holy Baptism 7-8).

400 AD THE APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTIONS “Be ye likewise contented with one baptism alone, that which is into the death of the Lord [Rom. 6:3, Col. 2:12-13] … [H]e that out of contempt will not be baptized shall be condemned as an unbeliever and shall be reproached as ungrateful and foolish. For the Lord says, `Except a man be baptized of water and of the Spirit, he shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ And again, `He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be damned'” [Mark 16:16] (Apostolic Constitutions 6:3:15).

419 AD AUGUSTINE “Those who, though they have not received the washing of regeneration, die for the confession of Christ–it avails them just as much for the forgiveness of their sins as if they had been washed in the sacred fount of baptism. For he that said, `If anyone is not reborn of water and the Spirit, he will not enter the kingdom of heaven,’ made an exception for them in that other statement in which he says no less generally, `Whoever confesses me before men, I too will confess him before my Father, who is in heaven'” [Matt. 10:32] (The City of God 13:7).