Featured Is there any historical evidence for the Baptist position on Baptism?

Excellent post, my friend. I was going to leave some of these quotes next, but I'm very happy that you did all the work for me!

When our Baptist brothers and sisters read the quotes from the early Christians that you have quoted above, I hope that they will keep this in mind: Constantine did not legalize Christianity until 300 AD, and it didn't become the state religion until years later, so any quote from above that occurred before 400 AD represented our early Christian forefathers who had not yet come under any authority by a Pope or an emperor.

If Baptists have statements from early Christians that support their belief that baptism is OUR act of public profession of faith, please share it with us.

 

Wow! You guys are really going off topic! The question of THIS thread is:

Is there any historical evidence for the Baptist position on Baptism, not proving that we should all be saying prayers to the Virgin Mother of God.

Here are quotes from early Christians supporting the orthodox position on baptism. Some have already been mentioned above. We orthodox Christians are still waiting for similar quotes from early Christians who supported the Baptist position.

Early Church witness from within the first two centuries of Christianity, showing continuity with apostolic teaching concerning the efficacy of God’s saving Word spoken purposefully and specifically during holy baptism. As the apostles taught in Scripture, so too their immediate successors taught:

Didache: 9:5 “And let none eat or drink of your Eucharist but such as have been baptized into the name of the Lord, for of a truth the Lord hath said concerning this, Give not that which is holy unto dogs.” (circa 80-100)

“He was born and baptized so that by His passion He could purify the water.” St Ignatius (c. 105)

“There is no other repentance than that which takes place, when we descended into the water and received the remission of our former sins.” Hermas (circa 150)

“Before a man bears the name of the Son of God, he is dead. But when he receives the seal, he lays aside his deadness and obtains life. The seal, then, is water. They descend into water dead, and they arise alive.” Hermas (circa 150)



“This washing of repentance and knowledge of God has been ordained on account of the transgression of God’s people, as Isaiah cries. Accordingly, we have believed and testify that the very baptism which he announced is alone able to purify those who have repented. And this is the water of life. For what is the use of that baptism which cleanses only the flesh and body? Baptize the soul from wrath and from covetousness, from envy, and from hatred.” St Justin Martyr (circa 160)

“We who have approached God through His Son have received, not carnal, but spiritual circumcision, which Enoch and those like him observed. And we have received it through baptism by God’s mercy, since we were sinners.” Justin Martyr (circa 160)

“But there is no other way than this: to become acquainted with this Christ; to be washed in the fountain spoken of by Isaiah for the remission of sins.” St Justin Martyr (circa 160)

“Christ has redeemed us by being crucified on the tree and by purifying us with water.” St Justin Martyr (circa 160)

“The things proceeding from the waters were blessed by God, that this also could be a sign of men being destined to receive repentance and remission of sins, through the water and bath of regeneration- as many as come to the truth and are born again.” Theophilus (circa 180)

“When we come to refute them [the Gnostics], we will show in its proper place that this class of men have been instigated by Satan to a denial of that baptism which is regeneration to God. Thus, they have renounced the whole faith. For the baptism instituted by the visible Jesus was for the remission of sins.” St Irenaeus (circa 180)

“But there are some of them [Gnostics] who assert that it is unnecessary to bring persons to the water. Rather, they mix oil and water together, and they place its mixture on the heads of those who are to be initiated . . . This they maintain to be the redemption. Other heretics, however, reject all these practices, and maintain that the mystery of the unspeakable and invisible power should not be performed by visible and corruptible creatures . . . These claim that the knowledge of the unspeakable Greatness is itself prefect redemption.” St Irenaeus (circa 180)

“Man, with respect to that formation which was after Adam, having fallen into transgression, needed the bath of regeneration. Therefore, the Lord said of [the blind man] after He had smeared his eyes with the clay, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.” By this means, He restored to him both confirmation and regeneration that takes place by means of the bath.” St Irenaeus (circa 180)

“Scripture says, ‘And he dipped himself seven times in the Jordan.’ It was not for nothing that Naaman of old, when suffering from leprosy, was a symbol for us. For 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 spiritually regenerated as new-born babes, just as the Lord has declared: ‘Unless a man is born again through water and the Spirit, he will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.’” Irenaeus (circa 180)

“Being baptized, we are illuminated. Illuminated, we become sons. This work is variously called grace, illumination, perfection, and washing. Washing, by which we cleanse away our sins. Grace, by which the penalties accruing to the transgressions are remitted. Illumination, by which that holy light of salvation is beheld, that is, by which we see God clearly.” Clement of Alexandria (circa 195)




“And he who has just been regenerated- as the name necessarily indicates- and has been enlightened, is immediately delivered from darkness, and instantly receives the light… Thus, also, we who are baptized, having wiped off the sins that obscure the light of the Divine Spirit, have the eyes of the spirit free, unimpeded, and full of light, by which alone we contemplate the Divine, the Holy Spirit flowing down to us from above.” Clement of Alexandria (circa 195)

“John prophesied up until the baptism of salvation.” Clement of Alexandria (circa 195)

“Happy is our sacrament of water, in that, by washing away sins of our early blindness, we are set free and admitted into eternal life . . . We, like little fishes, after the example of our Ichthus, Jesus Christ, are born in water.” Tertullian (circa 198)

“Oh, miserable unbelief that denies to God His own properties, simplicity, and power! What then? Is it too wonderful that death should be washed away by washing?” Tertullian (circa 198)

St Irenaeus (d. 202) remarks, “For He came to save all through means of Himself all, I say, who through Him are born again to God, infants, and children, and boys, and youths, and old men” (Against Heresies, Book 1, Ch. 22.4).

In his commentary on Romans, Origin (d. 254) writes, “The Church has received from the apostles the custom of administering baptism even to infants. For those who have been entrusted with the secrets of divine mysteries, knew very well that all are tainted with the stain of original sin, which must be washed off by water and spirit” (Romans Commentary, 5.9).

St Cyprian (d. 258) writes, “In respect of the case of infants, which you say ought not to be baptized within the second or third day after birth, and that the law of ancient circumcision should be regarded, so that you think that one who is just born should not be baptized and sanctified within the eighth day, we all thought very differently in our council. For in this course which you thought was to be taken, no one agreed; but we all rather judge that the mercy and grace of God is not to be refused to any one born of man . . . Spiritual circumcision ought not to be hindered by carnal circumcision . . . we ought to shrink from hindering an infant, who, being lately born, has not sinned, except in that, being born after the flesh according to Adam, he has contracted the contagion of the ancient death at its earliest birth, who approaches the more easily on this very account to the reception of the forgiveness of sins - that to him are remitted, not his own sins, but the sins of another” (Letter 58 to Fidus).

And in his Enchiridion, St Augustine (d. 430) declares, “For from the infant newly born to the old man bent with age, as there is none shut out from baptism, so there is none who in baptism does not die to sin" (Enchiridion, ch. 43).

 

Once again, I must ask you: how do you know that your interpretation of the Bible is accurate other than trusting your own feelings of being right or thinking that the Holy Spirit has given you a special revelation telling you that you are right?

 

So when do you believe that the early Church became apostate? What year? What evidence do you have?

The reason that I am not interested in debating you over the doctrine of baptism is that I have done this already with the Southern Baptist Convention and it will just end in a stalemate: we have "our" verses and you have "yours".

This thread asks for HISTORICAL evidence that supports the Baptist position on Baptism. If you aren't interested in doing that, maybe you should start your own thread and ask orthodox Christians to debate you on the subject.