Anthony Pritchard
Well-Known Member
The Early Churches: The Cost of Baptism
Baptism Series Part 3
Epigraph
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness” 2 Corinthians 6:14
The early churches understood that baptism is an identification. It identifies the believer with Christ, with the doctrine of Christ, and with the fellowship of a true church. Because water baptism is also an identification, the early churches guarded it carefully. They understood that a baptism performed before salvation is no baptism at all. They understood that a baptism performed unto a false doctrine is no baptism at all. They understood that a baptism performed by a group that denies the gospel is no baptism at all. Baptism is unto something. It is unto Christ. It is unto the doctrine of Christ. It is unto the fellowship of a true church. A baptism unto error is invalid because it identifies the person with error.
The Scriptures themselves show that baptism must follow salvation. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” Mark 16:16. Belief is the condition. Baptism is the response. The condemnation is tied to unbelief, not to the absence of baptism. The order is belief first, baptism second. The early churches followed this order without compromise.
They also understood that baptism must be unto the right doctrine. Paul wrote, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” Galatians 1:8. A baptism performed under a false gospel is not a Christian baptism. It is an identification with a cursed message. The early churches refused to accept baptisms from groups that preached another gospel, because baptism is an identification with the doctrine under which it is performed.
They understood that baptism must be administered by a true church. Paul wrote to the local body at Corinth, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body” 1 Corinthians 12:13. The baptism that places a believer into the body of Christ is the work of God, but the water baptism that identifies a believer with a local assembly must be administered by that assembly. A group that denies the gospel cannot administer a valid baptism. A group that teaches salvation by water cannot administer a valid baptism. A group that teaches sacramental grace cannot administer a valid baptism. The early churches guarded their fellowship by guarding the ordinance, and they guarded the ordinance by guarding the doctrine.
This is why the early churches insisted on re baptizing those who came from groups that taught water regeneration or sacramental grace. They were not rejecting the sincerity of the person. They were rejecting the doctrine under which the previous baptism was performed. A baptism that teaches salvation by water is not a Christian baptism. A baptism that teaches regeneration by ritual is not a Christian baptism. A baptism that identifies a person with a false gospel is not a Christian baptism. The early churches refused to accept such baptisms because they refused to accept the doctrine behind them.
The seriousness of baptism can be seen in the lives of those who suffered for refusing unscriptural baptisms. In the second and third centuries, believers who rejected infant baptism and sacramental baptism were often persecuted by civil and religious authorities. They refused to allow their children to be baptized into false doctrine. They refused to accept baptisms performed under heretical systems. They refused to identify themselves with error.
The Montanist believers in the late second century refused to accept baptisms performed by heretical groups that denied the purity of the gospel. They insisted that baptism must follow repentance and faith, and they rejected infant baptism outright. Many were executed by Roman authorities because they refused to acknowledge the validity of baptisms performed by compromised or idolatrous groups.
The Novatian believers in the third century refused to accept baptisms administered by churches that had capitulated during persecution. They insisted that baptism must be administered by a faithful church that held the gospel without compromise. Imperial authorities executed many Novatian believers because they refused to accept the baptisms of the lax churches and refused to allow infant baptism.
The Donatist believers in the fourth century refused to accept baptisms performed by clergy who had betrayed the faith during persecution. They insisted that baptism must be administered by a church that remained faithful to Christ. They rejected infant baptism and rejected baptisms performed under false doctrine. Imperial Rome killed many Donatist believers because they refused to accept the baptisms of the state church and refused to allow their children to be baptized into a system they believed denied the gospel.
The Paulician believers in Armenia and the Bogomil believers in the Balkans rejected infant baptism and rejected baptisms performed under sacramental systems. They insisted that baptism must follow faith and must be administered by a true church. Both groups suffered mass executions under Byzantine and Roman Catholic authorities because they refused to accept false baptisms and refused to allow their children to be baptized into error.
In the sixteenth century, thousands of Anabaptist believers were drowned, burned, or executed because they rejected infant baptism and refused to accept baptisms performed under sacramental doctrine. They insisted that baptism must follow salvation, must be unto Christ, and must be administered by a true church. They were killed for re baptizing believers who came from false systems. They were killed for refusing to allow their children to be baptized into error. They were killed for guarding the ordinance with the same seriousness as the early churches.
Their stand was simple. Baptism is an identification. To accept a false baptism is to accept a false identification. To accept a baptism performed by a false church is to accept the authority of that church. To accept a baptism performed under a false gospel is to accept that gospel. The early churches refused to do this. They would rather die than accept an identification with error.
Their conviction was rooted in Scripture. “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” Ephesians 5:11. A baptism performed under false doctrine is fellowship with darkness. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” John 8:32. A baptism performed under error cannot identify a person with the truth.
The early churches guarded baptism because they guarded the gospel. They guarded baptism because they guarded the doctrine. They guarded baptism because they guarded the fellowship. They guarded baptism because they guarded the authority of Christ. They guarded baptism because they guarded the purity of the assembly. They guarded baptism because they guarded the identification of the believer.
The early churches guarded baptism because they guarded the gospel. They guarded baptism because they guarded the doctrine. They guarded baptism because they guarded the fellowship. They guarded baptism because they guarded the authority of Christ. They guarded baptism because they guarded the purity of the assembly. They guarded baptism because they guarded the identification of the believer.
Colophon
This chapter has been prepared in the fear of God and in submission to the testimony of Scripture. Every conclusion has been drawn from the doctrine set forth in the sacred record. Baptism is an identification. The early churches guarded it with their doctrine, with their fellowship, and with their lives. The truth stands.
This is why they re baptized. This is why they suffered. This is why many died. They understood that baptism is not a ritual. It is not a ceremony. It is not a sacrament. It is an identification. And an identification with error is no baptism at all.
Fides usque ad mortem: Faith even unto death.
~Tony
© A.K. Pritchard 2026 – Free to use with proper attribution
Baptism Series Part 3
Epigraph
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness” 2 Corinthians 6:14
The early churches understood that baptism is an identification. It identifies the believer with Christ, with the doctrine of Christ, and with the fellowship of a true church. Because water baptism is also an identification, the early churches guarded it carefully. They understood that a baptism performed before salvation is no baptism at all. They understood that a baptism performed unto a false doctrine is no baptism at all. They understood that a baptism performed by a group that denies the gospel is no baptism at all. Baptism is unto something. It is unto Christ. It is unto the doctrine of Christ. It is unto the fellowship of a true church. A baptism unto error is invalid because it identifies the person with error.
The Scriptures themselves show that baptism must follow salvation. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” Mark 16:16. Belief is the condition. Baptism is the response. The condemnation is tied to unbelief, not to the absence of baptism. The order is belief first, baptism second. The early churches followed this order without compromise.
They also understood that baptism must be unto the right doctrine. Paul wrote, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” Galatians 1:8. A baptism performed under a false gospel is not a Christian baptism. It is an identification with a cursed message. The early churches refused to accept baptisms from groups that preached another gospel, because baptism is an identification with the doctrine under which it is performed.
They understood that baptism must be administered by a true church. Paul wrote to the local body at Corinth, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body” 1 Corinthians 12:13. The baptism that places a believer into the body of Christ is the work of God, but the water baptism that identifies a believer with a local assembly must be administered by that assembly. A group that denies the gospel cannot administer a valid baptism. A group that teaches salvation by water cannot administer a valid baptism. A group that teaches sacramental grace cannot administer a valid baptism. The early churches guarded their fellowship by guarding the ordinance, and they guarded the ordinance by guarding the doctrine.
This is why the early churches insisted on re baptizing those who came from groups that taught water regeneration or sacramental grace. They were not rejecting the sincerity of the person. They were rejecting the doctrine under which the previous baptism was performed. A baptism that teaches salvation by water is not a Christian baptism. A baptism that teaches regeneration by ritual is not a Christian baptism. A baptism that identifies a person with a false gospel is not a Christian baptism. The early churches refused to accept such baptisms because they refused to accept the doctrine behind them.
The seriousness of baptism can be seen in the lives of those who suffered for refusing unscriptural baptisms. In the second and third centuries, believers who rejected infant baptism and sacramental baptism were often persecuted by civil and religious authorities. They refused to allow their children to be baptized into false doctrine. They refused to accept baptisms performed under heretical systems. They refused to identify themselves with error.
The Montanist believers in the late second century refused to accept baptisms performed by heretical groups that denied the purity of the gospel. They insisted that baptism must follow repentance and faith, and they rejected infant baptism outright. Many were executed by Roman authorities because they refused to acknowledge the validity of baptisms performed by compromised or idolatrous groups.
The Novatian believers in the third century refused to accept baptisms administered by churches that had capitulated during persecution. They insisted that baptism must be administered by a faithful church that held the gospel without compromise. Imperial authorities executed many Novatian believers because they refused to accept the baptisms of the lax churches and refused to allow infant baptism.
The Donatist believers in the fourth century refused to accept baptisms performed by clergy who had betrayed the faith during persecution. They insisted that baptism must be administered by a church that remained faithful to Christ. They rejected infant baptism and rejected baptisms performed under false doctrine. Imperial Rome killed many Donatist believers because they refused to accept the baptisms of the state church and refused to allow their children to be baptized into a system they believed denied the gospel.
The Paulician believers in Armenia and the Bogomil believers in the Balkans rejected infant baptism and rejected baptisms performed under sacramental systems. They insisted that baptism must follow faith and must be administered by a true church. Both groups suffered mass executions under Byzantine and Roman Catholic authorities because they refused to accept false baptisms and refused to allow their children to be baptized into error.
In the sixteenth century, thousands of Anabaptist believers were drowned, burned, or executed because they rejected infant baptism and refused to accept baptisms performed under sacramental doctrine. They insisted that baptism must follow salvation, must be unto Christ, and must be administered by a true church. They were killed for re baptizing believers who came from false systems. They were killed for refusing to allow their children to be baptized into error. They were killed for guarding the ordinance with the same seriousness as the early churches.
Their stand was simple. Baptism is an identification. To accept a false baptism is to accept a false identification. To accept a baptism performed by a false church is to accept the authority of that church. To accept a baptism performed under a false gospel is to accept that gospel. The early churches refused to do this. They would rather die than accept an identification with error.
Their conviction was rooted in Scripture. “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” Ephesians 5:11. A baptism performed under false doctrine is fellowship with darkness. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” John 8:32. A baptism performed under error cannot identify a person with the truth.
The early churches guarded baptism because they guarded the gospel. They guarded baptism because they guarded the doctrine. They guarded baptism because they guarded the fellowship. They guarded baptism because they guarded the authority of Christ. They guarded baptism because they guarded the purity of the assembly. They guarded baptism because they guarded the identification of the believer.
The early churches guarded baptism because they guarded the gospel. They guarded baptism because they guarded the doctrine. They guarded baptism because they guarded the fellowship. They guarded baptism because they guarded the authority of Christ. They guarded baptism because they guarded the purity of the assembly. They guarded baptism because they guarded the identification of the believer.
Colophon
This chapter has been prepared in the fear of God and in submission to the testimony of Scripture. Every conclusion has been drawn from the doctrine set forth in the sacred record. Baptism is an identification. The early churches guarded it with their doctrine, with their fellowship, and with their lives. The truth stands.
This is why they re baptized. This is why they suffered. This is why many died. They understood that baptism is not a ritual. It is not a ceremony. It is not a sacrament. It is an identification. And an identification with error is no baptism at all.
Fides usque ad mortem: Faith even unto death.
~Tony
© A.K. Pritchard 2026 – Free to use with proper attribution