Baptism

Baptism replaced circumcision as a sign of entry into the covenant community (Colossians 2).

Mode of Baptism in the Early Church

Scholars 'generally agree that the early church baptized by immersion', but sometimes used other forms. Howard Marshall says that immersion was the general rule, but affusion and even sprinkling were also practiced.

Everett Ferguson speaks of 'general scholarly agreement' that the baptism commanded by Jesus was immersion in water in the form of a 'thorough bath.'

The Didache

The first known non-biblical mention of baptism appears in the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, known as Didache (1st century). This text contains the oldest known Christian catechesis and includes a description of the rite of baptism, noting that it should be performed by immersion, where possible, or affusion (pouring of water).

Cyprian of Carthage (3rd century) indicated that it was exceptional to sprinkle or practice affusion in his time - appropriate only when one could not practice normal baptism by immersion.

Infant Baptism vs. Credobaptism

Early Evidence for Infant Baptism

'There is general agreement that there is no firm evidence for infant baptism before the latter part of the second century.'

The first recorded mention of the practice of infant baptism occurs in the writings of Irenaeus (c. 130-202). The third century theologian Origen refers to the practice as if it were common.

Ferguson suggests that 'the most plausible explanation for the origin of infant baptism is found in the emergency baptism of sick children who were expected to die soon.'

Arguments for Credobaptism

In addition to the NT, there are several sources from the early centuries of the church. The earliest mentions of baptism all seem to point to credobaptism. It is not just that there is no evidence for paedobaptism - there is positive evidence for credobaptism in this period.

Denominational Differences Today

Churches that practice infant baptism include: Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican and Methodist.

Infant baptism is rejected by: Mennonites, Baptists, Church of the Brethren, Disciples of Christ, most Pentecostal churches and many charismatic and free churches.

The Deadly Cost of Adult Baptism: Felix Manz and the Schleitheim Confession

The defense of credobaptism was not just an abstract theological issue — it had deadly consequences in the 16th century. In the context of church-state unity, rebaptizing adults was tantamount to subverting civil registration and citizenship. Felix Manz, one of the pioneers of the Anabaptist movement in Zurich, was executed in 1527 by drowning in the River Limmat by order of the city council — a cruel and symbolically ironic punishment for those who defended baptismal immersion. The Schleitheim Confession (1527), written that same year, solidified the Anabaptists' radical stance, provoking the Diet of Speyer to resurrect Justinian's old Codes that punished the rejection of paedobaptism with imperial death. A fascinating and rarely discussed facet is the practice of 'baptism for the dead' mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:29. Studies indicate that primitive apocalyptic communities, dealing with the soteriological dilemma of righteous ancestors who lived geographically or chronologically separated from the gospel, practiced vicarious rites to extend the redemptive efficacy of the sacrament to those who could never accept Christ in bodily life.

Academic Sources

-Ferguson, Everett. Baptism in the Early Church. Eerdmans, 2009.