Beresford Job's Biblical Church - 5

This time, the Great Baptism Fiasco! (For those following via his mp3 lectures, this post on Biblical Church ch. 5 corresponds roughly to Part 2 TR 4, available for free here.)

This chapter can be simply summarized: the biblical model, evident throughout Acts, is that Christians are baptized (1) ASAP after the believe in Jesus, (2) wherever was convenient, and (3) seemingly by whatever believer it was who, as it were, led the baptizee(s) to Christ. (69-71)

In contrast, the early catholic tradition went through a couple of phases about the tradition of baptism.

Phase 1: one can only be baptized (1) after a longish period of preparation, (2) in a church meeting, (3) by the bishop or someone authorized by the bishop, and not by anyone else.

Job would say that the new (2) and (3) encroach on the priesthood of all believers in Christ. But in this chapter he directs most of his fire at (1) and the justification for it. Why the change?

Regarding (1), it seem that many Christians in the era of the early fathers believed that one is saved by baptism (baptismal regeneration) and that baptism only "washed away" past sins. Thus, one needs to be really, really careful about getting baptized. It is a one-time deal, and if one commits serious sin afterwards, one is out of luck! (Although later a system of penance provided some way back.) In the words of Tertullian, "Those who understand the importance of baptism will rather fear its attainment rather than its delay..." (73) About the time gap, for some early catholic churches, this could be as long as 3 years! (78) That is, after believing in Christ, one had to undergo a long program of "instruction... fasting, exorcism and blessing" before baptism. (78)

But this preparation tradition was eventually eclipsed by another.

Phase 2: But if baptism saves people, isn't it stingy to withhold it from infants? Surely so! Thus, the first element changed. All babies from Christian parents are now baptized, soon after birth. Gone is the big baptism prep, and the idea that baptism is some big prize to be attained only after a lot of work. (75-9)

In Job's view, the NT practice is simply better, and no reason has ever been found to depart from it. And,

...infant baptism is based purely on the teachings and traditions of the Early Church Fathers, and [has] nothing whatsoever to do with the teaching of the New Testament. (78, original emphasis)

Is sum,

Rather than being a spontaneous act having come into a relationship with Jesus and repented of sin, baptism now became a ritualistic entry ticket into the organization of the now institutionalized church. (80-1)

Next time: what was the apostolic tradition about weekly church meetings?