Mass and the Unwashed Masses

Peter J. Scaer posted this on Facebook earlier today, 11/21/2023, and it is too good not to share.

Mass and the Unwashed Masses

Is the church's liturgy only for a few, for the educated, the cultured, and well read? Hardly. Though the liturgy, by its very nature and mystery invites education, catechesis, and teaching. In fact, the liturgy is great for little children who can't yet read, and for those who never learned. The liturgy is wonderful for those who eyesight has dimmed, whose capacity isn't what it used to be. The liturgical rhythm enters into the soul's deepest places, embeds itself within the mind and heart.

Why is it that the average Roman Catholic in the pew does not believe in the real presence? It's not because of what the church says, but by the casual way in which the supper is offered and distributed. The same I'm sure goes for us in the LCMS. Say that Christ's offers his true body and blood, but then, if the ministers are dressed as if they were sales people, if they treat the elements like fast food, if bodily reverence is nowhere to be found, people will get the message. It must not be all that special.

The American Evangelical world of course has no clue in such matters. If baptism is just a commitment ceremony, and if the supper is a reenactment, then a certain seriousness may be called for, but there's no reason for solemnity. For much of the Big Box church world, there is nothing approximating the Temple. (No wonder, they hope it's rebuilt.) Could we imagine the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies in street clothes, big smile on his face after an inspirational life lesson, music from the praise band? But we do have something holier still. If we believed in the priesthood of all believers, truly believed it, then we would encourage the awe and reverence appropriate to God's dwelling among us, Christ's giving of flesh and blood, a font from which springs forth life and forgiveness.

The church service has never been about, should never be about, defining a class of people as high class, but should be conducted in a way that is appropriate to the proceedings. Standing up for the gospel is an act of reverence, as when grandma enters the room. Kneelers offer an opportunity for bodily posture that matches spiritual reality. The judge, robed in black, approaches the bench, and the courtroom is hushed into silence. A pin dropped is noise too loud for the ceremony of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The church service is all about sacred space, the Lord of all speaking and working among us. The church is our home, but Christ is the head of that home, and being in the Father's house means something. Little Children rightly feel comfortable there, for it is their home, they are the baptized, and the Lord's arms are wide open in embrace, and his hand is given for them in blessing. But we should never grow so casual as to be disdainful, so that we might lose awe, and forget where we are. Indeed, it is said that Ronald Reagan never entered the Oval Office without jacket and tie. May seem a bit much. But it was his way of reminding himself of the sacred duty with which he had been entrusted. And so also the sacred liturgy does well to be in harmony with the sacred things that we confess are taking place.

Clothed and Cleansed

On separate occasions over the past month, I have been presented two scripture passages related to baptism or washing that caused me to take pause because they demonstrate that integral relation of baptism to salvation.

Clothed

The first passage came from studying Galatians. In chapter three, St. Paul establishes that God had made a promise to Abraham and his Seed (Christ). The Law was later given to service as a combination guardian and tutor to point us to Christ through whom we are justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we no longer need that guardian/tutor:

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal 3:26–27)

Notice the apostle’s argument: we have passed from childhood to maturity and family responsibility through faith in Christ. This is all well and good, but then he states that we are sons because we put on Christ through baptism. The immediate objection I anticipate is that someone will object that we become a son of God by faith, not through baptism. I say why not both? Faith and baptism are not antithetical here, rather they are linked together and cannot be separated. How do we resolve the tension that has arisen in American evangelicalism that a person comes to faith in Christ at one point, then follows some months later with baptism as an outward demonstration of an inward reality? Simply by pointing out that this separation and distinction are improper. Baptism is not a subsequent work. In order for it to be a work, you or I would need to be the active agent, but baptism is received, therefore in every way passive.

Cleansed

The second passage is:

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb 10:19–22)

This does not explicitly mention baptism, but notice that the language uses water imagery to describe what has been mentioned above. First, our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience. What can this be but the “circumcision made with hands” that St. Paul describes in Colossians or what Moses promised the people of Israel if they return to God after falling way?

And the Lord your God will purify your heart and the heart of your seed, to love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul, that you may live. (Deut 30:6)

Second, our bodies are washed with pure water. In the Mosaic Law, washing was an act of purification to remove uncleanness. This could be performed on common household items (Lev 13) or individuals (Lev 14)—especially those set aside for the tabernacle, both priests (Exod 29) and Levites (Num 8). Without cleansing, the item or person must be cast out. To apply it on a personal level, then, the only way to attain usefulness is through an external washing. This being the case, without both an internal and external washing, we have no direct access to God’s presence.

Today I Have Removed the Disgrace

At about this time, the Lord said to Joshua, “Make stone knives for yourself from a sharp rock, and sit down and circumcise the sons of Israel.” So Joshua made sharp stone knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at the place called the Hill of Foreskins.” (Joshua 5:2–3 LXX)

Before coming out of Egypt, the nation had received this sign being Abraham’s offspring (Gen 17), and afterward, those coming out failed to keep the rite. While we do not have a definite reason for stopping the practice, we might surmise the catalyst to be Korah’s rebellion resulting in God judging their sin by promising that their generation would not enter the land. Coupled with that, the following day the people complained (Num 16) resulting in the death of thousands of Israel. Between these, we can understand if the people might have been greatly humbled, feeling unworthy or discouraged. Whatever the case, a new generation had grown up without circumcision. Now on the edge of the Jordan River, the people needed to be brought in line with who and what they were called to be, a chosen people: something remained that needed attention.

In this manner, Joshua completely purified the sons of Israel, as many as were born at any time along the way and as many as were uncircumcised after they came out of Egypt. (Joshua 5:4 LXX)

Both the Masoretic and Septuagint texts explain that a generation of men had died in the wilderness; however, the Septuagint offers that the intended result of this circumcision was purification. All males within the covenant were to receive this (Gen 17:10–13), but if a male did not have this mark, he was to be cut off (Gen 17:14) regardless of his family lineage or ties. Basically, the uncircumcised were impure. So it was with this generation of Israel that had just come into the promised land: they could not enter until fulfilling their obligation. Today, in a similar fashion, those claiming to be of the family of faith have no real claim unless baptized. How does this work?

Paul tells the church at Colossae that Christians are “circumcised with the circumcision made without hands” in Christ via baptism (Col 2:11–12), being enlivened from trespasses and uncircumcision of the flesh (Col 2:13). What is the performative work in this passage? Baptism. We must assume, then, that baptism if one claiming to be a believer is not baptized, we must question their veracity. Conversely, if someone is baptized we must acknowledge the newness of life—regardless of that person’s amount of faith or capacity to articulate it. Baptism purifies and opens the ability to enter into the rest promised in Christ.

Then the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, “Today I have removed the disgrace of Egypt from you.” (Joshua 5:9 LXX)

Though Joshua and his designees performed the physical act, it was the Lord who removed the disgrace remaining on Israel: He identified Himself as the person circumcising the people through His agents. Christians should understand this concept as we gather and relate as the Body of Christ in fellowship with one another: spiritual gifts are practiced to encourage and build up the saints. Where we often misstep is when we speak of activities that the Lord does, yet require a human agent. Take forgiveness of sins as an example. The scribes were correct when they responded to Jesus’ words, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7) Whereas being God incarnate allows a person to do all that He wills, the typical Evangelical bristles when a pastor or priest says, “Your sins are forgiven” and may retort in the same manner as the scribes; yet the Lord left the Church with the authority to do just that: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:23). The act of proclaiming forgiveness was not new. Consider the sin and trespass offerings of the Levitical code (Lev 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:10, 13, 16, 18; 6:7). Later on, Nathan tells King David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die” (2 Sam 12:13). What now prevents the pastor from proclaiming the forgiveness of sins since he is acting in the same capacity? The Lord forgives, but someone else is the mouthpiece.

In a similar fashion, baptism enlivens because God is doing the work (Col 2:12). There are some who opine that baptism is a good work that we do. Yes, the baptizer and baptized are participants in the action, but the work is completely divine. Nothing about baptism can be considered a work we do or allow one to receive credit before God/ What is received is that which comes on the basis of faith through Christ. The men enduring the mass circumcision of Israel considered their election in Abraham to be sufficient. Their passive willingness to endure the cutting and subsequent pain showed that they accepted something must be done whether or not they completely understood the reason for it. While we, thankfully, are no longer required to endure the same physical pain, the need to remove disgrace or reproach remains, therefore baptism.

I leave with a quote from Origen:

But since Christ came and gave to us the second circumcision through “the baptism of regeneration” and purified our souls, we have cast away all these things and in exchange for them we have received the affirming of a good conscience toward God. At that time, through the second circumcision, the reproaches of Egypt were taken away from us, and the blemishes of sins were purified. No one, therefore, fears the reproaches of past transgressions, if he has been wholly converted and has repented from the heart, and, by faith, has parted the waters of the Jordan and been purified through the second circumcision of the gospel. You hear that, “Today, I have taken the reproach of Egypt away from you.”

Homilies on Joshua, 5.6

Receiving a Good Conscience

Consider a window in a house. The dirtier it is, the more marred it is, the less light that comes in, and the more distorted is the view out. The clearer and cleaner the window, the more the light that floods in and the clearer is the view of the outside world. That is what our conscience is like. An unclean conscience, a bad conscience, does not let the light of God shine into our hearts so that our perception of God and the world around us is darkened and distorted. A clear conscience lets the light of God shine into our hearts so that we see the goodness of God and his world more clearly. With light comes sight.

The purpose of Christ’s human life, death, resurrection, and ascension is to give us a good conscience. He delivers that to each of us personally through baptism. Thus St. Peter declares:

Baptism … now saves you, not as the removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. (1 Pet 3:21–22)

Here Peter tells us four things about God’s gift to us of a good conscience.

First, Peter identifies our salvation with the gift from God of a good conscience and associates both of these with the sacrament of baptism. Yet even though baptism is something that happens at one time and in one place, it is not finished once the ceremony is over, just as marriage does not end after the ceremony has been completed. It is not just a past event; it is also a present endowment. It results in an ongoing relationship, a new state with increasing benefits that we receive every Sunday in the divine service. It does that here and now. So Peter declares that baptism now saves us by giving us a good conscience.

Second, when Peter says that baptism now saves us, he adds that this happens through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have a good conscience through his resurrection as well as his ascension. Jesus gives us a good conscience because he is both enthroned as King with God the Father and present with us in the divine service. He is our mediator. He intercedes for us with the Father and brings the Father’s gifts to us. He bridges heaven and earth and thus gives us access to heaven here on earth in the divine service.

Third, Peter contrasts two kinds of cleansing. We are all familiar with the first kind of cleansing by washing with water. Whenever we are dirty we remove the dirt from our bodies by taking a bath. But that is not what happens when we are washed with water in baptism. That washing provides us with a different kind of cleansing: a spiritual cleansing from sin. That happens whenever we appeal to God the Father for a good conscience by confessing our sins and asking for cleansing from the stain of sin. Baptism gives us the right to come to God for cleansing; it gives us a permanent pass, a free ticket to use that bathhouse again and again. We do not receive a good conscience as a permanent possession once for all time on the day of baptism but keep on receiving it as a gift from God the Father. This means that every divine service is an appeal to God for a good conscience.

Fourth, in the Greek, Peter speaks about an appeal to God of a good conscience. He, most likely, intends that to be taken in two ways. When we go to church we not only appeal to God for a good conscience but also appeal to God with a good conscience. The good conscience that we receive from God makes us fit for God, open and receptive to him. It adjusts us to him, like a TV set that is attuned to the same frequency as the transmitter. Once we have a good conscience, we have access to God’s grace (Rom 5:1–2). We can confidently approach God the Father and ask Him for what we need, the things that he has promised to give us.

We, therefore, participate in the divine service in order to receive the gift of a clear conscience. That is why God wants us to go to church. We cannot get that anywhere else on earth, but only there, fully from God, as he provides it for us. Yet that is not all! He gives us a clear conscience so that we can receive him and his heavenly gifts for our life here on earth. That is the purpose of a good conscience. God cleanses it so that we can serve him together with the angels and all the saints in the heavenly sanctuary.

John W. Kleinig, LOGIA 26-3: 8–9

Blood and Body, Sprinkling and Washing

I recently heard a good message on Hebrews 10:19–25, and it spurred thoughts on blood, body, and water as they apply to the Christian life.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God,… (Heb 10:19–21)

Notice that Jesus provided two things that give access. The first was His precious blood as of a lamb without blemish and without spot by which we were redeemed (see 1 Pet 1:19). He completed the sin offering necessary on the Day of Atonement wherein the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the Holy Place (Lev 16:16) and to carry away the transgressions and sins of His chosen people (Lev 16:21). Second, instead of a heavy veil or curtain preventing us from God’s very presence, we have a new and living way in Jesus’ flesh that parallels entrance by His blood, so that what had been accomplished some 2000 years ago continues unabated, allowing us priestly access as we take the Lord’s Supper “which is the medicine of immortality, and the antidote to prevent us from dying, but that we should live forever in Jesus Christ” (Ignatius of Antioch, To the Ephesians 20).

… let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb 10:22)

Because of what our Lord Jesus accomplished, the writer encouraged his audience to draw near, to complete the full function of their priesthood. Notice the application of sprinkling and washing. These are taken from the consecration ritual for the priests, further connecting us to our new office and duty. Before the priest could properly enter into his role, he needed to be prepared by the Lord. This included washing with water (Lev 8:6) and the sprinkling of blood mixed with anointing oil (Lev 8:30). These both point to the work of the Holy Spirit. In baptism, we receive “the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5), thus fulfilling what God had promised:

I shall sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be cleansed from all your uncleanness, and I will also cleanse you from all your idols. I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I shall take the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I shall put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My requirements, and you will keep My judgments and do them. (Ezek 36:25–27)

By virtue of God’s consecrating and purifying work, we have both a right and duty to continually come before Him and live out our priesthood. How?

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.
Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works (Heb 10:23–24)

We have been qualified as a royal and holy priesthood (1 Pet 2:5, 9). Let us go on as those who serve in the face of the living God.

Hearts Sprinkled; Bodies Washed

In recent years I have changed my position on baptism from something done to show what was spiritually accomplished at an earlier time to being the defining moment for identification with Christ. Why? Simply put, Scripture refers to baptism as the active agent (cf. Rom 6:1–4, Col 2:11–14, 1 Pet 3:21–22 Acts 2:28; 22:16). There are also passages like Titus 3:4–7 that do not reference baptism by name, but clearly bring out what is being done through washing. For years I had been taught to spiritualize this text because of the preconception that baptism is for making your faith public—which it does—but a good lexicon will tell you it refers to a ceremonial religious washing with H₂O. A few months ago, my attention was drawn to another example of washing that I had previously read and spiritualized.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb 10:19–22)

Access to God had previously been restricted to the priesthood, and only the High Priest could enter the Holiest, and only on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:11–16). Since Jesus, in His high-priestly office, applied His precious blood on the heavenly mercy seat as the full final atonement, all believers, in their vocation as a priesthood, have gained access.

While the people were consecrated corporately as a chosen people through the sprinkling of blood and the Word of God (Exod 24:3–8), priests were consecrated individually (Exod 29:1–37) with their primary duty being the daily service (Exod 29:38–46). Part of the consecration rite involved the following actions:

Bodies washed

And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall wash them with water. (Exod 29:4)

Blood sprinkled

And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him; and he and his garments shall be hallowed, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him. (Exod 29:21)

The parallels should be obvious: as the Levitical priests were washed with water and sprinkled with blood, in similar fashion, believers receive the same consecration for priestly service—though with a difference. The Mosaic covenant stipulated that Aaron and his sons were sprinkled with blood so that it spattered on their garments, whereas the author of Hebrews speaks of application on the heart, turning what had been a physical act to one that is spiritual. Since Christ was the last sacrifice, the blood would need to be Divinely applied. One might think that the washing is also solely spiritual in nature, however, the writer is careful to specify that their washing had been with actual water. Had he intended the communicate solely the spiritual, we might have expected “washing with the Holy Spirit” or some such wording. As written, we must conclude that water is used, and that the Holy Spirit is actively involved in the transaction in order to give the full sanctifying and consecrating effect as Cyril of Jerusalem instructs:

For since man is of twofold nature, soul and body, the purification also is twofold, the one incorporeal for the incorporeal part, and the other bodily for the body: the water cleanses the body, and the Spirit seals the soul; that we may draw near unto God, having our heart sprinkled by the Spirit, and our body washed with pure water. 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 you cannot possibly be made perfect. (“On Baptism,” Catechetical Lectures III.4)

The author of Hebrews used this association to the priest in order to build the case that these believers stood in a unique position with a holy vocation that their past life in Judaism could never afford: the recipients had the holy privilege of open access to God’s presence, so they should not lose heart and return to Judaism but persevere in their adversity. To do so, he recounts what has been accomplished in them through working of each Person of the Godhead, demonstrating how each part of the work stands within redemptive history as it was promised to His people and fulfilled in Christ. To turn back now would be paramount to unbelief and God’s wrath, but the writer was confident that they would remember their baptisms and confidently continue in the faith they had received.

The Same Holy Spirit Who Worked in Christ's Birth Now Works in Rebirth

Baptism of St Paul - Capela Paletina

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Lu 1:35)

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (He 2:14–15)


And so to undo this chain of sin and death, the Almighty Son of God, that fills all things and contains all things, altogether equal to the Father and co-eternal in one essence from Him and with Him, took on Him man’s nature, and the Creator and Lord of all things deigned to be a mortal: choosing for His mother one whom He had made, one who, without loss of her maiden honor, supplied so much of bodily substance, that without the pollution of human seed the New Man might be possessed of purity and truth. In Christ, therefore, born of the Virgin’s womb, the nature does not differ from ours, because His nativity is wonderful. For He Who is true God, is also true man: and there is no lie in either nature. “The Word became flesh” by exaltation of the flesh, not by failure of the Godhead: which so tempered its power and goodness as to exalt our nature by taking it, and not to lose His own by imparting it. In this nativity of Christ, according to the prophecy of David, “truth sprang out of the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven” (Ps 85:12). In this nativity also, Isaiah’s saying is fulfilled, “let the earth produce and bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together” (Is 45:8). For the earth of human flesh, which in the first transgressor, was cursed, in this Offspring of the Blessed Virgin only produced a seed that was blessed and free from the fault of its stock. And each one is a partaker of this spiritual origin in regeneration; and to every one when he is reborn, the water of baptism is like the Virgin’s womb; for the same Holy Spirit fills the font, Who filled the Virgin, that the sin, which that sacred conception overthrew, may be taken away by this mystical washing.

Gregory the Great, Sermon on the Feast of the Nativity 24.3

We Glorify and Believe As We Are Baptized

We confess that the Lord’s teaching, which he gave to the disciples when he handed over to them the mystery of piety, is the foundation and root of the right and salutary faith, and we believe that nothing else is loftier or surer than that tradition. Now, the Lord’s teaching is this: Go, he says, teach all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, the power which enlivens those who are born again from death to eternal life comes through the Holy Trinity to the faithful who are counted worthy of this grace. And likewise, the grace is incomplete if any single one of the names of the Holy Trinity is ever omitted in saving baptism. For the mystery of rebirth is not complete without the Father, in Son and Spirit alone. Nor, if the Son is passed over in silence, does complete life come through baptism in Father and Son. Nor is the grace of the resurrection brought to completion in Father and Son if the Spirit is set aside. For this reason, we place our entire hope and confidence for the salvation of our souls in the three hypostases recognized through these names. And we believe in the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the source of life, and in the Only-begotten Son of the Father, who is the Author of life, just as the Apostle says, and in the Holy Spirit of God, about whom the Lord said that It is the Spirit that gives life.

And since, for us who have been redeemed from death, the grace of incorruptibility comes in saving baptism through faith in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (as we have said), being led by these, we believe that nothing servile, created, or unworthy of the Father’s majesty is to be counted together with the Holy Trinity. For we have one life which comes to us through faith in the Holy Trinity. It takes its source from the God of the universe, proceeds through the Son, and is actualized in the Holy Spirit.

So then, having this assurance, we baptize as we have been commanded, we believe as we baptize, and we glorify as we believe, so that baptism, faith, and glorification resound in one voice in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Gregory of Nyssa

Are You a Heretic?

American Christians have a mixed relationship with creeds ranging from “Creeds are on equal standing with Scripture” to “No creed but Scripture.” Regardless of where one stands on this spectrum, there is an acknowledgment that creeds formed in the early centuries of the church are important. As heresy entered, statements were formed that documented what the Church believed, taught, and confessed. Because they correctly summarized Scripture, they are now considered standards upon which modern belief is built and, therefore, useful for study. However, too often the average Christian, whether pastor or layman, believes this knowledge is suitable only as an historical curio or point of academic discussion, but not useful for common life and practice. As a result, both pedagogue and pupil can mistakenly cling to heresy. To demonstrate the propensity to error, we will look at the Niceno-Constantinopolitan (or Nicene) Creed. Drafted at the First Council of Nicea (325) and later amended at the First Council of Constantinople (381), this creed has three major parts, coïnciding with the three Persons of the Trinity.

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only‐begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

As a centuries old statement of faith, this creed has stood the test of time. In my circles of Christian fellowship, someone would read through this and say, “Yes, that’s exactly what I believe,” without another thought. Probably you would as well. In fact, I would say that every person and organization identifying as an evangelical would affirm this creed while in actuality they do not believe it completely.

At this point you are probably reviewing the creed to see if something jumps out where you might be off base. God, the Father, created all things? Check. Jesus is of same essence as the Father? Check. Born of the Virgin Mary? Check. You get the picture—all well and good. Now move down to the third section.  Same essence glory as the Father and Son. Check. Source of Church unity through all ages. Check. Baptism remits sin. Wait. Baptism remits sin? Yes, the Nicene Creed affirms that baptism remits or cancels sin.

Conspiracy theorists will want to opine that the church was in such disarray that the council representatives did not know what they were doing, or possibly Rome had already corrupted the fourth-century church into accepting what every good Christian knows to be unbiblical doctrine. Church history tells us differently as demonstrated by two examples preceding the councils by 200 years.

Epistle of Barnabas XI
Let us further inquire whether the Lord took any care to foreshadow the water [of baptism] and the cross. Concerning the water, indeed, it is written, in reference to the Israelites, that they should not receive that baptism which leads to the remission of sins, but should procure another for themselves.… This means, that we indeed descend into the water full of sins and defilement, but come up, bearing fruit in our heart, having the fear [of God] and trust in Jesus in our spirit.

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho XIV
By reason, therefore, of this laver of repentance and knowledge of God, which has been ordained on account of the transgression of God’s people, as Isaiah cries, we have believed, and testify that that very baptism which he announced is alone able to purify those who have repented; and this is the water of life. But the cisterns which you have dug for yourselves are broken and profitless to you. For what is the use of that baptism which cleanses the flesh and body alone? Baptize the soul from wrath and from covetousness, from envy, and from hatred; and, lo! the body is pure.

Should some assert that these are merely examples of doctrine gone awry, they will be faced with some insurmountable obstacles:

1. The above quotes were written within 50–100 years of the martyrdoms of both Peter and Paul. Had these post-apostolic writings been aberrations, others would have arisen to correct them. We have no such correction.
2. Scripture teaches that baptism saves us, being the physical instrument bringing us from death to new life through faith (Rom 6:3–6; Col 2:11–14).

Not until the sixteenth century was the place of baptism questioned. Why do we now insist that it must be no more than an outward symbol of an inward reality? While the symbolism is valid, such bare adherence strips the Word of God of its power and authority. A picture may paint a thousand words, but it has no eternal consequence.

So, the Original Question Remains
Are you a heretic? Perhaps the word heretic is too strong for someone who does not see baptism for what it is. Fine. I can soften the question: are you heterodox? Still too harsh? Let me ask this: are you simply ignorant of the facts? Whichever is accurate, you are left with a decision. Do you stand with theologians and teachers, whether popular or obscure, whose erudite scholarship is deemed of greater import than the “uninformed” patristic writers; or do you hold fast to the apostles and prophets who handed this doctrine to faithful confessors who likewise taught other faithful men and so on.

I say it is better to believe on Him Who is able to deliver what He has promised in the manner He promised.

Baptism Is an Act of God

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Eph 4:4–6)

The rite of baptism, when it finally occurs, is not a mere seal set on the initiate as a sign of the successful performance of a series of penitential acts for purification, as Basil summarized the baptism of Moses, nor is it an external washing for forgiveness of sins as with John the Baptist, but it is rather a divine act involving Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.*

John the Baptist, than whom there is no greater among them that are born of woman [cf. Matt. 11:11], likewise bears witness in the words: He must increase, but I must decrease [John 3:30]; and again: I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance, but he baptizes you in the Holy Spirit and fire [Matt. 3:11], and so in many other places. The Holy Spirit is as far superior to water as he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit obviously is to him who baptizes in water. And this is true also of the baptism itself. [Basil, Concerning Baptism 1.2.4]

Baptism is an act of God the Holy Spirit in the believer.

Timothy P. McConnell, Illumination in Basil of Caesarea’s Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

* McConnell is trying to harmonize the biblical divine work being accomplished at baptism with personal belief displayed through Basil’s requirement of catechism and moral transformation prior to baptism.

Neglected Half of the Great Commission

Rembrandt, “Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch”

[T]he obligation to preach the Gospel also includes the duty and the goal to baptize.  Although conversion comes about through the preaching of God’s Word, it is anchored and made visibly manifest in Baptism.  From Scripture, we also know that Baptism is the means whereby one is added to the communion of believers (Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12; 18:8).  In view of the fact that the great Commission speaks so clearly of preaching coupled with Baptism (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16), it seems odd that so little attention is given the Sacrament of Baptism in missiological literature.  One notices primarily a minimalist version that focuses on witness, isolated from Baptism.  Peter Brunner’s insights on Baptism seem instructive:

The Gospel seeks the faith of the hearers.  Once it comes to faith, then baptism follows by necessity.  Therefore the Great Commission embraces immediately also baptism.  It cannot come to a faith in the Gospel through the Holy Spirit, that does not desire and lead to baptism.  The place where baptism takes place is where church has come about. 

Klaus Detlev Schulz, Mission from the Cross, 191

What Baptism Is Not—Merely a Symbol

Philip Baptizing the Eunuch

I have read many treatises on baptism, all of which attempt to define what it is and does.  One expects that approach as a sign of good rhetorical skills; however, my post presents the topic from the opposite direction, to wit, baptism is not merely the external demonstration of an inward reality.  Please do not think that baptism is not a symbol, but my goal is to demonstrate that more is occurring than just a demonstration as posited similarly to Millard Erickson.

Baptism is, then, an act of faith and commitment that one has been united with Christ in his death and resurrection, that one has experienced spiritual circumcision.  (Christian Theology 1110)

I agree with this statement, but it falls short.  To that end, let us look at a familiar passage.

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.  (1 Pet 3:21-22)

For purposes of this post, I will not address the main clause “baptism … now saves you.”  Rather than dealing with the varied interpretations, I will focus on the dependent clause which follows looking first at the negative component, then the positive.

Not as a removal of dirt from the flesh – The first part of the clause signifies that someone could misunderstand what is intended to be cleansed.  The Mosaic Law prescribed ritual washings that actually cleaned people, offerings, utensils, etc. of whatever uncleanness needed to be removed.  Teachers of the Law added to washings during the Second Temple period in order to maintain external purity:

For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.  (Mark 7:3-4)

But as an appeal to God for a good conscience – This where Judaism failed, as Mark alludes to above.  During their ministries, both John and Jesus preached repentance.  Hearers who understood their need for cleansing from sin responded by faith and were baptized.  Confession of sin was exhibited with the appeal to the promise of God for acceptance.  To go back to the Mosaic Law example, the effect on the object washed left it useful in relation to holy things and now applied to the repentant sinner.  There was a change of position.  He who was once separate from a holy God and His dwelling place becomes holy and is useful in His service.

As we can see there is something active happening in baptism, but this is not the only place where we see this.  Turning to the apostle Paul, we note the following acts of identification, death, and new life:

In addition, For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  (Gal 3:27)

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  (Rom. 6:4)

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.  (Col 2:11-12)

Each of these passages state that something actively occurs to the person who is baptized when it is performed.  This is the clear testimony of Scripture.  More is happening than what has become simply a demonstration (and, sadly, sometimes a sideshow) to encourage other believers.  I encourage the reader to compare what is commonly offered as a generally accepted summary statement on baptism against the biblical texts.  When we reduce this act to mere symbolism of a decision theology, we denigrate the character and work of God actively working in the one baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Baptism: Spiritual Circumcision and Resurrection

This Sunday we have multiple baptisms.  In view of that event, I am offering some patristic commentary referencing baptismal texts.

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In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.  (Col 2:11-12)

See how near he is come to the thing.  He says, “In the putting” quite away, not putting off merely.  “The body of sins.”  He means, “the old life.”  He is continually adverting to this in different ways, as he said above, “Who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and reconciled us who were alienated,” that we should be “holy and without blemish.” (Col. 1:13, 21.)  No longer, he says, is the circumcision with the knife, but in Christ Himself; for no hand imparts this circumcision, as is the case there, but the Spirit.  It circumcises not a part, but the whole man.  It is the body both in the one and the other case, but in the one it is carnally, in the other it is spiritually circumcised; but not as the Jews, for ye have not put off flesh, but sins.  When and where?  In Baptism.  And what he calls circumcision, he again calls burial.  Observe how he again passes on to the subject of righteous doings; “of the sins,” he says, “of the flesh,” the things they had done in the flesh.  He speaks of a greater thing than circumcision, for they did not merely cast away that of which they were circumcised, but they destroyed it, they annihilated it.

John Chrysostom, Homily on Colossians, VI

Through baptism comes the stripping away and circumcision of sins.… Those being baptized in the blood of Christ confess that they share in His death through baptism and that following this they enjoy the resurrection.  Resurrection is used here in a twofold sense, the one spiritual and the other physical.  All persons will rise through the resurrection of Christ from the dead.  Those, however, who have not been baptized in Christ but have died without faith will share in the general resurrection. However they will not enjoy the promise of redemption.… As many as were baptized into Christ, these have freely benefited before the general resurrection from the spiritual resurrection, for they have already risen from the death of sins.  Thus, Paul also says: “in whom you were raised,” not “in whom you will be raised.”

Severian of Gabala, Pauline Commentary

Baptized into His Death

This Sunday we have multiple baptisms.  In view of that event, I am offering some patristic commentary referencing baptismal texts.

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Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  (Rom 6:3-4)

What does being “baptized into His Death” mean?  That it is with a view to our dying as He did. For Baptism is the Cross.  What the Cross then, and Burial, is to Christ, that Baptism hath been to us, even if not in the same respects.  For He died Himself and was buried in the Flesh, but we have done both to sin.  Therefore he does not say, planted together in His Death, but in the likeness of His Death.  For both the one and the other is a death, but not of the same subject—since the one is of the Flesh, that of Christ; the other of sin, which is our own.  As then that is real, so is this.  But if it be real, then what is of our part again must be contributed.  Here he hints, along with the duty of a careful walk, at the subject of the resurrection.  In what way?  Do you believe, he means, that Christ died, and that He was raised again?  Believe then the same of yourself.  For this is like to the other, since both Cross and Burial is yours.  For if you have shared in Death and Burial, much more will you in Resurrection and Life.  For now the greater is done away with (the sin I mean), it is not right to doubt any longer about the lesser (the doing away of death).

John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans, X

O strange and inconceivable thing!  We did not really die, we were not really buried, we were not really crucified and raised again; but our imitation was in a figure, and our salvation in reality.  Christ was actually crucified, and actually buried, and truly rose again; and all these things He has freely bestowed upon us, that we, sharing His sufferings by imitation, might gain salvation in reality.  O surpassing loving-kindness!  Christ received nails in His undefiled hands and feet, and suffered anguish; while on me without pain or toil by the fellowship of His suffering He freely bestows salvation.

Cyril of Jerusalem, On the Mysteries: Of Baptism, 5

Baptism in the Triune Name

This Sunday we have multiple baptisms.  In view of that event, I am offering some patristic commentary referencing baptismal texts.

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Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  (Mt 28:19-20)

And again, giving to the disciples the power of regeneration into God, He said to them, “Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  For [God] promised, that in the last times He would pour [the Spirit] upon [His] servants and handmaids, that they might prophesy; wherefore He did also descend upon the Son of God, made the Son of man, becoming accustomed in fellowship with Him to dwell in the human race, to rest with human beings, and to dwell in the workmanship of God, working the will of the Father in them, and renewing them from their old habits into the newness of Christ.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies III.17.1

Grant that, in days gone by, there was salvation by means of bare faith, before the passion and resurrection of the Lord.  But now that faith has been enlarged, and is become a faith which believes in His nativity, passion, and resurrection, there has been an amplification added to the sacrament, viz., the sealing act of baptism; the clothing, in some sense, of the faith which before was bare, and which cannot exist now without its proper law.  For the law of baptizing has been imposed, and the formula prescribed: “Go,” He saith, “teach the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  The comparison with this law of that definition, “Unless a man have been reborn of water and Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens,” [John 3:5] has tied faith to the necessity of baptism.  Accordingly, all thereafter who became believers used to be baptized.  Then it was, too, that Paul, when he believed, was baptized; and this is the meaning of the precept which the Lord had given him when smitten with the plague of loss of sight, saying, “Arise, and enter Damascus.  There shall be shown to you what you ought to do,” to wit—be baptized, which was the only thing lacking to him.  Except for that point, he had sufficiently learned and believed “the Nazarene” to be “the Lord, the Son of God” [Acts 9:1-31].

Tertullian, On Baptism XIII

And we in receiving Baptism, in imitation of our Lord and Teacher and Guide, are not indeed buried in the earth (for this is the shelter of the body that is entirely dead, covering the infirmity and decay of our nature), but coming to the element akin to earth, to water, we conceal ourselves in that as the Savior did in the earth.  And by doing this thrice we represent for ourselves that grace of the Resurrection which was wrought in three days.  And this we do, not receiving the sacrament in silence, but while there are spoken over us the Names of the Three Sacred Persons on Whom we believed, in Whom we also hope, from Whom comes to us both the fact of our present and the fact of our future existence.

It may be you are offended, you who contends boldly against the glory of the Spirit, and that you begrudge the Spirit that veneration wherewith He is reverenced by the godly.  Leave off contending with me.  Resist, if you can, those words of the Lord which gave to men the rule of the Baptismal invocation.  What says the Lord’s command?  “Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  How in the Name of the Father?  Because He is the primal cause of all things.  How in the Name of the Son?  Because He is the Maker of the Creation.  How in the Name of the Holy Spirit?  Because He is the power perfecting all.  We bow ourselves therefore before the Father, that we may be sanctified.  Before the Son also we bow, that the same end may be fulfilled.  We bow also before the Holy Spirit, that we may be made what He is in fact and in Name.

Gregory of Nyssa, On the Baptism of Christ

What Prevents You?

And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water!  What prevents me from being baptized?”  (Acts 8:36)

Imitate the eunuch.  He found an instructor on the road, and he did not spurn instruction; but although he was a rich man, he caused the poor man to mount into his chariot: a grand and splendid courtier placed at his side a private individual, on whom others would look with contempt; and when he had learned the gospel of the kingdom, he embraced the faith with his heart, and did not delay to receive the seal of the Spirit.  For when they drew nigh to a stream, “behold,” he says, “here is water,” thus showing his great joy: behold what is required: what prevents me from being baptized?  Where the will is ready, there is no obstacle: for He that calls us, loves mankind, the minister is at hand, and the grace is abundant.  Let the desire be sincere, and every obstacle will vanish.  There is only one to hinder us, he who blocks up the path of salvation, but whom by prudence we can overcome.  He causes us to tarry: let us rise to the work; he deludes us by vain promises: let us not be ignorant of his devices.  For does he not suggest to commit sin today, and persuade us to defer justice till tomorrow?  Wherefore the Lord, to defeat his perverse suggestions, says to us: “Today, if you hear my voice.”  He says: today for me, tomorrow for God.  The Lord cries out: “Today hear my voice.”  Mark the enemy: he does not dare counsel us utterly to abandon God, (for he knows that this were shocking to Christians,)* but by fraudulent stratagems he attempts to effect his purpose.  He is cunning in evil doing: he perceives that we live for the present time, and all our actions regard it.  Stealing from us, then, artfully today, he leaves us to hope for tomorrow.  Then when tomorrow comes, the wicked distributor of time appears again, claiming the day for himself, and leaving tomorrow to the Lord; and thus perpetually, by using the bait of pleasure to secure for himself the present time, and proposing the future to our hopes, he takes us out of life by surprise.

Basil of Ceasarea, Exhortation to Baptism, 5

*  Basil applies the term here to catechumens, persons professing faith in Christ, but not yet baptized.

Taking You to the Cleaners

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.  And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.  And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.  (Ezek 36:25-27)

Israel had sinned greatly, defiling all the Lord had given them, and for this they were judged by being scattered to the nations.  But the Lord was concerned for his reputation.  The fact that Israel was dispossessed spoke volumes to the nations.  God chose to right the situation.  To an outside observer, the fact of God's working would be an indication that the nation of Israel had learned its lesson and was coming home as a son who had once again earned his place, yet the Lord plainly says this is not the case.

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.  And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.  (Ezek 36:22-23)

Nothing the people offered could prompt God to act.  They were bereft of sufficient moral character to earn his attention.  Only an intrinsic attribute of divine character would spur the Almighty to right the situation, and his name would once again be glorified.  Therefore, the promise is made to  draw the people from the nations where they reside and perform a cleansing action only the Lord can achieve.  The heart, stony and lifeless as it is, would be replaced with one of flesh—a heart beating with new life.  Instead of operating with a spirit dead in all respects because of sin, we receive the Holy Spirit, so that we might live rightly according to God’s word.

This passage is special, not just because the Lord promised this wonderful renewal and rebirth for the future, but we see it come to light when reiterated by Jesus to Nicodemus: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).  The promise is once again extended, but this time with an expectation of accomplishment.  We can afford some leniency in Nicodemus’ confusion.  Mankind was corrupt and the Law was iron-clad in its requirement, yet the promise of permanent cleansing remained.  How could God bring about such a marvelous transformation?  Nicodemus did not realize the fulfillment of the cleansing work will be accomplished by the person with whom he is speaking.  Neither would we.  The Lord Jesus was yet to go to the cross and make final payment for sin on the cross.  It is that one work that secured for all time the obligation due from Adam to his creator.

At Pentecost, the house of Israel began believing Jesus was their Messiah, receiving the cleansing that could never be accomplished through the continual sacrifice of bulls and goats, but which could only be wrought by God himself as the Holy Spirit took residence in each one.  They were baptized into Christ, buried with him, walking in newness of life (Rom 6:3-4) and “saved by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5) having nothing in themselves.  The same is true for today.  The promise is still in effect.  Believers are cleansed and can stand before a holy God without spot or blemish.

What if we do not feel clean or walk perfectly in all God’s ways.  Has the effect worn off?  We do not consider our opinion of inadequacy to determine standing or acceptability.  Sin still remains in this world, and we succumb to it in various ways.  For that we confess transgressions and receive His absolution (1 John 1:9).  Sin will be extinguished on the last day.  We look forward to it.  Then the ultimate promise and ability of our faithfulness will be realized.  Until then we hearken to the words of grace: Christ died, arose, and returns again for me.

Baptism: Completed Ritual or Continuing Reality?

Which do you say when asked: “I was baptized,” or “I am baptized?”  It is an interesting question.  I have heard a couple of Bible teachers recently speak of the present reality of baptism.  The idea intrigued me, because instead of viewing baptism as only a ritual that needs to be checked off of a believer's spiritual to-do list, there is a sense in which the Christian operates (or more properly should operate) with the knowledge of who he is in Christ.

I am guessing that most who follow this blog will say that they were baptized, somewhat viewing it as a steppingstone or a rung on the ladder of Christian maturity after believing on the Lord Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection on account of and for my sin.  Of course I do not disagree with the historicity of the event.  By however mode it was performed, someone baptized you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  There might even be documentary evidence of a photograph, handwritten note, church roll, or baptismal certificate.  It happened, and we can look back at the occasion as having been completed: a public statement was made intending a life lived by faith in Christ.  None of this is incorrect, of course, but I wonder if there is a missed aspect relating to the present.

Paul tells us that those baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death to crucify the old and destroy the body of sin (Rom 6:3-7) with the admonition to “consider yourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:11).  In other words, there is a present intention to continue in what was manifest at baptism.  Elsewhere Paul makes a similar allusion when he states:

I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  (Gal 2:20)

What had been wrought is being carried forward.  We have had the “body of flesh” removed through the circumcision that is in Christ (Col 2:11-12) and have put on Christ (Gal 3:27).

Finally, Peter makes the connection more clear when he writes, “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you” (1 Pet 3:21).  Setting aside the question of efficacy of the baptismal rite in relation to justification, we can say the apostle offers a definite present tense to the work—baptism saves, not baptism saved—because of faith in the promise of forgiveness at baptism.  It is “an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”  What was desired through faith in that moment of history continues on as we continue in this world.

Baptism acts as a reminder of the faith, belief, and assurance of God's promises that this is a life of faith in Christ's saving work as much as when first believing.  Something began at baptism, and what God began, he is able to complete (Phil 1:6).

Rejoicing in the Promise of Forgiveness

Baptism and the Lord's Supper are signs that continually admonish, cheer, and encourage despairing minds to believe the more firmly that their sins are forgiven.  So the same promise is written and portrayed in good works, in order that these works may admonish us to believe the more firmly.  Those who produce no good works do not encourage themselves to believe, but despise these promises.  The godly on the other hand, embrace them, and rejoice that they have the signs and testimonies of so great a promise.  Accordingly, they exercise themselves in these signs and testimonies.

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article V: Of Love and Fulfilling of the Law, 155

Baptism: Symbol of Death, Resurrection, and the Life to Come

Because it was necessary that we who were born later should receive faith concerning the above future good things and that we should believe that our Savior, our head and the cause of all of them for us, was Christ our Lord, it was imperative that He should also arrange as much as possible our mode of life in this world according to the hope of the future.  It is with justice, therefore, that in this also He became our head.  He was baptized so that He might give a symbol to our own baptism.  In it He was freed from all the obligations of the law.  He performed also all the economy of the Gospel: He chose disciples to Himself, established the teaching of a new law and a new doctrine, promulgated ways of acting congruous to His teaching and different from the teaching of the Law, and taught that the ways of acting of us who believe should be in harmony with those.*

We also when we are baptized show the symbol of that world to come; we die with Him in baptism, and we rise symbolically with Him, and we endeavor to live according to His law in the hope of the future good things which we expect to share with Him at the resurrection from the dead.  If Christ our Lord had immediately after His rising from the dead, raised also all men who had previously died, and had bestowed upon them new life fully and immediately, we should have been in no need of doing anything; as, however, He actually performed only on Himself the renewal which is to come and through which He rose from the dead and His body became immortal and His soul immutable, it became necessary that this decrepit and mortal world should last further in order that mankind might believe in Him and receive the hope of communion and future life.

Theodore of Mopsuestia, Commentary on the Nicene Creed, 6