Baptism in the early church (Catechumen Process)

Baptism in the Early Church

Stories - What does baptism look like in your church?

Or what have you seen?

How do you prepare?

Catechumen Process

“The word catechumen comes from the passive form of the Greek word κατηχέω (katēcheō), which is used seven times in the New Testament. In the passive, it means "to be instructed, informed."

Indoctrination

Up to two years.

Big emphasis during Lent leading up to Easter Sunday when they would be baptized.

Who is Egeria?

Found in the late 1800s

Christian woman living probably in the late 300s.

Wealthyish, able to do a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Travels to Mt Sinai to Constantinople.

She stayed 3 years in Jerusalem.

She wrote a lot about Holy Week and Easter Vigil going on in Jerusalem at the time.

As well as detailing the church calendar

Quadraguessima

“There has been teaching on all the Scriptures from six

to nine in the morning all through Lent, three hours’

catechesis a day.” - Egeria’s Travels

Why? To detoxify from the Roman story.

We are people that are driven by story.

When you are baptized you are baptized into a story.

You are also leaving an old story.

THINK NATURALIZATION PROCESS

Context: religiously polytheistic

Dualistic

Syncretistic

persecution

Greco-Roman paideia

What unbelievers saw was a way of life formed by discipleship

(catechumenate) and worship (baptism, prayer, preaching,

eucharist…). This way of life included habits such as:

energetically feeding poor people, providing free burial, caring for boys and girls who lacked property and parents, being attentive to aged slaves and prisoners, rescuing exposed infants (often girls) from garbage heaps and raising them as their own children, caring for desperately ill (both pagans and Christians) during the plague, because believers can die without fear. - Rylersdaam

Centurion.

Shrine Prostitute.

Father of a home.

Oikos Idea

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Another reason is because of heresies. Especially into the 3-5th centuries

In event of their martyrdom prior to baptism by water, this was held to be a "baptism by blood", and they were honored as martyrs.

Baptismal Practices

Packed with meaning from start to finish

a. Renunciation and adherence

“Do you renounce Satan? . . . his works? . . . his pomps?”

“I pledge myself to you, O Christ.”

b. Led to the baptistery

Mark 15:22

Mark 15:46

c. Removal of clothes

Gen. 2:25

Col. 3:9-10; Eph. 4:22-24

John 19:23-25

d. Anointing of the body

WHY?

Luke 10:34; James 5:14; Mark 6:13

Heb. 1:9; Ps. 45:7

Rom. 11:24

Ps. 23:4-5

“Catechumens recited the Creed on Holy Saturday to show that they had completed their catechetical instruction.[123] At dawn following the Paschal Vigil starting the night of Holy Saturday, they were taken to the baptistry where the bishop consecrated the water with a long prayer recounting the types of baptisms. The catechumens disrobed, were anointed with oil, renounced the devil and his works, confessed their faith in the Trinity, and were immersed in the font. They were then anointed with chrism, received the laying on of hands, clothed in white, and led to join the congregation in the Easter celebration.[122] By then, postponement of baptism had become general, and a large proportion of believers were merely catechumens (Constantine was not baptized until he was dying); but as baptisms of the children of Christians, using an adaptation of the rite intended for adults, became more common than baptisms of adult converts, the number of catechumens decreased.[121]”

Mode: Usually immersion, but this doesn’t mean it’s the only way.

Sprinkling: You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Heb 12:24

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Peter 1:2

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts usprinkled clean vfrom an evil conscience and our bodies wwashed with pure water. Heb 10:22

Washing: Priestly Washing

4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.

Immersion: Romans 6:4: “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.”

“Concerning baptism, baptize in this way. Having instructed him in all of these teachings, baptize the catechumen in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in running water.v But if you do not have running water, then baptize in other water. And if you cannot in cold water, use warm. But if you have neither, then pour water on the head three times, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And before the baptism, let both the baptizer and the catechumen fast, and also any others who are able. And be sure that the catechumen fasts a day or two before.” - Didache

Baptismal fonts

Womb and tomb.

Descending steps

Anointing: Who do we anoint? Prophets, priests, and kings

Royal Priesthood

Cyril of Jerusalem anointed:

Forehead

so that the baptized may lose the shame

of Adam

Ears

so that they may hear divine mysteries

Nose

so that they may become the aroma of

Christ to God

Chest

so that they may be armed against the

devil

New Clothes:

Gal. 3:27

“As many of you as were baptized into Christ have

clothed yourselves with Christ.”

2 Cor. 5:1-5

“longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,

so that . . . we may not be found naked.”

Communion:

Immediate participation.

Why?

Because of the objectivity of the covenant.

Children included here as well.

History of paedocommunion

Encouragement to live into baptismal identity