Menander
Baptism
What other Christians found
radical was that Menander instituted his own version of the Christian water
rite. Outside of Judea, baptism was already a distinctively Christian practice.
Instead of baptism into Christ, Menander reportedly proclaimed a baptism “in”
or “with reference to him(self).” This is how Irenaeus put it (Irenaeus, AH 1.23.5
[in eum baptisma]). Eusebius may preserve Irenaeus’s original Greek
which referred to baptism simply “from” or “in the interest of” Menander—a fairly
innocuous phrase (Eusebius, HE 3.26.2 [προς αυτου βαπτισματος). Being baptized “into the name
of the Lord Jesus” was standard jargon for Christian baptism (Acts 8:16; 19:5)
and it meant—among other things—being placed in a relationship of belonging to
a deity. Paul denied that he baptized people in his own name (1 Cor. 1;13)
since that might indicate competition with Christ. Justin Martyr whose Syntagma
was the probable source of Irenaeus, wanted to portray Menander as an
arrogant self-deifier (Justin Martyr, 1 Apol. 26.1). (M. David Litwa, Found
Christianities: Remaking the World of the Second Century CE [London: T&T
Clark, 2022], 74)
Sethians
Baptism
Sethian Christians did not just
compose sacred stories. They formed groups that practiced a baptismal rite
called “the Five Seals.” The Providence Hymn in the Secret Book of John
presents Christ as raising and sealing converts “in luminous water with Five
Seals, that death might not prevail” (this recalls the promise of Menander’s
baptism” (Ap. John II,1 31.20-24). The Five Seals themselves are enigmatic.
They may refer to five steps in the ritual, five drinks in the water, or five
anointings with oil (for the five steps, see Tri. Prot. XIII,1 48.15-25).
In the Secret Book of John,
Christ was anointed in heaven. One would expect a mirroring of this event on
earth. The Reality of the Rulers speaks of the “oil of eternal life” with
which Christ anointed his people (Hyp. Arch. II,4 97.3-4). The fivefold
anointing may also be illumined by The Gospel of Thomas, which mentions
five trees in Paradise. Anointing with five types of oil may have been thought
to convey eternal life, for—as Thomas put it—“whoever knows them [the
trees] will not taste death” (Gosp. Thom. II,2 19.3-4). Sethian baptism,
like Menander’s, ensured that its participants also did “not taste death” (Gosp.
Eg. III, 2 66.8).
Sethian Christian baptism involved
the renunciation of the world and sin. Baptized persons stripped their clothes
to represent the removal of ignorance (Tri Prot. XIII, 1 49.30-31). They
descended into “living water” which may refer, on the physical plane, to
running water (Gosp. Eg. III, 2 66.11). On a higher plane, the living
water was identified with Jesus, invoked under a mystical name, “Yesseus
Mazareus Yessedekeus” (apparently meaning “Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Just” (cf.
Isa. 11:1. Gosp. Eg. III, 2 64.10-11). Sethian Christians called their
baptism “holy.” It was meant for “people who have eternal knowledge (gnosis)”
(Ap. Adam V,5 85.26).
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In imitation of Christ’s baptism,
the Seed of Seth received the name of Christ “in the water” (Ap. Adam
V,5 83.5-6). In our sole surviving account of a Sethian baptismal invocation,
Jesus (“Yesseus”) is the primary person invoked. His is the “glorious name.”
The person baptized is asked to say: “This great name of yours is upon me, you
who lack nothing you. Self-born one, who are not outside me” (Gosp. Eg.
III, 2 66.23-24). Bright with the “armor of light,” the baptizand stretched out
his or her hands, continued to pray to Jesus as the “god of silence,” the “place
of rest,” the “formless one.” The invocation mentioned “the sweet smell of life”
which may refer to incense or aromatic oil used in the rite (Gosp. Eg.
III, 2 67.22).
Three Forms of First Thought
mentions five steps in the ritual: robbing, baptizing, enthroning, glorifying,
and rapturing. The last three steps, though they might have had earthly
symbols, probably refer to what happened in a heavenly ascent. Sethian baptism “surpassed
the heavens,” changing one’s status in heaven as well as on earth (Gosp. Eg.
III, 2 63.24-25; 65.25). In later Sethian thought, a series of heavenly
baptisms made the ideal Sethian into an angel and even a god.
The Seed of Seth recognized the
distinctive character of their baptism and attacked the water rite of other
Christians. They accused them of defiling “the water of life,” conforming it to
the will of demons (Ap. Adam V,5 84.18-19; cf. Gosp. Judas 55.26-56.5).
By contrast, three blessed angels presided over Sethian baptism. Their names
were Micheus, Michar, and Mnesinous (Ap. Adam V,5 84.5-6; cf. Gosp.
Eg. III, 2 64.15-16; Tri. Prot. XIII, 1 48.19.20). The first two
names may be alterations of the archangel Michael and the prophet Micah. The
meaning of Mnesinous seems to be “the Mind who recalls.” He may have had a role
in reminding Sethian Christians of their true, spiritual identity. Sethian
Christians invoked other names and pronounced celestial sounds to ensure the
efficacy of their rites. (Ibid., 92-93)
Marcus (Valentinian Christian, c. 160 AD)
Baptism
Little is securely known about
Marcus’s baptismal rite. It is possible that he recommended a second baptism called
“redemption.” An initial baptism—perhaps received in other churches—was for the
forgiveness of sins, but the second baptism granted perfection. Jesus alluded
to a second baptism when he said, “I have another baptism to be baptized with”
(Luke 12:50).
Irenaeus, our main witness here,
did not make clear if he was speaking about distinctly Marcosian practice (he
wanted to give the impression that Valentinians were at odds and disorganized).
The bishop mentioned “other” Valentinians who used various formulae, for
instance “[I baptize you] into the name of the unknown Father of the universe,
into Truth, the Mother of all, into him who descended upon Jesus, into the
union and redemption and participation of the powers” (Irenaeus, AH
1.21.3; cf. Eusebius, HE 4.11.5). Certain Hebrew phrases were also pronounced,
along with a congregational response: “Peace be to all upon whom the Name rests”
(Irenaeus, AH 1.21.3). (Recall that the Son is the Name of the Father in
the Gospel of Truth). Irenaeus also note that Valentinians used fragrant
oil in their baptisms and emphasized the importance of knowledge as they
underwent the rite (Irenaeus, AH 1.21.3-4). (Ibid., 191-92)
