A passage of Paul speaks of a
baptism in one Spirit and in one body: εν ενι πνευματι ημεις παντες εις σωμα εβαπτισθημεν . . . και παντες εν πνευμα εποτισθημεν 1 Cor. 12.13.
If one takes the second part to refer to the Eucharist then the first may be a variant
of the fixed expression and refer to the postbaptismal gift of the Spirit. For
this, however, the imbibing of the Spirit in the second part is a striking image.
Hence one would be rather inclined to take the first section as referring to
baptism in water. In support of this it may be pointed out that εις εν σωμα indicates the aim of the rite as
being the incorporation in Christ, which is accomplished by baptism. The
linking of baptism and Spirit thus does not necessarily mean that the text
refers to a gift of the Spirit at baptism. If so, the author would be thinking
literally of an immersion in water and metaphorically of an immersion in the
Spirit. It is therefore better to take the preposition εν instrumentally in the sense of ‘by
means of’ (cf. Mt. 9.34) Paul then says that the incorporation of the
faithful is brought about by the one spirit at baptism.
In this passage we now finds a
first way of expressing the fact that the Spirit operates in baptism. For this
operation, Paul has various expressions: baptism purifies and justifies by
the operation of the Spirit: εν τω πνευματι του θεου ημων (1 Cor. 6.11), the charity of God
is poured forth in baptism through the Holy Spirit: δια πνευματος αγιου Rom. 5.5, the baptismal renewal
is the work of the Spirit: ανακαινωσις πνευματος αγιου Tit. 3.5, the children of God are
led by the Spirit of God: πνευματι θεου αγονται Rom. 8.14. John says that the
rebirth is brought about by the Spirit: εκ (του) πνευματος Jn. 3.5, 6, 8. We thus find the operation
of the Spirit at the baptism in water expressed by the genitive, the dative,
and by the prepositions εν,
δια, εκ. (Joseph Ysebaert, Greek Baptismal Terminology: Its Origins and Early Development [trans.
M. F. Foran Hedlund; Nijmegen, The Netherlands: Dekker and Van De Vegt N.V.,
1962], 61, ephasis in bold added; cf. “Renewal is an effect of baptism, Rom. 6.4; Tit. 3.5, but it is
also a process which must continue to occur daily in the life of the Christian,
2 Cor. 4.16, Rom. 12.2” [ibid., 132])
