Baptism
The most widely attested of early
Christian sacraments is baptism, the ritual of initiation (Matt 28:19; Acts
8:12; 1 Cor 1:13-17; 12:13; 15:29; Gal 3:27; Eph 4:5; Col 2:12; 1 Pet 3:21). Passages
mentioning baptism elsewhere in the New Testament connect the ritual variously
to the death and resurrection of Jesus (Rom 6:3-4), the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:41), the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:48; John 3:5), a sanctifying
bath (1 Cor 6:11; Tit 3:5; Eph 5:26), a new birth (John 3:3, 7; 1 Pet 1:3; Tit
3:5), and an enlightenment (Eph 5:14). Although the testimony of Hebrews on
baptism is complex and not entirely clear, the language used by the composition
fits within this cluster of associations.
Part of the complexity in Hebrews’
presentation is its odd use of the plural form of baptismos (“washing”).
In 9:10, where the author speaks of the dispensations of the earliest covenant,
he mentions “various washings” (baptismois) along with “foods and drinks”
as among the “regulations of the flesh” that cannot “perfect the consciences of
the worshipper.” But when he speaks in 6:2 of the “elementary doctrine of
Christ” (ton tes arches tou christou logon), the author also uses the plural
form for “washings” (baptismoi) as among the foundational elements that
ought to be assumed for the believer seeking to move to greater maturity. IN
this case, the “washing” is not that of the old but of the new covenant, and is
not a regular ritual practice but is among those “in the beginning” things—like
repentance and faith—of Christian existence.
Given that other New Testament
texts link baptism and the forgiveness of sins, a second set of associations in
Hebrews may be connected to baptism. A major part of Hebrews’ argument involves
a comparison between the sacrifice carried out to the ancient ritual of the Day
of Atonement and that of Christ’s death. Thus, Hebrews declares that the
shedding of blood is necessary for the forgiveness of sins (9:22), but the
ancient cult could not accomplish this through the sacrifice of animals. In
contrast, the blood of Christ purifies consciences from dead works to serve the
living God (9:14). The reference here must be primarily to the death of Christ,
as it is also in 1:3, when Christ is said to have accomplished “purification for
sins” before taking his place at God’s side, and when Christ is said to “sanctify”
(2:11; see 13:12) and “to make expiation” for sins (2:17). Such forgiveness and
sanctification touches those who belong to him (2:11): in contrast to those who
worshipped year after year, those cleansed/purified by Christ “no longer have
any consciousness of sin” (10:2). The connection with baptism is made most
directly by 10:22, when the author speaks of his hearers having the full
assurance of faith, “with hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and
our bodies washed with pure water.” While it is possible that the image of “sprinkling”
may refer back to the death of Jesus, the phrase “bodies washed with pure water”
almost certainly refers to the ritual of baptism (see 1 Cor 6:11; Tit 3:5; Eph
5:26).
Also a reference to baptism as a
ritual of initiation is Hebrews’ language about enlightenment. In 6:4-5,
shortly after mentioning “baptisms” among the elementary things concerning
Christ, the author speaks of “having been once enlightened” (photisthentas),
having tasted (geusamenous) the heavenly gift and become partakers (metochoi)
of the Holy Spirit, and having tasted the goodness of the word of God and the
powers of the age to come.” The image of tasting occurs also in 1 Peter 2:3 in connection
with baptism and the word of God, while the image of being enlightened is also
found in Ephesians 5:14. The second mention of enlightenment (in Heb 10:32)
points equally unmistakably to an experience at the start of the readers’ life
as believers: “Recall the former days (tas proteron hemeras) when, after
you were enlightened (photisthentes), you endured a hard struggle with
suffering.” This call to remembrance occurs shortly after the author’s speaking
of the elders’ “receiving the recognition of the truth” (10:26). (Luke Timothy
Johnson, “Sacramentality and Sacraments in Hebrews,” in The Oxford Handbook
of Sacramental Theology, ed. Hans Boersma and Matthew Levering [Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2015], 112-13)