Monday, March 6, 2023

Macarius of Egypt (c. 300 – 391) Teaching Baptismal Regeneration in his "Letter to the Armenians"

The following is taken from this online translation of Marcarius' "Letter to the Armenians":

 

Upon seeing the very careful ordering of the life-giving baptism in the Holy City, they were amazed with astonishment that the regions of the East are wanting in carefulness in many such matters.

 

We were amazed over that, greatly astonished. However, from fear of God we have not hesitated to write promptly—I, Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, and the entire, large assembly of bishops who are with me—(and) to send to your regions of the East, to you, Christ-loving and reverend Chief-bishop Vrtanes, and to the whole body of bishops and priests of Armenia, to administer the rite of the great Sacrament of God with much care and reverence, 3as it is administered in the Universal Church; whereby forgiveness of sins and salvation of souls are granted out of the grace of the Spirit to those who are baptized in the holy font.

 

. . . to teach them by the word of doctrine to renounce Satan and to dedicate themselves to God through the illumination of the holy font . . .

 

For on that same salutary day, with the luminous Nativity of Christ, our expiatory birth of the holy font is realized; for on that same day He Himself was baptized, condescending to be among us. For it was not that He was Himself in any need of cleansing, but He desired to cleanse us from the filth of sin, He who cries out with a loud voice, saying: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God” (Jn 3:5). In the same fashion as we are born with Him, we are baptized with Him on the same holy day of the Nativity of Christ.

 

Next, on the quickening resurrection of Easter, by mortifying our sins in the waters of the font, we become imitators of the mortification by death of our Lord Jesus Christ. And by the triple immersion, being buried in the waters of the holy font, we signify in the persons of those who are being baptized the three-day burial of our Lord. And this also the divine Apostle shows clearly, when he says: “Being buried with Him through baptism, let us become imitators of the likeness of His death, so that by the renewal of the resurrection we may become partakers wth Him in the life eternal” (Rom 6:4-5).