In Similitude 8.6.3 of The Shepherd of Hermas, we read the following:
I said to him: “Sir, now unravel for me those who gave up sticks, what each of them is like, and their dwelling, so that the faithful who have received the seal and broken it and have not kept it whole might recognize their own deeds and be converted, and receive a seal from you [sing.], and glorify the Lord, who has had mercy on them and sent you for the renewal of their spirits.” (Carolyn Osiek, Shepherd of Hermas: A Commentary [Hermeneia; Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999], 197)
Commenting on this passage and its theology, Carolyn Osiek wrote in her commentary on the Shepherd of Hermas:
Hermas gives his usual request for explanation of the whole story. The reference to “the seal” (η σφραγις) in the first part of the sentence surely refers to baptism, after the analogy of the clay or wax impression made by a signet ring on an object to prevent interference by another party, or to mark the object as property or authentic document. This is one of the earliest references to the use of the word for baptism in early Christian literature. To break the seal is to destroy the attestation of ownership. The second reference to a seal, however, cannot be baptism, which they have already received. Rather, this seal must refer to the laissez-passer or certificate of entrance given to at least two of the three groups with originally green sticks that were admitted immediately into the tower by the great angel (2.2, 4). The renewal of spirit is another way of speaking of the result of conversion, originally symbolized in the Visions as the rejuvenation of the woman church. (Ibid., 206)
So we see that in this text, the author held to baptismal regeneration (as well as teaching a truly saved person can lose their salvation!)
Elsewhere, in Similitude 9.16.1-7, we read of an allusion to baptism for the dead and posthumous salvation:
1/ “Show me still more, sir,” I said. “What do you want now?” he said. “Why sir,” I said, “did the stones rise from the depth, and were placed into the building [of the tower], having borne these spirits?” 2/ “They had to rise through water,” he said, “in order to be made alive In no other way could they enter the reign of God, unless they put off the deadliness of their [first] life. 3/ So too, those who had fallen asleep received the seal and [entered the reign of God]. Before bearing the name of [the Son of] God,” he said, “a person is dead. But upon receiving the seal, the person puts aside deadliness and takes on life. 4/ So the seal is the water. Into the water they go down dead and come up alive. The seal was proclaimed to them, and they profited from it to enter into the reign of God.” 5/ “Why, sir,” I said, “did the forty stones rise with them from the depth already having the seal?” “Because,” he said, “these are the apostles and teachers who proclaimed the name of the Son of God who, having fallen asleep in power and faith of the Son of God, even proclaimed to those who had previously fallen asleep and gave them the seal of the proclamation. 6/ They descended with them into the water and came up again, except that these descended alive and came up alive. 7/ because of them, these others were enlivened and came to know the name of the Son of God. This is why these others also arose with them, and together were fashioned into the building of the tower, and were made to dwell with them without needing trimming. They fell asleep in justice and great purity, except that they did not have this seal. So you have the explanation of these things.” “Yes, sir, I have it.” I said. (Ibid., 232-33)
Osiek offered the following commentary:
16.1-4 [93] The association of passing through water with entering the kingdom of God (v. 2) and receiving the seal (σφραγις) is unmistakably in reference to baptism, more explicit than the original allusion in 3.3.5. The language of death and life is similar to Pauline language but is not exactly the same: here, death is the pre-baptismal state, not the dying process that is symbolically enacted in the course of baptism. This passage is so consciously talking about baptism that it introduces the image of going down into the water dead in order to come up alive (v. 4), even though there is no mention in the parable of stones descending into the water, only being taken out. The absolute necessity of baptism is implicit here, and these verses, without saying so, present a good argument in favor of baptism in the name of the dead, apparently already an act of piety in first-century Corinth. Here, though it is actually deceased Christian preachers who accomplish the task.
16.5-7 The forty already-baptized who have gone down into the water (v. 5) bring up the rest. This is a version of the tradition of the “harrowing of hell,” usually said to be performed by Christ during the period of his burial. Here, the apostles and teachers are sent to be the agents by which this soteriological mission is accomplished. Through their agency, those who were dead are restored to life, to become part of the foundation of the tower. Thus once again, two elements are necessary to belong to the structure of the tower: being brought up through the water (baptism) and thus bearing the name of the Son of God; and hearing the names of the young women (identification with the life of virtue). Whereas for the living, the problem has been to get the baptized to take on the life of virtue (13.1), here with the pre-Christian dead, the problem is the opposite: they practiced virtue in their lives (v. 7), but had not received baptism. Through the apostles and teachers, this problem is solved. (Ibid., 238)
Here we have early Christian evidence supporting some important Latter-day Saint doctrines.
