Monday, May 30, 2022

Joseph Ysebaert on Baptismal Regeneration in the Pauline Epistles

  

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])