Heart and History of the

Early ChurchSession 9:

Baptism, Organization, and Growth

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Baptism

• The Lord instituted 2 sacraments for the church: (Augustine: “Visible form of invisible grace”)– Lord’s Supper– Baptism

• In Acts, baptism was done immediately upon confession of faith in Jesus as the Christ

• Soon it became common for long periods of instruction to take place before baptism. They were taught for about 3 years as catechumens before being baptized by immersion on Easter Sunday.

Baptism

• Readings from book• At least a dozen

writers mention baptism as being immersion. That’s what the word means.– 3 speak of alternatives

to immersion and only as exceptions

Infant Baptism• The “households” of Cornelius,

Lydia, and the Philippian jailer were baptized in Acts. However, all explicit mentions of baptism in the New Testament are adult believers.

• First hint of infant baptism is by Irenaeus (180), although he does not mention baptism but born again.

• Origen and Hyppolytus (1st half of 200’s) agree with the practice of infant baptism.

Infant Baptism• Tertullian (200) opposes it

based on the innocence of children. Discussion of doctrine of original sin begins. Most begin to agree in the doctrine.

• The first command to baptize infants in a church document appears in the 4th century

• Infant baptism becomes general practice by 5th century

Deathbed Baptism

• In the third century, because of misinterpretation of baptism as washing away only past sins, it became known that some were waiting until their deathbeds to be baptized

• This was not widespread but it was around• In the first and second centuries, the

unquestionable method of baptism was adult believers for the forgiveness of sins past, present and future

Some Baptism Scriptures38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in

the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

-Acts 2:38-41

Some Baptism Scriptures“26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all

of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

-Gal 3:26-27

”3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

-Rom 6:3-4

Final thoughts on Baptism

• Adult believer baptism according to the New Testament and the first centuries of the church was the initiation of a person into the gospel. It joins believers to the saving work of Christ; joins them to the church; forgives them of their sins past, present and future; and is the point at which the Holy Spirit enters them.

Organization of the Early Church

• Organization varied from place to place– Some congregations were governed by a

multiplicity of bishops/elders (Acts 15, 20) • By early second century there were three

titles in the church:– Bishops (episcopos)– Elders (presbyters)– Deacons (deaconos)

Organization of the Early Church

• From the very beginning the bishops/elders and deacons were only men

• Widows through the centuries took on significant servant roles in the church

• The word shifted to mean any unmarried woman that is serving the church in some capacity – development of the nun

The Ichthus (Fish)

• Used primarily in the first 2 centuries as a secret Christian symbol

• Used to secretly designate a home or place of worship

• Also used to see if the person you are talking to is a Christian

Growth

• Growth during first 3 centuries:– 35 A.D. – 3,000 Christians– 100 A.D. – 25,000 Christians– 300 A.D. – 20,000,000 Christians

• How did they do this?

Growth

• Environmental Factors:– Christianity was an illegal religion– Didn’t have church buildings– Didn’t have the New Testament– Didn’t have seminaries or preacher training schools– Didn’t have Christian universities– Didn’t have christianbook.com (no books,

commentaries)– Didn’t have seeker services or gospel meetings– Actually made it hard to join the church

DNA of the early church