Into the Name of the Lord Jesus: Baptism in the Early Church (SNTW)
Overview
Here, Dr. Hartman examines all New Testament passages which contain allusions to baptism. He discusses the variations and relative importance of these passages and includes a look at two documents from the Apostolic Fathers that shed further light on this subject for the early Christian. One of the particular motifs Hartman discovers is baptism’s relation to Christ. It is baptism into the name of the Lord Jesus that represents the fundamental reference point in this early Christian rite. It is this Name that gives baptism its significance and meaning.
Top Highlights
“In this way, it seems, John sought to prepare a renewed people of God in the wilderness, the place where once the covenant between God and Israel had been made (Luke 1:17; cf. Mal 3:1; 4:5f).” (Page 13)
“God had sent him to perform the outer rite of cleansing which was the sign that God forgave those who had repented” (Page 15)
“Lastly, proselyte baptism should be mentioned among the Jewish water rites. It” (Page 5)
“Jewish proselyte baptism has a wholly different purpose. Here too the individual is plunged neck deep but, as we have seen, the rite signifies a cleansing from pagan, idolatrous impurity, and is connected with a transition from one set of circumstances to a new, radically different way of life.” (Pages 7–8)
“An attribute of baptism is thus the reason why, through faith, the Galatians are God’s sons! Such a combination calls for an explanation.” (Page 2)
- Title: Into the Name of the Lord Jesus: Baptism in the Early Church
- Author: Lars Hartman
- Series: Studies of the New Testament and its World (SNTW)
- Publisher: T & T Clark
- Publication Date: 1997
- Pages: 215