Does The Theology And Practice Of The Early Church Confirm The Classical Pentecostal Understanding Of Baptism In The Holy Spirit

Click to join the conversation with over 500,000 Pentecostal believers and scholars

115 Does the Theology and Practice Church Confirm the Classical Understanding of Baptism in the of the Early Pentecostal Holy Spirit? Kilian McDonnell, O.S.B. The Classical Pentecostals and the Charismatic Renewal in the his- toric sacramental churches, Catholic and Protestant, share a common vocabulary and a common experience of what is called “baptism in the Holy Spirit,” though the theologies differ. Given the connection between Spirit baptism and glossolalia within classical Pentecostalism, Pentecostal researchers have examined the writings of the early church to isolate the texts which mention speaking in tongues.’ The early church did not enter into the question of tongues as initial evidence, and does not seem to understand tongues by itself, although certainly a charism, as the baptism in the Holy Spirit. What does the earliest post- biblical texts say about baptism in the Holy Spirit? Does not only the theology but the practice of the early church support some Classical Pentecostal understanding(s) of the baptism in the Holy Spirit? And of some central Classical Pentecostal concerns? In this article, I will be looking at the rites of Christian initiation in which the charisms were imparted from three perspectives in the post- biblical church. First the catechumenate, second, church architecture as giving a theological clue to the meaning of Christian initiation, and thirdly, what we call baptism in the Holy Spirit as forming an integral part of the initiation process. Finally, I will draw some theological con- clusions. The Catechumenate _ Enrollment We know that the core of the gospel is Jesus died and rose for our sins, offering us salvation as a free gift through the power of the Holy 1 G. H. Williams and E. Waldvogel [Blumhofer], “A History of Speaking in Tongues and Related Gifts,” in The Charismatic Movement, ed. M. P. Hamilton (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1975), 61-113; Stanley M. Burgess, The Spirit and the Church: M. “Evidence of the Antiquity (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1984); Stanley Burgess, Spirit: The Ancient and Eastern Churches,” in Initial Evidence: Historical and Biblical Perspectives on the Pentecostal Doctrine of Spirit Baptism, ed. Gary B. McGee MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991), 3-19. This does not consider the (Peabody, texts which mention charisms present paper many apart from the issue of when they are received. The concern here is with the context of receiving the charisms. 1 116 Spirit, a share in the mystery of God’s life, leading us back to the Father from whom we had become alienated through sin. How did the post- biblical church, which believed it was being faithful to the scriptural witness, hand on these sacred mysteries. They joined a community of conversion, were instructed in the mysteries, and were led to share them. They began this process by enrolling in the catechumenate, a period of conversion and formation prior to the actual baptismal cele- bration. The aspirants or candidates, recommended by a sponsor, first had to go “before the learned,” according to the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus (c 170-c236), who examined them on their personal motives, their family, and their professional situation.2 The catechume- nate was, therefore, not the absolute start in Christian initiation. Previous to entrance to the catechumenate the candidate would have had some contact with Christianity, some minimal knowledge of the gospel at least, and some Christian friends. Persons entering the cate- chumenate were already on the way to full faith. The catechumenate, whose length varied, might last as long as two or three years (and was sometimes much shorter), culminating in the celebration of Christian initiation, namely, 1 ) baptism, 2) anointing or confirmation, and 3) the Eucharist, all celebrated together on one night. These three elements together were considered as one integral celebration. The rite itself, as well as the period of preparation leading up to it, was highly diverse, with many local variations.3 I am going to indicate elements in the rite of initiation found in the various geographical areas without suggesting that they were everywhere obligatory.4 Without a profound faith, these rites are empty gestures. In the New Testament, faith is a corollary of baptism, and the two cannot be sepa- rated. The sponsor who brought the candidate to enroll in the catechu- menate process assured the Christian community that the catechumen had the capacity to hear the word, and was prepared to change his or her life. At Jerusalem, there was another examination of the lives and morals of catechumens by the bishop at the end of the period of prepa- ration, just before the night of the celebration of the initiation. The cat- echumens were about to join a community of conversion, those who had heard the word of God and were living a converted life according to the Gospel. Their formation was thoroughly biblical. Cyril of 2There was a tradition in the early church which did not consider the military pro- fession compatible with the Christian faith. See L. J. Swift, The Early Fathers on War and Military Service (Wilmington: Glazier, does not mean mere external 1983). 3″Rite” ceremony. It encompasses the faith of the believer, the scriptural texts, the involvement of the community, and the sacred actions. 4Paul F. Bradshaw, The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1992), 161-184. 2 117 Jerusalem (c315-387) and Augustine (354-430) undertook to explain all the Scriptures, though one can doubt that such an ambitious project was fully carried out. What ever the extent of the biblical teaching, already in the second century there was the conviction that the process contained common elements. In the words of Justin Martyr (c 100-c 165) “As many as are persuaded and believe that the things we teach [instruction] and say are true [faith], and undertake to live accordingly [conversion]…are brought by us where there is water, and are bom again [baptism]….”5 The early church had the sequence correct. Jesus did not send the dis- ciples out to administer the sacrament of baptism. He sent them out to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior, thus making disciples of those who wanted to change their lives. Because they had become disciples and had converted, they were baptized. Baptism is a sign of discipleship and conversion. So important was conversion that both the sponsor and bishop were often involved in attesting that the on-going process of conversion was being demonstrated in the lives of the catechumens. The Community of Conversion But the community of conversion, the local Christians, were also involved in this process. Justin says that the catechumens “are taught to pray to God and ask God, while fasting, for the forgiveness of sins, and we pray and fast with them.”6 The Christian community fasts and prays with the catechumens. Here we have an ecclesiological view of con- version effected by grace, bom out of a personal religious experience, the entire community manifesting a new turning toward God, a new way of thinking, a new way of living, touching the whole of existence. The converted community continues its own conversion catechumens. ‘ along with the Two things are clear. No initiation is possible without personal faith and deep conversion, examined at various points along the process. Without a profound re-orientation of life and morals, the liturgy of ini- tiation is mere ritualism. If there is no conversion the result of the rite of initiation will be baptized pagans. From the Father to the Father In some traditions there was a handing over of the Lord’s Prayer, which was much commented on in early church by Tertullian (c 160- c225), Origen (c185-c254), Cyprian (d258), Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa (c330-c395), and Maximus the Confessor (c580-662). The prayer which Jesus taught us had a broad trinitarian context. As 5Justin Martyr, First Apology, 61. .. 6Justin Martyr, First Apology, 61. .. 3 118 witnessed to by Basil of Caesarea (c330-379) the whole plan of salva- tion is caught up in the rhythm of life from the Father to the Father: “The way to the knowledge of God leads from the Spirit in unity, through the Son in unity, to the Father in unity, and in the opposite direction, the fullness and the holiness of the divine essence, its royal dignity, comes from the Father by means of the Son to the Holy Spirit The Father is both point of departure and goal, and the Holy Spirit is the Father’s point of contact with the world and history. Put somewhat crudely the trinitarian scheme of Irenaeus is Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Son, Father. In Irenaeus’ (c 130-c200) words, the Spirit is “the ladder of our ascent to God To be touched by the Spirit is to change, according to Cyril of Jerusalem: “Whatever the Holy Spirit touches is hallowed and changed.”9 Handing Over the Creed In some areas there was a handing over of the Creed. The early bap- tismal creeds, going back to the second century, took over from the reg- zrlae fidei (short summaries of the chief doctrines) a trinitarian struc- ture. The creed is a short teaching on the three names and their involve- ment in salvation history, showing that the “two hands of the Father,” the Son and the Spirit, to use Irenaeus’s formulation, were active in history. But baptismal creeds were not just doctrinal summaries of the faith to be believed, but were, from the beginning, directed to praise, saying, in effect, `look what the three names have done for us. Come, let us bow down in worship and praise.’ Creeds were not just academ- ic doctrinal summaries, but were directed to praise. A Christian who has not been taught to praise is only a half a Christian. In the early development of the creed, as well as in theological exposition, the trinitarian argument was generally carried on in binary terms, with reference only to the Father and the Son. The Spirit was appended, but without elaboration, as in the original form of the Nicene creed. In the Nicene creed belief in the Father and the Son were stated . expansively. Of the Spirit was said only: “[We believe]…in the Holy Spirit.” But gradually the awareness grew that the three persons, if equal, must be granted equal status in the creed. The mission of the Spirit must be of equal importance to that of the Son, and cannot be a junior grade mission. If the mission of the Spirit is not as important as that of the Son, then the doctrine of the trinity collapses. Both missions are central, but they are central in different ways. So if you confess a ‘ 7Basil of Caeserea, On the Holy Spirit, 18. 8Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3, 24, 15. 9Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagogical Lectures, 5:7. ‘ . 4 119 trinitarian faith, you must necessarily confess the equality of the Spirit’s mission.10 One further point on the creed. The creed is an expression of the faith of the church: “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty….” Christian initiation is an introduction into the faith of the believing church, and evangelization is guided by that ecclesiological awareness. It is the faith of the church which is imparted in evangelization, not just the private belief system of the evangelizer. The undoubted personal dimensions of faith are realized within the body of Christ. We note that the in the Constantinopolitan form of the Creed (381 ) the expansion of “[We believe] in the Holy Spirit” contains the eccle- siological elements: “…and in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins.” Ecclesiology is an extension of pneumatology,. The Two ‘ VVays: the Moral Demands The Didache is a document from the late first or early second cen- tury, so an important witness to the catechumate process in the post- biblical church. In this period before baptism the Didache imparted the ecclesial morality, even when it borrowed its forms from Judaism. It began: “There are two ways: a way of life and a way of death, and the difference between these two ways is great.” The beginning of the way is “You shall love first the Lord your creator, and secondly your neigh- bor as yourself.”12 One notes the lofty moral goals: “Love those who hate you, and you will have no enemy.”13 But there is also a healthy realism: “Let your alms sweat into your hands until you know to whom you are giving it.1114 At the conclusion the catechumens are told: “If you can bear the whole yoke of the Lord you will be perfect; but if that is too much for you, do as much as you can.”15 The Didache is not sug- gesting the the moral precepts are negotiable. The text is not saying: ‘If you are given to stealing, see to it that you do not steal too much.’ Rather the text is saying “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect; but if that highest perfection is too much, do what is in you to do.’ One is struck with the combination of high idealism and compassion in these instructions. 10 Kilian McDonnell, “A Trinitarian Theology of the Studies 46 Holy Spirit?” Theological (June 1985): 207, 208; See also Kilian McDonnell, “The Determinative Doctrine of the Holy Spirit,” Theology Today 39 (July 1982): 142-161. 11 The formulation is Ralph Del Colle’s. 12Didache, 1. .. l3Didache, 1.. 14Didache, 1. 15Didache, 6. 5 120 From the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light The period leading up to the night of baptism contained teachings on the main points of biblical history, the chief articles of faith, the mirabilia (the wonderful works of God), the baptismal creed, exor- cisms, exsufflations, anointings, and signings with the cross. Also there was a series of scrutinies, sometimes to the number of seven, where the catechumens were examined on their understanding of the faith. A word about exorcisms. The liturgy of initiation was built up on the passage from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Though we give less prominence to the role of the demonic than did the early church,16 the passage out of the kingdom of darkness cannot be dismissed as a primitivism best left behind. Judging by biblical norms one can recognize that excessive attention was sometimes given to the demonic in the early church because of its cosmological and anthropo- logical views, yet the frequent mention of Satan in the Scriptures rec- ommends a nuanced judgment. These exorcisms were generic in nature-having to do with the general reign of the prince of darkness- and did not suppose that each candidate was literally possessed by the devil. We see the great seriousness with which candidates for baptism enrolled in the catechumenate, having demonstrated the purity of their intentions, their eagerness to hear the Word, their willingness to change their lives in accordance with the Christian status as daughters and sons of the Father, to embrace the faith of the church and to live a life of praise. Church Architecture The Architecture of Initiation I pass from the period of conversion, instruction, and formation, to the actual liturgy of initiation. A knowledge of the architectural setting is helpful to grasp the teaching on the liturgy of baptism. Here again there is no universally valid architectural pattern. Though the arrange- ment was different in various parts of the West and in Syria, a floor plan widely used had the church divided into three basic rooms (see figure on next page). l6However we should not exaggerate the diminished role of exorcisms in our rites of initiation: “…it is an error to claim that exorcisms have been eliminated from the new ritual for baptism. The error is, in fact, perfect obvious, since the new rite for the catechumenate has even introduced hitherto unknown ‘minor’ exorcisms the period of the catechumenate, before the ‘major’ exorcisms.” Sacred throughout Congregation for Divine Worship, “Les formes multiples de la superstition,” 6, 26 June 1975, in Vatican Council 11: More Post conciliar Documents, ed. Austin Flannery (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1982), 474. 6 121 In the first room, the baptistery, there is a pit filled with water so that if an adult stood up in it, the water might come to about the waist. There were three steps going down into the water, and three steps on the oppo- site side of the pit ascending on the other side. In the second room was a chair for the bishop. The third, much larger room, was the eucharistic room, which contained an altar and am ambo for the reading of the Scriptures. The process of initiation is basically sacramental 7 17In 1975 Donald Gelpi wrote that the most serious doctrinal differences dividing Catholic charismatics and Protestant Pentecostals lay in the area of sacramental the- ology ; “Ecumenical Problems and Possibilities,” in The Holv Spirit and Power: The Catholic Charismatic Renewal, ed. Kilian McDonnell (Garden City, NY: 1975), 180. One is accustomed to contrast the sacramental churches Doubleday, (Anglican, 7 122 In many places the celebration of the rites of initiation was restrict- ed to two feasts: Easter and Pentecost, both of these belonging to the Easter cycle, the celebration of the death, resurrection, ascension of Jesus Christ, and the sending of the Spirit. How appropriate these feasts are for the initiation of new Christians will be clearer in the rites them- selves. The First Room: ° Baptistery On the vigil of Easter or Pentecost those who were already Christians, that is, the local community, would gather in the eucharis- tic room to await the arrival of the catechumens. They, the catechu- mens, gathered outside of the church building. At the beginning of the initiatory liturgy, the deacon would go out to the catechumens and invite the men of the group to come into the baptistery; the first room. The door would be closed, and they would be invited to take off all other their clothes. This was an appropriate symbol of stripping the for- mer life (Col 3:9). Then the minister, possibly the deacon, would lead each catechumen individually down into the water. They would be asked if they believe first in the Father, then in the Son, and third in the Spirit, and after each affirmative response they would be either immersed or water would be poured over their heads. Baptism is a sharing in trinitarian life. The descent into the water is the descent into the death of Jesus (“we have been buried with him by baptism into death” Romans 6:4). One cannot be a Christian if one did not share in the death of Jesus, a dying which is carried over into the pain and discipline of the Christian life. The catechumen comes up out of the water and up the three steps on the other side, which is a symbol of rising with Christ (“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be unit- ed with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5). An individual cannot be a Christian if the person did not share in the resurrection of Jesus. When the catechumens arrive on the other side of the pool or pit, they are anointed, and they receive a pure white robe as a sign that through grace the catechumen now lives the life of the Risen Christ. Remember that on Mount Tabor, where, in anticipation of his resurrec- tion, Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John. The text says, “And his garments became shining, exceedingly white as snow, as no dyer of cloth on earth can make them white” (Mark 9:2). The dea- con then leads the male catechumens into the second room, while the deaconess exits the church, requesting the female catechumens to enter the baptistery. Although the bishop or deacon administered the sacra- ment of baptism, calling on the three names in the baptismal invocation 8 123 and anointing the head of each candidate (the arrangements assuring modesty), it was the deaconess who led the women catechumens into the water and completed the anointing. When all the men and women candidates have been immersed and clothed with the white garment- which they will wear continuously until the next Sunday-they are led into the second room. The Second Room: Laying on of Hands and/or Anointing The bishop awaits the catechumens in the second room. He lays hands on them, and/or anoints their heads, signing them on the fore- head with the sign of the cross, and giving them a kiss. The significance of these rites after the water bath is a matter of some dispute, the area of contention being whether they are the locus for the imparting of the Spirit. l Whatever the original intent, they were often understood as bestowing the Spirit. Whether one attaches the bestowal of the Spirit to one element or to another is of minor significance. In antiquity they viewed the liturgy as a whole. No one disputed that the Spirit was imparted during the rite of initiation, on the model of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan. Philoxenus of Mabbug (c440-523) says that after his own baptism in the Jordan, Jesus “immediately gave it (Jesus’ baptism) to us.”19 In other words, the baptism of Jesus is the source and cause of our baptism.2° Our baptism is conformed to his. Reflecting the central role the descent of the Spirit played in the baptism of Jesus, Philoxenus, using poetic exaggeration, says “our baptism is the Holy Spirit.1121 – . Lutheran, Orthodox, Roman Catholic) as over against the non-sacramental churches (Baptist, Church of the Nazarene, Pentecostal). But Cecil M. Robeck Jr. and Jerry L. Sandidge have demonstrated the pluralism within Classical Pentecostalism, for instance, the Elim Fellowship of Lima, New York, and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, both of which of sacraments. See their “The of koinonia and Baptism: A Pentecostal speak Ecclesiology Perspective,” Journal of Ecumenical Studies 27 (1990): 520-524. They encourage Pentecostals “to investigate fully for themselves the true meaning of these acts (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) as sacraments” (p. 533). See also Walter Hollenweger, Pentecostalism: Origins and Developments Worldwide MA: Hendrickson (Peabody, Publishers, 1997). Bradshaw, Origins of Christian 176-178. 19Philoxenus of Worship, Mabbug, Fragments of the Commentary on Matthew and Luke, Fragment 13, CSCO 393:17. in relation to the 2 Up until the fourth century the theology of baptism was worked out principally baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. The one exception to this is who with some Origen frequency mentions Romans 6:4. But after Origen there is again silence the relation of Romans 6:4 to initiation until into the fourth cen- tury. Kilian concerning McDonnell, The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan: The Trinitarian and Cosmic Order 2 ‘ of Salvation (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1996), 190-200. Philoxenus of On the Indwelling of the Nolv Spirit; Sebastian Brock, The Syriac Fathers on Mabbug, Prayer and the Spiritual L!fe (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1987), 112. 9 124 At the baptism of Jesus the descent of the Spirit and the voice of the Father declare that Jesus is the Son of the Father. If the baptism of Jesus is our baptism, then at our baptism we become adopted daughters and sons of the Father. Philoxenus says that “we are quite unable to…call God ‘Father,’ except through the authority of the Holy Spirit who is within us, for it is well known that those who have not yet become God’s children by the holy rebirth of baptism are not authorized to use this term, and they are not permitted to say ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.’ The manifest reason for this is that the Holy Spirit is not yet within them, to give them this authorization.”22 The early Christians were in great wonder that God had taken us as adopted children at baptism. To none of the angels had such a dignity been given. The Third Room: The Eucharistic Celebration All the catechumens, women and men, are then led into the third room, the eucharistic room, where the local Christian community is waiting, and together they celebrate the Eucharist. Through the whole rite of initiation the catechumens become one body. John Chrysostom (c347-407) says: “Let us learn the wonder of this sacrament…. We become a single body, according to the Scripture, members of his flesh and bone of his bones. That is what is brought about by the food that he gives us. He blends himself with us so that we may all become one single entity in the way the body is joined to the head.”23 It should be clear that one is evangelized into the body of Christ. The only way one can become a Christian is to become a member of the body. There are no isolated Christians, no Christians apart. Those who are Christian are so because they are members of the body of Christ, and that body is the church. Cyprian is eloquent on this point: “When the Lord calls his body bread, made from the collection of a large number of grains, he is pointing to the unity of our people. And when he calls his blood wine, which is pressed from a large number of clusters of grapes to form a single liquid, he signifies that our flock is made up of a multitude gathered into unity.”24 But the eucharistic gathering is also a source of social outreach to the poor and needy. Referring to the offerings which the faithful have made at the Eucharist, Justin Martyr says: “The whole of what has been collected is handed over to the president and he gives help to orphans, widows, those who are in need because of illness or for some other rea- son, prisoners, strangers passing through; in short, he gives succor to 22Brock, Syriac Fathers, 108, 109. 23 John Chrysostom, Homilies on John, 46. 24Cyprian, Letter, 69,5.2. ” 10 125 all who are in need.”25 The social outreach flows from the church’s eucharistic worship. John Chrysostom identifies the eucharistic body with the suffering poor: “Do you wish to honor the body of the Savior? Do not honor it in church with silk vestments, while outside you are leaving it numb with cold and naked…For what God needs is not gold- en chalices, but golden souls.”26 Worship lacks authenticity, and is even vitiated, if the honor given to the eucharistic body of Christ is denied to the body of Christ which hungers and is homeless.27 The liturgy just described was variously called “illumination,” “Christian initiation,” “charism,” “baptism” (the whole rite not just the water-bath), and “baptism in the Holy Spirit.” Once again, that process varied greatly, but there was much commonality in the major elements. They tell us what is determinative of Christian identity and awareness. Justin Martyr.28 Origen,29 Didymus the Blind,3? and Cyril of Jerusalem,3 ? all equivalently call Christian initiation “baptism in the Holy Spirit.”32 It is a synonym for baptism. What is primary is the on-going conversion where one accepts grace (created participation in the life of God) and salvation as a free gift made possible by the death of Jesus, receiving the gift of the Spirit so that one lives as a daughter or son of God, children of the resurrec- tion, on the way back to our Father’s house. . Baptism in the Holy Spirit as Integral to Christian Initiation in the Thought of the Early Church Fathers . The use of “baptism in the Holy Spirit” for the whole rite seems to have included what we in recent years more narrowly call “baptism in the Holy Spirit.” In referring to this topic I want to make clear that I am not talking about Charismatic Renewal or even Classical Pentecostalism, but about baptism in the Holy Spirit. They are separa- ble. To accept baptism in the Spirit as integral to Christian initiation does not mean that one thereby joins a movement. 25 Justin Martyr, First Apology, 67. 26John Chrysostom, On Matthew, 50:3. 27″The Church, as the Bishops repeated, has the duty to the liberation of millions of human beings, many of whom are her own children-the proclaim duty of assist- the birth of this This is not ing liberation, of giving witness to it, of ensuring that it is complete. foreign to evangelization.” Paul VI, On 30. Evangelization in the Modern World, 28 Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 29:1. 290rigen, On Jeremiah, 2:3. 30pidymus the Blind, On the Trinity, 2:12. ‘ 3 ‘ Cyril 32 of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 16:6. Kilian McDonnell and George Montague, Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Evidence from the First Eight Centuries (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1991), 216. 11 126 Up to more recent times “baptism in the Holy Spirit” was based on New Testament texts, whose interpretation was disputed. But a series of post-biblical texts have been identified, which indicate how the early church interpreted those disputed texts.33 I will treat only enough of the texts to demonstrate the broad pattern. Tertullian When Tertullian (c160-c225) wrote his small treatise On Baptism, probably around 197, he lays out the view on baptism of the church of North Africa-not just his personal opinion-against the heretics who reject baptism. His audience are the catechumens and neophytes, as well as those who believe in baptism without having examined the roots of the baptismal tradition but were apparently convinced from the purity of Christians’ lives.34 Tertullian was preoccupied with the apos- tolic ministry in the church, the uninterrupted series of bishops who were a sign of apostolicity.35 To this degree he wanted to retain the tra- ditional doctrine. He wrote in Latin in a situation where the baptism of adults was the general norm.36 At the end of the treatise, when he envisages the catechumens com- ing up from the water-bath, passing through the rites of anointing, sign- ing, and imposition of hands, and walking into the eucharistic room. He addresses the catechumens, or more precisely, the neophytes: “Therefore, you blessed ones, for whom the grace of God is waiting, when you come up from the most sacred bath of the new birth, when you spread out your hands for the first time in your mother’s house with your brethren, ask your Father, ask your Lord, for the special gift of his inheritance, the distributed charisms, which form an additional, underlying feature [of baptism]. ‘Ask,’ he says, ‘and you shall receive.’ In fact, you have sought, and you have found: you have knocked, and it has been opened to you.”37 33 McDonnell and Montague, Christian Initiation, 93-349. I am not entering into the material, but refer the reader to the first section of the book, 3-80, where the biblical witness is laid out. exegetical A popular presentation of the same material is found in Kilian McDonnell and George Montague, eds., Fanning the Flame: What Does Baptism in the Holy Spirit Have to Do with Christian Initiation? review of this research is found in Paul (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1991). A very critical Turner, “Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit,” Worship 70 and see “A (September 1996): 446-452. For the response of McDonnell Montague Response to Paul Turner on Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit,” Worship 71 (January 1997): 51-62. 34Tertullian, On Baptism, 1:1. 35Tertullian, The Prescription of Heretics, 32: l; Against Marcion, IV.5, 3; IV:29. 36He protests against infant baptism, Tertullian, On Baptism, 18. . 37Tertullian, On Baptism, 20. 12 127 The spreading out of the hands refers to the posture of standing with outstretched arms and palms open customary when entering the prayer of praise. The expression “your mother’s house” refers first to the Christian community, and secondly to the church building. Tertullian encourages the catechumens to ask God the Father, and their Lord Jesus Christ, for the “special gift of his inheritance,” which he names as the charisms which are found in the community. The impart- ing of the charisms form “an underlying feature” of baptism. Tertullian, therefore, sees the imparting of the charisms as an inte- gral part of the process of becoming a Christian, ‘ as part of the normal Christian equipment.38 Origen . Like Tertullian, Origen (c 185-c254) presupposes his converts are adults; he, too, comes out of a Greek culture. At the beginning of a pas- sage on Christian initiation Origen writes of the great wonders Jesus performed, themselves “symbols of those delivered by the word of God in all ages from every kind of sickness and weakness.”39 These mira- cles are an appeal to faith. “This [appeal to faith] is true of the water of baptism, symbol of the purification of the soul washed of every stain of sin, and it [baptism] is in itself the principle and source of the divine charisms for anyone who offers one’s self to the divinity through the power invocation (epiclesis) of the adorable trinity.1140 So baptism is the “principle” and “source” of the divine charisms. These two adjec- tives have almost identical meanings of essential basis, origin, begin- ning, fountain head. Placed next to one another they are an intensive formulation. This concentration of force is itself the object of a further intensive. The immediate context indicates that the charisms are those manifested in the Acts after the Pentecost experience.4 For Origen, as for Tertullian, baptism-that is, water bath, imparting of the Spirit, Eucharist-is the normal locus for imparting the charisms. Origen’s witness is reinforced by the authority of Basil the Great, an important fourth century witness, and a doctor of the church, who quotes Origen’s passage with approval, the only time in the whole of Basil’s writings that he names and quotes Origen.42 38Tertullian writes as a Catholic; this treatise contains no hint of his later Montanism. 390rigen, On John, 6:33. On 40origen, John, 6:33. 41 Origen, 42 On John, 6:33. Basil of Caeserea, On the Holy Spirit, 29:73. his but after his Origen’s speculations, unchal- lenged during lifetime, dogmatized death, brought down condemna- tions, largely unjustified. His doctrine of baptism was never challenged. 13 128 Hilary of Poitiers This important theologian, Hilary of Poitiers (c314-367), apparent- ly an adult convert to Christianity, who was named bishop soon after his conversion, writes in Latin in a situation where adults are the usual candidates for baptism. Reflecting on his initiation late in life he writes: “We who have been reborn through the sacrament of baptism experi- ence intense joy (maximum gaudium) when we feel within us the first stirrings (initia sentimus) of the Holy Spirit. We begin to have insight into the mysteries of faith, we are able to prophesy and to speak with wisdom. We become steadfast in hope and receive the gifts (plural) of healing.”43 He further specifies the nature of the water in which we are immersed: “The Holy Spirit is called a river. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we are made drunk. Because out of us, as a source, various streams of grace flow, the prophet prays that the Lord will inebriate us. The prophet wants the same persons to be made drunk, and filled to all fullness with the divine gifts….”44 So Hilary writes of the intense joy when he felt within the first movements of the Spirit during the rite of initiation as an adult. In another context Hilary returns to the theme of experience: “Among us there is no one who, from time to time, does not feel the gift of the grace of the Spirit.”45 Care must be taken not to press the text, as though Hilary were saying that only what is felt is real, or that the pres- ence of the Spirit is always perceivable to the senses. Nonetheless Hilary links the coming of the Spirit to experience. He too specifically mentions the prophetic charisms which were imparted during initiation: word of knowledge, prophecy, word of wis- dom, enduring hope, gifts of healing. Elsewhere he insists that the charisms “are profitable gifts.”46 If the charisms are effective, then “let us make use of such generous gifts.”47 Charisms are for the up build- ing of the church and should not be allowed to remain dormant. ‘ Cyril of Jerusalem From Cyril of Jerusalem (c315-386) we have the text of nineteen instructions for catechumens before the rites of initiation, and five for the week after initiation. So we have good knowledge of how the cate- chumens were instructed. Fortunately we have the exact text of these instructions, as we have for John Chrysostom and Theodore of Mopsuestia. Cyril wrote in Greek for a group of adult catechumens. 43Hilary of Poitiers, Tract on the Psalms, 64:14. of 44Hilary Poitiers, Tract on the Psalms, 64:14. 45Hilary of Poitiers, Tract on Psalm 118, 12, 4. 46Hilary of Poitiers, On the Trinity, 8:30. 47Hilary of Poitiers, On the Trinity, 2:35. 14 129 Cyril is concerned to make the catechumens aware that the charisms belong to the normal functioning of the life of the communi- ty. “Great, omnipotent, and admirable is the Holy Spirit in the charisms.”48 Careful to avoid suggesting that the charisms are the provenance of the clergy he maintains that “all the laity” are called to witness the power of the Spirit in the charisms.49 Twice Cyril appeals to the list of charisms Paul gives in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11.SO He views the Spirit as the dispenser of the charisms in “the whole Roman Empire,” and then “in the whole world.1151 The Spirit is not a reluctant giver of gifts, but pours them out “profusely.”52 Looking upon the Pentecost experience as a baptismal event he says that the grace given to the apostles “was not partial, but his [the Spirit’s] power in all fullness. For just as one immersed in the waters of baptism is completely encompassed by the water, so they were com- pletely baptized by the Spirit.”53 Two other times he stresses the full- ness and completeness of the baptism on Pentecost: “…they were bap- tized without anything wanting, according to the promise;”54 “…they [the apostles] were baptized in all fullness. “55 Toward the end of the baptismal instructions Cyril, in referring to the gift of prophecy, says: “Only let each one prepare oneself to receive the heavenly gift.”56 And he repeats: “God grant that you may be wor- thy of the charism of prophecy. “57 “Those who in a few moments are about to be baptized in the Holy Spirit” should bring an expanded expectation.58 They need only make large their awareness and “he will grant you charisms of every kind.”59 In the very last instruction before entering into the baptismal rite he says: “My final words, beloved brethren, in this instruction, will be words of exhortation, urging all of you to prepare your souls for the reception of the heavenly charisms.”6o 48Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectzcres, 16:22. of 49Cyril Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 16:22. 5 ‘ 5°Both occur in Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectzrres, 16:12. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, I 6:22. 52Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 16:26. 53Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 17:14. ‘ 54Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 17:15. 55Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 17:18. 56Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 17:19. 57Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 17:35. ‘ 58Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 16:6. ‘ 59Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 17:37. 60Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 18:32. ‘ .. ‘ , 15 130 Basil of Caesarea and Gregory Nazianzus Both Basil of Caesarea (c330-379) and Gregory Nazianzus (329- 389), both writing in Greek, situate the prophetic charisms within Christian initiation, though for historical reasons they are more reserved than Paul is in 1 Corinthians. Basil places the charisms in rela- tion to baptism: “The diversity of the charisms corresponds to the diversity of members, but all rebaptized in one sole Spirit.”61 The Spirit is present in “prophecy, or healings, or other wonderful works,” all of which are still to be found.62 He refers specifically to “the distribution of wonderful charisms.”63 Gregory refers to an inner transformation which can only be accounted for by the divinity of the Spirit: “If the Spirit is not to be adored, how can [the Spirit] divinize me in baptism.”64 Writing of Paul laying hands on the believers, imparting the Spirit, so they spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19:1-7), Gregory concludes: “This Spirit does all that God does: dividing into tongues of fire, distributing charisms, coming to expression in apostles, prophets, evangelists, pas- tors, and doctors.”65 John Chrysostom Though John Chrysostom (c347-407) was living in Antioch, the capital of Syria, Greek was spoken in this seaboard city. He finds the matter of the charisms in 1 Corinthians “very obscure.”66 The reason he said, is “many of the wonders which then [in the time of the apos- tles] used to take place have now ceased.1167 Many of the charisms list- ed by Paul are no longer actualities in the life of the church. But it was not so in the days of the apostles: “whoever was baptized at once spoke in tongues, and not only in tongues, but many also prophesied; some performed many other wonderful works.”68 “All” who were baptized in the apostolic age received “certain excellent charisms.”69 Specifically with regard to prophecy Chrysostom says, “this grace was poured out abundantly, and every church had many who prophesied.1170 61 Basil of Caeserea, On the Holy Spirit, 26:61. 62Basi1 of Caeserea, On the Holy Spirit, 26:61. 63 Basic of Caeserea, On the Holy Spirit, 9:23. 64Gregory Nazianzus, Fifth Theological Discourse, 28. 65Gregory Nazianzus, Discourse, 29. 66John On 7 Fifth Theological Chrysostom, Corinthians, 29. ‘ 67John Chrysostom, On Romans, 14. 68John Chrysostom, On I Corinthians, 29. 69John Chrysostom, On Romans, 14. ??John Chrysostom, On I Corinthians, 32. 16 131 Chrysostom regrets the passing of many charisms from the life of the church. He tells of a beautiful woman who goes to her jewel box, opens it, and finds it empty. “The present church represents such a woman.”7’ Philoxenus of Mabbug and the Syrians Tertullian and Hilary write in Latin, while Origen, Cyril, Basil, Gregory, and John Chrysostom write in Greek, but Philoxenus (c440- 523) and those of his tradition generally write in Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic. The previous authors all envisage a situation in which adults are baptized, while in churches of the Syrian tradition there is baptism of infants. So his situation is similar to many liturgical churches today. We would criticize Philoxenus’s view of the Christian life as too narrow. Like many of his contemporaries he belittles the possibility of perfection within the married state. He and other Syrian theologians tie their theology too closely to monastic life. Yet they may preserve an ancient, indeed, apostolic, theology, which only later was narrowed to monastic ideals. Philoxenus speaks of two baptisms, one received in infancy, and the second years later when one gave oneself completely to the gospel by embracing the monastic ideals. His talk of two baptisms is deceptive, because he actually believes in only one, the first, given at infancy, is fully actualized years later in adult life when one surrenders to the gospel. By living the gospel, by emptying ourselves, “the sensation” of the divine life given at first baptism, but not then felt, blossoms into “the true experience of the knowledge of the Spirit” in the second bap- tism.72 Philoxenus stumbles over himself when he writes of the second baptism: “You will only know that you experience happiness, but what that joy is you will not be able to express.”?3 He does mention the charism of healing, but he implies there are more.74 One could mention other Syriac writers who place the charisms in relation to Christian initiation. John of Apamea (first half of the fifth century), like Philoxenus, writes of two baptisms, the second also a later actualization of the first. In the second baptism one takes posses- sion perfectly “of the power of holy baptism.”?5 In relation to the sec- ond baptism he mentions prophecy, healing, and miracles.76 Theodoret 71John Chrysostom, On I Corinthians, 36. 72Philoxenus of Mabbug, Discourses, 9:263. 73Philoxenus of Mabbug, Discourses, 9:289. 74Philoxenus of Mabbug, Discourses, 2:27. Sebastian Brock, letter to author, 1990. Brock also thinks that 27 May Joseph Hazzaya (Abdisho) implies the charisms. 75John of Apamea, Dialogues and’Treatises, 10:117. 76John of Apamea, Dialogue on the Soul and the Passions, 9, 10. , 17 132 of Cyrrhus (c393-466) witnesses to the abundant outpouring of charisms at initiation, and mentions healing in particular.77 Severus of Antioch (c465-538), like John Chrysostom, acknowledges that “numerous charisms were bestowed on believers at that (apostolic) time, and those who were baptized by the apostles also received vari- ous favors.”78 Finally, Joseph Hazzaya (bom c710-713), one of the great Syrian mystics, writes of the “sign through which you will feel that the Spirit received in baptism is working in you,” mentioning “a flow of spiritual speech (tongues),” and “a knowledge of both worlds (word of knowledge or wisdom),” in addition to “joy, jubilation, exul- tation, praise, glorification, songs, hymns, odes…. “79 Commenting on these Syriac witnesses Oxford Scholar Sebastian Brock says the Syriac fathers “are well aware that the pentecostal effects of baptism do not necessarily manifest themselves at baptism itself, but may be delayed until later: the ‘pledge of the Spirit,’ the potential, however, is already present as a result of baptism.”8° Referring specifically to Philoxenus, Brock continues: “What Philoxenus is saying here is something of great value. He is looking at the relationship between the personal experience of Pentecost, of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon an individual, and the actual rite of bap- tism, in a context where, because of the practice of infant baptism, the two events may be separated by many years of time….The ‘two bap- tisms’ are thus but two aspects of the one sacrament, the first seen from the point of view of the Giver, the second, from that of the receiver.118, Baptism for the Syrians is not a one time event. Rather, “baptism is seen as just the beginning which opens up all sorts of new possibilities, provided the baptized person responds with openness to the presence of the indwelling Spirit.”s2 77Theodorus of Cyrrhus, History of the Monks in Syria, Prologue, 8,10. 78Severus of Antioch, On Prayer, 25. 79See A. Mingana, Early Christian Mystics (Cambridge, England: W. Heffner, 165-167. 1934), 80The Holv Spirit in the Syrian Baptismal Tradition, The Syrian Church Series 9 (Kottayam, Kerala, India: n.p., 1979), 134. 8 ‘ The Holy Spirit in the Syrian Baptismal Tradition, 137-139. 82S. Brock, Spirituality in the Syriac Tradition (Kerala, India: St. Ecumenical Research Ephrem Institute, 1989), 74. 18 133 Conclusions This material on the catechumenate, church architecture, and the writings of the early church fathers reveals how the baptism of the Holy Spirit was understood by those who stood nearest to the New Testament.83 From the study of the rites of Christian initiation in the early post-biblical period it must be clear that the early church was not primarily concerned with the charisms, but with the nature of the Christian life, in which the charisms have an important role. The nature of the Christian life was unfolded for them in the whole conversion/ini- tiation process. They understood baptism in the Holy Spirit as an inte- gral part of becoming a Christian, in some instances initiation was sim- ply called “baptism in the Holy Spirit.” There is, and can be, only “one faith, one Lord and one baptism” (Eph. 4:5). Candidates for Christian initiation were told to esteem the charisms and to expect them. They were understood to be imparted during the celebration of initiation. In the early church the imparting of the charisms during initiation was a normal expectation, not an eternal law. If baptism in the Holy Spirit is integral to Christian initiation then it does not belong to private piety, but to public liturgy, to the official worship of the church. Since it has to do with the central sacraments of the Christian life (baptism, impart- ing of the Spirit, Eucharist), it is normative for all Christians. The goal is neither religious experience nor the charisms; they are consequences. Baptism in the Holy Spirit clearly does not belong to the Charismatic Renewal, but to the church, to those essential rites of the church which constitute church as church-water bath, imparting of the Spirit, and Eucharist. Further, if the evidence presented in this arti- cle is true, then baptism in the Spirit is not peripheral, but central. The witnesses I have cited come from Latin, Greek, and Syriac cultures, almost the whole of the Mediterranean seaboard. The witnesses are not . , minor characters. Five are doctors of the church (Hilary, Cyril, Basil, Gregory, John Chrysostom), persons especially reliable in identifying the faith and practice of the church. Apart from Augustine, Tertullian is the dominant theologian in the West during the early centuries. Origen is the most influential theologian in the East during the first thousand years. Philoxenus is a major figure in Syria. This broad-based witness from Latin, Greek, and Syriac cultures is significant for recovering what the early Christians thought was the nature of the Christian life, sharing in the life of God and in the gifts God imparts. The intense joy to which Hilary and Joseph Hazzaya refer – – _._- .– n- — 831f the early church was right in its understanding of the relation of baptism in the Holy Spirit to Christian initiation, this does not mean that other understandings of baptism in the Holy Spirit are in error. It does not work that way. , ‘ 19 134 are a part of an inner transformation to which Basil and Gregory Nazianzus give witness. This experiential joy is not fluff. Neither is it tinsel. It touches the substance of the faith. Further, Charismatic Renewal/Classical Pentecostalism on the one hand, and baptism in the Holy Spirit on the other hand, can be separat- ed. In embracing the baptism in the Holy Spirit as integral to Christian initiation one is not joining a movement. The issue is to embrace the fullness of the Christian life, and to utilize the total reality of initiation as the well from which we draw the waters of life and power. Baptism in the Holy Spirit belongs to the church.84 The retrieval of this dimen- sion belongs to the purposes of the liturgical movement, which is espe- cially concerned with full participation by all in sacred mysteries as expressed in the Scriptures and the liturgy. Where do the Classical Pentecostals and the early church agree, and where do they disagree? Classical Pentecostals do not see baptism in the Holy Spirit as being related to sacramental action. However, there are the commonalities between the view of the early church and the Pentecostal view. Whatever disagreements there are over exegesis, the essential insight of Pentecostals about the existence of a baptism in the Holy Spirit is here confirmed. Both Classical Pentecostals and the early church agree that Spirit baptism is a central reality. The early church confirms the Classical Pentecostal conviction that charisms are an important part of the Christian life, the equipment for living in com- munity. The Christian world is indebted to Classical Pentecostalism for recovering these biblical and patristic dimensions of the Christian life. 84To the question of how this research has been received by the Catholic church, there has been no official action. The view here proposed is incorporated Charismatic into Paul J. Cordes, Call to Holiness: Reflections on the Catholic Renewal (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1997). This is not an Official document Archbishop of the Catholic church, but was published by a Roman curial official after seven years of international consultation with bishops, theologians, and pastoral leaders. The book Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit is being used by the inter- national Classical Pentecostal/Roman Catholic dialogue, sponsored from the Catholic side by the Pontifical Council for Unity, as the basis of the present five year series of conversations. 20