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Old 09-17-2020, 06:03 AM
Steven Avery Steven Avery is offline
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Re: Treatise on Rebaptism

Ablution, Initiation, and Baptism: Late Antiquity, Early Judaism, and Early Christianity (2011)
The Efficacy of Baptism in Augustine’s Theology
James Patout Burns (b. 1939)
https://books.google.com/books?id=Ry...1KkC&pg=PA1287

Quote:
A treatise on the status of those originally baptized outside the unity of the church has survived which clearly belongs to the controversy over the efficacy of baptism performed outside the unity of the church. The treatise works within the same framework as Cyprian's letters and treatises on the subject, though the relative priority of the two discussions cannot be securely established. Like Tertullian and Cyprian, the Treatise on Rebaptism distinguishes between the two parts of the ritual: the washing and invocation of the divine name which constitute water baptism can be performed by a presbyter or deacon; spirit baptism is normally performed by imposition of episcopal hands.27 Water baptism can be given even by an unworthy minister and received by an unworthy initiant. The apostles of Jesus, for example, did not have true faith in him during his earthly ministry, when they received and conferred baptism.28 Spirit baptism is salvific and can be received only by a worthy initiant.29 When the bishop is unworthy or not able to be present--and a presbyter or deacon administers water baptism--then God gives the Holy Spirit directly.30 God also gives the Spirit directly when a catechumen is martyred.31 Spirit baptism, therefore, could be given before, with, after, or even without the water baptism.32

The Treatise on Rebaptism introduced a consideration which Cyprian overlooked but which Augustine would exploit: the parallel between unworthy ministers and recipients inside and outside the unity of the true church. The author pointed out that a bishop could be absent at the time of baptism, or unworthy of his office within the church. In both cases, direct divine action would be necessary to communicate the Holy Spirit to the initiant.33 Anyone baptized in unity, moreover, could be just as unrepentant as one receiving the sacrament in schism. Either, however, could be saved by the subsequent gift of spirit baptism, ust as the apostles had been.” - p. 1287-1288
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Quite interesting that the strong emphasis on invoking the name of Jesus in baptism is not mentioned.

Last edited by Steven Avery; 09-17-2020 at 07:21 AM.
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