The Early Christians Did Not All Teach Baptismal Regeneration

The Early Christians Did Not Universally Teach Baptismal Regeneration

Many assert that the earliest Christians unanimously taught baptismal regeneration, but this claim is one I seek to challenge. While the writings of the early church fathers should not serve as the foundation for doctrine, many today are unsettled by the idea that all early Christians endorsed baptismal regeneration. However, historical evidence suggests otherwise.

1. Apostolic Silence

Clement of Rome

The so-called "Apostolic Fathers"—including Clement of Rome, Polycarp, and Ignatius—were among the earliest Christian writers, living close to the time of the apostles. A significant issue for proponents of baptismal regeneration is that this doctrine appears absent from their writings.

While arguments from silence have limitations, they still invite an important question: Why does the Didache contain an entire section on baptism yet never describe it as salvific? Why does Clement of Rome frequently discuss salvation but never include baptism as a requirement? In fact, Clement (c. 98 AD) explicitly states that salvation is by faith alone:

"And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart;
but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

Some groups, such as Lutherans, attempt to reconcile faith alone with baptismal regeneration. However, the question remains: If Clement believed baptism was necessary for salvation, why did he omit it when explaining how one is justified? Furthermore, neither Ignatius (who wrote seven epistles), Polycarp, nor Mathetes ever mention baptismal regeneration.

2. Josephus (1st Century)

Though not a Christian, the Jewish historian Josephus provides valuable insight into early Christian beliefs. He records that Jewish Christians rejected the idea that baptism itself had the power to remove sins:

"...and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing would be acceptable to Him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away of some sins, but for the purification of the body." (Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII, Chapter 5.2)

This suggests that early Jewish Christians did not see baptism as the means of salvation but rather as a symbolic act of purification.

3. Aristides (2nd Century)

Aristides offers another perspective that challenges baptismal regeneration, as well as infant baptism. He writes:

"Further, if one or other of them have bondmen and bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction." (The Apology of Aristides)

Notably, Aristides does not say that infants become Christians through baptism but rather that individuals become Christians by being persuaded to believe in the gospel. This strongly implies that he did not view baptism as essential to salvation.

4. Treatise on Rebaptism (c. 250 AD)

An anonymous Christian treatise written around 250 AD also contradicts the notion of baptismal regeneration. It states:

"Even as Peter also subsequently most abundantly taught us about the same Gentiles, saying: And He put no difference between us and them, their hearts being purified by faith. (Acts 15:9) And there will be no doubt that men may be baptized with the Holy Ghost without water... And their hearts being purified, God bestowed upon them at the same time, in virtue of their faith, remission of sins; so that the subsequent baptism conferred upon them this benefit alone, that they received also the invocation of the name of Jesus Christ, that nothing might appear to be wanting to the integrity of their service and faith."

Here, baptism is described as a public confession of Christ, rather than a means of receiving salvation. The author explicitly states that water baptism is not tied to the event of salvation.

5. Jovinian (c. 400 AD)

Jovinian

Jovinian was another early Christian figure who opposed baptismal regeneration. Philip Schaff, in History of the Christian Church, summarizes his view:

"...and makes a distinction between the mere baptism of water and the baptism of the Spirit, which involves also a distinction between the actual and the ideal church."

For Jovinian, baptism of the Spirit was the means by which one entered the invisible body of Christ and becoming saved, whereas water baptism was associated with joining the physical church.

Conclusion

The historical evidence suggests that baptismal regeneration was not a universal belief among early Christians. While some church fathers may have endorsed it, others—whether through omission or direct statements—did not. This challenges the claim that the earliest Christians unanimously upheld baptism as a requirement for salvation.