baptism was a purification
from their past and so far identical with the proselyte's bath; but so far
as it raised them up to be children unto Abraham and filled them with the
Messianic hope, it advanced them further than that bath could do, and
assured them of a place in the kingdom of God, soon to be
established--this, without imposing circumcision on them; for the ordinary
proselyte was circumcised as well as baptized. For the Jews, however, who
came to John, his baptism could not have the significance of the
proselyte's baptism, but rather accorded with another baptism undergone by
Jews who wished to consecrate their lives by stricter study and practice of
the law. So Epictetus remarks that he only really understands Judaism who
knows "the baptized Jew" ([Greek: ton bebammenon]). We gather from Acts
xix. 4, that John had merely baptized in the name of the coming Messiah,
without identifying him with Jesus of Nazareth. The apostolic age supplied
this identification, and the normal use during it seems to have been "into
Christ Jesus," or "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ," or "of Jesus
Christ" simply, or "of the Lord Jesus Christ." Paul explains these formulas
as being equivalent to "into the death of Christ Jesus," as if the faithful
were in the rite raised from death into everlasting life. The _likeness_ of
the baptismal ceremony with Christ's death and resurrection ensured a real
union with him of the believer who underwent the ceremony, according to the
well-known principle _in sacris simulata pro veris accipi_.

But opinion was still fluid about baptism in the apostolic age, especially
as to its connexion with the descent of the Spirit. The Spirit falls on the
disciples and others at Pentecost without any baptism at all, and Paul
alone of the apostles was baptized. So far was the afflatus of the Spirit
from being conditioned by the rite, that in Acts x. 44 ff., the gift of the
Spirit was first poured out upon the Gentiles who heard the word preached
so that they spoke with tongues, and it was only after these manifestations
that they were baptized with water in the name of Jesus Christ at the
instance of Peter. We can divine from this passage why Paul was so eager
himself to preach the word, and left it to others to baptize.

But as a rule the repentant underwent baptism in the name of Christ Jesus,
and washed away their sins before hands were laid upon them unto reception
of the Spirit. Apollos, who only kne