{"id":41087,"date":"2013-11-27T11:32:00","date_gmt":"2013-11-27T17:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=41087"},"modified":"2021-12-25T11:35:48","modified_gmt":"2021-12-25T17:35:48","slug":"does-the-didache-prove-that-pouring-was-an-acceptable-substitute-for-baptism-in-the-early-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-the-didache-prove-that-pouring-was-an-acceptable-substitute-for-baptism-in-the-early-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Does the Didache prove that pouring was an acceptable substitute for baptism in the early church?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

Does the\u00a0Didache reflect that the early church allowed the pouring of water over the head three times as a legitimate alternative when immersion wasn’t possible?\u00a0 I’m certain that many people will try to use this as an argument that sprinkling is an acceptable form of baptism, but it seems pretty clear that it was accepted only in circumstances when immersion was not possible.\u00a0 I just want to confirm that I am reading it correctly.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Thanks.<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

The Didache, or the Teachings of the Apostles, is believed to be second-century writing. It is not a part of the New Testament and has no authority. It can, however, be used to trace the history of digression. So, yes, it does show that baptism was being modified soon after the first century. This does not mean that pouring is an acceptable substitute for baptism.<\/p>\n

Do keep in mind that while the document was mentioned by other early Christian writers, we don’t have a complete, old copy of the document.<\/p>\n

\nOnly one Greek text of the Didache has survived. It is the Jerusalem Codex discovered by Byrennios in 1873, and published by him in Constantinople ten years later. It was written by a scribe, Leo, in 1056. A photographic facsimile was published by J. Rendel Harris in 1887.\nTwo papyrus fragments of the Didache in Greek (chs. 1:3, 4 and 2:7 to 3:2) were edited by A. S. Hunt in\u00a0Oxyrhynchus Papyri,<\/em>\u00a015, London, 1922, pp. 12-15.\nThe Greek texts of the Epistle of Barnabas (chs. 18 to 20) and of the Apostolic Church Order (chs. 1 to 13) contain the “Two Ways” material in different forms. In the latter case there are many additions, and dependence on the “Two Ways” breaks off at the equivalent of Did. 4:8. The Greek text of the Apostolic Constitutions (ch. 7:1-32) contains almost the whole of the Didache with a number of changes and many insertions.\nIn Syriac there are citations from the Didache in the Didascalia, edited by R. H. Connolly, Oxford University Press, London, 1929.\nIn Latin there is a third century translation of the “Two Ways.” A fragment was published by B. Pez in 1723. The complete text was edited from an eleventh century manuscript by J. Schlecht,\u00a0Doctrina XII Apostolorum,<\/em>\u00a0Freiburg, 1900.\nIn Coptic there is a fifth century papyrus fragment of chs. 10:3b to 12:2a, edited by G. Horner in\u00a0The Journal of Theological Studies,<\/em>\u00a025, 1924, pp. 225-231. (It is notable for adding after the Eucharistic prayer a thanksgiving for myron, holy oil for confirmation.)\nIn Arabic the “Two Ways” material is found in the fifth century\u00a0Life of Schnudi.<\/em>\u00a0A German rendering is given by L. E.\u00a0Iselin and A. Heusler in Texte und Untersuchungen, XIII, 1b, pp. 6-10, 1895.\nIn Ethiopic the following parts of the Didache have been preserved in the Ecclesiastical Canons: chs. II:3-5, 7-11, 12; 12:1-5; 13:1, 3-7; 8:1, 2a, in that order. They are edited by G. Horner,\u00a0Statutes of the Apostles<\/em>, pp. 193, 194, London, 1904.\nIn Georgian there is a complete translation made in the fifth century by a scribe, Jeremias of Orhai. The variant readings were published by G. Peradze in\u00a0Zeitschrift f\u00fcr die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft<\/em>, pp. 111-116, 1932, from a copy of an eleventh century manuscript in Constantinople.\n

[Christian Classics Etheral Library<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Notice that while the section called “The Two Ways” (chapters 1-6) was popular, chapter 7 has less evidence. It is hard to prove that later beliefs were not introduced into the document. There are scholars who believe that what is now called the Didache was pieced together from several sources.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: Does the\u00a0Didache reflect that the early church allowed the pouring of water over the head three times as a legitimate alternative when immersion wasn’t possible?\u00a0 I’m certain that many people will try to use this as an argument that sprinkling is an acceptable form of baptism, but it seems pretty clear that it was…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[660,52],"class_list":["post-41087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-apocrypha","tag-baptism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":34443,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/immersion-pouring-and-sprinkling-a-history\/","url_meta":{"origin":41087,"position":0},"title":"Immersion, Pouring, and Sprinkling: A History","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Bruce Edwards, Jr. Truth Magazine XIX:27 (May 15, 1975), pp. 422-424 This writer can remember witnessing at the age of five the \"baptism\" of his infant cousin; the denominational \"pastor\" sprinkled drops of water upon his forehead. I wondered at the significance of that action then, but now, with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":38992,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/an-inquiry-into-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":41087,"position":1},"title":"An Inquiry into Baptism","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 23, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Sprinkling, Pouring, or Immersion, Which Shall It Be? by Jefferson David Tant Introduction Since the Bible teaches that baptism is an essential part of my relationship with Christ (Mark 16:16; Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3-5, etc.), then it behooves me to make sure that my baptism is pleasing to the one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":38990,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-is-the-church-of-christs-view-of-baptism-different-from-the-denominations\/","url_meta":{"origin":41087,"position":2},"title":"How is the church of Christ’s view of baptism different from the denominations?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I recently came across a YouTube comment about baptism that puzzled me a bit: \"It's also important to know the church of Christ view of baptismal salvation is different from every other view; that of the Lutherans, Anglicans, Catholics or Orthodox.\" Is this a correct assessment? If so,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24308,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-it-matter-how-you-are-baptized\/","url_meta":{"origin":41087,"position":3},"title":"Does it matter how you are baptized?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 16, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I get confused about baptism.\u00a0 I believe a person should be baptized by immersion.\u00a0 Some feel the mode does not matter - just as long as you get baptized.\u00a0 I have attended a Baptist church that says baptism does not save you - that the thief on the cross\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54957,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-action-of-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":41087,"position":4},"title":"The Action of Baptism","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"by Steve Wolfgang via\u00a0Truth Magazine\u00a0XIX: 27, pp. 421-422, May 15, 1975 The subject of the \"action\" of baptism quite evidently concerns itself with the nature of the act. 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I would like to ask you:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41087"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41087\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}