A Facebook brother and friend, Zerick Pagan, shared an article from Robert A. J. Gagnon, Professor of Theology at Houston Christian University. The article is obviously well-written and detailed, packed with a nice chunk of red gospel meat to chew on and consume.
It reminded me of a multipart series by the late Dr. Michael S. Heiser on baptism that was one of his inaugural podcasts. You can find this work in the search results at this link. Dr. Mike does an excellent job of helping us to think about baptism outside of the framework of the last 1,700 years of church tradition—focusing on the various ways baptism was both thought of and applied to new converts to Christ in a largely paganist world.
In the notes below, I will outline my own thoughts for whoever cares to read them in posterity as I hold those thoughts today. They are written because of being triggered by both my friend and the writing of Dr. Gagnon (below). I have not recopied the entire writeup by Dr. Gagnon, but just the parts I found both triggering and relevant to my own purpose. I invite you to read the entire article on Dr. Gagnon' Facebook feed for all (see links above and below in the citation of the quote).
II. What the Didache and Tertullian Teach about Faith as a Precondition
The Didache or "Teaching," a very early manual on Christian teaching from Syria ca. 100–120, specified that the baptizand be instructed in the materials in Didache 1–6 and then fast “one or two days” before being baptized--a requirement, incidentally, that speaks against the supposition of infant baptism. Not only did the baptizand have to know what he or she was doing -- something not possible for the infant -- but the baptizand really had to be informed about the commitment he or she was undertaking, and dedicated to it (fasting) before the baptism would be permitted. This isn't a move away from the NT teaching on baptism; it is a further extension of the necessity of a personal faith commitment.
Likewise, the church father Tertullian (ca. 200), makes one of the key reasons for recommending delaying baptism the need for instruction in the Christian life before getting baptized. Thus: "According to the circumstances and disposition, and even age, of each individual, the delay of baptism is preferable; principally, however, in the case of little children.... The Lord does indeed say, 'Forbid them not to come unto me.' Let them come, then, while they are growing up; let them come while they are learning, while they are learning whither to come; let them become Christians when they have become able to know Christ" (ch. 18). This view is consistent with the apostolic witness that repentance and faith must precede baptism, which necessarily requires prior preaching and teaching of the gospel, which infants and even little children cannot take in.
This is quite excellent.
While there may be some potential trouble-spots lurking in Section III or beyond, the first two sections are well laid out and coherent.
The overarching reality presented is that being a Christian is a stepwise matter, leading to a believing loyalty. This occurs within the context of a world controlled by pagan belief systems, whether we're aware of these systems or not.
Any issues or inconsistencies that arise in sections beyond I and II do not detract from the clear, organized thoughts demonstrated in these first two sections.
There are four essential matters living along this road to Christ: 1) Our condition, 2) The Cross applied, 3) The Spirit applied, and 4) The Demonstration of Believing-Loyalty applied (i.e., baptism).
The instruction that sits between steps three and four seems to be the central focus of the article (prep for public baptism). This message is well outlined and justified. It is crucial to note that nobody should be baptized without having a clear understanding of the rationale behind the act. If they proceed without this precise knowledge, it sets them up for failure. However, the failure won't be entirely theirs but ours too because we should know better!
What I am about to share is based on my current understanding and learning from the Lord from scriptures with the help of many individuals around me. I believe it largely aligns with the author's viewpoints as well.
Steps detailed
1. At least from the time of Christ's resurrection until now, every human being is born under the access and control of fallen gods and ex-giants as demon unclean spirits. Therefore, we are born both blind and chained.
(1 John 5:19, 2 Cor 4:4, Genesis 3:1-24, Romans 5:12-21, Genesis 6:5, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 6:16-18, Mark 4:12, 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Ephesians 4:18, Ephesians 2:1-3, Ephesians 6:12, Colossians 1:13-14, Jubilees 10:5-15)
cf. 1 Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed on all men, for that all have sinned."
— with —
1 Enoch 69:11 "For men were created exactly like the angels, to the intent that they should continue pure and righteous; and death, which destroys everything, should not have taken hold of them, but through this their knowledge they are perishing, and through this power consumes them."
2. The Cross of Christ is the instrument by which we are freed and regenerated as God places us in Christ where we are co-crucified, co-buried, and co-risen (in new spirit) with Him.
(Romans 6:3-11, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 2:12-14, Colossians 3:1, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:5-6, Philippians 3:10-11, Romans 7:6, Romans 8:1-2, 2 Timothy 2:11, Colossians 1:13-14, Galatians 6:14, 1 Peter 2:24).
3. We can then be "filled with the Spirit" for the empowerment of our free-will to execute our God-given freedom and new-born spirit in life to the working out of our thoughts, words, and deeds in believing-loyalty to and being like Jesus Christ instead of being like the pagan gods and demons who previously held us in bondage.
(John 14:26, Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 5:16-25, Romans 8:9-14, 2 Corinthians 3:17, 2 Peter 1:3-4, Romans 12:1-2, Philippians 2:12-13, 1 Corinthians 2:16, Romans 6:17-22, Colossians 1:9-14, Ephesians 4:22-24, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, James 4:7-8, 1 Peter 1:14-16)
4. Public water baptism now seals all of the above, wherein as people trained in the reality of our circumstance and in the reality of Christ's mission to not only free us, but to prepare us for eternal rule together with Himself in the place of the very fallen beings who once held us—from this training, we then make a public declaration to all people: other believers, non-believers, and even the powers of darkness in the unseen realms that we are officially shifting our believing-loyalties from them to Christ alone, thereby committing ourselves to Jesus in front of everyone with precise knowledge of what we are doing—even in the face of possible persecution and death as a result.
(Romans 6:3-4, 1 Peter 3:21, Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Colossians 2:12, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 4:4-6, Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 28:19, Acts 8:36-38, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, Ephesians 6:12, 1 Timothy 6:12, Revelation 2:10, Matthew 10:28, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Luke 9:23-26)