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The Influence of Israelite Temple Rites and Early Christian Esoteric Rites on the Development of Christian Baptism

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Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 2011-12-06 The Influence of Israelite Temple Rites and Early Christian Esoteric Rites on the Development of Christian Baptism Ryan T. Wilkins Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the Other Religion Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Wilkins, Ryan T., "The Influence of Israelite Temple Rites and Early Christian Esoteric Rites on the Development of Christian Baptism" (2011). Theses and Dissertations. 2908. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2908 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. The Influence of Israelite Temple Rites and Early Christian Esoteric Rites on the Development of Christian Baptism Ryan T. Wilkins A Thesis submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Religious Education Alonzo L. Gaskill Gaye Strathearn Frank F. Judd Jr. Religious Education Brigham Young University December 2011 Copyright © 2011 Ryan T. Wilkins All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT The Influence of Israelite Temple Rites and Early Christian Esoteric Rites on the Development of Christian Baptism Ryan T. Wilkins Religious Education, BYU Master of Religious Education This thesis seeks to answer the question of the origin of some of the most fundamental additions made to early Christian baptism. Christian baptism began in a relatively simple liturgical form, but became, by the fourth century, a much more dramatic set of initiation rituals. Among the added elements to baptism were washing ceremonies in the nude, physical anointing with oil, being marked or signed with the cross on the forehead, and receiving white garments. Scholars have proposed different theories as to the origins of these baptismal rituals. Some claim the elements existed in the New Testament practice of the rite. Others have supposed that the Christian church adopted the elements from either the Jewish synagogue or from contemporary pagan modes of initiation. This thesis argues that the initiation rituals of the Israelite tabernacle and temple provide a much more likely source for the added elements of Christian baptism. The esoteric practices of the temple priests became the esoteric tradition of early Christianity. The rites of this temple-oriented esoteric tradition in both the Old and New Testaments parallel, and may have been the origin for, the evolutions made to Christian baptism during the third and fourth centuries of the church. Christian groups such as the Valentinians provide evidence of higher esoteric rites being interpreted as baptism. Somehow the esoteric rites of the Israelite temple and the esoteric rites of early Christianity were adopted into the practice of Christian baptism. Keywords: Baptism, early Christianity, tabernacle, temple, esoteric tradition, tabernacle, initiation, Gnosticism, washings, anointing, garments, Cyril of Jerusalem, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Secret Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Philip, New Testament, priests, kings, Revelation, Valentinianism, Hippolytus ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I am extremely grateful for my amazing wife Melinda. Her patience and encouragement have meant so much to me throughout this graduate school experience. Her willingness to do more for our family has allowed me to fully engage in this endeavor. I also appreciate the love and patience of my children. No father could ever be blessed with three boys and a girl any cuter or more wonderful than mine. I am so grateful for those professors who agreed to serve on my thesis committee. Their patience, assistance, and suggestions have blessed me, and added to the overall quality of this work. I am especially grateful to Alonzo Gaskill for his willingness to answer all of my questions, his ability to be critical without being discouraging, and his kindness to keep me pushing forward even when it was difficult. Lastly, I am grateful for a kind Heavenly Father and a merciful Savior who have given me all that I have and all that I am. I am so grateful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for an institution like BYU which encourages the pursuit and acquisition of eternal knowledge “by study and by faith.” The entire journey has been a wonderful blessing. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction..........................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: Establishing a Pattern of Baptism in the New Testament..................................7 Jesus’ Baptism.........................................................................................................8 Baptism in the Gospels..........................................................................................13 Baptism in the Book of Acts..................................................................................15 Other New Testament References to Baptism.......................................................19 Summary................................................................................................................24 Chapter 2: Baptismal Evolutions of the Second, Third, and Fourth Centuries..................27 Second Century Baptism…....................................................................................28 Third Century Baptism..........................................................................................30 Fourth Century Baptism.........................................................................................35 Summary................................................................................................................39 Chapter 3: The Influence of Israelite Temple Practices on Christian Baptism..................41 The Temple Initiation of Kings and Priests...........................................................43 Washings....................................................................................................44 Anointings..................................................................................................45 Investiture with White Garments...............................................................47 Receiving the Divine Name.......................................................................48 Israelite Temple Initiation and Christian Baptism.................................................49 Summary................................................................................................................56 Chapter 4: An Esoteric Tradition in Early Christianity.....................................................59 Esoteric Teachings.................................................................................................59 iv Broadening the Esoteric Tradition.........................................................................65 Accompanying Esoteric Rites................................................................................71 Biblical Evidence.......................................................................................74 Evidence from Clement of Alexandria......................................................88 “Trimmings of the Temple” Assimilated into the Worship of All Christians.......90 Summary................................................................................................................94 Chapter 5: The Second Baptism Among Gnostic Christian Groups..................................97 Gnostic Christians..................................................................................................97 Valentinianism.....................................................................................................102 Five Seals and Two Baptisms..............................................................................103 Summary..............................................................................................................117 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................119 Bibliography....................................................................................................................124 v Introduction John’s Gospel describes a Pharisee named Nicodemus coming to Jesus with profound questions on his mind: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Nicodemus was confused; how could an individual possibly be born again? Jesus explained, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Nicodemus learned firsthand from Jesus that baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost were absolutely necessary in order to obtain eternal life. This truth was consistently taught throughout the writings of the early Church Fathers. David W. Bercot, a noted scholar in the field of early Christian history, writes: “A person wasn’t viewed [by the church fathers] as saved or born again until the entire process, including water baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit, were fulfilled….That, in a nutshell, is what the primitive church believed, and when I say the church believed it, I mean it was universally held. In the entire set
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