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Concordia Theological Monthly CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Muck Which the Lord Uses MARCUS WAGNER The Door No Man Can Shut E. J. FRIEDRICH The New English Bible FREDERICK W. DANKER Rudolf Bultmann and the Sacrament of Holy Baptism JOHN H. ELLIOTT Homiletics Theological Observer Book Review VOL. XXXII June 1961 No.6 ARCHIVE Rudolf Bultmann and the Sacrament of Holy Baptism By JOHN H. ELLIOTT N the fullness of time God sent forth Testament concept of Holy Baptism, we I His Son, a pre-existent divine Being, shall consider his own statement of the con­ who appears on earth as a man. He dies temporary problem regarding the Christian the death of a sinner on the cross and kerygma and the sacrament. Finally we makes atonement for the sins of men. His shall note four primary principles which resurrection marks the beginning of the summarize the bulk of criticism directed cosmic catastrophe .. all who belong to against Bultmann's method and con­ Christ's Church and are joined to the Lord clusions. by Baptism and the Eucharist are certain HOLY BAPTISM AND THE of resurrection to salvation. ." NEW TESTAMENT In these terms Rudolf Bultmann recon­ Rudolf Bultmann's investigation of the structs the credo of the Christian church significance and development of Holy Bap­ and documents it with no fewer than 16 tism within the New Testament period in­ Biblical references, only to pronounce the cludes five main areas: the Palestinian condemning verdict: the language of myth­ congregation, the Hellenistic church in ology, a perpetuation of Jewish apocalyp­ extra-Pauline material, the Hellenistic tic and Gnostic redemption myths which church in Pauline literature, the Hellen­ make the Christian kerygma incomprehen­ istic church in Johannine literature, and sible, incredible, and untenable for the the ancient church. modern man.1 Basic to an understanding of any sacra­ We do not want to ignore Bultmann's mental theology are the connotations of concern to make the Gospel relevant to the the words "church" and "sacrament." Ac­ people of our day. On the other hand we cordingly, Bultmann defines "church" as must question any approach, despite its the eschatological community: awesome erudition, which would divest When the salvation-occurrence [the life the church of those confessions which are and death of Jesus} is proclaimed, it be­ such an essential expression of her faith comes present reality to all who hear.... and life. This preached word calls and gathers men To this end we shall examine the Bap­ into the ecclesia, the Church, the Congre­ tismal theology of this contemporary in­ gation of those who are called and (who terpreter of Christianity. After reviewing are) saints. As the eschatological congre­ the fruits of his investigation of the New gation its existence belongs to the escha­ tological-salvation occurrence.... It ap­ pears as no new phenomenon of the 1 Rudolf Bultmann, Kerygma and Myth, ed. Hans-Werner Bartsch (London: SPCK, 1957), world but as belonging to a new aeon.... tr. Reginald H. Fuller, pp. 2 if. This eschatological congregation separates 348 RUDOLF BULTMANN AND THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM 349 itself from the rest of the world to con­ 6. Baptism provided the church with a fess its faith m Christ as Lord in cultic point of departure for the development of gathering.2 a cult of her own. (Pp.37-57) Defining the term "sacrament" Bultmann In discussing the development from states (p. 112) : primitive to Hellenistic Christianity, Bult­ (It is) an act which by natural means puts mann notes that whereas the former ceased supra natural powers into effect, usually by to be dominated by the eschatological ex­ the use of spoken words which accompany pectation and the philosophy of life which the act and release those powers by the that implied, in the latter there developed mere utterance of their prescribed word­ a new pattern of culture and piety centered ing. The concept "sacrament" rests in the cultus. Gnostic categories begin to upon the assumption that under certain be used to describe the church, the sacra­ conditions supranatural powers can be ments, and our Lord. bound to natural objects of the world and 1. Extra-Pauline literature states that to spoken words as their vehicles and through Baptism an individual enters the mediators. congregation and thus enters into a rela­ 1. Bultmann's first observation is that tionship with Christ. Here the original very early these twO phenomena became bath of purification and rite of initiation mutually dependent. Initiation into this becomes a means for participation in eschatological community was accomplished salvation. through the rite of Baptism. This was the 2. Indicative of the theological develop­ first purpose of the act. ment of Baptism within the Hellenistic 2. Nor was this Baptism different from church, Bultmann observes, are numerous John the Baptizer'S. Both were "baths of items concerning the rite and performance purification (closely connected with re­ of the sacrament. pentance for the coming reign of God)." A. Baptism is normally consummated as 3. Though both were similar to Jewish a bath in which the one receiving Baptism proselyte baptism, their difference lay in is completely submerged, in "living" (run­ the fact that whereas proselyte baptism ning) water, if possible. freed man from ritual defilement, Chris­ B. In case of emergency, water is poured tian Baptism, like that of John, promised on the head three times. purity from sin and made a person a mem­ C. The one baptizing names over the ber of the eschatological community. one being baptized the name of "the Lord 4. The phrase "for forgiveness of sin" Jesus Christ," later expanded into the name was likely true of Christian Baptism from of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. the very beginning, as was its sacramental D. The one being baptized, on his part, character. either just before or just after the bath of 5. The belief in the exorcistic effect Baptism, speaks the confession "Jesus of Baptism is probably of very early origin. Christ is Lord." Thereby he belongs to "those who call upon the name of the 2 Rudolf Bultmann, Theology 0/ the New Lord." Bultmann (pp.153 ff.) is favorably Testament, tr. Kendrick Grabel, I (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1951), 307 fl. disposed toward Oscar Cullmann's con- 350 RUDOLF BULTMANN AND THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM struction of the questioning and answering Including St. Paul's additions to Hellen­ previous to Baptism as practiced in the istic Christianity's doctrine of Holy Bap­ primitive rites: "What is to prevent (this tism, we note the further development one from being baptized)?" ... "It is per­ (pp.135-140): mitted" (nothing prohibits). 1. The first effect of Baptism is the pu­ E. Though in the earliest period Bap­ rification from one's sins. tism immediately followed conversion, in 2. From the "naming of the name" this later time some instruction preceded comes the result that "by it the candidate the rite. is stamped as the property of the K yrios F. The act of the laying on of hands is and placed under His protection. This a moot question. It was probably a regular sphragis or seal has two effects. Nega­ component of the bath from the very tively, it drives out the evil spirits (re­ beginning. garded as the cause of sin) by its exorcistic G. Only adults were baptized. power. Positively, it puts the baptized H. The agents of the sacrament had no under the protection of the K yrios for the priestly quality. future and secures them against demonic Considering the Hellenistic church in influences. Pauline literature, Bultmann (p. 144) sees 3. Through the laying on of hands the the apostle introducing, from Gnostic Holy Spirit is bestoweu. Any Baptism sources, two additional and extremely sig­ which does not bestow the Spirit is not nificant concepts to the church's under­ considered a proper sacrament. standing of Holy Baptism. 4. Through Baptism the recipient par­ 1. Baptism is not only the means by ticipates in the death and resurrection of which an individual enters the church and Christ. the realm of salvation, but it actually ef­ fects an involvement in the very body of 5. This mystery interpretation of Bap­ Christ. tism can thus have as its result a "rebirth." 2. This sacrament is an act whereby the 6. Through this sacrament the baptized baptized is involved in the very death and is brought into the body of Christ, into resurrection of Christ. Bultmann sees in eschatological existence. this tendency of St. Paul both a danger Interpreting the evidence at this point, and a benefit. Negatively, Christian ex­ Bultmann (p. 312) draws the conclusion istence might be understood to "rest upon that Hellenistic sacramental magic entirely in­ Baptism is an objective occurrence which stead of being understood as eschatological happens to the baptized, not simply a sym­ existence." Positively, Paul also presents bol for a subjective process within him. As the possibility of interpreting Christianity an objective event, baptism certifies to as an "existence determined by Christ's him participation in the salvation-occur­ death and resurrection, and hence of under­ rence present for him just as the proclaim­ standing the sacrament as an actualization, ing word does ... only this time with here and now, of the occurrence of sal­ special reference to him, the one being vation." baptized, as valid f01' him. RUDOLF BULTMANN AND THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM 351 Though Bultmann makes an unhappy equa­ not so much in its reference to the future tion of the proclaimed Word with Holy as in its present possession of institutions Baptism as the God-given means for en­ which are already mediating transcendent trance into the eschatological community, powers in the present: sacramental cultus and finally a priestly office.
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