“I don’t think anyone would characterize the Didache as trinitarian in the sense of having a systematic theology that specifies the relationship between the Son, Father, and Holy Spirit. But it does have a triadic baptismal formula in 7:1 similar to that in Matthew 28:19 that even calls for a threefold baptism if there is no running water or hot or cold water (7:1), so threeness seems to be feature of practice as well. One can also note that in the liturgical material in 9:10, baptism is only in the name of the Lord which is the usual form in Acts as well. So it is possible that the original formula was in the name of the Lord which only later became expanded into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
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1. i have a question. “threefold baptism if there is no running water….” does that mean that if there was running water, the baptism would be done in one persons name?
A side issue but notice the preference for running water? This seems to be a very old precondition for groups that emphasized baptism in their practice. No cement baptistry pool backed up with a phony painting of the Jordan river for them! The Mandaeans, who practice baptism as a sacrament rather than simply as an ordinance, specify running water. Increasingly difficult logistically in this our modern world.
Only tangentially related, but Catholicism still requires the water to run. Mind you, they interpret that to mean it has to run over the person *in the process of baptism*, not that it has to have been running on its own prior to the rite. This is why baptism by sprinkling isn’t presumed valid: the water droplets might be so small that they hit and stick without running.
BDEhrman
FreedomBen
evgendob
Robert
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