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On Baptism

Tertullian

Chapter 14

About this work

An early Latin treatise defending Christian baptism, interpreting its biblical patterns, discussing preparation and administration, and warning against a teacher who rejected water baptism in the church.

Author: Tertullian
Date: c. AD 198–203
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Theological Treatise

Chapter XIV.—Of Paul’s Assertion, that He Had Not Been Sent to Baptize.

But they roll back an objection from that apostle himself

‹ Chapter 13 Chapter 15 ›

,

in

that

he

said

,

“

For

Christ

sent

me

not

to

baptize

;

”

as

if

by

this

argument

baptism

were

done

away

!

For

if

so

,

why

did

he

baptize

Gaius

,

and

Crispus

,

and

the

house

of

Stephanas

?

However

,

even

if

Christ

had

not

sent

him

to

baptize

,

yet

He

had

given

other

apostles

the

precept

to

baptize

.

But

these

words

were

written

to

the

Corinthians

in

regard

of

the

circumstances

of

that

particular

time

;

seeing

that

schisms

and

dissensions

were

agitated

among

them

,

while

one

attributes

everything

to

Paul

,

another

to

Apollos

.

For

which

reason

the

“

peace

-

making

”

apostle

,

for

fear

he

should

seem

to

claim

all

gifts

for

himself

,

says

that

he

had

been

sent

“

not

to

baptize

,

but

to

preach

.

”

For

preaching

is

the

prior

thing

,

baptizing

the

posterior

.

Therefore

the

preaching

came

first

:

but

I

think

baptizing

withal

was

lawful

to

him

to

whom

preaching

was

.

Notes

1
1 Cor. i. 17.
2
1 Cor. i. 14, 16.
3
1 Cor. i. 11, 12; iii. 3, 4.
4
Matt. v. 9; referred to in de Patien. c. ii.