Pre-Nicene Eastern Christian Initiation: Egypt

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Pre-Nicene Eastern Christian Initiation Egypt
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Excerpts of Theodotus(c. 160-170 CE)

• 76 As, therefore, the birth of the Savior
  released us from becoming and from fate, so
  also his baptism rescued us from fire, and his
  passion rescued us from passion in order that we
  might in all things follow him. For he who was
  baptized for God advanced toward God and has
  received power to walk upon scorpions and
  snakes Luke 1019, the evil powers. And he
  commands the disciples Matthew 2819, in whom
  we are born again, becoming higher than all the
  other powers.

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• 77 Therefore baptism is called death and an end
  of the old life when we take leave of the evil
  principalities, but it is also called life
  according to Christ, of which he is sole Lord.
  But the power of the transformation of him who is
  baptized does not concern the body but the soul,
  for he who comes up out of the water is
  unchanged. From the moment when he comes up from
  baptism he is called a servant of God even by the
  unclean spirits and they now tremble at him
  whom shortly before they obsessed.

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• 78. Until baptism, they say, fate is real, but
  after it the astrologers are no longer right.
  But it is not only the washing that is
  liberating, but the knowledge of who we were, and
  what we have become, where we were or where we
  were placed, whither we hasten, from what we are
  redeemed, what birth is, and what rebirth.
• 79. So long, then, they say, as the seed is yet
  unformed, it is the offspring of the female, but
  when it was formed it is changed to a man and
  becomes a son of the bridegroom. It is no longer
  weak and subject to the cosmic forces, both
  visible and invisible, but having been made
  masculine, it becomes a male fruit.

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• 80. He whom the mother generates is led into
  death and into the world, but he whom Christ
  regenerates is transferred to life into the
  Ogdoad. And they die to the world but live to
  God, that death may be loosed by death and
  corruption by resurrection. For he who has been
  sealed by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is
  beyond threats of every other power and by the
  three names has been released from the whole
  triad of corruption. Having borne the image of
  the earthly, it then bears the image of the
  heavenly. 1 Corinthians 1549

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• 81. The material element of fire lays hold of
  all material things, and the pure and immaterial
  element lays hold of immaterial things such as
  demons, angels of evil, and the devil himself.
  Thus the heavenly fire is dual in its nature,
  belonging partly to the mind, partly to the
  senses. By analogy, therefore, baptism is also
  dual in its nature, the sensible part works
  through water which extinguishes the sensible
  fire, but the intellectual through spirit, a
  defense against the intellectual fire. And the
  material spirit when it is little becomes food
  and kindling for the sensible fire, but when it
  has increased it has become an extinguisher, but
  the Spirit given us from above, since it is
  immaterial, rules not only over the elements, but
  over the powers and the evil principalities.

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• 82. And the bread and the oil are sanctified by
  the power of the Name, and they are not the same
  as they appeared to be when they were received,
  but they have been transformed by power into
  spiritual power. Thus, the water, also, both in
  exorcism and baptism, not only keeps off evil,
  but gives sanctification as well.
• 83. It is fitting to go to baptism with joy,
  but, since unclean spirits often go down into the
  water with some and these spirits following and
  gaining the seal together with the candidate
  become impossible to cure for the future, fear is
  joined with joy, in order that only he who is
  pure may go down to the water.

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• 84. Therefore let there be fastings,
  supplications, prayers, raising of hands,
  kneelings because a soul is being saved from the
  world and from the mouth of lions Psalm
  2122. Wherefore there is immediate temptation
  for those who long also for the things from which
  they have separated, and even if one has
  foreknowledge to endure them, yet the outward man
  is shaken.

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• 85. Even the Lord after baptism was troubled
  like we are and was first with beasts in the
  desert. Then when he had prevailed over them and
  their ruler as if already a true king, he was
  already served by angels. For he who ruled over
  angels in the flesh was fittingly served already
  by angels. Therefore we must put on the Lords
  armor and keep body and soul invulnerable armor
  that is able to quench the darts of the devil,
  as the apostle says Ephesians 616.

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• 86. In the case of the coin that was brought to
  him, the Lord did not say whose property is it,
  but, whose image and superscription? Caesars,
  that it might be given to him whose it is. So
  likewise the faithful he has the name of God
  through Christ as a superscription and the Spirit
  as an image. And dumb animals show by a seal
  whose property each is, and are claimed from the
  seal. Thus also the faithful soul receives the
  seal of truth and bears about the marks of
  Christ Luke 117. These are the children who
  are now resting in bed and the wise virgins
  Matthew 251, with whom the others, who are
  late, did not enter into the good which have
  been prepared on which the angels desire to gaze
  I Corinthians 29 1 Peter 112.

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• Who ?
• Did (or refrained from doing) what
• Catechumenate of indeterminate length fr. 84
• Fasting
• Prayer
• Exorcism
• Oral instruction
• Solemn exorcism and renunciation of Satan
  precedes the water rites fr. 77, 81
• Baptism by immersion with anointing in the name
  of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit fr. 80,
  86
• Eucharist fr. 82
• When no particular feast / season
• Where no particular site

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• What it meant
• Called seal
• Peoples destiny is controlled by the stars and
  the evil powers them embody
• Christ is the new star who brings release as
  savior
• Baptism accomplishes this release, because it
  brings about the death of the old, entrapped self
  and rebirth of a new self and life
• Baptism transforms ones spirit and consists
  primarily of gnosis fr. 78
• The transformed neophytes radiate a new power
  that triumphs over ever evil

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Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 215 CE)

• Protreptikos Exhortation to the Greeks 12
• Sail past the song of the Sirens. It works
  death. Exert your will only, and you have
  overcome ruin. Bound to the wood of the cross,
  be freed from destruction. The word of God will
  be your pilot, and the Holy spirit will bring you
  to anchor in the haven of heaven. Then you shall
  see my God, and be initiated into the sacred
  mysteries, and come to the fruition of those
  things which are laid up in heaven reserved for
  me, which ear had not heard, or have they
  entered into the heart of any 1 Cor 29.

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• Come, O madman, not leaning on the thyrsus, not
  crowned with ivy throw away the miter, throw
  away the fawn-skin come to your senses. I will
  show you the Word, expounding them after your own
  fashion. This is the mountain beloved of God,
  not the subject of tragedies. a mount of
  sobriety, shaded with forests of purity, and
  there revel on it, not the Maenades,practicing
  in the initiatory rites unholy division of flesh,
  but the daughters of God, the fair lambs, who
  celebrate the holy rites of the Word, raising a
  sober choral dance.

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• The righteous are the universe. The maidens
  strike the lyre, the angels praise, the prophets
  speak the sound of music issues forth, they run
  and pursue the jubilant band those that are
  called make haste, eagerly desiring to receive
  the Father.
• Come also, O aged man, leaving Thebes and,
  casting away from you both divination and Bacchic
  frenzy, allow yourself to be led to the truth. I
  give the staff of the cross on which to lean.
  Haste Tiresias believe, and you will see.
  Christ, by whom the eyes of the blind recover
  sight, will shed on youre a light brighter than
  the sun night will flee from you, fire will
  fear, death will be gone you, old man, who did
  not see Thebes, shall see the heavens!

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• O truly sacred mysteries! O stainless light! My
  way is lighted with torches, and I survey the
  heavens and God I become holy while I am
  initiated. The Lord is the hierophant, and seals
  while illuminating him who is initiated and
  presents to the Father him who believes, to be
  kept safe forever. Such are the reveries of my
  mysteries. If it is your wish, be also
  initiated and you shall join the choir along
  with angels around the begotten and
  indestructible and the only true God, the Word of
  God, raising the hymn with us.

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• Paidagogos Christ the Tutor 3, 12, 101
• Bridle-bit of colts untamed,
• Thou Wing of birds not straying
• Firm Rudder of our ships at sea,
• Thou Shepherd of Gods regal sheep.
• Thy simple children
• Gather round Thee.
• They would sing holily,
• They would hymn truthfully,
• With lips never stained,
• To Thee, O Christ, their Guide.

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• O Thou King of saints,
• Word of Father on high,
• Thou Governor of all things,
• Ruling ever wisely,
• Balm for all labors,
• Source of endless joy,
• Jesus, Holy Savior
• Of men who cry to Thee

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• Thou Shepherd, Thou Husbandman,
• Thou Rudder, Thou Bridle-bit,
• O Wing, heaven leading
• The flock of innocence
• Fisher of men
• Drawn safely in
• From ocean of sin
• Snaring to spotless life
• Fish unstained by
• Sea of hostile foe

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• O all-hallowed Shepherd,
• Guide us, Thy children,
• Guide Thy sheep safely, O King!
• The footsteps of Christ
• Are pathway to heaven,
• Of ages unbounded,
• Everlasting Word,
• Light of eternity,
• Well-spring of Mercy,

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• Who virtue instills
• In hearts offering God
• The gift of their reverence,
• O Jesus, our Christ!
• Milk of the bride,
• Given of heaven,
• Pressed from sweet breasts
• Gifts of thy wisdom

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• These Thy little ones
• Draw for their nourishment
• With infancys lips
• Filling their souls
• With spiritual savor
• From breasts of the Word.

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• Let us all sing
• To Christ, our King,
• Songs of sweet innocence,
• Hymns of bright purity,
• Hallowed gratefulness
• For teachings of life
• Let us praise gladsomely
• So mighty a Child.

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• Let us, born of Christ,
• Chant out in unison,
• Loud chorus of peace,
• We, undefiled, pure flock,
• To God, Lord of peace.

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• Who ?
• Did (or refrained from doing) what
• Forty-day catechesis?
• Pre-baptismal anointing?
• Water rites
• Post-baptismal Eucharistic participation
• When Epiphany / forty-day fast
• Where ?
• What it meant free gift, enlightenment,
  perfection, cleansing

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Origen of Alexandria(c. 185 - 253 CE)

• Homilies on Joshua 4
• Lest you think that the acts performed in early
  times have no effect on you who are just now
  hearing them, they are accomplished in you in
  mystery. For you, for instance, who have just
  recently left idolatrys darkness and want to
  draw near to hear the Law of God, you are leaving
  Egypt for the first time. When you joined the
  company of catechumens and have begun to observe
  the precepts of the church, you crossed the Red
  Sea.

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• And now, in place of the daily stops in the
  desert, you are free to hear the Law of God and
  to gaze at the face of Moses, through which the
  glory of the Lord is revealed. If you then come
  to the mystical font of baptism and, standing in
  the midst of the priests and Levites, you are
  initiated into those venerable and expansive
  mysteries, known only to those for whom it is
  lawful, then, on crossing the Jordan, thanks to
  the ministry of priests, you too will enter the
  Promised Land. There Jesus, in Moses place,
  receives you, and he himself becomes for you the
  leader of the new journey.

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• Who priests / Levites / catechumens / competents
• Did (or refrained from doing) what
• Oral instruction on the Bible 3 years?
• Exorcisms
• Renunciation of Satan
• Blessing of water and oil
• Immersion in baptismal water with recitation of
  Creed
• Post-baptismal anointing
• Vesting in a white garment
• Use of baptismal candles
• Procession to the Eucharist
• When Pascha
• Where?

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• What it meant
• Water baptism first stage in journey to God /
  purification / regeneration / initiation into
  Christ / endowment with the Holy Spirit
• Baptism of the Holy Spirit acquisition of
  blessedness
• Baptism of fire remedial chastisement
  (purgatory)
• Baptism of blood martyrdom