Tuesday Scholarly Notes
11/19/24
Aland, Kurt. (1961). "Chapter Seven: Paul and the Primitive Church" In Did the Early Church Baptize Infants? (Translated by G. R. Beasley-Murray). (pages 780-86). Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock. (Personal Library)
In this chapter, Aland particularly turns his attention to 1 Corinthians 7 and Paul's suggestion about the holiness of children (Aland 1961, p. 81). The passage makes no statement about baptism of children, let alone of infants. Jeremias takes the passage as an argument of Jewish ritual rather than of Pauline thought. In the passage, the presence of a Christian sanctified the family. Aland notes this concept cannot be identified as any sort of element in Judaism of the time (Aland 1961, p. 82).
A relevant factor in the argument must be Paul's commitment to the Law. While Paul taught forcefully against trusting in the Mosaic Law, he also asserted the Law as good, paying for a Nazirite vow for four Christians. In Galatians 2 table fellowship seemed expected (Aland 1961, p. 82). These actions suggest to Aland that Paul would not have discouraged circumcision of Jewish children. This could lead to an assumption that Paul would endorse baptism as baptism as an analogous act for infant children of Christians. However, Aland finds no persuasive documentation that circumcision and baptism were found together, or that a culture of circumcision was present in Gentile Christian communities (Aland 1961, p. 83).
Aland summarizes Jeremias' view of Colossians 2:11 in brief. Jeremias takes it as an unambiguous teaching that baptism serves as the new circumcision (Aland 1961, p. 84). This suggests to Jeremias that 1 Corinthians 7:14 refers to application of baptism to babies. However, Aland does not find Colossians 2:11 to necessarily indicate application to anyone other than adult converts.
Acts 2:38 is also used to suggest baptism is applied without regard to age (Aland 1961, pp. 84-85). However, Aland understands the original context to have referred specifically to coming generations, indicating baptism at the time of birth. There is a variant reading, with the generations being "of us" or "of you." However, Aland does not consider the variant to suggest a present practice of automatically baptizing babies of Christians (Aland 1961, p. 85). he references to "those who are far" suggests to Aland not a need to baptize infants but a promise that salvation is available to all generations (Aland 1961, p. 86).
11/19/24
Aland, Kurt. (1961). "Chapter Seven: Paul and the Primitive Church" In Did the Early Church Baptize Infants? (Translated by G. R. Beasley-Murray). (pages 780-86). Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock. (Personal Library)
In this chapter, Aland particularly turns his attention to 1 Corinthians 7 and Paul's suggestion about the holiness of children (Aland 1961, p. 81). The passage makes no statement about baptism of children, let alone of infants. Jeremias takes the passage as an argument of Jewish ritual rather than of Pauline thought. In the passage, the presence of a Christian sanctified the family. Aland notes this concept cannot be identified as any sort of element in Judaism of the time (Aland 1961, p. 82).
A relevant factor in the argument must be Paul's commitment to the Law. While Paul taught forcefully against trusting in the Mosaic Law, he also asserted the Law as good, paying for a Nazirite vow for four Christians. In Galatians 2 table fellowship seemed expected (Aland 1961, p. 82). These actions suggest to Aland that Paul would not have discouraged circumcision of Jewish children. This could lead to an assumption that Paul would endorse baptism as baptism as an analogous act for infant children of Christians. However, Aland finds no persuasive documentation that circumcision and baptism were found together, or that a culture of circumcision was present in Gentile Christian communities (Aland 1961, p. 83).
Aland summarizes Jeremias' view of Colossians 2:11 in brief. Jeremias takes it as an unambiguous teaching that baptism serves as the new circumcision (Aland 1961, p. 84). This suggests to Jeremias that 1 Corinthians 7:14 refers to application of baptism to babies. However, Aland does not find Colossians 2:11 to necessarily indicate application to anyone other than adult converts.
Acts 2:38 is also used to suggest baptism is applied without regard to age (Aland 1961, pp. 84-85). However, Aland understands the original context to have referred specifically to coming generations, indicating baptism at the time of birth. There is a variant reading, with the generations being "of us" or "of you." However, Aland does not consider the variant to suggest a present practice of automatically baptizing babies of Christians (Aland 1961, p. 85). he references to "those who are far" suggests to Aland not a need to baptize infants but a promise that salvation is available to all generations (Aland 1961, p. 86).
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