The Apostolic Tradition Of Hippolytus

Hippolytus was an important church leader in the Roman church in the last years of the second century and early years of the third century. In the following passage, his famous Apostolic Tradition is reconstructed and translated. According to most scholars, this text describes the baptismal practice of the Roman church around the second century. It also is the foundation for later liturgical innovations and reforms.

The Text XVI 1. Those who come forward for the first time to hear the word shall first be brought to the teachers at the house before all the people [of God] come in. 2. And let them be examined as to the reason why they have come forward to the faith. And those who bring them shall bear witness for them whether they were able to hear. 3. Let their life and manner of living be enquired into, whether he is a slave or free. [Sections 4–24 consist of regulations determining the conditions under which men or women might be admitted to instruction, according to the manner of their past lives and their readiness to forsake evil ways and forbidden occupations.] XVII 1. Let a catechumen be instructed for three years. 2. But if a man be earnest and persevere well in the matter, let him be received, because it is not the time that is judged, but the conduct. XVIII 1. Each time the teacher finishes his instruction let the catechumens pray by themselves apart from the faithful. 2. But after the prayer is finished the catechumens shall not give the kiss of peace, for their kiss is not yet pure. XIX. 1. After the prayer let the teacher lay hands upon them and dismiss them. Whether the teacher be an ecclesiastic or a layman let him do the same. 2. If anyone being a catechumen should be apprehended for the Name, let him not be anxious about undergoing martyrdom. For if he suffer violence and be put to death before baptism, he shall be justified having been baptized in his own blood. XX 1. And when they are chosen who are set apart to receive baptism let their life be examined, whether they lived piously while catechumens, whether they "?honored the widows,?" whether they visited the sick, whether they have fulfilled every good work. 2. If those who bring them bear witness to them that they have done thus, then let them hear the gospel. 3. Moreover, from the day they are chosen, let a hand be laid on them and let them be exorcised daily. And when the day draws near on which they are to be baptized, let the bishop himself exorcise each one of them, that he may be certain that he is purified. 4. But if there is one who is not purified, let him be put on one side because he did not hear the word of instruction with faith. For the strange spirit remained with him. 5. And let those who are to be baptized be instructed to wash and cleanse themselves on the fifth day of the week [i.e., Thursday]. 6. And if any woman be menstruous she shall be put aside and baptized another day. 7. Those who are to receive baptism shall fast on the Preparation [Friday] and on the Sabbath [Saturday]. And on the Sabbath the bishop shall assemble those who are to be baptized in one place, and shall bid them all to pray and bow the knee. 8. And laying his hand on them he shall exorcise every evil spirit to flee away from them and never to return to them hence forward. And when he has finished exorcising, let him breathe on their faces and seal their foreheads and ears and noses and then let him raise them up. 9. And they shall spend all the night in vigil, reading the Scriptures to them and instructing them. 10. Moreover those who are to be baptized shall not bring any other vessel, save that which each will bring with him for the Eucharist. For it is right for every one to bring his oblation then. XXI 1. And at the hour when the cock crows they shall first [of all] pray over the water. 2. When they come to the water, let the water be pure and flowing. 3. And they shall put off their clothes. 4. And they shall baptize the little children first. And if they can answer for themselves, let them answer. But if they cannot, let their parents answer or someone from their family. 5. And next they shall baptize the grown men; and last the women, who shall have loosed their hair and laid aside their gold ornaments. Let no one go down to the water having any alien object with them. 6. And at the time determined for baptizing, the bishop shall give thanks over the oil and put it into a vessel and it is called the Oil of Thanksgiving. 7. And he shall take other oil and exorcise over it, and it is called the Oil of Exorcism. 8. And let a deacon carry the Oil of Exorcism and stand on the left hand. And another deacon shall take the Oil of Thanksgiving and stand on the right hand. 9. And when the presbyter takes hold of each one of those who are to be baptized, let him bid him renounce saying: I renounce thee, Satan, and all thy service and all thy works. 10. And when he has said this let him anoint with the Oil of Exorcism. Saying: Let all evil spirits depart far from thee. 11. Then after these things let him give over to the presbyter who stands at the water. And let them stand in the water naked. And let a deacon likewise go down with him into the water. 12. And when he goes down to the water, let him who baptizes lay his hand on him saying thus: Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty? 13. And he who is being baptized shall say: I believe. 14. Let him forthwith baptize [baptizet: probably, "?let him dip?"; see also #16 and #18 him once, having his hand laid upon his head. 15. And after [this] let him say: Dost thou believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God? Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. Who was crucified in the days of Pontius Pilate. And died. And rose the third day living from the dead. And ascended into the heavens, And sat down at the right hand of the Father, And will come to judge the living and the dead? 16. And when he says: I believe, let him baptize him the second time. 17. And again let him say: Dost thou believe in the Holy Spirit in the Holy Church and the resurrection of the flesh? 18. And he who is being baptized shall say: I believe. And so let him baptize him the third time. 19. And afterwards when he comes up he shall be anointed with the Oil of Thanksgiving saying: I anoint you with holy oil in the Name of Jesus Christ. 20. And so each one drying himself they shall now put on their clothes, and after this let them be together in the assembly. XXII 1. And the bishop shall lay his hand upon them invoking and saying: O Lord God, who didst count these worthy of deserving the forgiveness of sins by the laver of regeneration, make them worthy to be filled with thy Holy Spirit and send upon them thy grace, that they may serve thee according to thy will; to thee is the glory, to the Father and to the Son with the Holy Ghost in the holy church, both now and ever and world without end. Amen. 2. After this pouring the consecrated oil and laying his hand on his head, he shall say: I anoint thee with holy oil in God the Father Almighty and Christ Jesus and the Holy Ghost. 3. And sealing him on the forehead, he shall give him the kiss of peace and say: The Lord be with you. And he who has been sealed shall say: And with thy spirit. 4. And so shall he do to each one severally. 5. Thenceforward they shall pray together with all the people. But they shall not previously pray with the faithful before they have undergone these things. 6. And after the prayers, let them give the kiss of peace. XXIII [This section describes the Eucharist which followed baptism. A mixture of milk and honey, and a chalice of water were offered, as well as the bread and wine. The bread was administered first, followed by the water, the milk and honey, and the eucharistic cup, in that order. It has been suggested that the compound of milk and honey referred to here and elsewhere is a last trace of the meal in which the Eucharist originated and from which it was soon detached.] Commentary For modern readers, Hippolytus' liturgy is valuable not only as a source of historical information, but also as a guide to the nature and meaning of Christian baptismal practices. Most striking are the stringent requirements—requirements relating to both doctrine and life—that Hippolytus sets forth for the candidates for baptism. The length of prepatory study (three years), the separation of the catechumens (baptismal candidates) from the faithful during the time of preparation, and the repeated examination of the candidates' lives suggest the significance that many early Christians attributed to the sacrament. Baptism entailed accepting an entirely new identity as a person in Christ. The rituals associated with baptism left no doubt regarding the comprehensive nature of this change in identity. Similarly striking are the frequent references to exorcism. During the final period of preparation for baptism, the candidates are to be "?exorcised daily.?" Further exorcism was ordered for the beginning of the final all-night vigil prior to Easter baptism and during the baptism itself, which used the Oil of Exorcism when the candidate renounced Satan and Satan's works. These references point to a basic feature of the worldview and piety of early and medieval Christians that emphasized—and even was preoccupied with—the presence and influence of Satan. Although this emphasis may have been taken too far by some early Christians, Christians today could well benefit from a greater awareness of the presence and influence of Satan as described in Scripture. Hippolytus' liturgy is also of interest because it reflects early manifestations of some very important Christian baptismal practices. One such practice is the administering of baptism on Easter morning. Most scholars believe that "?the Preparation?" and "?the Sabbath?" in chapter XX, number 7, refer to Good Friday and Easter Sunday morning respectively. This is corroborated by various manuscript sources of both this and other early baptismal liturgies. This practice of Easter baptism is especially helpful in emphasizing the nature of our baptism with Christ into his death and resurrection (Rom. 6:1–5). This emphasis was lost in some later baptismal services. Many church traditions have recently promoted this practice, in conjunction with recent renewed interest in the Easter Vigil service. Another important early practice is that of the use of the Apostles' Creed in conjunction with baptism. Hippolytus' liturgy is clear in emphasizing the importance of having candidates committed to adopt changes both in doctrine and in life. With regard to their lives, candidates were examined both as they began the process of initiation into the church (chapter XVI) and just prior to the final period of preparation (chapter XX). With regard to doctrine, candidates were educated in the tenets of the Christian faith (chapter XVII) and were required to accede to the component lines of the Apostles' Creed, which was asked of them at the moment of their baptism (chapter XXI). The use of the Apostles' Creed also reflects an early use of a Trinitarian formula for baptism. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus challenged his disciples to baptize converts into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is reflected in the threefold baptism in the liturgy of Hippolytus, with one baptism occurring after each of the three sections of the creed (XXI:12–18). Finally, in studying Hippolytus' liturgy, a modern reader can easily be impressed with the manifold use of tangible symbols in this early baptismal service. Two oils for anointings; the water for cleansing; the hands for laying on and signing; the kiss of peace; and the bread, cup, and milk and honey of the Eucharist all add both to the complexity of the ritual and to the embodied, physical nature of the baptismal actions. Real, tangible symbols and ritual actions suggest that God's action in baptism was similarly real and tangible, and that the life of the baptized would embody tangible Christian attributes.