For sealing, see 2 Co 1^ (same context as the anointing), Eph P^ (' having believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise'), 4^" ('sealed in the Holy Spirit'). The aorists in all three passages, which connect the Holy Ghost with the sealing, point to the definite time when they became believers (Chase, Confirmation, p. 52). (The metaphor is used in Ro 4" of circum- cision ; and otherwise in Jn 3^^ 6^, Ro 15-*, 1 Co 92, 2 Ti 2^».) Hence in Christian antiquity the baptismal rite, either as a whole or in one or other of its parts, is frequently called ' the seal,' acppayis ; e.g. Hermas, Sim. ix. 16, ' the seal is the water ' ; cf. viii. 6; Ps.-Clem., e Cor. 7; Clem. Alex., Quis dives, 42; Tert., de Sped. 24 {signaculum) ; Cyr. Jer., Cat. iv. 16, etc.
To these passages must be added those ■which speak of Christian adoption : Ro 8^** ^, Gal 4®, Eph 1' ; for these see art. ADOPTION.
2. Predecessors of Christian baptism. — (a) The words ^aiTTii'o}, /SaTrricryn^s, ^dirriafxa are used in the NT of various ceremonial tvashings of the Jews. The verb is derived from pdirru, ' to dip ' (found in the NT only in Lk 16-^ Jn 132", and some MSS of Rev 19^^, always literally), and has in classical Greek the same meaning. In the NT /SaTrrtj'w is used either metapiiorically, of the Passion of our Lord (Mk 10=^'-, Lk 125«, and some MSS of Mt 2022*- — so also /SaTTTto-jua) and of the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost (Ac 1" 11^^, see below, 6), or else of baptism and of Jewish ablutions. For these last, see Mk 7* (the Jews ' baptize,' v.l. sprinkle, themselves before meat and have ' bap- tizings,' paTTTiafiovs, of vessels), Lk IP* (of washing before breakfast, i^aTrriaQr} wpb rod dpiffrov). He 9'* (divers ' baptisms,' i.e. washings).* Ceremonial ablution was a common practice of the Jews (Ex 29* etc., Mk 7^ Trvy fj-rj vi-^wvrai, Jn 2' 3^) ; and the allusions to Avashing in connexion "with baptism (above, 1) would be familiar to the early Christians,
• panrtcT/uJs is used of Christian baptism in Col 212 (pj, pdnTLcrixa), and in the plural in He 62 (see above, 1) ; Josephus (Ant. xviii. V. 2) uses it of John's baptism. jSa77Tio-/a.(i is used in the NT 12 times of John's baptism and 3 (or 4) times of Christian baptism ; for its metaphorical use see above. VOL. I. — 9
who also had the metaphor of cleansing ; see 2 Co 71, 1 Jn V, Rev 1^ (some MSS) 7'-* ; cf. 2 P 2-2.
(b) Baptism of proselytes. — The Jews admitted 'proselytes of righteousness,' i.e. full proseh'tes, with baptism, circumcision, and sacrifice. "This custom was very common in Rabbinical times, though Josephus and Philo do not mention it, and some have therefore concluded that it did not exist in the 1st cent. ; but Edersheim has clearly proved from ancient evidence that it was then in use (LT ii. 746, A pp. xii.). It may be added that the Jews in later times would not have borrowed baptism from the ChristianSjtlioughitis intelligible that first John and then our Lord and His disciples should have adopted a custom already existing and have given it a new meaning. Such a baptized person was said by the Rabbis to be as a little child just born (cf. Tit 3* ; see Edersheim, loc. cit.).
(c) The baptism of John is described in all the Gospels. It was a preparatory baptism (Mt 3'^), the baptism of repentance (Mk l'*, Lk 3^ Ac IS*'* 19'*), intended, l>y an outward symbol, to induce repentance which is the essential requisite for the reception of spiritual truth. So marked a feature of his teaching was baptism, that John is called pre-eminently 'the Baptist' (6 ^aTTTcarrjs, Mt 3^ 11"'-, Mk 828, Lk 720.33 919. Josephus, Ant. XVlii. V. 2 ; in Mk 6^-»- ^- 6 ^atrTit^v). But he himself shows the difference between his baptism and that of Jesus, in that the latter was to be \vith the Holy Ghost (Mt 3'i, Mk 1«, Lk 3'«, Jn V^) and with fire (Mt., Lk.). For the meaning of baptism 'with the Holy Ghost,' see below 6 and 8 (e). Baptism ' with fire ' is explained in Mt 3^2 ; it is a baptism of judgment separating the wheat from the chafi', and burning the chaff with fire unquenchable (Allen, Com. in loc. ; soil Lk 3^''). This interpre- tation, however, is denied by Plummer (ICC on Lk 3'^), who prefers a reference to the purifying power of the grace given, or to the fiery trials that await Christians. Others see a reference to the ' tongues like as of fire ' at Pentecost (Ac 2*). However this may be, the fundamental difierence between the two baptisms is that John's was a ceremonial rite symbolizing tlie need of repent- ance and of washing away sin, while that of our Lord was, in addition, the infusing of a new life ; see below, 8. The baptism of John is mentioned in the NT outside the Gospels in Ac P- 22 \(^ nis 1324 jg25 igsf. . ^jje last two passages show that it survived after Pentecost among those who had not yet received the gospel.