2 Dimensions of Baptism
issues and perspectives are to some degree reflected in or taken up by the
contributors to the present volume.
Studies in the place of baptism in the New Testament figure prominently
in the present volume. The antecedents of Christian baptism are explored
in Bruce Chilton's and Craig Evans's investigations of various aspects of
the life and ministry of John the Baptist and how they relate to Jesus, his
baptism and Christian baptism, while Everett Ferguson examines the rela-
tionship between Christian and Jewish baptism in the Epistle of Barnabas.
Evans examines a number of important symbolic features of John's bap-
tism, while Chilton proposes that closer attention needs to be paid to
fundamental issues in the development of John's life and ministry. A
number of essays deal with the meaning and referent of 'baptism' and its
cognates. In his revised study of the meaning of the verb 'baptize', Howard
Marshall puts forward a compelling argument that, while immersion was
the general rule for baptism in New Testament times, there are a number
of indications that affusion (and possibly sprinkling) was also practised,
while Ferguson's study of the Epistle of Barnabas includes evidence only
for immersion. Both essays demonstrate that the evidence of the New
Testament and early Church is not as clear cut as is often made out and
point the way forward for further studies in this area. Anthony Cross
explores the inclusion of the baptism of blood/martyrdom in Heb. 6.2's
mention of 'baptisms', tracing the thread of evidence from Jesus' meta-
phorical use of baptism in references to his own death in Mk 10.38-39 and
Lk. 12.50, through the New Testament and Apostolic Fathers, to the first
unequivocal references to the baptism of blood in the writings of TertullianPublications; London: Eurospan, 1999); A.R. Cross, Baptism and the Baptists: Theol-
ogy and Practice in Twentieth-Century Britain (SBHT, 3; Carlisle: Paternoster Press,
2000); J. Day, Baptism in Early Byzantine Palestine (Bramcote: Grove Books, 1999);
S.K. Fowler, More Than a Symbol: The British Baptist Recovery of Baptist Baptismal
Sacramentalism (SBHT, 2; Carlisle: Paternoster, 2001); L. Johnsson, Baptist Recon-
sideration of Baptism and Ecclesiology: A Presentation of the Baptist Union of Sweden
and a Study of the Official Response to BEM in Relation to the Public Discussions
primarily amongst its Pastors and Theologians (EUS, 23/711; Frankfurt am Main:
Peter Lang, 2000); A. Kreider, The Change of Conversion and the Origin of Christen-
dom (CMMC; Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 1999); F.M. Olusina,/W's
Concept of Baptism and its Present Implications for Believers (Lewiston, NY: Edwin
Mellen Press, 1999); TJ. Scirghi, Examination of the Problems of Inclusive Language
in the Trinitarian Formula of Baptism (Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1999);
W.B. Shurden (ed.), Proclaiming the Baptist Vision: Baptism and the Lord's Supper
(Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys, 1999).