FERGUSON Christian and Jewish Baptism 223
mean to Barnabas: it was not associated with circumcision.^78 The coun-
terpart of circumcision in the flesh is circumcision of the ears and the heart
by the Holy Spirit (9.1 -9; 10.11). Baptism introduces one not only into the
Church (6.16) but also into the eschatological kingdom (11.11). Protected
from death and danger (11.4-5), the baptized person partakes of spiritual
delights and is the means of bringing words of salvation to others (11.6,
8). That person, as a spiritual temple (4.11), will live a life of faith, love,
reverence, and hope (11.8, 11). Preeminently, baptism is associated with
life (11.2) and the promise of eternal life (11.10-11). This is so because of
its association with the passion and cross of Jesus (5.1; 6.7; 11.1, 8; 12.1-
11).
Most students of Barnabas find much traditional material in the work,but he took an original view on the covenant and exclusive Christian appro-
priation of it. What can we say about his baptismal doctrine? Enough
parallels are referred to in the notes to suggest that much is traditional. On
the other hand, certain emphases and ways of putting the material together
are the author's own.
faith', and 'the Beloved' as baptismal terminology. Note that the new covenant of Jer.
31.31 -34 involved the forgiveness of sins.
- Benoit, Le Bapteme, p. 57. The mention of circumcision in 10.12 followed
immediately by the discussion of baptism in ch. 11 may suggest an association of
circumcision with baptism, but if so, it would be because circumcision and baptism
were part of Jewish proselyte initiation. Justin Martyr too mentions baptism following
references to circumcision (Dial. 19.2; 29.1), but for him and for Barnabas there is no
parallel between circumcision and baptism, each having its own separate counterpart in
the respective Christian and Jewish institutions: Everett Ferguson, 'Spiritual Circumci-
sion in Early Christianity', SJT41 (1988), pp. 485-97 (pp. 487 and 493 on Barnabas
and pp. 493-94 on Justin). Hvalvik, Struggle, pp. 189-90, observes that circumcision of
the heart equalled the gift of the Holy Spirit, and since the latter came in baptism there
was a natural progression of thought from circumcision to baptism.