Hyppolytus' Invalid Baptism?

[Matariel]

Hippolytus, a revered Church Father (And a saint, I think?) said this:

“When the one being baptized goes down into the water, the one baptizing him shall put his hand on him and speak thus: ‘Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty?’ And he that is being baptized shall say: ‘I believe.’ Then, having his hand imposed upon the head of the one to be baptized, he shall baptize him once. Then he shall say: ‘Do you believe in Christ Jesus . . . ?’ And when he says: ‘I believe,’ he is baptized again. Again shall he say: ‘Do you believe in the Holy Spirit and the holy Church and the resurrection of the flesh?’ The one being baptized then says: ‘I believe.’ And so he is baptized a third time.” (The Apostolic Tradition 21 [A.D. 215])

Is this a valid baptism? It does not use the Trinitarian Formula. Also, if it is invalid, why would Hyppolytus promulgate it? And some early Catholic churches no doubt used this, since Hyppolytus recored it this way. What does that mean? At one time, this sort of formula was used in the Church? Is it really valid, and if so, on what grounds, seeing that it doesn’t contain the Trinitarian Formula?

 

[Layp3rs0n]

It does use the Trinitarian Formula. “Do you believe in the Father? Do you believe in Christ Jesus? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit…?” While the question asks about Jesus and not “the Son” we know that Jesus IS the Son and this I am certain makes it a perfectly valid Baptism. Besides the question is rendered in your quote as: " ‘Do you believe in Christ Jesus . . . ?’ " It is quite possible that the sentence continues as: ‘…the Son of the Father?’ but has been cut off or shortened for one reason or another.

 

[Matariel]

It does use the Trinitarian Formula. “Do you believe in the Father? Do you believe in Christ Jesus? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit…?” While the question asks about Jesus and not “the Son” we know that Jesus IS the Son and this I am certain makes it a perfectly valid Baptism. Besides the question is rendered in your quote as: " ‘Do you believe in Christ Jesus . . . ?’ " It is quite possible that the sentence continues as: ‘…the Son of the Father?’ but has been cut off or shortened for one reason or another.

Oh… I got it from Catholic.com.

I see where the elipsis is.

 

[porthos11]

Oh… I got it from Catholic.com.

I see where the elipsis is.

It was simply shortened for space on the website. In full, the clause reads:

“Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was born of the Holy Spirit, of the Virgin Mary, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate and died and was buried, and rose up again on the third day, alive from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and sat at the right of the Father, about to come to judge the living and the dead?”

Moreover, according to Jurgens, the Canons of Hippolytus, a revision of the Apostolic Tradition, states that the one baptizing should say, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the Trinity in unity” after each dunking. However, the earlier Latin or the other extant manuscripts omit this part.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

The liturgical sources have led scholars to believe that the Roman church (and its ambit) used an interrogatory baptismal formula for roughly the first 8/9 centuries.

 

[Matariel]

It was simply shortened for space on the website. In full, the clause reads:

“Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was born of the Holy Spirit, of the Virgin Mary, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate and died and was buried, and rose up again on the third day, alive from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and sat at the right of the Father, about to come to judge the living and the dead?”

Moreover, according to Jurgens, the Canons of Hippolytus, a revision of the Apostolic Tradition, states that the one baptizing should say, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the Trinity in unity” after each dunking. However, the earlier Latin or the other extant manuscripts omit this part.

Oh, I see. I guess this really is a non-issue.