Sophia Scriptura

On Baptism 14

Tertullian · On Baptism · ca. 198–206 · Carthage · Read in context

Summary: Paul's statement that Christ did not send him to baptize was aimed at factions in Corinth, not against baptism, for Paul himself baptized.

Latin text · CSEL 20:213

Sed de ipso apostolo reuoluunt: quod dixerit: non enim me ad tinguendum Christus misit. quasi hoc argumento baptismus adimatur. cur enim tinxit Gaium et Crispum et Stephanae domum? quamquam etsi non eum miserat Christus ad tinguendum, tamen aliis apostolis praeceperat tinguere. uerum haec pro condicione tunc temporis ad Corinthios scripta sunt, quoniam schismata et dissensiones inter illos mouebantur, dum alius Paulo deputat, alius Apollo. propter quod pacificus apostolus, ne sibi omnia defendere uideretur, non ad tinguendum ait se missum, sed ad praedicandum. nam et prius est praedicare, posterius tinguere. et prius praedicatum. puto autem, licuit et tinguere, cui licuit praedicare.

English · Claude translation

But they turn over the case of the apostle himself, because he said, “For Christ did not send me to dip,” as though by this argument baptism were done away with. Why then did he dip Gaius and Crispus and the household of Stephanas? Although, even if Christ had not sent him to dip, he had nevertheless commanded the other apostles to dip. But these things were written to the Corinthians according to the circumstances of that time, since schisms and dissensions were being stirred up among them, one attributing himself to Paul, another to Apollos. For this reason the peaceable apostle, lest he seem to claim everything for himself, says that he was sent not to dip but to preach. For preaching comes first, dipping afterward; and preaching had come first. But I think one who was permitted to preach was permitted also to dip.

About this passage

Source
CSEL 20:213 · August Reifferscheid and Georg Wissowa, eds., Quinti Septimi Florentis Tertulliani Opera, Pars 1, CSEL 20 (Prague: Tempsky; Vienna: Tempsky; Leipzig: Freytag, 1890), 201–218 · Latin text: August Reifferscheid and Georg Wissowa (CSEL 20), digitized by Open Greek and Latin, University of Leipzig (csel-dev), CC BY-SA 4.0
Text
As printed in CSEL 20. Manuscript variants and the editor's apparatus are not reproduced; no textual problem is noted in this passage.
Translation
Claude translation (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 · Translated by Claude from the Latin text of CSEL 20; made independently of existing English translations.
Compare
Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3 (1885) (an older public-domain English translation, whole volume at CCEL; checked against ours only after ours was made)
Scripture
Topics
Baptism

Notes

Translation notes

  • The quotation is 1 Cor 1:17; the allusions are 1 Cor 1:14–16 and 1:12 (3:4).

Cite this passage

Tertullian, Bapt. 14 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/tertullian-baptismo/14/).

Plain text
Tertullian, Bapt. 14 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/tertullian-baptismo/14/).

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