Sophia Scriptura

On Baptism 7

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

Summary: After baptism the newly baptized are anointed, as priests were in the Old Testament and as Christ, the Anointed, was anointed with the Spirit.

Latin text · CSEL 20:206–207

Exinde egressi de lauacro perungimur benedicta unctione de pristina disciplina, qua ungi oleo de cornu in sacerdotio solebant; ex quo Aaron a Moyse unctus est, unde Christus dicitur a chrismate, quod est unctio, quae domino nomen accommodauit, facta spiritalis, quia spiritu unctus est a deo patre, sicut in Actis: collecti sunt enim uere in ista ciuitate aduersus sanctum filium tuum, quem unxisti. sic et in nobis carnaliter currit unctio, sed spiritaliter proficit; quomodo et ipsius baptismi carnalis actus, quod in aqua mergimur, spiritalis effectus, quod delictis liberamur.

English · Claude translation

Then, having come out of the washing, we are thoroughly anointed with a blessed unction, according to the ancient discipline by which they used to be anointed with oil from a horn for the priesthood, ever since Aaron was anointed by Moses. Hence Christ is so called from chrisma, which is “anointing,” which gave its name to the Lord, having become spiritual, because he was anointed with the Spirit by God the Father, as in the Acts: “For truly they were gathered in this city against your holy Son, whom you anointed.” So in us too the anointing runs over the flesh but profits spiritually; just as the act of baptism itself is carnal, in that we are plunged in water, but its effect spiritual, in that we are freed from sins.

About this passage

Source
CSEL 20:206–207 · 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, Christology

Notes

Translation notes

  • The quotation is Acts 4:27. Aaron's anointing: Exod 29:7; Lev 8:12.

Cite this passage

Tertullian, Bapt. 7 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/tertullian-baptismo/7/).

Plain text
Tertullian, Bapt. 7 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/tertullian-baptismo/7/).

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