[A Constitution of Our Lord, How We Ought to Baptize, and into Whose Death.]

XXII. Now concerning baptism,  105  Joel ii. 32 Joel ii. 32 O bishop, or presbyter, we have already given direction, and we now say, that thou shalt so baptize as the Lord commanded us, saying: “Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you):”  106  Ps. xxii. 27, 28 Ps. xxii. 27, 28 of the Father who sent, of Christ who came, of the Comforter who testified. But thou shalt beforehand anoint the person with the holy oil, and afterward baptize him with the water, and in the conclusion shall seal him with the ointment; that the anointing with oil may be the participation of the Holy Spirit, and the water the symbol of the death  of Christ , and the ointment the seal of the covenants. But if there be neither oil nor ointment, water is sufficient both for the anointing, and for the seal, and for the confession of Him that is dead, or indeed is dying together  with Christ . But before baptism, let him that is to be baptized fast; for even the Lord, when He was first baptized by John, and abode in the wilderness, did afterward fast forty days and forty nights.  107  Acts xi. 15, x. 34, 35, 45, xv. 9, 10 Acts xi. 15, x. 34, 35, 45, xv. 9, 10 But He was baptized, and then fasted, not having Himself any need of cleansing, or of fasting, or of purgation, who was by nature pure and holy; but that He might testify the truth to John, and afford an example to us. Wherefore our Lord was not baptized into His own passion, or death, or resurrection—for none of those things had then happened—but for another purpose. Wherefore He by His own authority fasted after His baptism, as being the Lord of John. But he who is to be initiated into His death ought first to fast, and then to be baptized. For it is not reasonable that he who has been buried  with Christ , and is risen again with Him, should appear dejected at His very resurrection. For man is not lord of our Saviour’s constitution, since one is the Master and the other the servant.

[22] Περὶ δὲ βαπτίσματος, ὦ ἐπίσκοπε ἢ πρεσβύτερε, ἤδη μὲν καὶ πρότερον διεταξάμεθα, καὶ νῦν δέ φαμεν ὅτι οὕτως βαπτίσεις ὡς ὁ Κύριος ἡμῖν διετάξατο λέγων: »Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν«: τοῦ ἀποστείλαντος Πατρός, τοῦ ἐλθόντος Χριστοῦ, τοῦ μαρτυρήσαντος παρακλήτου. Χρίσεις δὲ πρῶτον ἐλαίῳ ἁγίῳ, ἔπειτα βαπτίσεις ὕδατι, καὶ τελευταῖον σφραγίσεις μύρῳ, ἵνα τὸ μὲν χρῖσμα μετοχὴ ᾖ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ σύμβολον τοῦ θανάτου, τὸ δὲ μύρον σφραγὶς τῶν συνθηκῶν. Εἰ δὲ μήτε ἔλαιον ᾖ μήτε μύρον, ἀρκεῖ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ πρὸς χρῖσιν καὶ πρὸς σφραγῖδα καὶ πρὸς ὁμολογίαν τοῦ ἀποθανόντος ἤτοι συναποθνήσκοντος. Πρὸ δὲ τοῦ βαπτίσματος νηστευσάτω ὁ βαπτιζόμενος: καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Κύριος βαπτισθεὶς ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου πρῶτον καὶ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον αὐλισθεὶς μετέπειτα ἐνήστευσεν τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ τεσσαράκοντα νύκτας. Ἐβαπτίσθη δὲ καὶ ἐνήστευσεν οὐκ αὐτὸς ἀπορυπώσεως ἢ νηστείας χρείαν ἔχων ἢ καθάρσεως, ὁ τῇ φύσει καθαρὸς καὶ ἅγιος, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ Ἰωάννῃ ἀλήθειαν προσμαρτυρήσῃ καὶ ἡμῖν ὑπογραμμὸν παράσχηται. Οὐκοῦν ὁ μὲν Κύριος οὐκ εἰς ἑαυτοῦ πάθος ἐβαπτίσατο ἢ θάνατον ἢ ἀνάστασιν, οὐδέπω γὰρ οὐδὲν τούτων ἐγεγόνει, ἀλλ' εἰς διάταξιν ἑτέραν: διὸ καὶ ἀπ' ἐξουσίας μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα νηστεύει ὡς Κύριος Ἰωάννου: ὁ δὲ εἰς τὸν αὐτοῦ θάνατον μυούμενος πρότερον ὀφείλει νηστεῦσαι καὶ τότε βαπτίσασθαι, οὐ γὰρ δίκαιον τὸν συνταφέντα καὶ συναναστάντα παρ' αὐτὴν τὴν ἀνάστασιν κατηφεῖν: οὐ γὰρ κύριος ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς διατάξεως τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ἐπείπερ ὁ μὲν δεσπότης, ὁ δὲ ὑπήκοος.