I disagree with this, but overall a good article.
Baptism was originally "immersion" of the whole person. Peter's sermon on Pentecost used it the same way it was used in the thread thesis - argue with Peter, not me or the writer of the thesis. BTW, immersion was the normal mode of "baptism" for many centuries after Pentecost. In the third century Tertullian rebuked a woman who wanted her little child immersed, telling her to let the child grow up first and get to know Christ.
Thanks for the rating :-)
I believe once a hierarchy began to emerge it was inevitable there would be a desire to merge with the state. It seems pretty common that the people at the top, or near the top, of a hierarchy are motivated by power and control. Also, the possibility that the persecutions would be ended had to be attractive. As for the "possibility that persecution would be ended", well, history tells us that persecution was ended before the growing "hierarchy" had a heavy foothold on the Church. That was a sad day for Christians who were trying to live according to the "way" Jesus and the Apostles preached.
You will never get me to disagree with you on that. The Biblical model though was Repentance/Belief then Baptism. The Baptism did not wash away any sins. It was the for the purposes of washing sin away." that I disagreed with.
As for the "possibility that persecution would be ended", well, history tells us that persecution was ended before the growing "hierarchy" had a heavy foothold on the Church.
I think you can see the pressures for a hierarchy in the early to mid 2nd century and I believe the last persecution was in the early 3rd century under Diocletian. No question the hierarchy really kicked in with Constantine and flexed it's new "muscle" with persecuting the Donatists. I think the persecution under Diocletian would have still been fresh in the memories of Christians.