Cyprian of Carthage. Born Again in the Water of Baptism

Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5)".  

Caecilius Cyprian to Donatus sends, greeting:  “While I was still lying in darkness and gloomy night, wavering here and there, tossed about on the foam of this boastful age, and uncertain of my wandering steps, knowing nothing of my real life, and remote from truth and light, I regarded it a difficult matter, especially difficult in respect of my character at that time, that a man should be capable of being born again (Jn 3:3-8) — a truth which the divine mercy had announced for my salvation. How is it that a man, quickened to a new life in the laver of saving water, should be able to put off what he had previously been and still retaining all his bodily structure, should himself be changed in heart and soul. How, said I, is such a conversion possible, that there should be a sudden and rapid divestment of all which, either innate in us has hardened in the corruption of our material nature, or acquired by us has become addictive by long accustomed use? These things have become deeply and radically engrained within us. For as I myself was held in bonds by the innumerable errors of my previous life, from which I did not believe that I could be delivered, I despaired of better things. I was inclined to give in to my clinging vices and indulge my sins as if they were actually parts of me and indigenous to me. These were my frequent thoughts.

"But after that, by the help of the water of new birth, the stain of former years had been washed away, and a light from above, serene and pure, had been infused into my reconciled heart. By the agency of the Spirit breathed from heaven, a second birth had restored me to a new man. Then, in a wondrous manner, doubtful things at once began to become sure to me, hidden things to be revealed, dark things to be enlightened. What before had seemed difficult began to suggest a means of accomplishment; what had been thought impossible, to be capable of being achieved. I was enabled to acknowledge that what previously, being born of the flesh, had been living in the practice of sins, was of the earth and earthly, had now begun to be of God, and was animated by the Spirit of holiness… 

"That we sinned before was the result of human error whereas now that we do not sin it is the beginning of the work of faith. All our power is of God; I say, of God. From Him we have life, from Him we have strength. By power derived and conceived from Him we do, while yet in this world, foreknow the indications of things to come. Only let fear be the keeper of innocence, that the Lord, Who of His mercy has flowed into our hearts…may be kept by righteous submissiveness in the frame of a grateful mind, that the assurance we have gained may not lead to carelessness, and so the old enemy creep upon us again.” (St. Cyprian of Carthage (190-258 AD). Excerpts from his 1st Epistle "To Donatus" shortly after his Baptism about 246 AD. Bishop of Carthage, AD 248 until his martyrdom in 258.)

+ St. Cyprian, Pray for us +

Cyril of Jerusalem. Jesus, the Beloved Son of God, is Baptized

"And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediatey from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matt. 3:16, 17)". Also, Mark 1:10, 11; Luke 3:21, 22. 

St. Cyril of Jerusalem: "Jesus sanctified Baptism by being Himself baptized. If the Son of God was baptized, what godly man would despise Baptism? But Jesus was baptized not that He might receive remission of sins, for He was sinless; but being sinless, He was baptized, that He might give to those who are baptized a divine and excellent grace. For since the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise partook of the same (Heb 2:14), that having been made partakers of His presence in the flesh we might be made partakers also of His Divine grace: thus Jesus was baptized, so that we again by our participation might receive both salvation and honour. According to Job, there was in the waters the dragon that draws up Jordan into his mouth (Job 40:23). Since, therefore, it was necessary to break the heads of the dragon in pieces (Ps 74:14), Jesus went down and bound the strong one in the waters, that we might receive power to tread upon serpents and scorpions (Luke 10:19). The beast was great and terrible. No fishing-vessel was able to carry one scale of his tail; destruction ran before him (Job 40:26, 41:13 LXX*), ravaging all that met him. The Life encountered him, that the mouth of Death might from then on be stopped, and all we who are saved might say, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory (1 Cor 15:55)? The sting of death is extracted by Baptism.

For you go down into the water bearing your sins, but the invocation of grace, having sealed your soul, will afterwards not allow you to be swallowed up by the terrible dragon. Having gone down dead in sins, you come up quickened in righteousness. For if you have been united with the likeness of the Saviour’s death (Rom 6:5), you shall also be deemed worthy of His Resurrection. For as Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world and died, that by putting sin to death He might rise again in righteousness; so you also, by going down into the water, and being in a manner buried in the waters... are raised again and walking in newness of life (Rom. 6:4)." (St. Cyril (315-386 AD) Bishop of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church. Part of his Catechesis during Lent in 347 AD when Cyril was still a Priest.)

+ St. Cyril of Jerusalem, pray for us +

*LXX:. Job 40:26: And all the ships come together would not be able to bear the mere skin of his tail; neither shall they carry his head in fishing-vessels. 41:13: And power is lodged in his neck, before him destruction runs. (Septuagint [LXX] the Greek Translation of the Old Testament, the Early Church Scriptures)

Gregory of Nyssa. Deposit of Faith Set Forth by the Lord

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...(John 1:1ff)".
 

St. Gregory of Nyssa:  "The Christian Faith, which in accordance with the command of our Lord, has been preached to all nations by His disciples, is neither of men, nor by men, but by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who being the Word, the Life, the Light, the Truth, and God, and Wisdom, and all else that He is by nature, was made in the likeness of man, and shared our nature, becoming like us in all things, yet without sin. He was like us in all things, in that He took upon Himself manhood in its entirety with soul and body, so that our salvation was accomplished by means of both: He appeared on earth and conversed with men, that men might no longer have opinions according to their own notions about the Self-existent [I AM], formulating into a doctrine the hints that come to them from vague conjectures, but that we might be convinced that God has truly been manifested in the flesh, and believe that to be the only true “mystery of godliness (1 Tim. 3:16).” This was delivered to us by the very Word and God, Who by Himself spoke to His Apostles, and that we might receive the teaching concerning the transcendent nature of the Deity which is given to us, as it were, “through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:12)” from the older Scriptures: from the Law, and the Prophets, and the Wisdom Books, as evidence of the truth fully revealed to us. We reverently accept the meaning of the things which have been spoken, so as to accord in the faith set forth by the Lord of the whole Scriptures, which faith we guard as we received it, word for word, in purity, without falsification, judging even a slight divergence from the words delivered to us an extreme blasphemy and impiety. We believe, then, as the Lord set forth the Faith to His Disciples, when He said, “Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).” This is the word of the mystery [Baptism] by which, through the new birth from above our nature is transformed from the corruptible to the incorruptible, being renewed from “the old man, according to the image of Him who created (Col. 3:9, 10)” at the beginning (Gen. 1:26, 27).
 
"In the Faith then which was delivered by God to the Apostles we admit neither subtraction, nor alteration, nor addition... For whatsoever is said otherwise than in exact accord with the truth is assuredly false and not true." (St. Gregory of Nyssa (333-398 AD), Bishop of Nyssa from A.D. 372 to 376, and from 378 until his death)