7 Concerning Baptism 7:1 Concerning baptism, you should baptize this way: After first explaining all things, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in flowing water. 7:2 But if you have no running water, baptize in other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, then in warm. 7:3 If you have very little, pour water three times on the head in the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit. 7:4 Before the baptism, both the baptizer and the candidate for baptism, plus any others who can, should fast. The candidate should fast for one or two days beforehand. Here, like most of the other parts of the Didache, is something very practical. Nothing dogmatic, just simple thought-out instruction. “When you baptize someone, use flowing water. If you don’t have flowing water, that’s okay. Use ‘other water’ and let it be cold. If you don’t have cold water, then warm water’s fine.” Like the previous chapter, you can hear the underlying thought
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