Sources for: What did the Didache teach about baptism?
This page gathers the early Christian writings first, followed by Bible passages and scripture references, and related resource links.
Sources Included
3 sources included Early Christian writings first · Bible passages second
Early Christian Writings 1 included
These are the early Christian writings and library sources behind the page.
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Didache, The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles
And concerning baptism, baptize in this way: After you have first said all these things, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19, in living water. But if you do not have living water, baptize in other water. And if you cannot do it in cold water, then do it in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times on the head in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism, let the one who baptizes fast, and the one being baptized, and any others who can. And you shall instruct the one being baptized to fast one or two days beforehand.
Related Resources 2 included
These are related pages, lessons, and media linked from the source review.
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The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles - Chapter 7. Concerning Baptism
And concerning baptism, baptize in this way: After you have first said all these things, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19, in living water. But if you do not have living water, baptize in other water. And if you cannot do it in cold water, then do it in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times on the head in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism, let the one who baptizes fast, and the one being baptized, and any others who can. And you shall instruct the one being baptized to fast one or two days beforehand.
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I was baptized once in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — Baptism Q&A
Their mode of baptism was triple immersion as the preferred mode, and then triple pouring as an alternative if sufficient water wasn't available to make immersion practical. So there is a clue there, and that's in the Didache, which is one of the earliest Christian writings. ... It preferred flowing water, or living water I should say, which had a special meaning in the Jewish setting.
Related Resources
Library Text
The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, Chapter 7: Concerning Baptism
Read the early Christian or ANF source in context.
Library Text
The Didache: Teaching of the Twelve Apostles
Read the Didache in full in the library.
Resource
Was Baptism by Immersion, Pouring, or Sprinkling in the Early Church?
Read the companion answer on early baptism modes.
Answer Preview
The Didache taught that baptism should be done “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” explicitly connecting this with Matthew 28:19. It preferred “living water,” allowed other water if necessary, and even permitted pouring water three times on the head when the preferred forms were not available. It also taught preparation through fasting by the one baptizing, the one being baptized, and any others who could fast.
Direct Answer
The Didache taught that Christian baptism was to be performed “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” and that, when possible, it should be done “in living water.” It also gave a practical order of preference for the water used: living water first, then other water, then cold water if possible, warm water if necessary, and, if neither form was available, pouring water three times on the head in the triune name. The Didache also connected baptism with preparation and seriousness: before baptism, the one baptizing, the one being baptized, and any others who could were to fast, and the candidate was to be instructed to fast one or two days beforehand.
The full passage says:
“And concerning baptism, baptize in this way: After you have first said all these things, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19, in living water. But if you do not have living water, baptize in other water. And if you cannot do it in cold water, then do it in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times on the head in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism, let the one who baptizes fast, and the one being baptized, and any others who can. And you shall instruct the one being baptized to fast one or two days beforehand.”Read in context
That is the main evidence available here, and it gives a fairly clear picture of the Didache’s baptismal instruction: baptism was trinitarian, water-based, preceded by instruction and fasting, and marked by both a preferred practice and pastoral flexibility.
What Scripture Says
No Scripture passage is quoted separately for this question. However, the Didache itself explicitly connects its baptismal formula with Matthew 28:19. In the passage quoted here, after saying, “baptize in this way,” it instructs Christians to baptize:
“in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19.”Read in context
So, staying with the Didache’s own wording, we can say it clearly presents its baptismal command as tied to that Matthean commission. The wording it uses is triune: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That matters because the Didache does not treat baptism merely as a symbolic washing with water in a general religious sense. It gives a definite Christian form: baptism is administered “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
The Didache’s use of this formula shows at least three things from the evidence quoted here.
First, baptism is not presented as an optional ceremony invented locally. The Didache introduces the instruction with the phrase:
“And concerning baptism, baptize in this way…”Read in context
That wording gives a rule or pattern for Christian practice. It is not merely describing something that once happened; it is directing communities how to perform baptism.
Second, the baptismal name is central. The triune name appears twice in the passage. The first time it says:
“baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…”Read in context
Then, when it allows pouring, it again says:
“pour out water three times on the head in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit.”Read in context
The repetition is important. The Didache can vary the kind of water used, and it can allow pouring when the preferred circumstances are unavailable, but it does not vary the baptismal name. The constant element is baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Third, the Didache’s connection to Matthew 28:19 suggests that its baptismal practice was understood as obedience to the command associated with Jesus’ commission. The passage quoted here does not provide a larger explanation of Matthew 28:19, nor does it include a full biblical theology of baptism. But the reference is direct enough to say that the Didache grounded its baptismal wording in the triune command associated with Matthew 28:19.
So the Scripture evidence available here is limited, but significant: the Didache explicitly invokes Matthew 28:19 and uses the Father-Son-Holy Spirit formula as the required baptismal name.
What the Early Christian Writers Say
The early Christian witness quoted here is the Didache, also titled The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, chapter 7, “Concerning Baptism.” It gives one of the clearest early Christian descriptions of how baptism was to be performed.
The passage begins:
“And concerning baptism, baptize in this way: After you have first said all these things, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19, in living water.”Read in context
Several details are explicit.
The first detail is that baptism followed prior instruction:
“After you have first said all these things…”Read in context
The excerpt quoted here does not define everything included in “all these things,” so it would be unsafe to reconstruct the entire catechetical content from this passage alone. But the phrase does show that baptism was not treated as an isolated ritual detached from teaching. Something was to be said first. The candidate was not simply placed into water without prior instruction.
The second detail is the baptismal formula:
“in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…”Read in context
This is the most theologically fixed part of the instruction. As noted above, the Didache repeats the same triune naming when it later allows pouring. This suggests that, for the Didache, the name used in baptism was not a secondary detail. It was an essential element of the baptismal act.
The third detail is the preferred kind of water:
“in living water.”Read in context
The passage does not define “living water.” Therefore, based only on this source, we should simply say that the Didache preferred baptism “in living water,” using its own term. It does not explain in this excerpt exactly why living water is preferred, nor does it say that baptism without living water is invalid.
In fact, the passage immediately adds alternatives:
“But if you do not have living water, baptize in other water.”Read in context
This is very important. The Didache prefers living water, but it does not make living water absolutely required. If living water is not available, “other water” may be used. The instruction is practical and graded rather than rigid in a way that would make baptism impossible.
Then the Didache gives a second level of preference:
“And if you cannot do it in cold water, then do it in warm.”Read in context
Again, the source does not explain why cold water is preferred over warm. It simply gives the order. Cold water is preferred if possible, but warm water is permitted if necessary.
Then comes the most discussed allowance:
“But if you have neither, pour out water three times on the head in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit.”Read in context
This sentence shows that the Didache allowed baptism by pouring under certain circumstances. It does not present pouring as the first preference in the order given. The sequence is: living water, other water, cold if possible, warm if necessary, and if neither is available, pouring three times on the head. But it does explicitly authorize pouring. The act is still called baptism in the same instruction, and it is still done in the triune name.
The threefold pouring is also stated explicitly:
“pour out water three times on the head…”Read in context
The passage does not say merely “sprinkle” or “touch with water”; it says to pour out water. Nor does it say to pour once. It says three times. And the pouring is connected to the same baptismal name:
“in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit.”Read in context
Finally, the Didache gives instructions about fasting:
“But before the baptism, let the one who baptizes fast, and the one being baptized, and any others who can. And you shall instruct the one being baptized to fast one or two days beforehand.”Read in context
This is not a minor afterthought. The fasting instruction is part of the same baptismal chapter. It shows that baptism was approached with preparation, self-denial, and communal seriousness. The one being baptized was especially instructed to fast for “one or two days beforehand,” but the baptizer was also to fast, and “any others who can” were included. That means the baptism was not only the concern of the candidate. The community around the baptism, at least those able, could participate in preparation through fasting.
Thus, the Didache’s teaching on baptism includes both the action itself and the preparation surrounding it.
What Is Explicitly Stated
Several things are explicitly stated in the Didache passage quoted here.
1. Baptism is to be done in a particular way.
The chapter begins:
“And concerning baptism, baptize in this way…”Read in context
This is direct instruction. The Didache is not merely mentioning baptism; it is prescribing how Christians should baptize.
2. Baptism is to follow prior teaching or instruction.
The passage says:
“After you have first said all these things…”Read in context
The phrase shows that something is to be said before baptism. The source excerpt does not give enough material here to define the whole content of that instruction, but it does explicitly place baptism after prior teaching.
3. Baptism is in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Didache says:
“baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…”Read in context
And again:
“in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit.”Read in context
This is one of the clearest explicit teachings in the passage. The triune name is required in both the preferred baptismal setting and the allowed pouring setting.
4. The Didache connects this baptismal formula with Matthew 28:19.
The text itself includes the reference directly:
“Matthew 28:19”Read in context
That means the Didache’s wording is not presented in isolation from the Gospel command. The passage itself links the baptismal formula to Matthew 28:19.
5. Living water is preferred.
The Didache says:
“in living water.”Read in context
That is the first water mentioned and therefore the preferred form in this instruction.
6. Other water is allowed if living water is unavailable.
The Didache says:
“But if you do not have living water, baptize in other water.”Read in context
This is explicit permission. The absence of living water does not prevent baptism.
7. Cold water is preferred over warm, but warm water is allowed.
The passage says:
“And if you cannot do it in cold water, then do it in warm.”Read in context
The order is explicit, but so is the allowance.
8. Pouring water three times on the head is allowed when the other water conditions are not available.
The Didache says:
“But if you have neither, pour out water three times on the head…”Read in context
This is explicit. The Didache allowed a form of baptism by pouring, and it specified three pourings on the head.
9. Fasting before baptism is required or instructed.
The passage says:
“But before the baptism, let the one who baptizes fast, and the one being baptized, and any others who can.”Read in context
It then adds:
“And you shall instruct the one being baptized to fast one or two days beforehand.”Read in context
So fasting is explicitly connected to baptismal preparation. The baptizer and baptized are named directly, and others who are able are included.
What Is Strongly Implied
Some conclusions are not stated in exactly these words, but they are strongly implied by the passage.
1. The Didache treats baptism as a serious act requiring preparation.
The fasting requirement strongly implies seriousness. The one being baptized is not merely told to show up for a ceremony. The candidate is instructed to fast “one or two days beforehand.” The baptizer also fasts, and others who can are included. That pattern implies that baptism was approached with reverence and preparation, not casually.
2. The Didache assumes baptism belongs to a taught faith.
The words “After you have first said all these things” strongly imply that baptism follows instruction. The passage does not support the idea of baptism as a detached ritual without teaching. It presents baptism as something done after prior words have been given.
3. The triune name is more essential to the Didache’s baptismal practice than the precise water condition.
This is strongly implied by the structure. The kind of water can vary: living water, other water, cold water, warm water, or poured water. But the name remains the same: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Didache repeats that name in both the opening instruction and the pouring allowance. That does not mean water is unimportant; the whole passage concerns water baptism. But among the variables, the triune name is constant.
4. The Didache prefers one form while allowing exceptions.
The order of instruction implies a preferred practice: living water first. Yet it also gives alternatives. This shows a practical flexibility. The Didache does not collapse all modes into one indifferent category, because it clearly gives a sequence. But neither does it make the preferred circumstance the only possible circumstance.
5. Pouring was recognized as a legitimate baptismal practice in the circumstances described.
The Didache does not say, “If you cannot baptize, do something else.” It says:
“But if you have neither, pour out water three times on the head…”Read in context
Since this instruction is under “concerning baptism” and begins “baptize in this way,” the pouring allowance is included within the baptismal instruction. That strongly implies that, for the Didache, pouring could function as baptism when the preferred water circumstances were lacking.
6. The baptismal act had a communal dimension.
The instruction that “any others who can” should fast implies that baptism involved more than the private decision of an individual. Others could participate through fasting. The passage does not describe a full congregational service, but it strongly implies communal involvement.
What These Sources Do Not Address
Because the available evidence for this question consists of the Didache’s baptismal paragraph, there are several things these sources do not settle.
1. The sources quoted here do not give a full biblical theology of baptism.
The Didache cites Matthew 28:19, but no other Scripture passages are quoted here. This answer does not summarize everything Scripture teaches about baptism. It can only say that the Didache’s baptismal formula is explicitly connected with Matthew 28:19 in the text quoted here.
2. The Didache excerpt quoted here does not define “living water.”
The phrase is important, but the passage does not explain it. It gives alternatives if living water is unavailable, but it does not define the term or explain the reason for the preference.
3. The passage does not explicitly discuss infant baptism, believer’s baptism, or the age of baptismal candidates.
The Didache says the one being baptized is to be instructed to fast one or two days beforehand. That may be relevant to discussions about the expected candidate, but the passage does not directly state an age requirement or explicitly enter later debates. It would be overstatement to claim that this paragraph alone settles every later baptismal controversy.
4. The passage does not explain the spiritual effect of baptism in detail.
It tells Christians how to baptize and how to prepare, but it does not in this excerpt explain baptism in terms such as forgiveness, regeneration, union with Christ, or reception of the Spirit. Those doctrines may be addressed in other Christian sources, but they are not stated in this Didache paragraph.
5. The passage does not say that only one water mode is valid in all circumstances.
The Didache gives a preference, but also gives alternatives. It would be inaccurate to use this passage to say that only living water baptism is recognized. It would also be inaccurate to erase the preference and say the Didache treats every method identically. The evidence shows both preference and allowance.
6. The passage does not identify who may perform baptism beyond mentioning “the one who baptizes.”
It says:
“let the one who baptizes fast…”Read in context
But it does not define whether that person must hold a particular office, whether any Christian may baptize, or how baptismal authority is recognized. Those questions are not answered by this source excerpt.
Summary
The Didache’s teaching on baptism is brief but very clear in several respects.
It says:
“And concerning baptism, baptize in this way…”Read in context
So it is giving a rule of Christian practice. Baptism is to be performed:
“in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19.”Read in context
That triune formula is the fixed center of the instruction. The Didache repeats it again when describing the allowance for pouring:
“in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit.”Read in context
The preferred water is:
“living water.”Read in context
But if living water is not available, the Didache says:
“baptize in other water.”Read in context
If cold water is not possible, it permits warm water:
“And if you cannot do it in cold water, then do it in warm.”Read in context
And if neither condition is available, it allows pouring:
“pour out water three times on the head…”Read in context
Finally, baptism is preceded by fasting:
“before the baptism, let the one who baptizes fast, and the one being baptized, and any others who can.”Read in context
The candidate is specifically to be instructed:
“to fast one or two days beforehand.”Read in context
So, based on the Didache passage quoted here, the answer is: the Didache taught trinitarian water baptism, preferably in living water, with practical alternatives when necessary, including threefold pouring on the head, and with fasting beforehand by the baptizer, the baptized, and others who were able.