Jumpstarter 9 of 10

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Question 9

Hippolytus’ church guideline says a would-be soldier “must be rejected, for he has despised God”; what do you think the early church believed about baptism, communion, and allegiance that could justify such a boundary, and how would a church applying that today expose what we actually believe about grace, obedience, and assurance?

Another way to ask: Why might the early church think a soldier couldn’t be baptized or take communion and still be loyal to Jesus? If a church did that today, what would it reveal about what we really believe about grace, obedience, and being sure of salvation?

Direct Answer Based on Dean Taylor’s use of Hippolytus, the early church appears to have treated baptism and communion as allegiance-markers to Christ’s kingdom, not merely private beliefs—so pursuing soldiering was seen as contradicting obedience to Jesus’ nonviolent way. Applying that boundary today would force churches to clarify whether grace is understood as permission to disobey, or as power to live under Jesus’ kingship.

Support from Transcript:

Hippolytus is presented as giving “guidelines… concerning grounds for receiving or rejecting converts into baptism and communion.”
The guideline is direct: “If an applicant or a believer seeks to become a soldier, he must be rejected, for he has despised God.”
Dean emphasizes the early church taught “against killing of any kind, even if it had the guise of a just cause.”
He frames the issue as kingdom allegiance: Christ “set up His kingdom… He alone reigns as King,” and citizens’ “weapons” are prescribed.
Dean personally echoes this logic: “I had undergone a change of allegiance. My allegiance was to Jesus.”

Discussion Follow-ups If communion signals loyalty to Jesus’ way, what behaviors should openly contradict it? What do our current boundaries (or lack of them) reveal about what we think saving faith produces?

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