Catholica
1. Water #
Water is a symbol of baptism because the Bible says it is!
The Apostle St. Peter wrote:
to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolises baptism that now saves you
1 Peter 3:20-21
The Greek word that the Bible uses for baptism is baptizo, which means to immerse. But immerse in what?
In Biblical times, water was a symbol of purity—it was used for ceremonial washing, such as in Leviticus 15:13 and 2 Kings 5:14. Immersing yourself in water could make you ritually clean.
By the time of John the Baptist in the New Testament, people were being immersed in water so their sins could be forgiven. Jesus went along with this too; not because He needed forgiveness, but to act as an example for us to follow.1
Therefore, baptizo went from meaning any type of immersion to specifically water immersion for the forgiveness of sins. This is why water became one of the main baptism symbols.
2. The Cross #
Early Christians associated baptism with Jesus’ death on the Cross. The Apostle St. Paul taught:
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Romans 6:3
For Jewish people, touching a dead person made you ritually impure.2 Linking a ceremonially unclean thing to something pure, like water, shows how Jesus turned things upside down.3
For early Christians, the connection between Jesus’ death on the Cross and baptism could result in your actual death due to Roman persecution.4 So the symbolism would have felt very real!
If the Cross is a symbol of baptism, then by extension, the sign of the Cross is a Catholic baptism symbol too. It is a christening symbol because during the baptism, the parents and god-parents trace it on the child’s forehead.
3. Oil #
Whilst there’s no mention of being anointed with oil alongside baptism in the Bible, the practise is very ancient. The earliest descriptions of church baptisms mention it.
when we come out of the font, we are thoroughly anointed with a blessed unction
Tertullian, early 3rd century.5
St. Hippolytus of Rome, from the early 3rd century, also describes how, before being immersed, they receive an oil of exorcism, and afterwards, they are anointed with an oil of thanksgiving.6
St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in the mid 4th century, description of baptism agrees closely with St. Hippolytus. He taught that the oil received after baptism is a symbol of Jesus receiving the Holy Spirit after He was baptised. 7
The word Christ means anointed one. As Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit, we are anointed with oil, which is a sign of the Holy Spirit.
For the early Church, the oil was an essential part of baptism. St. Theophilus of Antioch, in the late 2nd century, says:
we are called Christians on this account, because we are anointed with the oil of God 8
Today, Catholics receive the oil at baptism, making it a Catholic baptism symbol.
4. White robe #
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7
Today, whether at a christening or adult baptism, a white robe, dress, or clothes are typically worn. This has roots going way back to the earliest days of Christianity.
Revelation 6:11 in the Bible mentions God’s people being given a white robe. St. Ambrose, in the late 4th century, also tells us that after baptism, a white robe was given, which symbolises how their sins had been washed away.9
5. Light #
Jesus spoke to them, saying: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
As baptism symbolises Jesus’ death, it also symbolises His resurrection. As we go threw the water, we are raised with Christ to the light of life.
The early Christians understood this. St. Cyril of Jerusalem tells us that just before being baptised, the candidate would make a profession of faith. This included ”turning from the West to the East, the place of light.”7
Today, Catholics, Orthodox and many Protestant baptisms include the giving of a baptism candle.
6. Dove #
The story of Noah’s flood in Genesis 8 tells us how he sent out a dove from the ark to see if land had begun to appear from the waters. There’s a lot of relevant imagery here—it’s no wonder the Apostle St. Peter connected this story with baptism (see 1 Peter 3:20-21)!
Skipping forward to Jesus’ baptism, we see something similar:
As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and rest on him.
Matthew 3:16.
These links weren’t missed by the early Church. St. Chrysostom, in the late 4th or early 5th century, taught that the dove represents purity and gentleness, and that we receive this by the Holy Spirit at baptism.
7. Fish #
Tertullian says:
But we little fishes, according to our Fish (ΙΧΘΥΝ) Jesus Christ, are born in the water, nor are we saved in any other manner than by remaining in the water.
Tertullian, late 2nd or early 3rd century.5
I imagine you’re wondering what ΙΧΘΥΝ means? It is the ancient Greek word for fish. But it’s significant because Tertullian wrote in Latin—but when it came to writing fish, he suddenly goes to Greek.
This means he’s probably referencing something well known, as he doesn’t stop to explain it to his Latin audience.12 If you take each letter from ΙΧΘΥΣ, it forms an acronym for:
Ἰησοῦς Xριστός Θεός Yἱός Σωτήρ
in English: Jesus Christ God Son Saviour
So the wordplay predates Tertullian, going back to at least the 2nd century13, or possibly the 1st. 14
As fishes live in water, it’s obvious why Tertullian linked it to baptism and why it became a christening symbol.
8. Baptismal font #
As this is where most baptisms happen, this is probably the most obvious of baptism symbols.
But have you ever noticed where baptismal fonts are usually placed in churches?
They are at the entrance of the church. This symbolises that you enter the Church, spiritually and literally, by baptism!
Sources: #
1 Aquinas, S.T., 2016. Catena Aurea. Commentary On The Four Gospels, Collected Out Of The Works Of The Fathers. Read Books Ltd.
2 Numbers 19:11.
3 Groenewald, J., 2003. The foundation, value and meaning of baptism in the New Testament. HTS: Theological Studies, 59(2), pp.367-383.
4 Theissen, G., 1999. A theory of primitive Christian religion. SCM Press.
5 Tertullian, early 3rd century. On Baptism.
6 St. Hippolytus, early 3rd century. Apostolic Tradition.
7 St. Cyril of Jerusalem, mid 4th century. Catechetical Lectures.
8 St. Theophilus of Antioch, late 2nd century. The Apology to Autolycus.
9 St. Ambrose, late 4th century. On the Mysteries.
10 St. Chrysostom, late 4th or early 5th century. Homilies on Matthew.
11 Morey, C.R., 1910. The origin of the fish-symbol.
12 Rasimus, T., 2012. Revisiting the Ichthys: A Suggestion Concerning the Origins of Christological Fish Symbolism. In Mystery and Secrecy in the Nag Hammadi Collection and Other Ancient Literature: Ideas and Practices (pp. 327-348). Brill.
13 Collins, J.J., 1983. Sibylline Oracles. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 1, pp.317-472.