Was the “Good Thief” Baptized?

Dear Catholic Exchange:

Miss Haman

Dear Miss Haman,

Peace in Christ!

Regarding the good thief, the Lord on the Cross distinctively forgave him of original sin and his personal sins after the thief expressed repentance. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catechism) provides, “God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments” (no. 1257, original emphasis).

Regarding Baptism, one must distinguish John’s baptism, which was for the forgiveness of sins, vs. Jesus’, which also provides sanctifying grace and the indwelling of the Holy Trinity (cf. Catechism, nos. 1265-66, 2000; cf. Mt. 28:18-20).

John’s baptism was one of repentance and conversion. In this way it is not unlike Christian Baptism. Scripture tells us that his was a baptism of penance unto remission of sins (Mk. 1:4; Lk. 3:3). Those who received John’s baptism were showing belief in the One who was to come after him, the Messiah (Acts 19:4). When Christ appeared, John’s disciples were to follow him. John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

The uniqueness of John’s baptism is also shown by the fact that his ministry was a specific fulfillment of Messianic prophecy (Is. 40:3; Mt. 3:3). John was to prepare the way for the Messiah. His ministry inaugurated, so to speak, the era of the Good News of the Kingdom of God. The Catholic Encyclopedia adds that

Moreover, it was not John’s baptism that remitted sin, but the penance that accompanied it; and hence St. Augustine calls it (De Bapt. contra Donat., V) “a remission of sins in hope.” As to the nature of the Precursor’s baptism, St. Thomas Aquinas (III:38:1) declares: “The baptism of John was not a sacrament of itself, but a certain sacramental as it were, preparing the way (disponens) for the baptism of Christ.” Durandus calls it a sacrament, indeed, but of the Old Law, and St. Bonaventure places it as a medium between the Old and New Dispensations. It is of Catholic faith that the Precursor’s baptism was essentially different in its effects from the baptism of Christ, It is also to be noted that those who had previously received John's baptism had to receive later the Christian baptism (Acts 19).

There is some debate as to when the Baptism of Christ began. John 3:22 provides that “Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; there he remained with them and baptized.” Yet John 4:1-3 teaches that Jesus did not actually baptize: “Now when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again to Galilee.” Was Jesus instituting the Sacrament of Baptism at this time or was He overseeing the preliminary baptism of John? Saintly scholars have disagreed over the centuries. For more discussion of this issue, see The Catholic Encyclopedia’s article on Baptism, specifically “Part V. The Institution of the Sacrament.” In any event, the Church clearly teaches that Christian Baptism both remits Original Sin and regenerates one with the Holy Spirit (cf. Catechism, nos. 1262-74).

Regarding Pentecost, it is true that the Apostles, the Blessed Mother, and others gathered in the Upper Room received the Sacrament of Confirmation (cf. Catechism 1287). Some think that the Apostles also received the Sacrament of Baptism on Pentecost, because Jesus had told them, just prior to His Ascension and Pentecost, that “John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5) A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1954) notes that the traditional Catholic understanding is that the Apostles received this New Covenant Baptism earlier:

The distinction between the baptism of John and that of the Holy Spirit was made in Luke 3:16. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is called a “baptism,” or cleansing, as in Joel 2:28 and Isaiah 44:3, but the sacrament of Baptism is not meant. This we may presume, with St. Augustine and St. [John] Chrysostom, the Apostles had already received. Leaving aside the case of Cornelius [Acts 10:44-48], baptism always preceded the baptism with the Spirit [i.e., Confirmation], as is clearly asserted in [Acts] 2:38 (p. 1024, no. 822a).

As the preceding citation indicates, it is true that New Covenant Baptism became widespread beginning on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:38ff.). Scripture does not indicate that all of his Christ’s followers received New Covenant Baptism (cf. Jn. 3:3-5) during His earthly ministry, and the Apostles themselves may well have received it themselves after Christ’s Resurrection. Their uncourageous abandonment of Christ in Gethsemane is an argument that they had not received the power and gifts that come with the Sacrament of Baptism. In addition, Jesus gives His Apostles the great commission to make “disciples of all nations” (Mt. 18:18-20) through Baptism after His Resurrection. The Catechism matter-of-factly states that “from the very day of Pentecost the Church has celebrated and administered holy Baptism” (no. 1226), though not precluding exceptions, e.g., with the Apostles. Furthermore, the falling away of many of Jesus’ early followers (Jn. 6) does not correspond with what one would expect from those who had been become His true disciples and received New Covenant Baptism.

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