Page 62 - Orthodoxy Zizioulas

O r t h o d o x y
Baptism and Repentance
The idea of new birth—birth in the Spirit—was, from the
beginning, inseparably linked with Baptism. For the early
Church, Baptism did not simply signify a change in behavior,
but a radical transformation of existence.
On the one hand, it involved the death of the “old per-
son”—that is, the mode of identity acquired through biologi-
cal birth, bound as it is by necessity and ultimately by death.
On the other hand, it involved the birth of a new person,
whose identity is constituted through a new set of relation-
ships: those given in the communion of the Church.
Biological existence is governed by necessity; spiritual birth
is characterized by freedom. The spiritual person is not mere-
ly one who acts differently, but one who exists differently. Iden-
tity is no longer derived from nature, but from communion.
This new identity is given through incorporation into the
Body of Christ. In Baptism, the believer enters into the very
relationship of Christ to the Father, receiving the gift of son-
ship and the privilege of calling God “Father” (Rom 8:15). At
the same time, one enters into a new network of relationships
that transcends all natural and social bonds. The baptized no
longer derive their identity from biological lineage or earthly
citizenship, but from belonging to the community of the King-
dom. Their “city” is the one to come (Heb 13:14), and their life
is oriented toward the future of God.
Thus, the true test of Baptism is not ethical or psychologi-
cal, but ecclesiological. Spirituality is not primarily a matter of
behavior or inner states, but of belonging—of acquiring a new
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