The Eschatological Sacramental Theology of Theodore of Mopsuestia
Tara Mullan
Th76601
February, 23, 2000

For Christians of today and for those of centuries past, understanding the mystery of the sacraments is an on-going discovery. Since the time when Jesus ceased walking the earth in the flesh, we have been initiating each other into our community of believers in a way that is both meaningful for neophytes and true to the Holy Spirit. The Church's delve into the meaning of sacrament at the turn of this century to re-create the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults is not unique in this regard. Even back at the turn of the Fifth century, Church leaders and theologians were trying to make sense of the sacraments. One such man was Theodore of Mopsuestia, a bishop near the city of Antioch, of whom we have four homilies about the Sacraments of Initiation: two on Baptism and two on Eucharist. His distinctive contribution is that he understands sacraments to be integrally linked with eschatology, the future hope of immortal life with God. He shows how both Baptism and Eucharist contain within them the promise of Resurrection, and are first installments of graces to come. In other words, they not only point to the future, they are in a real sense a manifestation of it. So Baptism and Eucharist do more than just symbolize new birth and nourishment for eternal life, they are actually a part of it. The sensory symbols such as water, bread, and wine are in fact allegorical of what is being manifested on a deeper level.

How integral are Baptism and Eucharist to living the Christian life? According to Theodore, they were extremely important. One cannot read his homilies without sensing that Christians receive eternal life and the future hope of Resurrection through the sacraments. He is convinced that they are the fullest way a person can experience the grace of God. Perhaps it may be possible that someone could live a life of faith without receiving either Baptism or Eucharist, but not without missing the vital nurture and strength of the Holy Spirit, as well as becoming a full member of the community. This is especially evident in Baptismal Homily III where Theodore explains, "You will gain this in reality when the time comes for you to rise again to your new birth; but now you have faith in Christ our Lord, and while you are waiting for the resurrection you must be content with receiving symbols and signs of it in this awesome sacrament which affords you certainty of sharing in the blessings to come" (181).

It is important to realize that according to Theodore, both sacraments are genuinely "doing something", that they have significance beyond the pageantry of the ritual. Neither the sacraments of Baptism nor Eucharist are just for show. It is through this sacrament of Eucharist that Christ greets us, reveals his resurrection, and guarantees his promised blessings (237). We are nourished (239) and strengthened, and are united with Christ's body (240). Our sins are forgiven (244). It also confers eternal life (240), and in the world to come, it "makes the body immortal. .. and the soul immune to change and all sin" (243). According to Theodore, there is more going on in the celebration of the Eucharist than just a memorial service of Jesus' Last Supper. It is a powerful, transformative medium that consists of more than mere bread and wine. The Eucharist is more than "symbol", in the traditional understanding of the word. It actually embodies and puts into effect the promises it purports to do. There really is power in it. "...we are not concerned with empty symbols but with realities..." (183), Theodore reminds us. Therefore, even if catechumens are living virtuous, faithful lives, receiving the Eucharist involves them in the future hope of the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God, which they could not have otherwise. Receiving the Eucharist serves the mystagogical function of on-going spiritual nourishment after the catechumen is officially initiated. The Eucharist nourishes our soul just as food nourishes our body, and turns our hopes toward the "future hope of blessings to come" (205).

Theodore understands that the sacrament of Baptism has eschatological meaning as well. It must first be noted that his understanding of Baptism is not separate from our modern understanding of Confirmation. The baptismal bath and anointing both happened at this time in his day. The anointing carries eschatological meaning because when a catechumen is anointed with oil, he or she is sealed with the mark of Christ, and can be claimed by Him at the end of the Age. Theodore says, "When the bishop has completed this ceremony of sealing your forehead, he pronounces the words I have mentioned to show that he has set you apart for the future and appointed you a soldier of the true king and a citizen of heaven. This seal shows that all this belongs to you" (179). An eschatological understanding of Baptism is also implied in the idea of rebirth, for one dies to this world to find life in the next, through the resurrection of Christ. For when you "receive the sign of this new birth you hoped for, you are revealed as a citizen of heaven and become a fellow heir to the kingdom" (176). Notice the word sign here. The sign itself has power to initiate into the Kingdom. The sign is more than just a pointer; it is a symbol that is the outward manifestation of what is happening unseen.

In Baptism the actions that are performed and the physical rituals that are used are significant. For example, the catechumen stands on sackcloth, barefoot, with outer garments removed, and hands stretched out to God in prayer. This symbolizes former slavery to sin. Next, he or she kneels on the grounds, symbolizing the ancient fall into sin. The upright torso speaks of an attitude of petition to God the Father. (169-170) Water becomes a sacramental womb for rebirth (185), and the dazzling white baptismal garment symbolizes the "world of shining splendor" to which he or she has entered (197).

Theodore of Mopsuestia has two important strengths in his four baptismal homilies. First of all, he illustrates how Baptism and Eucharist truly do impact the lives of the catechumens. He describes how the rituals and processes being performed are more than what they appear to be. The baptismal bath and anointing truly invite a person into the eternal life of Christ, and the Eucharistic meal confers eternal life also, as well as strengthening and nourishing the recipients. He pleads a solid case against the idea that sacraments hold no real meaning or power for the lives of the faithful apart for being an empty symbolic reminder. He even goes so far as to explain the symbolic purpose behind the objects that are used in the sacraments.

His other strength lies in his thorough focus on the eschatological dimensions of Eucharist and Baptism. He never seems to loose sight of this, that the whole reason why we have these sacraments of initiation is because they bring people into the Body of Christ, from death into eternal life. We need sacraments to help get us there, in a sensory, temporal fashion, which is indeed the only way humans can live. We cannot escape the temporal world, and Theodore shows how the sacraments both manifest and point to the transcendent dimensions our initiation into our faith community.

Return to Sacraments of Initiation Homepage