(φωτιζόμενοι ) was a term used in the early Christian Church for the baptized. (See BAPTISM). The apostle Paul writes in two places (Hebrews 6:4; Hebrews 10:32) of those who were ἃπαξ φωτισθέντες; and the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 372), in its third canon, calls the newly baptized προσφάτως φωτισθέντας . Justin Martyr, in his second Apology, explains the name to refer to the spiritual knowledge acquired by those who were baptized, and there was probably an association between the term and the ritual use of lights in the baptismal service. — Blunt, Cyclop. of Theol. 1, 323. By some, however, the title "illuminated" is supposed to have been given to those newly baptized in the early Church, because a lighted taper was put into their hands as a symbol of their enlightenment. (See LIGHTS). (J. H.W.)
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More