Systematic Theology Christian Baptism The rite of baptism

Systematic Theology

§ Christian Baptism § The rite of baptism is NOT exclusive to the Christian faith. There were many religions at the time of Jesus who practiced ritual cleansings. Many of the pagan cults practiced baptisms and they performed their ritual washings either by immersion or by sprinkling. Hinduism uses any kind of liquid for washing such as water, milk, or honey. Buddhism closely resembles Israelite purification. They practiced baptisms by only using water drawn from a sacred basin. § The Israelites practiced many ritual cleansings. They washed utensils, cups, bowls, and even couches. The Tabernacle was purified with water and the Israelites completely cleansed themselves: their hands, their feet, and their heads. The purpose of their many purifications was to symbolize the removal of sin and to prevent contamination. The book of Leviticus called these washings: the rite of purification. § Obviously the Old Testament teaches that the purification process came by Divine Authority. The Lord commanded the Israelites to frequently cleanse themselves. Turn to Exodus 19: 10, 11, “The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people”. § In the New Testament, the rite of baptism was instituted by Divine Authority as well. Before his ascension, Jesus said to his disciples “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28: 19, 20).

§ The baptismal formula § When Jesus commanded the disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”, we call that the “baptismal formula”, and for any baptism to be properly done, it must be done in this manner. Any baptism that is not done “in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”, should be rejected by the Church. § Jesus did NOT mean that every time we baptize someone we are to say, “in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The baptismal formula is describing our identification with the Triune God. We are baptized into the One True God and not any pagan deity. § What is the proper mode of baptism? § Scripture never gives a commandment. § The Greek word “baptizo” doesn’t always mean full immersion. Turn to Mark 7: 1 -4. The word for “washings” that Mark uses is “baptizo”. When the Jews purified their couches like the Scripture says they did, do you think they carried them down to the river and submerged them under water? § Do the baptism passages imply immersion? Let’s see. § 1. Matthew 3: 4 -6 § 2. Matthew 3: 13 -16 § 3. Acts 8: 34 -38 § Turn to John 13: 1 -11.

§ What about baptisms in the Old Testament? § Turn to Hebrews 9. “Wait, pastor, Hebrews is in the New Testament”. Yes it is, but turn there. Hebrews 9: 6 -10, 13, 20. § According to the letter to the Hebrews, the “various washings [baptisms] of the Old Testament were done by sprinkling. Turn to Ezekiel 36: 22 -29. § What about extrabiblical sources? § The Didache. In Greek, the term “Didache” means didactic, which we get the term “teaching” from. It is a didactic book written at the end of the first century that was used by the early church to supplement the teaching of Scripture. The Didache was use the same way our confessions and creeds are used. § What does the Didache say concerning baptism? “And concerning baptism, baptize this way: First say these things: I baptize you into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit in full water. But if you have not full water, pour out water thrice upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit”. § What do I believe is the proper mode of baptism and why? § I believe the proper mode of baptism is immersion. § Why do I believe immersion to be the proper mode of baptism? Because baptism identifies with being buried with Christ. Turn to Romans 6: 1 -4. The baptism passages do not prove the proper mode. Being “buried with Christ” does. § Baptism is about identification more than it is about anything else. It is about being identified with Christ in his death and being raised to newness of life. The Greek word for “baptizo” describes a cucumber changing into a pickle. First, you take the vegetable and dip it into boiling water. Nothing happens to the cucumber. But, when you dip the cucumber again in a solution of vinegar and leave it submerged, when the cucumber comes up out of the solution of vinegar it has changed into a pickle. When the Bible talks about baptism, it isn’t concerned with the mode, but with the real change of the individual from being a sinner to being reconciled with Christ (the cucumber to the pickle). That’s the picture of baptism.

§ Who are the proper subjects of baptism? § According to Scripture, the proper subjects of baptism are believing adults. § Mark 16: 16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned”. § Matthew 28: 19, 20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”. § Acts 2: 41, “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls”. § What about the “household baptisms”? Let’s look at them. § First, we have to remember that the disciples received the commandment from the Lord, on two separate occasions to baptize those who believe and baptize disciples. § Acts 10: 44 -48; (Peter’s account Acts 11: 12 -18); Acts 16: 14 -15; Acts 16: 31 -34; Acts 18: 8; I Corinthians 1: 16; 16: 15, 16

§ The Lord’s Supper § Just like in baptism, there were other kinds of suppers that were practiced among people that were similar to our Lord’s Supper. In the Old Testament, the Israelites practiced multiple meals. The one that we are most familiar with is the Passover meal, but, the Israelites also ate meals surrounding their sacrificial offerings. In Leviticus 7, the Lord commanded the Israelites to give a portion of their offering to the Levites. For what purpose? So that the Levites could eat. § Even pagan nations celebrated meals offered to their gods. Turn to Exodus 34: 11 -16. § Also, like the Christian’s Lord’s Supper, even the other meals that were celebrated could have been defiled by the people. Listen to what the Lord says in Isaiah 28: 8, “For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left”. § The Jewish Passover was the most like the Lord’s Supper. Both the Passover and the Lord’s Supper depicted the death of a lamb, they both were celebrated at night, and both were in memory of their respective salvation.

§ Names for the Lord’s Supper § Obviously, the most popular name is “the Lord’s Supper”. “When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat” (I Corinthians 11: 20). § The “table of the Lord”. “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons” (I Corinthians 10: 21). § “The Breaking of bread”. “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread” (Acts 20: 7). § In tradition, the Church has called the Lord’s Supper “the Eucharist” from the Greek word to “give thanks”. The Scripture says that when Jesus took the bread, he broke it, and gave thanks”. § What are the elements used in the Lord’s Supper? § Bread. In all four accounts of the Lord’s Supper in the gospels, Jesus breaks the bread and connects the bread to his broken body. In Paul’s account of the Lord’s Supper in I Cor. 11, the church used bread. And, in the book of Acts, the Lord’s Supper was associated with “the breaking of bread”. § Wine was also used in all four accounts of the Lord’s Supper in the gospels. Jesus called the cup “the fruit of the vine”. In Paul’s account of the Lord’s Supper in I Corinthians 11, the church used wine (they abused the cup and got drunk off of it). Also, common sense tells us it was wine used. Grape Juice had not been invented by the 1 st Century. If you think it was grape juice in the Lord’s cup, don’t talk to me. Seriously, I’m getting gray hair already.

§ What does the Lord’s Supper signify? § The Lord Supper symbolizes the Lord’s death. § The Lord’s Supper symbolizes the believer’s union with the Lord in his death. § The Lord’s Supper also signifies the Lord giving life and nourishment to the believer through the participation with his body. § The Lord’s Supper signifies our union with one another. All of the believers eat of the same bread and drink of the same wine. Another reason why we should take another look at the way we do the Lord’s Supper. If you think that we, currently, do everything perfect, you’re wrong. Every day we should be taking a look at how we worship God. § What does the Lord’s Supper seal? What do I mean by “seal”? A seal is something that is used to connect two things together in order that they never become apart again. § The Lord’s Supper seals our union with Christ. § The Lord’s Supper seals our union with each other. § The Lord’s Supper binds the love of Christ to us. § The Lord’s Supper assures us of receiving all of God’s blessings that come through the atonement of Christ. § Do you see why the Apostle Paul took the Lord’s Supper serious?

§ Who can participate in the Lord’s Supper? § The Heidelberg Catechism says, “For those who are truly displeased with themselves for their sins and yet trust that these are forgiven them for the sake of Christ, and that their remaining infirmity is covered by His passion and death; who also desire more and more to strengthen their faith and amend their life. ” § The Lord’s Supper is only for those who earnestly repent of their sins, trust that these have been covered by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, and are desirous to increase their faith, and to grow in true holiness of life. § They must have a proper understanding of the Lord’s Supper. They must discern the difference between it and a common meal. § They also must have a desire for spiritual growth. § Who is excluded from the Lord’s Supper? § Since the Lord’s Supper is for those who are of the body of Christ, all of those who are not united to Christ by faith cannot participate in the Lord’s Supper. § Children who cannot discern the body of Christ and discern their own sinfulness are excluded. § Even all of the church cannot participate in the Lord’s Supper. The believers who are living in any current unrepentant sin must be excluded. § The holiness of the Church and of the sacrament must be safeguarded.