See The Twin Ordinances of The Church: Baptism and Communion

The Twin Ordinances of The Church: Baptism and Communion

Baptism

1^st Corinthians 12:13; Romans 6:3, 4; Acts 8:26-40; Acts 16:31-33;

Communion…the Lord’s Table

John 6:35; 1^st Corinthians 11:23-31

Introduction:

The World has influenced us, through 2,000 years of “religious pageantry.” In addition, the humanistic “hunger for drama” has affected our perspective. Therefore, world religions have made both baptism and communion into “sacred rituals.” Since then, they claim that only priests having human-sourced ordination can carry out these “sacraments.” As a result, they demand a humanly sanctified priesthood. Religions call these ordinances “sacraments.” (That word means “a way by which to become holy.”)

No Special Human “Credentials”

But, John the Baptist came out of the desert, as an “unknown.” He looked pretty rough, and he acted rather strange. Obviously, He did not have “human training.” Humans did not ordain, or send him.” Furthermore, most of the apostles were also what we would call “blue-collar workers,” today. Finally, Jesus Himself was a carpenter, as was Joseph, His adoptive father.

**Ordinances, not Sacraments**

And the physical ordinances of baptism and communion have zero effect in making us holy to God. They only state that He has declared us Holy: we are His private property, reserved for His use.

Nobody knew for sure who John the Baptist was: The priests had heard all the rumors. The people were excited about John’s message. The priests wanted to “join the crowd.” Historically, they had the only “religious game in town.” They could not afford to allow an outsider to outshine them, so they hoped to be baptized with all the others. I expect that they intended to co-opt him into their fold, and take all the energy of his ministry and redirect it to their own. Obviously, that is just a guess.

Who was John the Baptist?

But two things happened: The first was that they came, and John recognized their unrepentant hearts. He said, “You brood of serpents! Who has warned you of the wrath to come?” He warned them that they had better bring forth fruits appropriate to repentance. He evidently did not say such things to the others who came for baptism.

The other thing: John 1:19-23 says that the priests and Pharisees sent messengers. They asked John who he was. They wanted his credentials.

John’s Credentials:

So, they asked him, “Are you the Christ?” And he said, “No!”

They asked, “Are you Elijah?” And he said, “No!”

They asked, “Are you ‘that prophet?’” (Meaning the prophet predicted by Moses, in Deuteronomy 18:15) And John replied, “No.”

So, they asked, “Who are you, then?” He replied, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, saying ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as said the prophet Isaiah.”

Why did the priests and Pharisees desire Baptism?

None of John’s answers made them feel any more comfortable with him. So why did they seek baptism?

Everyone else confessed their sins, in seeking baptism. They requested baptism to publicly identify with the message that John preached. He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

John did not preach the Gospel of Christ (also called the “Gospel of Salvation,” or the “preaching of the Cross.”) He was announcing the presence of the King. Jesus was right there, if only they would receive Him. (And Jesus initially preached that same message, until they formally rejected Him.)

But they wanted to identify with the message of the Kingdom. Some of them saw that they were sinners. They needed cleansing, before entering that Kingdom. I expect that those few were later the ones who received Him as their Savior.

But, Why Baptism?

The English translators rendered the Greek word “baptizo” into “Baptize.” Different forms of the word are used, but they all mean “to dip.” When Jesus “dipped” the sop in the cup, before giving it to Judas Iscariot, the Greek word is “bapto.” When people dyed cloth, they dipped the fabric into a pot of dye, and the word was “baptizo.” It permanently identified the fabric with the specific dye into which it was dipped. (A cookie dipped in milk will never be “just a cookie” again.)

The people wanted to be identified with John’s message. Jesus needed to be identified with that message, too, which is why he insisted, there in the Jordan, that John baptize him. Why should He be identified with the Gospel of the Kingdom?He had no sins to confess, so, confession of sins was not the issue. It was because He was the King!

In 1^st Corinthians 12:13, it says that the Holy Spirit has baptized every believer into the Body of Christ, the moment they believe. We understand that, when the Holy Spirit “placed us into” the body of Christ, He permanently identified uswith Him in every aspect of His Life, His Death, His Burial, and His Resurrection. Romans 6:3, 4 says so! (And that is where God sees you from that moment on! There is no “water” in Romans 6. If we dip someone in water, it changes nothing. When the Holy Spirit places someone into the Body of Christ, it changes everything.)

Examples

In Acts 8:26-40, we see the Ethiopian Eunuch requesting water baptism, after hearing and believing the Gospel of Christ. The Ethiopian Eunuch confessed his faith in Jesus Christ. Philip baptized (dipped) him in some water that was beside the road. God did not tell us what water it was…a pond, a lake, a stream, or whatever.

Acts 16:31-33 tells us that Paul and Silas preached the simple Gospel of Christ, and the Philippian jailer and his family believed and were baptized immediately. Again, God did not tell us what water Paul used, although we do know there was a river close by.

Water baptism simply testifies that our Baptism by the Holy Spirit, into the Body of Christ, (as explained in 1^st Corinthians 12:13) has already occurred. Water baptism is an outward testimony that we have chosen to be identified with Jesus.

Each person desiring water baptism testifies that their faith for salvation is in Jesus Christ. Whether they understand it or not, they also testify that they have already been placed into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. They have become identified with Him in His Death, His burial, and His Resurrection. And they desire to publicly identify with Him in their life.

What About Communion? The Lord’s table…The Lord’s Supper?”

Obviously, we teach this ordinance quite regularly…once a month. To begin with, in John 6:35, Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life!” The Jews knew that He was comparing Himself to the Manna given to their forefathers. He said that He was the fulfillment of that “picture.”

But, in the original Passover, the people did not “just” strike the blood of the Lamb onto the lintel and the two doorposts: They also (everyone in the household) ate of that Lamb! Therefore they partook of that sacrifice personally, confessing that it was their sins that necessitated the sacrifice, and that the Blood of that little Lamb was shed for them… personally!

It was not just a “nice theory,” nor was it “just a ritual.” They knew, that very night, that a destroyer was coming through Egypt, and in every home, the firstborn was going to die, if they were not all sheltered under the Blood of the Lamb. And, ever since that day, the Jews have celebrated the “Seder:” as a commemoration of that Passover.

According to 1^st Corinthians 11:23-26, we see that our communion, too, is a commemoration: When we partake in Communion, we each testify that “Jesus died for me! His Blood was the blood sacrifice for my sins! He willingly gave His body to be beaten and torn and pierced, for me!” And, whether we know it or not, we also testify of our faith in His second coming!

Let’s celebrate that Communion, by sharing in the Lord’s Table now. Afterward, we will have a baptismal service, as several young folks have asked to be baptized.

August 19, 2023August 19, 2023

What Significance has Baptism in a New Testament Church?

Baptism and the New Testament Church

What do we actually know about the New Testament Church?

There are many books written on this subject. I don’t propose to rewrite them. I do think it is good to summarize. The following seven points are normal to the New Testament Church:

The New Testament Church was:

Indigenous.
In no case was an outside person, thing, or material necessary to the function of the local church. (Titus and Timothy were sent to help, later, but they were commanded to get the job done, and get out. 2 Tim 4:9, 21; Titus 1:5; 3:12)
a. Self-governing. No Church was subject to a distant board of overseers, or any kind of hierarchic structure. (Acts 15 was a request by an apostle for confirmation, from other apostles. It was not a board of cardinals, [or other “birds”] stepping in to correct a local church which was in need of correction.)
b. Self-supporting. No Church was to depend upon another for its sustenance, but every church was concerned about the others, and stood ready to help in time of need. (2 Corinthians 9)
c. Self-Propagating. No Church depended upon professional or foreign evangelists to “bring in souls,” or to carry out the work of the ministry. Leaders were raised up from within the congregation, and every member was expected to function in the ministry. (Ephesians 4:11-16) This is critical to the health of the church.
Under the headship of Christ, with a plurality of human “under-shepherds.”
a. There is no scriptural example of a singular leader in a church, except possibly Diotrephes, in 3^rd John 9, 10 (which was a bad example!)
b. Every example, either by anecdote or command, is “elders” (plural) of the “church” (singular).
c. The headship of Christ is constantly underscored throughout the epistles.
Free to fit the culture in which it has been planted.
a. This, of course, is not a license to sin, but a recognition that the style of music, worship, and preaching will vary with the culture, and be used by God accordingly.
b. If the church is unnatural to its environment, it becomes questionable what makes the people different—is it the indwelling presence of the person of Christ, transforming their life, and making them holy, saying “Come out from among them and be ye holy!”? Or, is it only the abiding presence of an outside influence that tells them “Live according to this creed, and God will be pleased?” One is the voice of the Liberator, while the other is the voice of the Legalizer. One sets them free; the other enslaves them. We need to avoid error in this matter.
Committed to the study and preaching and teaching of the Word of God.
a. This one is obvious all throughout the epistles.
b. The leadership gifts of the local assembly are all to bring about the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry. (Ephesians 4:12)
Committed to obedience to the Written Word, administered by the Living Word.
a. This one is harder to achieve, but we have to prayerfully, respectfully pursue it with our whole heart. This is where we live or die. It is the foundation to everything else.
b. Those who desire genuine submission to Christ will continue to purify their own lives, and keep going back to the Word, for the purpose of transformation. And God honors this desire, and gives them an even stronger desire to draw near to Him and walk with Him.
Devoted to the Love of, Worship of, and Obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ; and the Love of, Care of, and mutual commitment to one another.
This is the Agapé Love. It is the heart of what makes genuine Christianity work. If you don’t love the Brethren, you don’t love the Lord. And the reverse is true as well. If Christ is the center (imagine a spoked wheel) and we (“the spokes”) desire to draw near to Him, we can’t help desiring to draw near to one another as well.
Devoted to fulfilling the Great Commission.
This is not a grievous task, but the natural outworking of a spiritual “chain-reaction” which has begun in the life of every believer. If we are doing what the Lord wants us to do, we will have opportunity to share our faith, and we will desire to do so. (1 Corinthians 15:34; Romans 15:20)

What about Today?

We need to make it our constant aim to make a clean start, unfettered by tradition, whether recent or ancient, except where those traditions either are plainly in obedience to Scripture, or where they are completely harmless, and in a matter where we have freedom to choose, anyway. (Church potlucks, Bible Studies, etc.)

We should also try to not carry “baggage” from our former churches, but rather, focus on “What does God’s Word actually say?” and “How can I rightly apply it to my life?” We need to step away from our old baggage and move forward, not constantly looking back.

What did Paul do?

When Paul went into a new area, he went to the local gathering-places (the marketplace, the waterhole or well, the synagogue, etc.), and he preached. When some responded positively, he spent more time with them, and taught them, confirming them in their new faith.

He spent further time, training up leaders, and ordaining them to the work of shepherding the local flock. He gave them two ordinances (Baptism and the Lord’s Table), and adequate instruction, and then he left, and he began again elsewhere. Later, he sent men to further encourage, instruct, and train the new believers. But the fledgling churches were largely left in God’s hands, and, (amazingly!) they mostly flourished!

Can we do it today?

Is there any real reason the above principles cannot be applied in North America, in the 21^st century? I can’t see any. The only thing that limits the abilityof the Holy Spirit is the availability of Man.

When we don’t do what God says, usually it is because we don’t choose to, not because we “don’t understand.” The door to the truth is the will, not the intellect. It is important that we feed the understanding, and we seek to do just that, here at True Hope: but we must also appeal to the will of every believer, to make a decision to walk with Jesus; to attempt obedience to the instructions in the epistles.

When we share the Gospel of Christ with people, we give them information sufficient to make a decision to receive Jesus as their Savior. But we also appeal to the will, persuading them, on the basis of evidence, to believe.

Again, the door to the truth is the will, not the intellect. When Noah was building the Ark, he was a Preacher of Righteousness according to 2^nd Peter 2:5. Everyone around him knew what he was building, and why he was building it. But the only ones who were persuaded to believe were his own family, who obeyed by faith, and entered that Ark.

We obey the Gospel by faith, placing our trust in the Blood of Jesus at the Cross, as complete payment for our sins, believing in Him, as our only hope for eternal salvation.

Two Ordinances

As believers, we see that two “ordinances” have been given: Water Baptism, and The Lord’s Table. We explain the nature of the Lord’s Table every month when we take communion, (as we will today.) But we haven’t talked much about baptism. Both are an outward testimony of something that has already occurred inwardly, and a physical, visible demonstration of a spiritual, invisible reality.

Communion testifies through the symbols of the bread and the cup that “Jesus died for me: His body was torn and broken for me, and His Blood was shed for me!” As believers we take part in the Lord’s Table to testify of His sacrificial death, until He comes: which means we also express our confident assurance that He is indeed returning!

When we partake in the Lord’s Table, we testify that Jesus’s blood was the full payment for our sins. (The people who placed themselves under the blood of the Passover Lamb for protection against the Wrath of God, did not just “stand there and watch:” They each ate of that lamb!)

We eat (as we were told to do) as a commemoration of the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus, 2000 years ago, for the sins of the whole world. By faith we have laid our hands upon that sacrifice, and claimed it as the substitute for our own lives. When we partake in communion, we honor Jesus before the world, proclaiming His death until He comes.

But, What about Baptism?

There are two types of baptisms taught in the New Testament: one of them is absolutely necessary for salvation, but it has nothing to do with water. The other does involve water, and is in no way required for salvation. But it does stand as a matter of obedience, and a testimony, even if we don’t fully understand it.

Baptism by the Holy Spirit

Turn to 1^st Corinthians 12:13. This entire chapter is about the gifts of the Spirit, and how He, the Holy Spirit, builds the church by giving appropriate gifts to each believer. He makes the choice as to who has what gift. Individual cells in a physical body are not given a choice of their individual tasks or locations in the body. Believers are given their assignments by God, the Holy Spirit.

This verse, in the midst of the larger passage, tells us a key point: every single believer has been “Baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ.” That fact is what makes you a “Member” of the Body of Christ at large.

Regarding “Church Membership:” this is the only kind of membership God addresses in the New Testament. Every member of the Body of Christ is expected to find a local assembly of like-minded believers and attach themselves to that assembly. And then we are to serve there, as a functioning part of the Body of Christ. Every member is to function.

Biblical Membership

Some churches have a “membership roll,” as if they are a country club, or something. No such idea is suggested in scripture. Some sects require that you be water-baptized (again) into that church, to gain membership. This is also unbiblical.

Some require that you be “vetted” by a governing board, and deemed “worthy” to be a part of their organization. That is especially repugnant. If Jesus’s Blood at the Cross, which made me clean enough to stand before a Holy God, and address Him as Father, fails to make me “worthy” to be in some human organization, then I don’t belong there! (Is there such a thing as “church discipline” in the Bible? Yes, but it has nothing to do with “membership.” We will discuss that at another time.)

1^st Corinthians 12:13 told us about Baptism by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ. That is the only kind of baptism that is necessary for salvation. It occurred the moment you placed your faith in Jesus as your Savior, even if you were unaware that it was happening. The Holy Spirit placed you into the Body of Christ, according to His will.

So, let’s talk about the other kind of baptism:

Water Baptism

First, what is the actual meaning of the word, “baptize?”

Oddly enough, the Greek word for “baptize” is pretty much just “baptize.” The problem was that when the first English Bibles were being published (particularly the King James Version which was “authorized” by King James, the then monarch of England, and the head of the Anglican Church)… they had to not contradict the Church of England. The translators could not write in the actual meaning of the Greek word for baptism. The Church of England (scarcely removed from Catholicism,) was practicing baptism by sprinkling, while the actual meaning of the word is “To Dip!” The Greek word “baptizō”means “immersion!” The intensive verb “baptizō” is most frequent derivative of the root “baptō,” which is translated, and is always translated “Dip.”

In the Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, by Lawrence O. Richards (pp. 100-101,) under Baptizō, it says: “Baptō is the basic verb. It means ‘to dip in’ or ‘to dip under.’ It is often used of dipping fabric in a dye. Baptizō is an intensive form of baptō. From early times it was used in the sense of immersing.”

So… had they consistently translated the word to what it actually means, John the Baptist would have been John the Dipper! But when Jesus “dipped” the sop in the cup, and passed it to Judas, the word “baptō” was actually translated: and no one called that a baptism!

But what does the Immersion accomplish?

We can see, then, that the concept involved immersion, and that the result of that immersion is to fully identify the thing being dipped, with the substance in which it was dipped. The sop Jesus handed to Judas was soaked in whatever was in the cup.

Cloth that has been dipped in a certain pot of dye is permanently identified with that specific pot of dye. In fact, all the cloth that came through that specific pot is together identified as a specific “dye-lot.” If you have been born again through faith in the Blood of Jesus, then The Holy Spirit has immersed you into the Body of Christ, according to 1^st Corinthians 12:13, and you are permanently identified with Him in every way.

Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized to be identified with the message of John: John preached the Gospel of the coming Kingdom—the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the 1000-year reign of Jesus on earth. Jesus is the promised King! So He had to be identified with the Promised Kingdom.

Where is the command?

We practice water Baptism for the same reason as we practice Communion: We were told to do so! (See Matthew 28:18-20)

Baptism commemorates in the life of each believer the fact that the Holy Spirit has already placed us into the Body of Christ. He has immersed us into Jesus, so that we are fully identified with Him, forever, in every way. We do this once, as a believer, to testify of our new position in Christ. It is not how we “join a church,” or “repent of our sins” or any other such thing. This is a believer’s baptism.

What happens if you don’t get baptized? Nothing, as far as I can see: But Jesus commanded the eleven to go into the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and “teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”

Do you see it? There is a spiritual “chain reaction,” there, which dictates that this command, called the “Great Commission” is our marching order, just as it was for the eleven. And that includes believer’s baptism. So, even though we may not really be sure how it works as a testimony, we do practice water baptism by immersion. We do not require it of anyone, and only offer it as it is requested.

How important is Water Baptism?

It is interesting to read in 1^st Corinthians 1:10-17, where we can see how the Apostle Paul felt about Baptism. He saw that it had already fostered some divisions among the brethren: (“Paul baptized me!” “Well, Apollos baptized me!” …etc.)

Paul said he was thankful he had only baptized a handful of them, and he concluded that “Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel.” Paul did practice water baptism, but it did not have a very high priority in his mind. The reality (being baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ”) came about through the preaching of the Gospel. “Water baptism” is just a picture of the real thing.

What is Required?

Water baptism requires no special clothing or ritual, no“oath-taking,” or any other such thing. Upon public confession of faith in Jesus and His finished Work at the Cross, any believer is qualified for water baptism, as a simple step of obedience and as a testimony of the new birth.

One person in our fellowship, who is already a believer, has requested water baptism, so, next week we plan to fulfill that ordinance for that person! If anyone else desires also to be baptized, please let one of us know. We extend the offer to all believers. Next week, Barak Lundberg and I will serve together to carry out the baptisms.

Lord Jesus, please help us to focus our attention on You, and not the “outward things” that so easily attract our eyes and our minds. Let us learn to walk with You in obedience.

April 30, 2022April 30, 2022

Salvation, Faith and Baptism: What does the Bible Say?

Faith and Baptism

Linked Concepts

Salvation:

Ephesians 2:8, 9;

Faith:

John 6:29; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:25;

Baptism:

1^st Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:3, 4; 1^st Peter 3:21;

Introduction:

Because this morning we have a baptism to conduct, we are taking a short “side-excursion,” to teach on Faith and Baptism: The two concepts have been linked from the beginning of the Church age, but are also frequently misunderstood, and wrongly taught, as a result. This morning, before we actually baptize anyone, we hope to connect the two concepts carefully and scripturally, to clear up questions believers may still have.

Salvation: By Grace, through faith, or, by Grace through faith plus something?

Ultimately, this is probably the key question: How does God save sinners? We read about Abraham, in Genesis 15:6, and find that when Abraham “believed God,” God reckoned his faith as righteousness. We find this repeated and amplified in Romans 4:3. We are saved by Grace, through Faith, plus nothing!

In Ephesians 2:8, 9 we get our key verses describing how we are saved: “For by Grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” But the information regarding faith is much more widespread, all through both the Old and the New Testaments. In our Wednesday night study in Numbers, we saw the complaint God had against Israel. It was that, in spite of His numerous signs, and proofs and provisions in their lives and well as the judgments on Egypt, etc. they did not believe Him.

Romans 1:16 says “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.”

Romans 3:25 specifies that Jesus has been set forth as the propitiation (the satisfaction of God’s righteousness and justice) through faith in His blood.

In John 6:28, 29 the Jews asked Jesus, “what work shall we do that we might work the works of God?” His answer was “This is the work of God, that ye believe in Him whom He hath sent.”

In Acts 16:31, Paul and Silas answered the Philippian Jailer’s question “What must I do to be saved,” with the clear statement, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.”

One may point out that most of these early believers followed faith with water baptism. True! But salvation occurred the moment they believed!

Two Ordinances

As believers, we see that two ordinances have been given to the Church: Water Baptism, and The Lord’s Table. We explain the nature of the Lord’s Table every month when we take communion, but we haven’t talked much about baptism. Both are an outward testimony of something that has already occurred inwardly, and a physical, visible demonstration of a spiritual, invisible reality.

Testimony of The Lord’s Table:

Through the symbols of the bread and the cup, Communion testifies that “Jesus died for me! His body was torn and broken for me, and His Blood was shed for me!” As believers we take part in communion to testify of His sacrificial death, until He comes. That means we also express our confident assurance that He is indeed returning!

When we celebrate communion, we are testifying that Jesus’s blood was the full payment for our sins. (Remember the Passover Lamb: the people who placed themselves under the blood of that Lamb for protection against the Wrath of God, did not just “stand there and watch:” they each ate of that lamb!)

We eat (as we were told to do) as a commemoration of the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the whole world. By faith we are laying our hands upon that sacrifice, and claiming it as the substitute for our own lives. And in doing so, we honor Jesus before the world, proclaiming His death until He comes.

Testimony of Baptism

Two kinds of Baptism

There are two types of baptisms taught in the New Testament: one of them is absolutely necessary for salvation, but has nothing to do with water. The other does involve water, and is in no way required for salvation…but it does stand as a matter of obedience, even if we don’t fully understand it.

Baptism by the Holy Spirit

Without going into a lot of detail about the gifts of the Spirit, this verse, in the midst of the larger passage, tells us a key point: every single believer has been “Baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ.” That is what makes you a “Member” of the Body of Christ.

Membership and Baptism

When we talk about “Church Membership,” this is the only kind of membership God ever addresses. Every member of the Body of Christ is expected to find a local assembly of like-minded believers and attach themselves to that assembly and serve there, as a functioning part of the Body of Christ. Every member is to function as a member.

Some churches have a “membership roll,” as if they are a country club, or something. No such idea is suggested in scripture. Some churches literally require that you be water-baptized (again) into that church, for membership. This also is unbiblical.

Some require that you be “vetted” by their governing board, and deemed “worthy” to be a part of their organization. I personally find that repugnant: If Jesus’s Blood at the Cross, which made me clean enough to stand before a Holy God, and address Him as Father, is not enough to make me “worthy” to be in some human outfit, then I don’t belong there!

(Is there “church discipline” in the Bible? Yes, but it has nothing to do with membership. We will discuss that at another time.)

Baptism by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ is the only kind of baptism necessary for salvation, and it occurs the moment you place your faith in Jesus as your Savior, even if you are unaware that it is happening. So, let’s talk about the otherkind of baptism: water baptism.

Water Baptism

First, let’s address the actual meaning of the word, “baptize.” The Greek word for “baptize” is pretty much just “baptize.” Our problem is that when the first English Bibles were being published (particularly the King James Version which was “authorized” by King James, the monarch of England, and the head of the Anglican Church,) since they had to not contradict the Church of England, the translators could not write in the actual meaning of the word for baptism.

The Church of England (scarcely removed from Catholicism at the time) was practicing baptism by sprinkling, while the actual meaning is “to dip!” The Greek word “baptizō”means “immersion!” The intensive verb “baptizō” is the most frequent derivative of the root “baptō”, which is translated, and is always translated “Dip.”

In the Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, by Lawrence O. Richards (pp. 100-101,) under Baptizō, it says: “Baptō is the basic verb. It means ‘to dip in’ or ‘to dip under.’ It is often used of dipping fabric in a dye. Baptizō is an intensive form of baptō. From early times it was used in the sense of immersing.”

So… had they consistently translated the word to what it actually means, John the Baptist would have been John the Dipper! But when Jesus “dipped” the sop in the cup, and passed it to Judas, the word “baptō” actually was translated (“dip”); and no one calls that a baptism!

Baptism is Immersion for Identification

So, the concept involves immersion, and the result of that immersion is to fully identify the thing being dipped, with the substance it was dipped in. The sop Jesus gave to Judas was permanently soaked in whatever was in the cup. Cloth dipped in a pot of dye is permanently identified with that specific pot of dye. In fact, all the cloth that came through that specific pot is together identified as a specific “dye-lot.”

According to 1^st Corinthians 12:13, if you were born again through faith in Jesus’s Blood, then The Holy Spirit has immersed (baptized) you into the Body of Christ: you are permanently identified with Him in every way. And so is every other believer. We are all from the same “dye-lot!”

Jesus came to John the Baptist to be water baptized so that He would be identified with John’s message: John preached the Gospel of the coming Kingdom—the promised “Kingdom of Heaven,” which is the 1000-year reign of Jesus on earth. Jesus is the Promised King! So, He was identified with the Promised Kingdom through that baptism.

Baptism is Obedience

We practice water Baptism for the same reason as we practice Communion: we were told to do so! Communion commemorates the reality of the Gospel, applied to each believer. Baptism commemorates the fact that the Holy Spirit has already placed us into the Body of Christ.

He has already immersed us into Jesus, so that we are fully identified with Him, forever, in every way. We practice water baptism once, as a believer, to testify of our new position in Christ. It is not how we “join a church,” or “repent of our sins” or any other such thing. This is a believer’s baptism. It is a public testimony of what already happened.

What happens if you don’t get baptized? Nothing, as far as I can see: But Jesus commanded the Eleven to go into the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and “teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”

There is a spiritual “chain reaction,” there, which requires that this command, called the “Great Commission” be our marching orders, just as it was for the eleven. And that includes believer’s baptism. So, even though we may not really be sure how it works as a testimony, we do practice water baptism by immersion. We do not require it of anyone, and we only offer it when it is requested.

Is Baptism necessary for Salvation?

People sometimes protest that 1^st Peter 3:21 “…clearly says baptism now saves us!” In the context, though, Peter was talking about the people on the Ark with Noah, who were “saved by water.” Those people were permanently separated from the lost world around them by the flood, because everyone else died in that flood: they were saved from that judgment by God, through the Ark, which is a terrific picture of Jesus! Peter says that “in like figure (a “similar picture”) baptism now saves us…”

**What kind of Baptism Saves us?**

(And how could it save us? Do you really think getting “dunked in water” can separate you from God’s judgment of the world?) No, it can’t! But getting placed into the Body of Christ can and does! “All in Adam die, but all in Christ shall be made alive!” 1^st Corinthians 15:22)

This verse in Peter is in reference to the Baptism of the believer by the Holy Spirit, into the Body of Christ. The same is true of Romans 6:3, 4, where it says that we’ve been baptized into the death and burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. No water was involved in either case!

It is interesting to read 1^st Corinthians 1:10-17, where we can see how the Apostle Paul felt about water baptism. He saw that water baptism had already fostered divisions among the brethren: (“Paul baptized me!” “Well, Apollos baptized me!” …etc.)

How did Paul feel?

Paul said he was thankful he had only baptized a handful of them, and concluded that “Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel.” Paul did practice water baptism, but it did not have a very high priority in his mind. The reality (being baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ”) came about through the preaching of the Gospel. Water baptism was just a picture of the real thing: a testimony that it had occurred.

Water baptism does not require any special clothing or ritual; no oath-taking nor any other such thing. Upon public confession of faith in Jesus, and in His finished Work at the Cross, a believer is fully qualified for water baptism, as a step of obedience and a testimony of the new birth.

We will proceed on that authority!

Lord Jesus, teach our hearts and minds, and use this service to strengthen our commitment to You. Raise us up to walk with You and to work with You.

I am going to have the two applicants give their own testimonies now:

April 10, 2021April 10, 2021

Baptism and the New Testament Church

Baptism and the New Testament Church

What do we actually know about the New Testament Church?

There are many books written on this subject. I don’t propose to rewrite them. I do think it would be well to summarize:

The New Testament Church was:

Indigenous. In no case was an outside person, thing, or material necessary to the function of the local church. (Titus and Timothy were sent to help, later, but they were commanded to get the job done, and get out. 2 Tim 4:9, 21; Titus 1:5; 3:12)
Self-governing. No Church was subject to a distant board of overseers, or any kind of hierarchic structure. (Acts 15 was a request by an apostle for confirmation, from other apostles. It was not a board of cardinals, [or other “birds”] stepping in to correct a local church which was in need of correction.)
Self-supporting. No Church was to depend upon another for its sustenance, but every church was concerned about the others, and stood ready to help in time of need. (2 Corinthians 9)
Self-Propagating. No Church depended upon professional or foreign evangelists to bring in souls, or to carry out the work of the ministry. Leaders were raised up from within the congregation, and every member was expected to function in the ministry. (Ephesians 4:11-16) This is critical to the health of the church.
Under the headship of Christ, with a plurality of human under-shepherds.
There is no scriptural example of a singular leader in a church, except possibly Diotrephes, in 3^rd John.
Every example, either by anecdote or command, is “elders” (plural) of the “church” (singular).
The headship of Christ is constantly underscored throughout the epistles.
Free to fit the culture in which it has been planted.
This, of course, is not a license to sin, but a recognition that the style of music, worship, and preaching will vary with the culture, and be used by God accordingly.
If the church is unnatural to its environment, it becomes questionable what makes the people different—is it the indwelling presence of the person of Christ, transforming their life, and making them holy, saying “Come out from among them and be ye holy!”? Or is it the abiding presence of an outside influence that tells them “Live according to this creed, and God will be pleased.”? One is the voice of the Liberator; the other the voice of the Legalizer. One sets them free; the other enslaves them. We need to avoid error in this matter.
Committed to the study and preaching and teaching of the Word of God.
This one is obvious all through the epistles.
The leadership gifts of the local assembly are all to bring about the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry. (Ephesians 4:12)
Committed to obedience to the Written Word, administered by the Living Word.
This one is harder to achieve, but we have to prayerfully, respectfully pursue it with our whole heart. This is where we live or die. It is the foundation to everything else.
Those who desire genuine submission to Christ continue to purify their own lives, and keep going back to the Word, for the purpose of transformation. And God honors this desire, and gives them an even stronger desire to draw near to Him, and walk with Him.
Devoted to the Love of, Worship of, and Obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ; and the Love of, Care of, and mutual commitment to one another.
This is the heart of what makes genuine Christianity work. If you don’t love the Brethren, you don’t love the Lord. And the reverse is true as well. If Christ is the center (imagine a spoked wheel) and we (“the spokes”) desire to draw near to Him, we can’t help desiring to draw near to one another as well.
Devoted to fulfilling the Great Commission.
This is not a grievous task, but the natural outworking of a spiritual “chain-reaction” that has begun in the life of every believer. If we are doing what the Lord wants us to do, we will have opportunity to share our faith, and we will desire to do so. (1 Corinthians 15:34; Romans 15:20)

What about Today?

It seems to me that we should continually make it our aim to make a clean start, unfettered by tradition, whether recent or ancient, except where those traditions are plainly in obedience to Scripture, or where they are harmless, and in an area in which we have freedom to choose, anyway. (Church potlucks, Bible Studies, etc.)

It further seems to me that we should make every effort to not carry “baggage” from our former church or churches, but focus our attention on “What does God’s Word actually say?” and “How can I rightly apply it to my life?” We need to step away from the old baggage and move forward, not be constantly looking back.

When Paul went into a new area, he went to the local gathering-places (the marketplace, waterhole or well, the synagogue, etc.), and he preached. When some responded positively, he spent more time with them, and taught them, confirming them in their new faith. He spent further time, training up leaders, and ordaining them to the work of shepherding the local flock. He gave them two ordinances (Baptism and the Lord’s Table), and adequate instruction, and then he left, and began again elsewhere. Later he sent men to further instruct, train and encourage the new believers, but the fledgling churches were largely left in God’s hands, and, (amazingly!) they mostly flourished!

Is there any real reason the above principles cannot be applied in North America, in the 21^st century? I can’t see any. The only thing that has limited the abilityof the Holy Spirit is the availability of Man. When we don’t do what God says, usually it is because we don’t choose to, not because we “don’t understand.” The door to the truth is the will, not the intellect. It is important that we feed the understanding, and we seek to do just that, here at True Hope: but we must also appeal to the will of every believer, to make a decision to walk with Jesus; to attempt obedience to the instructions in the epistles.

When we share the Gospel of Christ with people, we give them information sufficient to make a decision to receive Jesus as their Savior. But we also appeal to the will, asking them to believe. Again, the door to the truth is the will, not the intellect. When Noah was building the Ark, he was a Preacher of Righteousness according to 2^nd Peter 2:5. All those around him knew what he was building, and why. But the only ones who were persuaded to believe were his own family, who obeyed by faith, and entered that Ark.

We obey the Gospel by faith, placing our trust in the Blood of Jesus at the Cross, as complete payment for our sins, and as our only hope for eternal salvation.

As believers, we see that two ordinances have been given: Water Baptism, and The Lord’s Table. We explain the nature of the Lord’s Table every month when we take communion, but we haven’t talked much about baptism. Both are an outward testimony of something that has already occurred inwardly, and a physical, visible demonstration of a spiritual, invisible reality. Communion testifies through the symbols of the bread and the cup that “Jesus died for me: His body was torn and broken for me, and His Blood was shed for me!” As believers we take part in communion to testify of His sacrificial death, until He comes: which means we also express our confident assurance that He is indeed returning!

When we celebrate communion, we are testifying that Jesus’s blood was the full payment for our sins. (Remember the Passover Lamb: the people who placed themselves under the blood of that Lamb for protection against the Wrath of God, did not just “stand there and watch:” they each ate of that lamb!) We eat (as we were told to do) as a commemoration of the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the whole world. By faith we are laying our hands upon that sacrifice, and claiming it as the substitute for our own lives. And in doing so, we honor Jesus before the world, proclaiming His death until He comes.

What about Baptism?

Baptism by the Holy Spirit

Turn to 1^st Corinthians 12:13. This chapter is entirely given to understanding the gifts of the Spirit, and how He, the Holy Spirit, builds the church by giving appropriate gifts to each believer. He makes the choice as to who will do what task, and, just as individual cells in a body are not given the option to choose their individual tasks or locations in the body, believers are given their assignments by God, the Holy Spirit. Without going into a lot of detail about the gifts of the Spirit, this verse, in the midst of the larger passage, tells us a key point: every single believer has been “Baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ.” That fact is what makes you a “Member” of the Body of Christ at large.

When we talk about “Church Membership,” this is the only kind of membership God addresses. Every member of the Body of Christ is expected to find a local assembly of like-minded believers and attach themselves to that assembly and serve there, as a functioning part of the Body of Christ. Every member is to function.

Some churches have a “membership roll,” as if they are a country club, or something. No such idea is suggested in scripture. Some literally require that you be water-baptized (again) into that church, for membership. This also is unbiblical. Some require that you be “vetted” by a governing board, and deemed “worthy” to be a part of their organization. I personally find that to be repugnant. If Jesus’s Blood at the Cross, which made me clean enough to stand before a Holy God, and address Him as Father, is not enough to make me “worthy” to be in some human outfit, then I don’t belong there! (Is there “church discipline” in the Bible? Yes, but it has nothing to do with membership. We will discuss that at another time.)

Baptism by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ is the only kind of baptism necessary for salvation, and it occurs the moment you place your faith in Jesus as your Savior, even if you are unaware that it is happening. So let’s talk about the otherkind of baptism: water baptism.

Water Baptism

First, let’s discuss the actual meaning of the word, “baptize.”

Oddly enough, the Greek word for “baptize” is pretty much just “baptize.” The problem was that when the first English Bibles were being published (particularly the King James Version which was “authorized” by King James, the then monarch of England, who was also the head of the Anglican Church)…since they had to not contradict the Church of England, the translators could not write in the actual meaning of the word for baptism. The Church of England (which was scarcely removed from Catholicism,) was practicing baptism by sprinkling, while the actual meaning is “To Dip!” The Greek word “baptizō”means “immersion!” The intensive verb “baptizō” is most frequent derivative of the root “baptō”, which is translated, and is always translated “Dip.”

So… had they consistently translated the word to what it actually means, John the Baptist would have been John the Dipper! But when Jesus “dipped” the sop in the cup, and passed it to Judas, the word “baptō” was actually translated: and no one called that a baptism!

We can see, then, that the concept involved immersion, and that the result of that immersion is to fully identify the thing being dipped, with the substance it was dipped in. The sop Jesus handed to Judas was soaked in whatever was in the cup. Cloth that has been dipped in a certain pot of dye is permanently identified with that specific pot of dye. In fact, all the cloth that came through that specific pot is together identified as a specific “dye-lot.” If you have been born again through faith in the Blood of Jesus, then The Holy Spirit has immersed you into the Body of Christ, according to 1^st Corinthians 12:13, and you are permanently identified with Him in every way.

Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized so that He was identified with the message of John: John preached the Gospel of the coming Kingdom—the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the 1000-year reign of Jesus on earth. Jesus is the promised King! So He needed to be identified with the Promised Kingdom.

We practice water Baptism for the same reason as we practice Communion: we were told to do so! It commemorates in the life of each believer the fact that the Holy Spirit has already placed us into the Body of Christ. He has immersed us into Jesus, so that we are fully identified with Him, forever, in every way. We do this once, as a believer, to testify of our new position in Christ. It is not how we “join a church,” or “repent of our sins” or any other such thing. This is a believer’s baptism.

What happens if you don’t get baptized? Nothing, as far as I can see: But Jesus commanded the eleven to go into the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and “teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” There is a spiritual “chain reaction,” there, which requires that this command, called the “Great Commission” is our marching orders, just as it was for the eleven. And that includes believer’s baptism. So, even though we may not really be sure how it works as a testimony, we do practice water baptism by immersion. We do not require it of anyone, and only offer it as it is requested.

Paul said he was thankful he had only baptized a handful of them, and concluded that “Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel.” Paul did practice water baptism, but it did not have a very high priority in his mind. The reality (being baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ”) came about through the preaching of the Gospel. Water baptism was just a picture of the real thing.

Water baptism does not require any special clothing or ritual, or oath-taking or any other such thing: upon public confession of faith in Jesus and His finished Work at the Cross, a believer is qualified for water baptism, as a step of obedience and a testimony of the new birth.

One person in our fellowship, already a believer, has requested water baptism, so, next week we plan to fulfill that ordinance for that person! If there is anyone else who would also like to be baptized, please let one of us know, and we will extend the offer to all believers. Rick Flemmer and I will serve together to carry out the baptisms.

Next week is also communion Sunday, so we will be observing both ordinances of the church on the same day. That seems pretty special to me!

Lord Jesus, please help us to focus our attention on you, and not the “outward things” that so easily attract our eyes and our minds. Let us learn to walk with You in obedience.