“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.”
This a parable which teaches through an illustration, what Jesus taught more plainly in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Jesus did not give many direct commandments but two of them involve the Ordinances of the Church. The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention teaches new churches on the mission field that Biblical administration of the ordinances is one of the characteristics of a healthy church. As we rebuild our church ministries in the aftermath of Covid-19, one area that we should consider is how we conduct Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Healthy Baptism:
As we consider the administration of Baptism, we realize that Jesus was baptized by John, and then in the Great Commission, Jesus commanded us to baptize those who become His disciples. A great example of that is found in Acts 8:27-31 and 35-38,
And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him . . . Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
This passage is a great model for us because it so clearly presents two bedrock truths about baptism.
The first fact is baptism must come after conversion.
Philip presented the Gospel clearly to the eunuch and the eunuch understood what was said to him. We don’t have the details of the conversation, but the Ethiopian demonstrated his commitment to the truth by willingly submitting to baptism. In fact, he was so enthusiastic about the idea that he almost demanded to be baptized!
The other fact we observe is that baptism is properly done by immersion, because it illustrates important facts about the Gospel.
As Romans 6:4 tells us, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
Note that Philip and the Ethiopian went down into the water and that the word baptize means to immerse. Our immersion during baptism is a demonstration of the Gospel and it is a sermon physically acted out. Baptism is not just for the new disciple; it is also a message to the lost.
What about someone who can’t get into a baptismal pool? I believe the example of my older sister is a valid answer to that.
My sister, who died when I was 10 years old had a chronic, degenerative disease and she was homebound. That did not prevent her giving her life to Christ, but the question of her baptism was a real puzzle. In the end, our pastor prayed and came up with a brilliant solution.
A group from the church gathered in our home around my sister who was lying in her hospital bed. Our pastor conducted an absolutely ordinary baptismal until the point he would have normally immersed my sister, but in her case, he drew a blanket up over her head and them lowered it, saying, “Buried with Him in baptism, we are raised to walk in newness of life. Of all the baptisms I have seen or even performed myself, hers was the most touching of all.
Besides having a proper candidate and a proper mode, we also need to maintain the proper sequence.
Baptists believe that salvation and baptism must come before church membership and participation in the Lord’s Supper. We usually get the Lord’s Supper part right, but many churches have developed a habit of admitting someone into membership on the day that they make their profession of faith instead of after their baptism. That this practice has become common is understandable because a person declaring for Christ is something to be celebrated. Let me suggest, however, a better way.
The church where I was saved and baptized, and my sisters also, had the practice of holding a quarterly membership service in which all new members of the church were received. This gave the pastor time to counsel with people transferring their membership to our church and it also gave him time to prepare candidates for baptism as well. I think there is much to commend this idea, because it was also a service in which we celebrated the Lord’s Supper.
The Lord’s Supper:
The other ordinance that the church was given stewardship over was Communion, or the Lord’s Supper. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 we read,
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Like with baptism, this passage includes several important facts about Communion.
First, like baptism, Jesus has commanded us to observe the Lord’s Supper. I am not sure that Baptist churches actually obey this command often enough. I agree that our focus in worship should be God’s Word, but that very Word commands us to remember Christ through the Lord’s Supper. Is celebrating Communion three or four times a year sufficient to fulfill the spirit of this directive? I am not so sure that it does.
Next, we need to see that this ordinance not only reminds us of Christ, but as a celebration of the New Covenant it is also a time of fellowship with Him and with our fellow church members. It is a physical reminder of what Paul described in Ephesians 2:13-16:
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
Eating a meal together has always been an intimate and personal experience where barriers are dropped, and a common experience is shared. This is what takes place between Christ and the members of His church when Communion is celebrated.
Also, Paul notes that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper is, like baptism, a sermon which is acted out physically. As the church partakes of the bread and the cup, Jesus is proclaimed, His sacrificed is demonstrated, and our identification with Him is declared.
Finally, we are reminded that the Lord’s Supper is just the earthly representation of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb which will be served in Heaven after Jesus returns for His Church, the Bride of Christ. That will be a celebration that will make our worship on earth pale in comparison!
Just Do It:
The ordinances of the church are just that: practices ordained by God through Christ. They are not optional, but mandatory for the church to observe.
The meaning of each ordinance is important, though some may disagree in some of the details.
The mode of each ordinance is important, though some may also disagree in some ways about the details.
And yes, the subject of each ordinance is important, though as we know, some will disagree about the details.
What we cannot disagree on, is that we must obey our Lord and we must celebrate these ordinances of the church. Who do we want to be like? The son in the parable that said “Yes,” but did not obey? Or do we want to be like the son who did the will of his father?
When it comes to baptism and the Lord’s Supper we need do what the slogan for the manufacturer of athletic shoes says, “Just Do It!”
Every blessing,
Dr. Otis Corbitt
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