Recently in conducting the Lord’s Supper I made a comment that in order to partake one needed to have been scripturally baptized and a member of a church of like faith and practice. There were a few who had never heard this before and wondered why Baptists hold to this order. Last night, in our Sunday evening Bible Study I taught on this topic and the following is an overview of what we discussed....
There are two ordinances in the New Testament, namely baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They work in relation to one another as a proclamation of the gospel in the life of the church. Therefore, we must first understand what the purpose of each ordinance is before we can see how they work together.
A (very) brief overview of baptism as a church ordinance
* The SUBJECT of New Testament baptism was someone who had repented of sin and exercised faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we believe strongly that baptism is only for believers (hence the name “believers baptism”). Therefore, baptism is not baptism if the person is not a genuine believer in Jesus Christ. This would, of course, rule out people who have not exercised faith or were unable to (as in infants) at the time of their “baptism.”
* The MODE of New Testament baptism was immersion, namely the submerging of the believer completely under the water. The very meaning of the word “baptizo” is to “dip” or “immerse.” Therefore, we believe strongly that baptism is only by immersion. This would, of course, eliminate sprinkling or pouring as legitimate forms of baptism.
* The RELATIONSHIP of New Testament baptism is to the local fellowship of believers. Therefore, we believer strongly that baptism is a church ordinance, not an individual act. It is to be done under the accountability and oversight of the local congregation as a proclamation of the gospel of Jesus in that church and in the individual’s life.
* The TIMING of New Testament baptism is in relationship to the individual’s conversion. Therefore, we strongly believe that the Bible teaches that the Bible is the first sign of obedience and testimony in the believer’s life. Though the believer is not necessarily baptized within seconds of exercising faith, baptism is something that should be done sooner rather than later if the person has genuinely believed. So baptism is closely connect with the sign of conversion in that it symbolizes the forgiveness of sins (Acts 22:16) and one’s union with Christ (Romans 6:3-4; Col 2:11-12).
A (very) brief overview of the Lord’s Supper as a church ordinance
* The SUBJECT of the Lord’s supper is an individual who has expressed their union with Christ and is in fellowship with other believers (more on this to come).
* The MODE of the Lord’s Supper is bread and wine (or the fruit of the vine). This is represented in the Passover feast and faithful to Jesus’ instruction with his disciples in the Upper Room.
* The TIMING of the Lord’s Supper is ongoing. Unlike baptism, the Lord’s Supper is repeated in the life of the church because whereas baptism is the initial act symbolizing conversion, the Lord’s Supper is the ongoing act of remembering the accomplished work of Christ and the future kingdom of God.
* The RELATIONSHIP of the Lord’s Supper is to the unity of the church and unity in Christ. Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 10:16–17, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” The Lord’s Supper represents accountability within the church, both personally and corporately.
So why does biblical baptism need to occur before participation in the Lord’s Supper?
The order of the Great Commission: Matthew 28:18-20
1) All authority belongs to Jesus.
2) The church is to go into all nations (evangelism/missions).
3) “Baptizing” them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is recognized as “conversion” because baptism is (as stated above) the initial sign of one’s union with Christ and forgiveness of sins.
4) Then, comes “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Clearly, fulfilling the command of observing the Lord’s Supper falls here and not before.
Therefore, it is after conversion, which is seen publicly and symbolically through baptism that a person would gather with other believers (the church) in participation of the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper.
The pattern of the early church: Acts 2:41-42
1) Peter preaches the gospel.
2) They “believed” and were “baptized”.
3) After faith/baptism they were added to the “fellowship of believers”.
4) As apart of that fellowship with believers they devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching, prayers, and “the breaking of bread”.
This is a clear example of the order we see in the Great Commission, namely evangelism, conversion/baptism, and then participation in the life of the church (which would include gathering for the Lord’s Supper). It should be noted that there is no biblical evidence of their being any different pattern than this in the NT.
The Logical placement of Baptism and Lord’s Supper
If baptism is the initial sign of identity with Christ and His body, then it only makes sense that a believer would NOT join with believers in partaking of the Lord’s Supper without first express such union in the way Scripture teaches (i.e. believers baptism).
Baptist Confession
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper. The Baptist Faith & Message [2000]
Objections to Consistent Communion
The case cannot clearly be made from passages like Matthew 28:18–20.
Answer: Though the topic is not directly addressed, it is a natural assumption derived from these passages. Assuming that the “all things” of Matthew 28:19 includes everything which Jesus taught, it is only logical that his teaching regarding communion.
You shouldn’t prevent someone over something as small as disagreeing on the “mode of baptism.”
Answer: You are assuming that Scripture isn’t clear on the right mode of baptism and therefore one’s “opinion” of baptism trumps the clear teaching of the NT. As a result, you are asking the church to compromise their clear conviction of NT baptism for the sake of inclusion.
The Lord’s Supper is a Christian ordinance given to the church universal.
In the New Testament, it was local congregations that “broke bread” together. It was when the congregation was gathered that believers were instructed to examine themselves before partaking. There are no examples in the New Testament of the Lord’s Supper occurring outside of the context of a local church gathering.
Pastor Wes
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