Baptist Distinctives: Church autonomy (part 1)

John T. Christian wrote "A History of the Baptists" published by Bogard Press. There are two volumes to this magnificent work. I shall attempt to present exerpts that struck me as interesting.

"A New Testament Church is a company of baptized believers voluntarily associated together for the maintenance of the ordinances and the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

"The distinctive characteristics of this church are clearly marked in the New Testament."

"Such a church was a voluntary association and was independent of all other churches. It might be, and probably was, affiliated with other churches in brotherly relations; but it remained independent of all outward control, and was responsible to Christ alone, who was the supreme lawgiver and the source of all authority." (From chapter 1 The New Testament Churches. p 13)

Communion - A Symbol Not A Sacrament (part 4)

False Teachings about Communion

Transubstantiation - This is a false teaching adopted by the Roman Catholic Church in the Lateran Council (1215 A.D.) under Pope Innocent III. They teach that the bread and cup supernaturally becomes the person of Jesus Christ. This teaching necessitates salvation by eating bread, a complete misunderstanding of Jn. 6:32-58. If followed to its logical conclusion, one can partake of Communion without sincere faith and repentance and still ‘receive Jesus.’ This is nothing less than apostasy (a turning away from the Gospel).

Consubstantiation - The presence of Jesus is with, in or under the elements of the bread and cup. Protestants affirm this doctrine and in doing so they avoid the tension created by the Catholic church. The elements do not turn into Christ, but Christ is somewhere present in the elements. This is still making Communion to be mystical when it is not.

Communion - A Symbol Not A Sacrament (part 3)

Communion cannot bestow grace on anyone; only God can do this. Grace is God’s favor. It is something that He gives, and nothing that we can earn in and of ourselves (Eph. 2:8). God has given us His only begotten Son Jesus Christ who is full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14). To receive Him as savior is the Bible way to receive grace (Jn. 1:12).

“So... why is Communion important?”

1. Remembrance - it reminds the church of the Lord’s atonement or sacrifice. The bread symbolizes His body and the cup symbolizes His blood (I Cor. 11:24-25).

2. Examination - Before participating, each believer is instructed to examine his life to ensure that he is right with God and the church (I Cor. 11:28; 31).

Communion - A Symbol Not A Sacrament (part 2)

The Lord Jesus Christ is the originator of this ordinance (I Cor. 11:23) and the church is the only institution in the New Testament whereby Communion is observed (Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; I Cor. 11:20). Therefore, it is worthless to partake of the bread and cup, when one has not by faith partaken of the true Bread of Life, Jesus Christ.

In John 6:47 the Lord explained in very simple terms what He meant by partaking of His flesh and blood - “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” The language used by Jesus (i.e. ’Bread of Life’) is one of many metaphors used to describe the significance of Christ alone as being the only way of salvation (other metaphors of Christ include Jn. 8:12 ‘Light’; 10:9 ‘Door’; 10:11 ‘Shepherd’; 15:1 ‘Vine’).

Communion A Symbol Not A Sacrament (part 1)

This is another home-church-made Bible tract that our church gives out as part of our evangelism. It's called 'Communion- A Symbol not a Sacrament.'

There are several terms that are used synonymously with the word Communion - “The Lord’s Supper,” “The Lord’s Table,” and “Breaking of Bread.” Unfortunately, with the proliferation of false teachings today, Communion is misunderstood by many to be a means of receiving grace. Is Communion a sacrament? What is the purpose of Communion?

Thankfully, the Bible has the answer to all of life’s important questions. The doctrine of Communion is no exception. Just what exactly does God say about it? The answer to that question is truly what matters.

Baptism (part 4)Some false teachings about baptism

1. Baptismal Regeneration—That baptism saves. Only Jesus saves (see Rom. 1:16).

2. Infant Baptism—That babies need to get baptized. (See Matt. 19:14). Note that everybody who was baptized in the Bible exercised faith, infants cannot do this.

3. No Baptism—That somehow baptism is not important. John. 14:15 teaches us that to love Christ is to keep His commandments. Baptism is one of these commandments.

4. Pouring or Sprinkling—That somehow these can be considered “baptism.” John baptized people in the Jordan river (Mark 1:5; also see Jn. 3:23). Jesus Himself when he was baptized “went up straight way out of the water” (Matt. 3:16). What is clear in the Bible is that baptism is a symbol of the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:3,4 and Col. 2:12). Nothing other than immersion could adequately picture such an event. Besides, the fact is that the word ‘baptize’ literally means “to dip” or “to immerse.” This shows us the proper method.

Note: There are other false teachings about baptism like that of misapplying 1 Cor. 15:29.

DAVID CLOUD: 1 Corinthians 15:29 speaks of the “baptism of the dead.” It is very difficult to know precisely what this was. Following are two good possibilities: (1) It could refer to sects which practiced some sort of baptism for the dead. “History indicates that there were sects which practiced baptism for the dead. Paul may be referring to them when he said, ‘Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead?’ But notice the change in pronouns in the next verse: ‘and why stand we in jeopardy every hour?’ Notice ‘they’ are baptizing for the dead and ‘we’ are standing in jeopardy. Paul does not include himself nor any Christian with those who were baptizing for the dead! Paul simply questions, ‘Why are they doing it if there is no resurrection?” (Tanner, Baptism for the Dead). (2) It could refer simply to the act of baptism itself. We are baptized for the dead in the sense that we are baptized to symbolize Christ’s dead, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). “As they receive baptism as an emblem of ‘death’ in voluntarily going under the water, so they receive it as an emblem of the resurrection unto eternal life in coming up out of the water; thus they are baptized for the dead, in perfect faith of the resurrection” (Adam Clarke). In cases like this, when it is very difficult to be certain that only one interpretation is true, I tend to think that more than one might be true.

Baptism - A symbol not a sacrament (part 3)

So why is baptism important?

Baptism is significant because it is the first step of obedience to the Lord’s command (Matt. 28:19-20). It publicly identifies believers as followers of Jesus (Gal. 3:27, 1 Pet. 3:21), and it still does this today. Baptism is required for joining the church (1 Cor. 12:13).

Baptism - A symbol not a sacrament (part 2)

This is also why Jesus taught the significance of believing in relation to baptism (see Mark 16:16). Ironically, Jesus Himself was baptized (Matt. 3:16). This is yet another proof that baptism does not save. In Matt. 28:19, Jesus specifically instructed His followers to first make disciples (Salvation being the primary requisite) and then baptize them. Again, salvation precedes baptism.

The Apostle Paul was thankful for not baptizing certain believers due to their spiritual immaturity (1 Cor. 1:14). This would be an absurd verse if baptism could save. Notice even in this context the candidates for baptism were already "believers."

Baptism cannot bestow grace on anyone; only God can do this. Grace is God's favor. It is something that He gives and nothing that we can earn in and of ourselves. (see Eph. 2:8).

Baptism A Symbol Not A Sacrament

Many people are confused about the ordinance of Baptism. This home-made tract is designed to promote a plain summary of some of what the Bible teaches about baptism. Primarily to point others to the understanding that faith in Christ alone is Salvation and that baptism is an outward manifestation of that inward truth, a believer's public identification to The Lord Jesus Christ, and an initiation to and requirement for joining the church. This tract does not pretend to cover all the intricate and relevant portion of this essential Baptist distinctive.

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Can baptism save? Can it bestow grace? What does the Bible teach about baptism? Dear friends, the last question is the most important question because it does not matter what man, church, or tradition teaches; however, it does matter what God teaches through the Bible.

Because the Bible is God's Word, it is the Christian's final rule in matters of faith and practice. One can examine its teaching concerning major doctrines with a great degree of clarity. The topic of baptism is no exception. The Bible has much to say about baptism.

Man's religion teaches Salvation by baptism

God's Word teaches Salvation first, followed by baptism

In the New Testament, every person exercised faith prior to Christian baptism. See Acts 2:41, 8:36-38, 9:15-18, 10:44-47, 16:14-15 and 30-34. The fact that repentance precedes baptism indicates that saving faith is a requirement for baptism. This is why John the Baptist, in Matt. 3:7-8, rejected a group of religious people (hypocrites) who desired to be baptized but expressed no true sense of repentance.

What About Church? (part 7)

7. What is a church?

A church is an autonomous (meaning self-governing) assembly of baptized believers, with officers and members, who gather for the purpose of glorifying God, winning the lost, and carrying out the ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ. (see Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 12;)

What About Church? (part 6)

6. Is the church perfect?

Not yet. There is no such thing as a perfectly sinless church on earth. Somehow people expect church to be a place for exclusively holy people forgetting that it is composed of sinners forgiven by the grace of God.
Christ has given gifts to the church so that its members can grow spiritually (see Ephesians 4:11-12). In the future when Christ returns for His church, He will perfect the church (see Ephesians 5:27).

What About Church? (part 5)

5. How important is church to Jesus Christ?

The Bible uses some metaphors (or symbols) which helps us understand the significance of the relationship that Christ has to His church.

A. The Body of Christ— (see 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:8). A body is composed of many members which work with such symmetry that it functions without much thought. This symbol should remind each member of the church to endeavor to live peaceably among each other. (see Romans 12:18; Ephesians 4:3).

B. The Bride of Christ— (see Ephesians 5:23, 25). Here we see the sincere love that Christ has for His church. Jesus bought the church with His own blood (see Acts 20:28). If Christ esteems the church highly, shouldn’t we?

What About Church? (part 4)

4. Do I need to join a church to worship the Lord?

Yes. Many are under the impression that they could seek God on their own. After all, why should we bother going anywhere if we could just read our Bibles and pray at home? While this thought is convenient it goes against the teachings of Scripture and practice of New Testament Christians. Worship is acknowledging God and obeying His commands.

Hebrews 10:25 says: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more as ye see the day approaching.” Some have made a habit or a custom of neglecting church, such a practice is unbiblical.

The Biblical model of New Testament worship is seen in Acts 2:41. It starts with Salvation first (i.e. trusting in Christ alone), followed by baptism, as a step of obedience, and then church membership.

The early church was concerned with the worship of God, keeping His ordinances, prayer and fellowship of believers (see Acts 2:42).

What About Church (part 3)

3. Do I need to join a church in order to be saved?

No. The Bible teaches us that Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone (see Ephesians 2:8-9). There is not a church in the world that could take anyone to Heaven. If you repent of your sin and trust Christ as your Saviour then you are saved. Many today teach that Salvation is through church membership, or baptism, or by being a good neighbor. But nothing we do could ever merit God’s grace. This is why Jesus came. He came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

What About Church? (part2)

2. What does the word 'church' mean?

The word ‘church’ literally means a ‘called out people.’ The church is a group of people and not a building. It also means assembly or congregation. This is significant because many theologians impose a definition on ‘church’ that is foreign to the New Testament. Roman Catholicism claims that ‘The Church’ is the universal visible body of believers. Protestants, on the other hand, teach that ‘The Church’ is a universal invisible body of believers. The problem with both views is that they ignore the plain meaning of the word ‘church.’ The only church in the Bible is a local assembly.
Furthermore, the problem arises when one applies the definition of the Kingdom of God (which is composed of all believers) to the church (which is a local assembly).

What About Church? (A home made gospel tract)

Whose idea is it anyway? To some people church is extremely important, others could care less, and yet there are those who absolutely avoid it. This tract is designed to provide you with answers to some of the most basic questions about church. Our goal is to answer questions succinctly from the Bible, and provide other passages of Scripture for further study.

The Bible is God’s Word. It is inspired and preserved for us so that we can know exactly what God wants us to know about life’s major questions. These questions about church are no exemption. In fact the Bible has so much to say about church, that this small tract could not possibly cover it all. Therefore, If you are sincere in desiring to know what the Bible teaches then this tract may be of some help. Your approach to God and His Word will either aid or hinder you spiritually.

1. Whose idea is it anyway?

Jesus Christ. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said: “...I will build my church…” In Ephesians 2:20 we see that Christ is the ‘chief cornerstone’ of the church. This means that Jesus is the foundation of the church. The apostle Paul teaches us that Christ is the head of the church in Ephesians 5:23. Jesus is the founder and head (or Lord) of the church. (see 1 Peter 2:6-7).

Excerpts from Spurgeon's "The Bible" sermon

Text: "I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing." Hosea 8:12

"I charge you with the sin of the text. God has written to you the great things of his law, but they have been unto you as a strange thing. It is concerning this blessed book, the Bible, that I mean to speak to-night. Here lies my text -This Word of God. Here is the theme of my discourse, a theme which demands more eloquence than I possess; a subject upon which a thousand orators might speak at once; a mighty, vast, and comprehensive theme, which might engross all eloquence throughout eternity, and still it would remain unexhausted."