Baptism

Christian Baptism is a sovereign New Covenant ordinance of the Lord in which repentant believers submit themselves to immersion in water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit at the hands of an authorized disciple. This act is a sign of believer’s faith in the Lordship of Christ; of union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection; of being grafted into Christ; of remission of sins; of walking in newness of life; and of their belonging to the new people of God — the true Israel. It is also an emblem of burial and cleansing; signifying death to the old life of unbelief, purification from the pollution of sin. Baptism is therefore a pre-requisite to the privileges of church membership.

1. sovereign New Covenant ordinance of the Lord = Mathew 28:19

2. repentant believers = Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:12; Acts 8:36,37; Acts 18:8; Romans 5:1; Gal 3:26-27; 1 Peter 3:21

3. immersion in water = Mathew 3:16; Mark 1:9-10; John 3:23; Acts 8:36-39; Rom 6:3-4

4. in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit = Mathew 28:19

5. submit themselves to/at the hands of an authorized disciple = 1 Cor 4:1; Titus 1:5-7 (elders who are responsible for the stewardship of the ordinances have the authority to delegate the performance of ordinances)

6. a sign of one’s faith in… Christ = Mark 16:16; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:12; Acts 8:36,37; Acts 18:8; Acts 19:5; James 2:15-20

7. union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection = Romans 6:3-6; 1 Cor 12:13; Col 2:12

8. grafted into Christ = Rom 6:3-5; Col 2:12; Gal 3:27

9. remission of sins = Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21

10. walking in newness of life = Rom 6:4

11. their belonging to the new people of God — the true Israel = Rom 2:28-29; Rom 4:16; Gal 3:7; Mark 1:4-5

12. an emblem of burial and cleansing… purification from the pollution of sin = Hebrews 10:22

13. a pre-requisite to the privileges of church membership = Acts 2:38-39; Acts 2:41

Previously...

On Our Pastors' Minds

The Need for a Practical Apologetic


It is the job of apologetics to refute such opposition and to demonstrate the truth of the Christian proclamation and worldview - to "cast down reasonings and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:5). However, apologetics must not be cooped up in the classroom and academy. It must be taken out into the world of daily life...taken to the streets. Christians waste their time if they interact only with academic and hypothetical critics, but not with the man-on-the-street in the flesh. In fact, the majority of interactions we have will be informal and casual encounters with those in need of the gospel.

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Joining a Church the Ancient Way: From Clement to Egeria

How did a person join a congregation in the earliest days of Christianity? From one perspective, the question is easy to answer. Simply put, believer’s baptism was the church’s rite of entry down to the early fourth century. But—and no surprise here—there was more to it than that.

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