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CCS SYSTHEO
The Church:
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
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Baptism
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Baptism Views

Means of Grace
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Covenant Sign or Seal
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Picture of Salvation
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Also categorized . . .
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PedoBaptism – Baptizing Children into Church
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CredoBaptism – Baptizing believers as the Church
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Baptism as a Means of Grace
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PedoBaptists
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Considered a sacrament, rather than an ordinance

Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran*

Either God’s doing through the Church authority or God’s
doing more nebulous – but mystical in sacrament – God’s
doing through procedure

Generally approached from the biblical texts regarding
entire households being baptized (Acts 11, 16 & 18)
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Baptism as Sign & Seal of the
Covenant

PedoBaptists*

Considered a sign, but a calling to the faithfulness to the
Covenant

It is a promise of grace, but only through obedience to the
Covenant – yet, with overlap to sacramentalists views
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Much like the sign of circumcision for the covenant in OT, so
is baptism in NT

Approaches to passages like Col. 2:11-12, as well as
household passages again in Acts to support.
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Baptism as a picture of Salvation
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CredoBaptists

Not a sacrament, but an ordinance
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Has no merit whatsoever, but is an act of obedience,
confession and experience

Only for those who have exercised faith in the Gospel unto
salvation and therefore happens after

Matthew 28:19-20 and Ethiopian Eunuch was baptized after
belief; also thief on Cross promised Paradise with no baptism
– not required.
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A couple notes on “mode”

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Immersion
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Baptize is a transliterated word from the Greek, baptizo
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It is the meaning of the word baptizo in Greek – to dip or immerse
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See even mundane uses – John 13:26 (dipped)
Pouring (Affusion)
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Pouring water over someone is related to the Pouring out of the
Spirit.
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Considered an option in the early Church (See next Slide)
Sprinkling (Aspersion)
And concerning baptism, thus baptize ye: Having first
said all these things, baptize into the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living
water. But if thou have not living water, baptize into
other water; and if thou canst not in cold, in warm. But
if thou have not either, pour out water thrice
upon the head into the name of Father and Son and
Holy Spirit. But before the baptism let the baptizer fast,
and the baptized, and whatever others can; but thou
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shalt order the baptized to fast one or two days before.
-Didache ch. 7, from
Ante-Nicene Fathers
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A couple notes on “mode”

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
Immersion

Baptize is a transliterated word from the Greek, baptizo

It is the meaning of the word baptizo in Greek – to dip or immerse

See even mundane uses – John 13:26 (dipped)
Pouring (Affusion)

Pouring water over someone is related to the Pouring out of the
Spirit.

Considered an option in the early Church (See next Slide)
Sprinkling (Aspersion)
Often related to Ezekiel 36:25
 25 ”I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean
from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse
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you.”
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To Clear things up . . .
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Jesus saves – and only Jesus. Acts 4:11-12
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How that salvation is applied is in question
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The flow of salvific history/theology is also in play
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The Bible must be the final authority
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The Lord’s
Supper
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Lord’s Supper Views
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Transubstantiation
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Consubstantiation
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Commemoration
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Other Categories
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Roman Catholic (Transubstantiation)
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Lutheran (Consubstantiation)
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Reformed (Sacramental)
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Zwinglian (Commemoration)
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Roman Catholicism
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transubstantiation. A
term in Roman
Catholic theology meaning
“essential change,” the belief that
by the power of God at the
consecration in the Mass, the bread
and wine change substance into the
actual substance of Jesus’ body and
blood, even though they seem to
retain their natural characteristics.
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Lutheranism
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Martin Luther taught
that the body and blood of the
Lord is present “in, with and
under” the actual bread and
wine.
consubstantiation.
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Commemoration
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Commemorialism. Originating
with Ulrich Zwingli, a
view of the Lord’s Supper that sees the rite as
symbolic, as representing (or memorializing)
Christ’s self-giving on the cross (together with
his last supper with the disciples).
Commemorialists believe that Christ’s
presence is not localized in the communion
elements but within the gathered community of
believers. Memorialists consider the word is in
Christ’s words, “This is my body. . . . This is my
blood” (Mk 14:22, 24) to be figurative, so that it
means “signifies” or “represents.” Hence by
this phrase Jesus was not referring literally to
his physical body and blood but was indicating
that the physical elements are symbols of his
life that would be given for them.
The Lord’s Supper is a
reminder of the death of Christ
and of its sacrificial character in
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our behalf, a symbol of our vital
connection with the Lord, and a
testimony to His second
coming.
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A Focused and Sobering Passage
1 Corinthians 11:23-32
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And can it be that I should gain an
interest in the Savior's blood!
Died he for me? who caused his
pain! For me? who him to death
pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be that
thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be that
thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
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CCS SYSTHEO
The Church:
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper