QUOTE ON CHURCH ORDINANCE

 

“Church ordinance does not bring about salvation, but they add flavor and bring joy to our hearts by helping us to remember Jesus Christ and                 the marvelous things HE did for us.”

–     Dr. Ezra Aniebue

 

STATEMENT OF FAITH ARTICLE VIII

We believe in Water Baptism by Immersion and the LORD’S Supper as the two primary ordinances of the Church. They are symbolic, but their observance involves faith, confession, self-examination, discernment, gratitude, dedication, fellowship and worship of GOD.

 

Anointing with oil – not all prayers require using anointing oil, laying on of hands – the Gentiles in Cornelius house spoke in tongues without Apostle Peter touching them, and feet washing – a demonstration of an attitude of service and servant leadership is not a requirement since the believer is already washed by the BLOOD of JESUS CHRIST, are church disciplines (church practices) not church ordinance.

 

The ordinance of baptism by immersion in water is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life.

(Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47, 48; Rom. 6:4).

 

Look at the practice of baptism by briefly considering the Way, the Who, and the Why of Baptism:

THE “WAY,” OF BAPTISM

1. The Baptism of the Lord Matt. 3:13 & 16

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him…..

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water…. ”

 

2. The Baptism of the Acts 8:36-39

“Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said,

‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of GOD.’ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.” The very word “baptize” means to plunge or place beneath the water.

 

 

THE “WHO,” OF BAPTISM

Three scriptures that indicate who the proper candidate for baptism is: Acts 2:41 – “Those who accepted his message were baptized and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

 

Acts 8:37 – “Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of GOD.”

 

Acts 18:8 – “Many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.”

The perquisite for baptism in the New Testament church was a valid confession of faith embracing the Person and cross-work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

                                   

 

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BAPTISM

 

• Baptism is identification with Christ in His redemptive work;
• Baptism is introduction to Christ’s visible church;
• Baptism is an outward expression of an inward experience;
• Baptism is a public testimony and a silent
• Baptism is obedience. “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, inthename ofJesus” (Acts 2:38)

 

 

 

THE LORD’S TABLE

The Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) is a sober searching of one’s heart, a

thankful remembrance of Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross. The Lord’s Supper consists of the elements—bread and the fruit of the vine—is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Cor 11:26); and a prophecy of His second coming (1 Cor. 11:26); and is enjoined on all believers “till He comes!

 

I CORINTHIANS 11:23-26

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night 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, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

 

The scriptures teach that the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the sacrificial, substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ and is to be observed by baptized believers, administered by the local church, until the Lord Jesus comes again. It is always to be preceded by solemn self-examination.

 

LOOKS FROM THE LORD’S TABLE:

 

The Backward Look – Thanksgiving for the sacrificial death of our beloved                             JESUS on the Cross.

 

The Upward Look – Thanksgiving to the ever-powerful SAVIOR Who Conquered                         death and is Alive Forever More. Looking upward meaning dependence on GOD.

 

The Inward Look – Self-examination and thanksgiving for the Grace to partake                     in remembrance of the LORD’S BODY and BLOOD. 1 Cor. 11: 28 “A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.” 2 Cor. 13:5 “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.”

 

The Forward Look – Thanksgiving and excitement for the Coming KING OF.               kings

1 Cor 11:26 “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the LORD’S death until HE comes.”

 

 

 

 

 

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ON CHURCH ORDINANCE

Read each of the Scripture verses cited. For your own benefit, on a separate  paper, write notes and insights you receive from reading these verses and parallel them with the stated statement of faith.

 

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of              GOD descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:13-17).

 

• And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the  cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission  of But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives (Matthew 26:26-30).

 

• Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all   things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the Amen (Matthew 28:19-20).

 

• And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized (John 3:23).

 

• Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued sted-fastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:41-42).

 

• Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of GOD. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:35-39).

 

• Andbrought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway (Acts 16:30-33).

 

• And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight (Acts 20:7).

 

• Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection (Romans 6:3-5).

 

• The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of  Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16)

 

• Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils (1 Corinthians 10:21).

 

• For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth, and drinketh unworthily, eateth, and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body (1 Corinthians 11:23-29).

 

• Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of GOD, who hath raised him from the dead (Colossians 2:12).

 

NOTES ON STATEMENT OF FAITH ARTICLE VIII

 

Baptismal regeneration is unsound, that is, that baptism causes a person to be regenerated or born again. New birth is through an act of repentance and confession of faith. However, to be obedient to Christ and follow Him fully a person needs to be baptized in water. Likewise, Communion does not save from sin, but partaking of Communion is an act of obedience. The term “Communion” means common union, the symbol of our oneness with Christ and with one another through commemorating the death of Jesus Christ for our sins. Communion is fellowship with GOD. The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia, meaning, “to have in common, partake of, participate in.” In modern language, it is community.

 

ASSIGNMENT:

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

True and False: Write a “T” for true or an “F” for false for each of the following statements.

 

1. You must be baptized in order to be
2. Communion is a memorial of Christ’s death for our
3. Communion saves you from
4. The biblical practice of baptism is to be baptized as a believer by immersion in