All quotations are taken from the New American Standard

Version unless otherwise indicated.

© 2014—For republication please contact
tim@graceofforesthills.com
For more booklets in this series go to
guineafield.blogspot.com
or graceofforesthills.com
 Table of Contents

LESSON 1 – Baptism 1-11

Background – How did baptism come about?

LESSON 2 – Baptism 12-21

Who should be baptized?

LESSON 3 - Baptism 22-32

How and why should we baptize?

LESSON 4 – The Lord’s Table 33-46

Background of the Lord’s Table 33-37
Participants of the Lord’s Table 37-46

LESSON 5 – The Lord’s Table 47-56

Misinterpretations of the Lord’s Table
 God's Orders for His
Church Lesson 1:
Baptism

Introduction

John Newton's last words were, "My memory is nearly gone,

but I can remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and
that Christ is a great Savior!” 1 We often quote people's last
words. At times they summarize their life; at other times
they offer their final challenge to others. These sayings are
often very motivational

We find this type of challenge in the life of our Lord. In two

of His final earthly speeches, He gave marching orders for
His local Church. The first, baptism, is found in Matthew
28:28, and the second, Lord’s Table observance, was given
on the night He enjoyed His final Passover Seder with his
Disciples. That night Jesus commanded the disciples to
continue this meal in memory of Him. We seek to obey these
two commands, these two marching orders, when we observe
the two ordinances of the local church.

The word ordinance is defined as "an authoritative decree or

direction." 2 Baptism and the Lord’s Table are Jesus' orders to
us as a church. Because of the weight that Jesus gives to

1 Strom, Once Blind, 234.

2 Merriam-Webster Dictionary online

2
these commands, we need to know their nature and purpose
so that we in turn can teach others at Grace Baptist Church.
Claim these ordinances as your own!

Baptism and the Lord’s Table work together to paint a unified

picture. Baptism represents a person's entrance to the body
of Christ. The Lord's Table pictures a person's continuance
in that body. Although, these ordinances do not accomplish
that entrance and continuation in the body of Christ, they
picture these essential spiritual realities. We could see
baptism as a visual/symbolic gate to the church and the
Lord's Table as a visual/symbolic fence surrounding the
fellowship of the local body.

We will begin our study with the ordinance of baptism, a

believer's public display of their faith in Jesus as Lord and
Savior. As we do, we will answer four different questions.

1. Understanding the Background—How did baptism come

about?
2. Understanding the Meaning—What does baptism mean?
3. Understanding the Purpose—Why do I need to be
Baptized?
4. Understanding the Process—How is baptism
administered?

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Understanding the Background - How did baptism
come about?

Baptism developed in several phases from the Jewish

ceremony of the early NT to what we practice today. Because
of these changes, when you ‘dip’ into a passage and read the
word ‘baptize’ you should recognize who is using the word
and what historical context is involved.

Phase #1: Jewish Ceremonial Cleansing:

We should start with baptism during the time period of Jesus'
life and ministry. Being dunked under water is not a
common practice in
our culture.
However, according
to archeological
findings there were
many ‘dunk tanks’ in
Jerusalem at the
time of Jesus. 3
People used these to cleanse themselves after being ‘unclean
till the evening’ for one offense or the other under the
Mosaic Law. People would become unclean for touching a

3 “Ritual immersion was a common practice in Judaism, so common

that the wealthier inhabitants of Jerusalem had their own immersion
pools built in their houses. Nearly 150 of them have been found. . . .
They were to be one cubit square by one cubit square and three
cubits deep to enable people standing in it to immerse themselves
completely by bending their knees.” (David E. Garland, Zondervan
Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary on Mark 1:5).

4
dead person or for touching an eagle, pig, or lizard (Leviticus
11:28, 40). I can hear the neighbors next door yelling –
“Mom, no fair! The Jones’s have their own ceremonial
cleansing ritual tank in their house!” Christian baptism is a
different practice entirely because of what it symbolizes (as
we shall see), but this is the root of the practice.

Consider another example; many Jewish restaurants here in

NYC have two sinks—one in the restroom and another just
outside of the bathroom in public. This is for cleansing your
hands before you eat as a ceremonial cleansing ritual (similar
to Jewish practice in Jesus' day). Jewish people recite a
special prayer in Hebrew as they 'baptize' their hands in
water before eating. Similarly, the earliest forms of baptism
came straight from the synagogue. At the outset, baptism
was a ceremonial ritual acknowledging the need for
cleansing, and law abiding Jewish people needed baptism on
a regular basis, making it a very common image in their
culture. 4 This baptism was self-administered—someone
would walk down into the water and dip themselves. It was
also administered frequently. Some might have to do this
every day.

Another role of early Jewish baptism was (and still is)

initiating new converts—proselytes. When a Gentile wanted
to convert to Judaism he or she would need to baptized in
order to become “clean.“ Through baptism, a Gentile could
identify himself as Jewish from that time on. I have a friend

4 For example, Jewish ladies once a month.

5
who went through this process when he converted to
Judaism.

In summary, what do we learn about baptism from the Jewish

culture in which Christian baptism was born? First, it
symbolized cleansing. Second, it was included in the process
of converting to some sects of Judaism.

Phase #2: John the Baptist:

With that background, enter "John the Baptizer." 5 John calls

for this same activity—immersion—only he did this alongside
of a call for people to turn from their wicked ways. We know
it was unique enough that they sent out a group to ask what
he was doing (John 1:19). Apparently, they believed that
either the Messiah or the prophet sent to prepare for Him
would baptize. John denied that he was the Messiah but he
did testify boldly about why he was baptizing.

"So that [the Messiah] might be manifested to Israel, I

came baptizing in water" (John 1:31).

John’s purpose was to make Jesus seen in Israel, and baptism

was his way of preparing people for Jesus’ message. Over
and over the gospel writers reiterate that people who came to
John were turning from sin (Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:5; Luke

5 Perhaps we should correct the false notion that John was not the
first Baptist forming the “First Baptist Church of Jerusalem.” The
term "Baptists" came much later in church history.

6
3:3). The recipients of John’s baptism were acknowledging
to others that they were “unclean.” They understood that the
ceremonial ritual was not enough because they needed
cleansing on the inside. And that is exactly what Jesus
brought. John's phase of baptism was only a preparation for
the spiritual changes to come. Like plowing a field before
planting seed, John prepared people’s hearts for the message
(seed) of the Gospel of Christ.

SIDE LIGHT: Why was Jesus

baptized by John?

If John's baptism was the baptism of repentance from

sin in preparation for Jesus then why was Jesus
baptized? We know that Jesus had no sin to repent of
and he couldn’t turn from a sin that He had not
committed. "He committed no sin, neither was deceit
found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2:22). Jesus needed no
repentance, but he mentions that He must be baptized
to fulfill all righteousness.

At that time in God's dealing with Jewish individuals,

they were commanded to show their desire for God's
coming Messiah through baptism. Baptism was a
cleansing of themselves to prepare for God's coming
kingdom. Although Jesus had no sin to cleanse, He did
welcome the coming kingdom. So Jesus did this as an
example to the Jewish believers at that time to welcome
and expect Him as Messiah.

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 This is why God chose this event as an annunciation to
Israel of the King. As Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit
descended upon Jesus, and God the Father spoke His
approval from heaven. Jesus’ baptism was the
beginning of His earthly ministry—His presentation to
the Jewish people by the prophet, John the Baptist.

And then that message came. John looked at Jesus and cried
out with a loud voice to all around him, “Behold, the Lamb of
God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). What
a bold proclamation! Here was the One Who could be a
Sacrificial Lamb to cleanse hearts from sin. Jesus would not
just call people to repentance—He would actually cleanse
them of their sin.

Phase #3: Jesus’ Baptism:

In John 4:1 we read that Jesus baptized many disciples. Jesus

was calling people to follow Him and the full development of
the mission revealed in His name was only beginning to
develop. As Jesus continued to teach, it becomes clear that
his physical baptism also prophesied of a coming spiritual
baptism, administered by the Spirit. This is the true
Christian baptism, prophesied and commanded by Jesus, and
the final phase in Scripture’s teaching about baptism.

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Phase #4: Spirit Baptism

Even as John the Baptist was baptizing, he prophesied that

Jesus' baptism would be different than his own. Although
John baptized with water, Jesus would baptize with the Holy
Spirit (John 1:8; Acts 1:5). This spiritual baptism is invisible.
When someone trusts in Jesus as Savior, they become a
member of His spiritual body—the church. As we will see
below, this invisible baptism is what our outward ceremony
symbolizes. Our invisible baptism is administered by God
the Holy Spirit and the mode used is not water, but Jesus—
baptism into His body.

Conclusion:

When we hold a baptism at Grace Baptist Church, we are

obeying Jesus’ command to the church in the Great
Commission (phase #3), symbolizing what has already
happened in Spirit baptism (phase #4). Baptism at a local
church does not cause Spirit baptism, but it reflects that this
spiritual baptism has taken place.

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 SIDE LIGHT: Are You a Fair
Weather Friend?

In American culture it is easy to be a casual follower of

Jesus. According to Pew Research polls, well over 3/4th of
people in the United States consider themselves to be
Christians. You are just fitting in with the crowd if that is
as far as your faith goes.

But place yourself in Jesus’ day and time. Would you be

ready to boldly and publicly profess your desire to follow
Jesus if it meant that your family would ridicule you, your
neighbors would ostracize you and you would loose your
well-being? This is often what the early church faced.
Listen to Hebrews 11:35-37:

"Others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that

they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others
experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains
and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in
two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the
sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being
destitute, afflicted, ill-treated.”

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 QUESTION AND ANSWER

1. CONTENT: What are the two ordinances of the local

church? Which is symbolized by a gate and which by a
fence?

2. CONTENT: Define baptism:

3. Do you think baptism had more significance in the first

century than it does now? If so, should we do away with
the practice?

4. For Reflection: Would you be willing to publicly share

your faith through water baptism if it certainly meant
public humiliation and persecution? Do God's commands
sometimes cause us to step out in faith, even if we will
face persecution as a result?

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 God's Orders for His
Church Lesson 2:
Baptism

What is Christian Baptism?

In our previous lesson together we examined the background

to Christian baptism. We surveyed the four phases that this
teaching went through building up to what we now practice
at Grace. Having laid that backdrop, let’s get a little deeper
into the meaning of baptism. In order to do this, we will
teach the Greek word for baptism and the significance of
baptism.

The Word Baptize

The Greek word baptize means “to dip or immerse.” Our

English translators decided not to translate the Greek word
into English, so they just turned the Greek word (baptizo)
into an English word (baptize). If our English translators had
translated the Greek word, it might have avoided some of the
confusion surrounding different denominational practices.
Every place you read baptize in the NT you could read
immerse—that’s what the word means.

12
Even a surface reading of the passages that use “baptize”
makes it clear that dipping is what happens when someone is
baptized. Consider these passages:

"As they went along the road they came to some water;
and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me
from being baptized?" ... And he ordered the chariot to
stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as
well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they
came up out of the water..." (Acts 8:36-39)

"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and

was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming
up out of the water..." (Mark 1:9-10).

Both of these references picture a person going down into a

body of water to get baptized and coming up out of the
water after the baptism. It is clear from the word meaning
and usage that baptism in the New Testament was immersion
under water. 6 What does this symbolize today when we
immerse someone publicly at Grace Baptist Church?

The Significance of Baptism

When Jesus baptized His followers (stage #3 in the previous

lesson) or when we baptize someone at Grace Baptist Church,

6 Understanding the word as immerse or engulf helps us to

understand the references to Jesus death as a baptism. He was
immersed into pain. It was an overwhelming immersion into death.

13
that immersion represents something critical. Baptism
visually illustrates the invisible reality called Spirit baptism
(stage #4 in the previous lesson).

A Picture of Spirit Baptism

Let's start by reviewing what Spirit baptism is. The Bible

states that all those who are saved (born again) are placed
into a spiritual body—the church. This happens as soon as
you receive Jesus as your Savior. This is why Paul refers to
the church as a spiritual body, and we are all members of
this spiritual body. We look different; we have different gifts
and different abilities, but these differences should not be a
source of strife. Instead, they enable us to help one another
because we are all in this body together. Our initiation into
the spiritual body, the body of Christ, is referred to as
baptism. Look at Paul's description in 1 Corinthians as he
encourages them to walk in unity:

"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,

whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free" (1
Corinthians 12:13).

This describes what happens when a believer is born again.

They are placed into the body of Jesus (the church) by God
the Holy Spirit. The image below pictures Spirit Baptism:

14
The believer is the individual being baptized, the Holy Spirit
is the Person who is baptizing, and the spiritual body of
Christ (the church) is the “water” into which we are baptized.
Everyone who is born again has experienced this Spirit
baptism. This is what Paul is referring to in Romans 6:

"Or do you not know that all of us who have been

baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His
death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through
baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the
dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might
walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4).

The day you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you experienced

this spiritual baptism. The first baptism into the body of
Christ by the Holy Spirit happened at the Day of Pentecost,
just after Jesus ascended back to heaven. Immediately
before Jesus' ascension, He prophesied that those

15
surrounding Him would be baptized by the Spirit not many
days from then:

"Gathering them together, He commanded them not to

leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had
promised, 'Which,' He said, 'you heard of from Me; for
John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with
the Holy Spirit not many days from now'" (Acts 1:4-5).

What Jesus prophesied in this passage was fulfilled at the

beginning of the church in Acts 2. 7 Every individual that has
been born again since then has received the baptism of the
Spirit. But Spirit baptism is a spiritual experience. We do not
see someone awakened to the new birth and we don't see
them immersed into the body of Christ as they become a
member of His spiritual body. A public picture must portray
what happened spiritually. This is exactly why Jesus
commanded the ordinance of water baptism. When someone
places faith in Jesus they publicly demonstrate their faith and
obedience in water baptism. This physical display clearly
demonstrates the spiritual reality that was accomplished
when they believed in Jesus as their Savior.

7 See also Acts 11:15-16 where this baptism of the Spirit is

mentioned again and Peter says that it was the same as at the
beginning - the beginning of the church and the baptism of the
Spirit into the church.

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 A Picture of the Gospel

Water baptism clearly pictures our union with Jesus in His

death burial and resurrection. Romans 6, the passage
quoted above, references spiritual baptism but links the
picture of water baptism with our union to the death burial
and resurrection of Jesus. "Therefore we have been buried
with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was
raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we
too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Although
this refers specifically to Spirit baptism, it certainly shows
how water baptism pictures the Gospel. When someone is
baptized they are publicly picturing their belief in Jesus'
death burial and resurrection.

This also proclaims that we are in Christ. Union with Christ

is one of the key tenets of Christianity and all that we have is
based on being "in Christ." We are united with Christ in His
death and burial because we believe that He died for us. We
are "in Christ" in His resurrection because His life is lived
through us now on a daily basis and we will one day rise
again from the dead, never to die again. Water baptism
pictures our union with Jesus in all of this.

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Understanding the Purpose - Why be baptized?

Now that you understand the background and meaning of

baptism you should consider several reasons that every
believer should be baptized.

To Obey Jesus' Command

This seems obvious. But it is actually the primary reason to

be baptized. Having considered the background and
significance of this ordinance, perhaps you now understand
more of the reason Jesus instituted this ordinance. This was
not just to add another religious activity. Baptism was an
essential part of portraying to the early church what was
going on spiritually and also a way to preach the Gospel to
others. The New Testament repeatedly records that people
in the early church believed and were baptized, or that the
apostles commanded people to believe and be baptized.
This was the common procedure. Each person who placed
their trust in Jesus wanted to identify with His message by
publicly portraying their faith in Him through baptism. This
is what Jesus commanded just before He ascended back to
heaven:

"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All

authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I

18
 commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20).

Baptism is so clearly linked with trusting in Jesus that it

summarizes the initial faith and repentance of salvation. A
person’s baptism is their public display that they have
believed. In the early church, it would have been completely
abnormal for someone to trust in Jesus without being
baptized. As we will see in the next lesson, baptism does
not save someone, but conversion and baptism were so
closely tied in the early church, they were almost inseparable.

So in His final commission Jesus commands that the first

step of discipleship is baptism. It is no wonder then that this
command is repeated over and over by the disciples in the
months and years to follow. Read the following from Acts:

"Peter said to them, 'Repent, and each of you be baptized

in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' So
then, those who had received his word were baptized; and
that day there were added about three thousand souls"
(Acts 2:38).

"But when they believed Philip preaching the good news

about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,
they were being baptized, men and women alike. Even
Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he
continued on with Philip" (Acts 8:12).

19
The primary reason, to be baptized is that we should be
followers of Jesus and obey what He has commanded—
especially in the first command we receive after salvation.

To Give Public Testimony

A second reason to be baptized is to give public testimony of

your faith in Jesus. At Grace Baptist Church, we give the
individual an opportunity to say or read how they trusted in
Jesus as Savior and Lord. Beyond that, the picture of baptism
itself gives testimony to your trust in the Gospel. In the early
church this was even more the case. When someone was
baptized it was usually public. Those who were baptized
were often cut off from their normal society and way of life,
so it was a big step to begin to identify not only with Jesus,
but now with His followers. Many had no one else to go to
after baptism.

Baptism is a wonderful time to invite your friends and

neighbors and share with them what Jesus has done for you.
Through baptism, you can publicly profess that Jesus is your
savior and give Him glory in the beautiful picture of the
Gospel.

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 QUESTION AND ANSWER

1. Who is the Baptizer in Spirit baptism, and in What is the

baptized immersed?

2. Baptism is optional. (True/False)

3. The Word baptize in Greek means pour or sprinkle with

water. (True/False)

4. Explain the major difference between Spirit baptism and

water baptism:

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 God's Orders for His
Church Lesson 3:
Baptism

Baptism - Who and How?

This final lesson will handle some of the debated issues

regarding baptism. Different Christian denominations have
various views on who should be baptized, when he or she
should be baptized, and how baptism should be
administered. We will first talk about “who” and then answer
the question “how.”

Who should be baptized?

Who then should be baptized? According to our first two

lessons and all of the New Testament references to baptism,
this ordinance should be administered only to people who
have trusted in Jesus for forgiveness of their sins. Consider
again some of the passages that teach this.

"So then, those who had received his word were baptized;
and that day there were added about three thousand
souls" (Acts 2:38).

22
 "But when they believed Philip preaching the good news
about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,
they were being baptized, men and women alike. Even
Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he
continued on with Philip" (Acts 8:12).

After people believed they were baptized. Baptizing

someone who was not a follower of Jesus would not have
entered their mind. 8 Look at the clarification Philip gave the
Ethiopian eunuch. Philip preached Jesus to this man from the
book of Isaiah and as a result, the man wanted to be
baptized as a follower of Jesus. What does Philip give as a
pre-requisite to baptism?

“Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this

Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 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’” (Acts 8:35-37 NKJ).

8 Consider John's warning to those Pharisees who were just coming

to receive his baptism for a show. “But when he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, ‘O
generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to
come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance’” (Matthew
3:7-8). Although this baptism was different from Christian baptism
in significance, the principle remains that baptism was for those
whose heart met the conditions.

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Notice the pattern—preaching the Gospel, believing the
Gospel, publicly demonstrating faith in the Gospel. This is
why we call this ordinance "believer's baptism." It is reserved
for those who are trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

What about infant baptism?

So why don’t we baptize infants? The simple reason is that

babies are not able to place trust in Jesus. They cannot yet
understand the Gospel or respond in faith to the Gospel. Of
course, we could also recognize that there are no examples
of babies being baptized in the New Testament. This
practice came later in church history. Once developed, the
practice was passed down through tradition, not through
Biblical command or example.

The biggest problem with infant baptism, however, is that it

hinders “confessional Christianity.” We believe that a person
must confess that he or she believes in Jesus and the clear
Gospel truths of Scripture before becoming a believer, and
this is the meaning of confessional Christianity. If someone
is baptized as an infant they have never placed their trust in
Jesus. They are born physically, but they have yet to be born
again. Unfortunately, far too many people rely on their infant
baptism when they are not truly relying on Jesus. They do
not have eternal life, and infant baptism becomes a very
dangerous confusion for them.

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The problem is compounded when you organize a large
group of people together into a church based on this false
assumption. They do not have a changed heart nor do they
want to pursue the things of God as a true church. Infant
baptism is one of the factors that led to widespread darkness
during the Middle ages. People were Christian in name but
had no heart change based on personal faith in Jesus as
Savior and commitment to Him as Lord.

"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and

believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes,
resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he
confesses, resulting in salvation" (Romans 10:9-10).

Side Light - What happens to

babies when they die?

One of the reasons that infant baptism became a practice

is people’s misunderstanding about original sin. The
concern for many parents is that if their child should die
before they are able to place trust in the Gospel, perhaps
baptism would wash their sins away and they could be
accepted based on the faith of the parents or church
community that baptized them. However, as we have
discovered, this is an unscriptural view of baptism.
Baptism does not wash away sin, whether someone is

25
seven weeks old, seven years old, or seventy years old. But
this does bring up a common question. What about babies
that die before they have heard or are even able to
understand the Gospel? Several passages can help us
understand what God thinks of these children.

One is at the very end of Jonah. In this passage, the

prophet Jonah wants God to destroy the Ninevites, even
though God wants to show them mercy. In God's message
to Jonah, he says,

“Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city

in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do
not know the difference between their right and left
hand, as well as many animals” (Jonah 4:11)?

God shows us here his compassion on the young. Those

who are not able to tell the difference between their right
hand and their left hand certainly don't know the Gospel
message and cannot yet respond to it. So we know that He
will have mercy on them.

Another helpful passage is found in David's life. Following

David's adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, God
punished David by taking the life of his child. David was
so stricken with grief that he did not eat. He was
distraught. He spent days fasting and praying that the
Lord would have compassion and save his child's life.

26
When the child died, David cleaned himself up and went
back to work. When asked about this sudden change of
disposition, David was confident that he would see the
child again.

"Then his servants said to him, 'What is this thing that

you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted
and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate
food.' He said, 'While the child was still alive, I fasted
and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the LORD may be
gracious to me, that the child may live.' But now he has
died, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I
will go to him, but he will not return to me'" (2 Samuel
12:21-23).

David told his servants that he planned to go to be with

the child in the future though the child could not come
to him. According to Psalm 16 (among others), David
looked forward to being in the Lord's presence where
there would be pleasures forever. David knew that the
eternal life in God's presence that he anticipated and
longed for would be shared with his infant child, even
though the child could not yet trust in God's promises.

From these two passages, it seems clear that there is an

age where children are not held accountable for belief in
the Gospel (you've heard the term “age of

27
accountability”). This age may be different for every person
based on their ability to respond to God's revelation. This is
why children's ministries are so important at Grace Baptist
Church. We want to reach children with the Gospel as early as
possible.

How should we baptize?

We touched on this question when outlining the meaning of

baptism, but we should review. In the early church, the
practice was for a person to be immersed in water. This is
taught clearly in both the meaning of the word “baptize” (to
dip or immerse), and in the many New Testament examples.
Numerous passages specifically describe the participants
going down into the water or coming up out of the water. If
baptism is a matter of sprinkling or pouring water over
someone’s head, going down into a body of water would be
completely unnecessary. Baptism by immersion in water was
the clear practice of the early church.

Additionally, although sprinkling and pouring can picture

cleansing, only immersion pictures the spiritual realities of
“believer's baptism.” Immersion represents the death, burial,
and resurrection of Jesus. Likewise, only immersion pictures
Spirit baptism where someone is placed into the spiritual
body of Christ. For these reasons, we only baptize through
immersion at Grace Baptist Church.

28
 Can Baptism Save?

There is one final question that we have to work through:

Can baptism save someone? The answer is clearly no.
Although this is something of a review, let's review some of
the material we have already considered and re-gather the
reasons that baptism does not save someone.

 Baptism is for believers. Someone has already been

saved by trusting in Jesus when they are baptized
publicly. They are confessing publicly what has taken
place inwardly.
 Salvation comes by grace through faith, not through any
sacrament or ordinance. God is the only one Who saves.
 Water baptism pictures a spiritual reality. Suggesting
that water baptism saves completely, subverts spirit
baptism. When someone places their faith in Jesus they
are baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit.
Spirit baptism is always concurrent with salvation.

In addition to these points that we have previously discussed

in depth, several other passages directly teach that baptism
cannot save. First of all, when Paul pleaded for unity in the
Corinthian church, he discredited anyone who was looking to
Paul (or Peter or Apollos) as a special figure to follow. In
saying this, he boldly declared that he did not baptize any of
the believers there except one family. Paul was not trying to
call people to follow him but to follow Christ.

29
 “Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas;
beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach
the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross
of Christ would not be made void” (1 Corinthians 1:16-
17).

It is clear that Paul knew that baptism did not save anyone—
he focused on the preaching of the Gospel so that people
would believe, and after believing they were baptized. Of
course, Paul never taught that they should not get baptized.
In this passage the inference is that all of the believers in
Corinth had been baptized, but not by Paul (except for one
household). Still, the focus of Paul’s ministry was on faith,
not baptism.

We should consider one other passage in closing. When

Jesus was dying, one of the men who was crucified with Him
trusted in Him. It goes without saying that this man was
never baptized. Nailed to a tree next to Jesus, this repentant
thief trusted in Christ, never received baptism and yet Jesus
is able to say, "Today you shall be with Me in paradise" (Luke
23:43). 9 10

9 Consider also a very similar passage in Luke 18:14 where a

repentant man went home justified, even though he had not been
baptized.
10 Those who teach that baptism saves often reference 1 Peter 1:21-
22. "Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the
removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good
conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the
right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and

30
 QUESTION AND ANSWER

1. Which of these is Biblical baptism?

a) Johnny was baptized as an infant in his Lutheran

church.
b) Justin was baptized in the First Baptist Church up the
street to appease his “hoped to be” father-in-law
that he was serious about dating his daughter.
c) Joel was dunked in water after professing his faith in
Jesus as Savior because he wanted to share with
others that he was trusting in Jesus as Savior.
d) Jeremiah had a friend publicly pour water over him
following his belief in Jesus as Savior.

2. What happens to a child who dies in childbirth? What

about a one-year-old?

authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.” But Peter

specifically clarifies in this passage that he is not referring to water
baptism—“not the removal of dirt from the flesh.”

31
3. Your friend professes that he is a believer and wants to
be baptized, but he is afraid of getting up in front of
people. How should you advise your friend?

4. Infant baptism is not a valid form of biblical baptism.

(true/false)

5. When someone is baptized, their original sin is removed.

(true/false)

32
 God's Orders for His
Church Lesson 4:
The Lord’s Table

The previous three lessons outlined how Jesus, the Head of

the church, instituted the ordinance of baptism before He
left. The second ordinance He told the disciples to regularly
observe as a group was what we will call the Lord's Table
(also called Communion, and the Lord's Supper). We will
cover this topic in three main sections:

 Background and Meaning of the Lord's Table

 Participants in the Lord's Table
 Faulty Views of the Lord's Table

Background and Meaning of the Lord's

Table

Like baptism, the Lord’s Table is rooted in the background of

Jewish practice. The final night before Jesus’ death was the
time of the Passover meal—the Jewish holiday that celebrated
the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt. You may remember that
God led the Israelites to Egypt through Joseph. Rejected by
his brothers, Joseph also faced great injustice in Egypt but
eventually became the ruler over all of Egypt. God used
Joseph’s powerful position to bring the seventy remaining
Israelites to Egypt and over the next 430 years they became a
great nation.

33
But in the ensuing generations, Joseph’s favor was soon
forgotten. In fact, favor quickly turned to labor. The
Israelites became slaves in Egypt.

“Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know
Joseph. He said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of the
sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let
us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in
the event of war, they will also join themselves to those
who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the
land.’ So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict
them with hard labor” (Exodus 1:8-11).

So God prepared Moses as a key leader to bring Israel out of

the land of Egypt to the land that He had promised to
Abraham. You can be sure that Pharaoh wasn’t excited
about this idea, and it took some convincing. God sent ten
disastrous plagues that weakened Pharaoh until he would
free the Israelites from bondage. The final plague was the
death of the firstborn. God commanded that all households
take a lamb, kill it and place its blood upon the doorpost of
their home. If they did not, their firstborn son would die. So
the sacrificial lamb was slain in the place of their firstborn
child. When the first Passover night came, all those in Egypt
who did not obey the command lost their firstborn child, just
as God had said.

“Now it came about at midnight that the LORD struck all

the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of

34
 Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the
captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of
cattle. Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants
and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt,
for there was no home where there was not someone
dead” (Exodus 12:29-30).

At this point Pharaoh drove Moses and the nation out of

Egypt. God delivered Israel through the death of the
Egyptian firstborn. As a reminder of God’s deliverance and
how He “passed over” the Israelite homes, this meal is
practiced to this very day in Jewish homes—the “Passover” or
Seder meal.

The night that Jesus died, He commanded His disciples to

continue celebrating this meal in remembrance of Him.
There was special significance to the third cup—the cup that
followed the meal. It was the cup of redemption, reminding
Jewish people that they were redeemed out of slavery into
freedom.

“In the same way He took the cup also after supper,
saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do
this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For
as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you
proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.’” (1 Corinthians
11:25-26).

35
The meaning of Jesus’ command is clear. He wants us to
remember Him regularly in the Lord’s Table services. We are
to remember that He died for us, buying us back from
slavery to sin. He redeemed us with His own blood. So the
Lord’s Table is primarily a remembrance—a teaching tool
embedded in the biblical practices of the church so that
faithful believers through the centuries would commemorate
the death of Jesus, God's true Passover Lamb. The Jewish
Passover meal foreshadowed a much greater celebration—
not just redemption from human slavery but redemption
from spiritual bondage.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with

corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

36
 PASSOVER MEAL
PASSOVER LAMB SLAIN FOR
THE FIRSTBORN
ORDINANCE COMMANDED BY
LAW FOR ISRAEL
REMEMBERING HOW GOD
REDEEMED ISRAEL FROM
EGYPTIAN BONDAGE
JUICE PICTURING THE BLOOD
OF A LAMB
BREAD PICTURING A QUICK
DEPARTURE
LORD’S TABLE
THE FIRSTBORN SON, GOD’S
LAMB, SLAIN FOR US
ORDINANCE COMMANDED BY
JESUS FOR ALL WHO BELIEVE.
REMEMBERING HOW GOD
REDEEMED THOSE WHO
BELIEVE FROM BONDAGE TO
SIN
JUICE PICTURING THE BLOOD
OF JESUS
BREAD PICTURING JESUS’
BROKEN BODY

Participants of the Lord's Table

There are two important facts that must be taught regarding

those who should partake in this ordinance. These two facts
are prerequisites—requirements—before someone can
participate in this table. The first is that a person must be a
professing believer in Jesus and the second is that they must
be in fellowship with the Lord.

37
Prerequisite #1—Believers should partake.

Only Believers Should Partake.

Clearly, this particular ordinance is reserved for those who

are trusting in Jesus for their salvation. Every biblical context
that mentions the Lord's table is a setting where believers are
gathered. In other words, this is not an evangelistic
ordinance but one that builds up those who already believe.
This ordinance actually portrays the unity that true believers
share. So it is critical to protect the table from including
those who do not believe. Wherever unbelievers do join in, it
weakens the picture of the unity of the church.

All Believers Should Partake Regularly.

Of course, the most obvious reason that every believer

should partake in this ordinance is that Jesus commands us
to. Just as with baptism, if we fail to participate we are
disobeying His commands.

"Take, eat..." (Matthew 26:26)

"...Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of
Me" (1 Corinthians 11:26).

This was not lost on the early church. They obeyed Jesus’
command. You remember that our Lord instituted this

38
ordinance in the final hours before His death. Following this,
we find the believers gathered, waiting for God to pour out
His Holy Spirit. After the Spirit came (Acts 2), we know what
their common practice was. They devoted themselves to four
specific activities (Acts 2:42), one of which was the breaking
of bread—partaking in the Lord’s Table. 11

Later in the book of Acts we find Paul leading in the Lord’s

Table (Acts 20:6). This time, they were observing this
practice on the Lord’s Day (Sunday). This was the normal
time for believers to gather together. This second example
clearly shows that the early church had a pattern of regularly
observing the Lord’s Table in each local assembly.

In the Old Testament, God commanded that the Passover

should be observed annually. However, He did not give us
any particular instructions about how often to observe the
Lord’s Table. The early church definitely participated in the
service more often than annually. In fact, it appears that at
the beginning they may have observed it daily!

We should observe several principles to decide how often our

local church will participate.

11 Though the breaking of bread may have included a meal (as in

Corinth), Acts 20:11 makes it clear that it was a separate activity.
“When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he
talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left” (Acts
20:11).

39
1. Take the Table Sincerely.

We must guard against taking the table so frequently that it

becomes casual, monotonous, or observed with very little
thought. Unfortunately, this can often become the case with
activities we do on a weekly basis. Perhaps there are times
when the offering basket goes by and you forget to worship
the Lord as you give, thinking instead about your day or
talking with the person beside you.

But because the Lord’s Table involves such drastic warnings

like sickness and death for those who partake in the wrong
manner (see below), we should extremely careful about
becoming casual.

2. Take the Table Regularly.

On the other hand, it is a problem if months pass without us

observing this ordinance. In this case, people could go for
long intervals without taking serious stock of where they are
spiritually. So it is also essential that a church regularly
observes this table.

At Grace, we seek a balance between these two principles by

partaking monthly. This let us partake regularly (monthly as
opposed to annually or quarterly) and partake sincerely
(monthly as opposed to weekly).

40
We also recognize, however, that other churches may differ
with us in how often they observe the table or the types of
services where they do it. Other denominations also may
disagree as to who should administer the elements. These
are details that are not decided in Scripture so we should
show charity in these differences.

Prerequisite #2—Obedient Believers Should

Partake.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he takes time to correct

several of their activities during regular worship services.

“But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you,

because you come together not for the better but for the
worse” (1 Corinthians 11:17).

One area where they failed was the Lord’s Table. Paul gives
almost the entirety of chapter 11 to this topic. Some in the
church would come and feast during the Lord’s Table.
Others were extremely poor and could not afford a meal.
Paul points out that some of the believers celebrating the
Table were hungry. Others were eating and drinking so
much that they became drunk. Apparently, there were two
separate factions when the Corinthians observed the Lord’s
Table—the rich and the poor, the hungry and the drunk.
What a sad state!

41
 “What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink?
Or do you despise the church of God and shame those
who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise
you? In this I will not praise you” (1 Corinthians 11:22).

In this context, Paul gives his instructions on how the local

church should observe the Table. After recounting how Jesus
instituted the Lord’s Table, Paul gives a severe warning and
reveals the sad state of some Corinthians who participated
improperly.

“But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is

to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who
eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he
does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many
among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31 But
if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord
so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat,
wait for one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at
home, so that you will not come together for judgment.
The remaining matters I will arrange when I come” (1
Corinthians 11:28-34).

Paul knew of believers who lost their physical health or even

their lives because they partook of this table unworthily.
They observed a feast demonstrating Jesus’ death on our
behalf and the unity of the body, and yet the way they did so

42
demonstrated that they had no respect for the body (other
believers in the church). This demonstrates the heavy
significance that God places on this observance. As a church
body, we can never afford to take this lightly. We should
consciously put a fence around the table so that others will
not partake in an unworthy manner.

Of course, Paul isn’t teaching that we should avoid the Table,

but that we should never partake unworthily. How can we do
this? We guard ourselves by examining or judging our own
lives. In the immediate context of Paul’s command, he
teaches that we should dwell with other believers in unity. So
our treatment of others should demonstrate that we
recognize everyone’s standing before God equally (rightly
discerning the local body—v. 29).

Expanding on this principle, we should also insure that we

are not harboring sin in our lives. A comparison may help
us. For instance, a child in constant rebellion to their Dad
and Mom will not be on good terms with their parents. But
even so, they never cease to be a son or daughter. The
relationship needs to be mended and the child must forsake
his or her rebellion. Similarly, a believer never ceases to be a
child of God. But we should not come before the Lord to
partake of His Table when we are in open rebellion to Him.

Every time we observe the Lord’s Table, please examine your

life and be sure you are not harboring any known sins. If the
Lord brings something to your mind, confess and forsake it.

43
If you are unwilling to forsake your sin then you should not
participate. Partaking anyway will be harmful to you and
even to your physical well-being.

Based on the serious nature of this command and the harsh

penalty that God clearly teaches in this passage, some
churches only allow church members to partake of the Table
(closed communion). This can be a wise practice, but may
also hinder a true believer from observing the Lord’s Table
while they are discerning whether or not they can become a
member of that church. At Grace Baptist Church we allow
anyone to partake who professes faith in Jesus as Savior and
is walking in fellowship with Him. We usually observe the
table in a separate service so that unbelievers or people out
of fellowship with the Lord will not feel pressured. This is
out of consideration to them—after all, people in Corinth
died because of this!

44
 QUESTION AND ANSWER

1. Eating Passover meals makes someone Jewish and

taking the Lord’s Table makes someone Christian.
(True/False)

2. What is the best one-word summary of the Lord's Table?

a. Sacrament
b. Remembrance
c. Sacrifice

3. Since Israel’s bondage to Egypt foreshadowed the

believer’s bondage to sin, what are some of the parallels
between the two biblical realities?

4. Read Exodus 12:1-7 and list four parallels between the

Passover Lamb and Jesus Christ.

45
5. Everyone should participate in the Lord’s Table to gain
spiritual perspective. (True/False)

6. Why do we observe the Lord’s Table in a separate service

at Grace?

46
 God's Orders for His
Church Lesson 5:
The Lord’s Table

Misunderstandings of the Lord’s Table

In order to understand the incorrect views of the Lord’s

Table, we will briefly survey the major interpretations that
people use today. We will also look at the major Scripture
passages that apply to these interpretations.

Transubstantiation

Transubstantiation is the Roman Catholic view of the Lord’s

Table—often called the Mass. Transubstantiation teaches
that the bread and wine actually transform into the body and
blood of Jesus. Although the appearance obviously does not
change, they believe that the invisible substance does change
into Jesus’ body and blood. This transformation takes place
when the priest raises the host over his head and that act
makes a fresh sacrifice for sin.

“As a propitiatory sacrifice... the Sacrifice of the Mass

effects the remission of sins and the punishment for
sins... The Eucharistic Sacrifice of propitiating can, as the
Council of Trent expressly asserted, be offered, not

47
 merely for the living, but also for the poor souls in
Purgatory.” 12

There are at least three major problems with this doctrine.

Later we will evaluate each of these problems from Scripture.

1. The Roman Catholic Mass teaches that the bread and

wine become the body and blood of Jesus. In the
process, they worship the bread.
2. The Roman Catholic Mass teaches that there is a fresh
sacrifice of Jesus during each service.
3. The Roman Catholic Mass teaches that this sacrifice
actually effects remission of sins.

Consubstantiation—The body and blood of Christ

is present in the elements.

Martin Luther disagreed with this teaching of the Roman

Catholic Church. He knew that Scripture teaches salvation by
Grace through faith alone. While he rejected the notion that
bread and wine transform into Jesus’ body and blood, he
taught instead that the literal body and blood of Jesus are
“with, in and under” the elements. As a sponge may hold
water, so the bread and wine mysteriously contain the
physical presence of Jesus. As we will consider below, this is
also an improper view of the Lord’s Table.

12 Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Dr. Ludwig Ott is recognized

as a classic summary of Roman Catholic teaching.

48
Three Clarifying Principles

As we consider these faulty views of the Lord's Table, we

should know what the Bible says. As a Bible-driven church,
we must go directly to Scripture to know what God wants us
to observe. These clarifying principles directly correspond to
the three problems with the Roman Catholic Mass.

1. The elements in the Lord's Table do not transform into

the body and blood of Jesus. They merely represent the
body and blood of Jesus.

Most of the confusion surrounding this aspect of the Lord’s

Table arises from a misunderstanding of Jesus’ statement in
John 6.

“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal

life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 "For My
flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 "He who
eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in
him” (John 6:54-56).

A surface reading of this verse without its context may

confuse some people. However, there are several problems
with this interpretation.

 Jesus is using a physical illustration to teach a spiritual

truth.

49
Just as God sent manna from heaven to give physical health
to the Israelites, God sent Jesus as spiritual food from
heaven. Whoever believes in Him has eternal life.

“Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they

died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven,
so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living
bread that came down out of heaven” (John 6:49-51).

Clearly, this is a physical picture representing a spiritual

truth. The next few chapters of John make that even clearer.
Jesus says, “I am the light” (John 8:12), “I am the Door” (John
10:7, 9), “I am the good Shepherd” (10:14), and He makes
many other comparisons. In each case, Jesus taught a
spiritual truth using a physical picture. No one thinks that
Jesus was a literal, physical door, but the picture taught a
significant spiritual truth. The same is true in John 6.

 Jesus clarifies His teaching at the end of the chapter.

A few verses later the Lord clarifies this spiritual truth to His
disciples. Those who teach Transubstantiation should read
the entire context to understand what Jesus is teaching
because he explained it clearly:

“'It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing;
the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus
knew from the beginning who they were who did not

50
 believe, and who it was that would betray Him” (John
6:63-64).

When Jesus spoke of people eating His body, He was not

directly referring to the Passover meal. Rather, he was telling
people to believe His Words. When a person believingly
accepts (eating) the Words of the Gospel (bread), that person
will receive spiritual life. Jesus taught the same principle in
John 3.

JOHN 6 JOHN 3
SPIRITUAL TRUTH PICTURE OF PICTURE OF BRASS
MANNA SERPENT

BELIEVE
EAT LOOK

WORDS OF THE
THE BRASS
GOSPEL MANNAH
SERPENT

HAVE ETERNAL
HAVE PHYSICAL
LIFE HAVE LIFE
LIFE

In His life and ministry, Jesus often used the lessons learned
by the Children of Israel to teach spiritual truths. Clearly,
Jesus is using metaphors that should be taken in the way He
intended. Reading an event that happened several months
later (the Lord’s Table) back into Jesus’ clear teaching is
dishonest.

51
2. Jesus’ sacrifice was once-for-all.

Another very clear teaching of Scripture that contradicts

transubstantiation is that Jesus’ death was once-for-all.
Scripture repeatedly highlights this aspect of Jesus’ death to
contrast what He accomplished with the priests of the Old
Covenant. They repeatedly offered sacrifices. But since
Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient for all sins, it only needs to be
offered once.

“Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time

after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away
sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all
time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD” (Hebrews
10:11-12).

In the Roman Catholic view, every Mass is one more

repetition of Jesus’ sacrifice for the remission of sins. This
means that His sacrifice was not sufficient to pay for all sins
for all time. But when Jesus died He cried out—“It is
finished!” The sacrifice was complete—His atoning work was
finished once and for all.

This is even clear in the name of the person that dispenses

the Roman Catholic sacrament—he is a priest. Priests make
sacrifices. However, Scripture teaches that there is now only
one mediator and His name is Jesus. He is our High Priest,
mediating between us and God the Father.

52
 “For there is one God, and one Mediator also between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself as a
ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time” (1
Timothy 2:5-6).

3. The Roman Catholic Mass teaches that this sacrifice

actually effects remission of sins.

Though related to the previous two, this point is a major

difference between Roman Catholic and Protestant churches.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Mass effects a
real atonement.

“The purpose of the Sacrifice is the same in the Sacrifice

of the Mass as in the Sacrifice of the Cross; primarily the
glorification of God, secondarily atonement, thanksgiving
and appeal” (Ott, 408).

If the Mass is an atonement for sin as Roman Catholic

theology teaches, a Sacrament must be performed for us to
be forgiven. However, Scripture teaches that Jesus saves,
and His salvation is by grace alone through faith alone.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and

that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a
result of works, so that no one may boast”
(Ephesians 2:8-9).

53
Your salvation was not earned by someone performing a
Sacrament. It was earned when Jesus took God’s wrath once
and for all on Calvary. This happened at one moment in
history and now it is finished. Nor do you receive your
salvation by taking a sacrament. You received salvation by
God's grace through your repentant faith that Jesus could
save you from your sin. According to the traditional Roman
Catholic view, we receive salvation is through the Mass
because that is how we access grace. But the Bible teaches
that grace is an unearned favor from God. We do nothing to
earn grace—otherwise “grace is no longer grace.”

Two major tenets of the Protestant Reformation were “grace

alone” and “faith alone.” It is not enough to say that
salvation is by grace and the sacraments or faith and the
sacraments. Otherwise, man’s system and works join with
God’s grace. As a result, grace is no longer a gift given but
something earned. But God's salvation is by grace alone
through faith alone.

What would you say if someone offered you a watch

“absolutely free… for $5?” Well, depending on the watch it
might be a good offer, but absolutely free doesn’t cost $5
and $5 is not absolutely free. If God’s gift of eternal life is
absolutely free we cannot mix any works into the equation.

54
 QUESTION AND ANSWER

1. Match the view with the correct description:

a) Reformed ____ The body and blood of Jesus are

Position “with, in, and under” the elements.
b) Transubst ____ The body and blood of Jesus are
antiation “spiritually present” in the elements.

c) Consubsta ____ The elements represent Jesus’

ntiation body and blood.

d) Symbolic ____ The elements become the body

Position and blood of Jesus.

55
2. Your neighbor was raised in a Roman Catholic church but
only attends once a year. In fact, she just lives for herself
with very little thought of God or any church. You have
an opportunity to speak with her after a close family
member dies and she asks for your thoughts about the
afterlife. Specifically, she wants to know about the main
difference between your view of the afterlife and hers.
How would you respond?

3. Worshiping the host during the Roman Catholic Mass is

idolatry. (True/False)

4. If partaking in the Lord's Table does not bring salvation,

what is the benefit to a believer for observing?

56
What are L.I.F.E. Groups?
In the blueprint for church ministry found in Ephesians 4,
God explains that He gives
church leaders who will equip
each individual in the church to
do the work of building others
up. Look at three primary
principles from this passage:

Loving—In the Ephesians 4 blueprint, all building that is

done is done through people who are speaking the truth in
love. Love is the great greenhouse of the church. Our
motivation in these groups should not be selfish. We must
strive for another person's spiritual maturity.

Individuals—In the blueprint found in Ephesians 4, the

spiritually maturing church is one where each joint in the
body is functioning properly. We are like a clock filled with
cogs, gears, and other intricate moving parts. Each part in
that clock must be working properly for the goal to be
reached. You are needed in this clockwork—you are needed
in God's blueprint for church ministry!

Furthering Edification—In
the blueprint in Ephesians
4, God shares His goal for
church ministry—that we
are all building each other
up to be more like Christ.
We are to think, act and live like Jesus. So the end goal is
that each person will be more like Jesus through meeting
together around God's Word.

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