The ordinances of the Church (3) ECCLESIOLOGY

Rebaptism  The only clear example of being baptized twice  Rebaptized after having received the Christian message  An example for anyone previously baptized as an unbeliever (whether adult or infant)  An argument against infant baptism since it is fruitless to baptize someone who will only need to be baptized again Acts 19:1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism." 4 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Timing of baptism  All NT references: immediately after conversion  No probationary period (a development in the early church) The NT practice is not commanded, the practice of the early church came as a practical consequence of making disciples. One passage that may have a bearing is Matthew Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  The command is to make disciples, baptizing and teaching them.  The primary command to make disciples might require that proper candidates actually be disciples prior to baptism.

Mode of baptism Three methods are practiced in the professing Christian church SprinklingPouringImmersion

Sprinkling  Old Testament ritual cleansing (sprinklings) were called baptisms by the NT Exod. 24:6–7; Lev. 14:7; Num. 19:4, 8  Heb 9.10  Sprinkling best pictures the cleansing of the Spirit as in Ezekiel 36:25.  Secondary meaning for baptizo – ‘to bring under the influence’ (sprinkling can symbolize this concept)  Immersion improbable or impossible in certain instances in the book of Acts (2.41, 8.38, 16.33)  The majority of the professing church practices sprinkling Hebrews 9:9 …Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, 10 since they relate only to food and drink and various washings ( baptizw baptizo ), regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation. Ezekiel 36:25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Acts 2:41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. Acts 8:38 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. Acts 16:33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.

Pouring Pouring best pictures the ministry of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit comes to the believer (Joel , Acts ) Joel 2:28 "It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. 29 "Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Acts 2:17 'and it shall be in the last days,' God says, 'that I will pour forth of my spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my bondslaves, both men and women, i will in those days pour forth of my spirit And they shall prophesy.

Pouring Phrases ‘into the water’ and ‘out of the water’ can also be translated ‘to the water’ and ‘away from the water’ “Drawings in the catacombs show the candidate for baptism standing about waist deep in water while the one doing the baptizing pours water over his head from a vessel he holds.” (Ryrie, 491.)

Immersion  “Immersion is unquestionably the primary meaning of baptizo. The Greek language has words for sprinkle and pour that are never used of baptism.” (Ryrie, 491.)  Immersion best pictures the significance: death to old life, resurrection to new life (Rm 6.1-4) Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 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.

Immersion  Immersion could easily be practiced in every instance in Acts  Jewish proselyte baptism was practiced by self-immersion  In early church, first exception to baptism was pouring, not sprinkling (allowed in the case of sickness as ‘clinical baptism’  Non-immersionists admit that immersion was the universal practice of the early church  Archeology has discovered ancient churches with pools large enough for immersion

Trine immersion  Practiced by some obscure groups  Usually face forward three times (in name of each person of Trinity)  The Didache, an early work, mentions a three-fold pouring (not immersion)  Proponents suggest that baptizo means ‘repeated dipping’ “The evidence for this view is not strong.” Ryrie, 492.