BULLSEYE!
ACCURATE
BIBLE
KNOWLEDGE!
QUESTION: “IF PAUL
STOPPED WATER
BAPTIZING WHY DO CHURCHES CONTINUE TO DO IT?”
ANSWER:
IT MUST BE TO DELIBERATELY CONFUSE PEOPLE!
“For
Christ sent me NOT TO BAPTIZE, but to preach the gospel: not
with wisdom
of words, LEST THE CROSS OF CHRIST SHOULD BE MADE OF NONE EFFECT.”
(1Co 1:17)
EXPLANATION
Isn’t
it strange that that the two pillars upon which many churches
base
themselves, are actually pillows?
Why
would Paul endorse water baptism and the Lord’s supper
as ordinances,
as orders, as “must do’s”? HE DOESN’T.
One
can only shake one’s head as to why churches bring to nought the word
of God
through their tradition (Matthew 15:6)
Let’s
be crystal clear and summarize at the beginning:
1. Water should
be banned
within a mile of any Baptist church – or any church for that matter.
2. The Lord’s
supper is a remembrance not an
ordinance!
WHAT
ARE ORDINANCES?
They
are orders for the church.
Wherefore
if ye be dead with Christ from the
rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye
subject to ordinances, (Touch
not; taste not; handle not; Which
all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and
doctrines of
men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and
humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the
satisfying of
the flesh. Colossians 2:20-23
We
are all familiar with city ordinances as being orders for city
living.
“Do
not park on the footpath!”
“Do
not throw rubbish out the window!”
As
Paul said For
Christ sent me NOT TO BAPTIZE, but
to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of
Christ should
be made of none effect. 1 Corinthians 1:17, and we
are to follow Paul (1Cor 11:1), then why would he stress the need for
churches
to do something that he wouldn’t do?
Surely
he wouldn’t. Paul is not saying “Do as
I say and not as I do”. Paul was not a hypocrite.
Secondly
Paul states Now I praise you,
brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances,
as I DELIVERED
them to you. 1 Corinthians 11:2.
This
is past tense. Paul has already given
the church these ordinances in the previous ten chapters and there are
many
ordinances.
THE
LORD’S SUPPER
The
Lord’s supper is a remembrance! (1Cor 11:24-25) not an
ordinance.
If
the Lord’s supper is such an important
ordinance, where in these previous chapters can it be found? Nowhere.
Is
it possible that the church has given
people the stamp of approval of being saved via the rituals of the
Lord’s
supper and water baptism? Sadly, we must say “Yes” to this question.
WHY
HAS THE CHURCH GIVEN ITS STAMP OF
APPROVAL?
There is a set
belief among
many Christians that water baptism and the Lord’s supper are the only
two
ordinances for the church today. Is this correct? No.
We
must remember that Paul is writing to a disorderly
church, a church out of order. They were in great disorder.
The
following outlines just a few of the sins
of the Corinthian church:
It
had a man having relations with his father’s
wife; there were quarrels and divisions;
there was the fleshy misapplication of tongues; there
was division and vain glory;
they were keeping company with professing Christians who were fornicators, covetous, idolators,
railers, drunkards and extortioners;
they were unfaithful stewards; they
were taking each other into the world’s
courts; they were defiling the
consciences of the weak in faith; they were not
keeping their bodies
under control; they were lusting,
fornicating, murmuring, idolatrous
and tempting Christ.
HAS
TODAY’S CHURCH WRONGLY MISINTERPRETED THE MEANING OF WHAT IS AN
ORDINANCE?
The
proper meaning of the word ‘ordinance’ is to bring back
order, to correct wrong behaviour, and in this case, to
correct the wild excesses of the
fleshy Corinthian church.
It
is to be noted that Paul states ““…
keep the ordinances, as I DELIVERED
(the past tense which was earlier in (1Co 1:1-4,5-18,9-10) them
to you.”
Here,
Paul was in fact referring to instructions previously given.
This is
what Paul’s ordinances are – they are orders with
reason. Paul is certainly not averse to giving orders as he
directly orders them concerning ‘the collection for the saints’ (1Cor
16:1).
They
are instructions on how to bring back and set
in order, the proper behaviours
in the church.
Now,
are we to suppose that the symbolic ceremonies of water baptism and the
Lord’s
supper would do this? Hardly! What Paul required was a change
of the heart and behaviour,
a repentance, not outward ceremonies.
Indeed,
some of the Thessalonian church were walking
disorderly by not working and being
busybodies, and Paul wanted a change of their behaviour. Did he
recommend more
water baptism and Lord’s supper to accomplish this. Of course not!
What were the earlier ordinances and
instructions that had already been delivered to them in the first
ten chapters? There were many! The Corinthian
church needed them
all as they were a church full of the flesh.
‘Ordinances’
are the procedures and
instructions necessary to correct and
keep right order in an institution. You will note that Paul doesn’t
use the
word ‘ordinances’ for any other church.
SOME OF
PAUL’S ORDINANCES ARE -
1Co 1:10 no
divisions; 1Co 1:31 glory in the Lord; 1Co 2:13
compare spiritual with spiritual;
1Co 3:8 reward for own labour;
1Co 3:13-15 take heed how you build; 1Co 3:16-17
be holy; 1Co 3:20-21
no vain glory; 1Co 4:1-2 be a faithful
steward; 1Co 4:6 don’t be puffed up; 1Co 4:16
be followers of Paul; 1Co 5:1 no fornication; 1Co 5:11
no eating with professing
Christians who are fornicators, covetous, idolaters, railers,
drunkards,
extortioners; 1Co 5:12 judge
those within; 1Co 6:1-8
don’t be judged in the world’s courts; 1Co 6:9-10
no inheritance; 1Co 6:18 flee
fornication; 1Co 7:1-40 marriage advice;
1Co 8:13 don’t defile the conscience of
the weak; 1Co 9:7 soldiers worthy to be
paid; 1Co 9:19 be servant to all; 1Co 9:24
run for the prize 1Co 9:27 keep the body under; 1Co 10: 6-9,10-13,14 cease lusting, idolatry,
fornication, tempting Christ, murmuring; 1Co 10:23
all things edify not; 1Co 10:32 give
none offence.
Paul is saying
that keeping the
symbolic and formal ceremonies of the Lord’s supper and water baptism
has nothing to do with correcting the out-of-control
behaviour at Corinth.
No, Paul is
needing something more
concrete than rituals and ceremonies. Paul wanted true repentance and
changes
in their sinful behaviour.
The Church at
Corinth was unworthily (1 Cor 11:27) keeping up
appearances with many Lord’s suppers
and water baptisms (1Cor 1:17) as an outward show, but what the Lord
wanted was
a changed heart.
Indeed the
Lord reminds us of a
similar situation through the prophet Isaiah to Judah (Is 1:10-15),
where he
calls them Sodom. Stop the ceremonies! I want true repentance - a
change of
heart!
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BULLSEYE!
ACCURATE
BIBLE
KNOWLEDGE!
QUESTION: “WHAT IS AN 8TH DAY ADVENTIST?”
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Harley
Hitchcock
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com
“CONTACT US”
Australian
Bible
Ministries, PO
Box 5058 Mt. Gravatt East 4122 Qld, Australia
www.AustralianBibleMinistries.com