Category Archives: baptism

on baptism

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We believe and confess that Jesus Christ, in whom the law is fulfilled, has by his shed blood put an end to every other shedding of blood, which anyone might do or wish to do in order to atone or satisfy for sins. Having abolished circumcision, which was done with blood, he established in its place the sacrament of baptism. By it we are received into God’s church and set apart from all other people and alien religions, that we may be dedicated entirely to him, bearing his mark and sign.

It also witnesses to us that he will be our God forever, since he is our gracious Father. Therefore he has commanded that all those who belong to him be baptized with pure water in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In this way he signifies to us that just as water washes away the dirt of the body when it is poured on us and also is seen on the body of the baptized when it is sprinkled on him, so too the blood of Christ does the same thing internally, in the soul, by the Holy Spirit. It washes and cleanses it from its sins and transforms us from being the children of wrath into the children of God. This does not happen by the physical water but by the sprinkling of the precious blood of the Son of God, who is our Red Sea, through which we must pass to escape the tyranny of Pharoah, who is the devil, and to enter the spiritual land of Canaan.

So ministers, as far as their work is concerned, give us the sacrament and what is visible, but our Lord gives what the sacrament signifies– namely the invisible gifts and graces; washing, purifying, and cleansing our souls of all filth and unrighteousness; renewing our hearts and filling them with all comfort; giving us true assurance of his fatherly goodness; clothing us with the “new man” and stripping off the “old,” with all its works.

For this reason we believe that anyone who aspires to reach eternal life ought to be baptized only once without ever repeating it– for we cannot be born twice. Yet this baptism is profitable not only when the water is on us and when we receive it but throughout our entire lives. For that reason we detest the error of the Anabaptists [rebaptizers – JMT] who are not content with a single baptism once received and who also condemn the baptism of the children of believers.

We believe our children ought to be baptized and sealed with the sign of the covenant, as little children were circumcised in Israel on the basis of the same promises made to our children. And truly, Christ has shed his blood no less for washing the little children of believers than he did for adults. Therefore they ought to receive the sign and sacrament of what Christ has done for them, just as the Lord commanded in the law that by offering a lamb for them the sacrament of the suffering and death of Christ would be granted them shortly after their birth. This was the sacrament of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, baptism does for our children what circumcision did for the Jewish people. That is why Paul calls baptism the “circumcision of Christ.”

— Article 34, Belgic Confession (1561)

sacraments

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We believe that our good God, mindful of our crudeness and weakness, has ordained sacraments for us to seal his promises in us, to pledge his good will and grace toward us, and also to nourish and sustain our faith. He has added these to the Word of the gospel to represent better to our external senses both what he enables us to understand by his Word and what he does inwardly in our hearts, confirming in us the salvation he imparts to us. For they are visible signs and seals of something internal and invisible, by means of which God works in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. So they are not empty and hollow signs to fool and deceive us, for their truth is Jesus Christ, without whom they would be nothing. Moreover, we are satisfied with the number of sacraments that Christ our Master has ordained for us. There are only two: the sacrament of baptism and the Holy Supper of Jesus Christ.

– Article 33, Belgic Confession (1561)

one baptism

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When Paul arrived at Ephesus he met a group of disciples. Since he had spent a brief time there and to his knowledge no other apostle or evangelist had ventured into Asia, he inquired about the origins of their faith.

“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?”
They said, “Into John’s baptism.”

Apparently, the twelve disciples had been evangelized by Apollos who had spent some time in Ephesus before Paul arrived.

According to Luke, Apollos was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures, and a zealous teacher. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus. Nevertheless, there was a problem with his message: he knew only the baptism of John. Apollos’ doctrine was not heretical, but it was erroneous. It was orthodox as far as it went, but it was inaccurate and incomplete. In short, it did not meet apostolic standards.

Anyway, through the course of the conversation Paul learned that these men had received inaccurate teaching [from Apollos], and that they had been baptized into a baptism that was null and void. So Paul concluded that the twelve disciples were merely devout baptists and not (yet) devout christians.

And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”

Even John knew his baptism in water (without the Spirit) would be replaced by the Christ’s baptism (in water) with the Holy Spirit. He recognized the core purpose of his ministry was to prepare the way for the Lord, so he steered his disciples to believe in the Lord Jesus.

On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

According to the gospel of Jesus Christ they were all baptized in water, by one Spirit, into one body, in the name of the Lord Jesus. By faith the twelve disciples experienced Christian baptism, “the washing of water with the word.” Thus was the first church at Ephesus established on the foundation of the apostles of Jesus Christ.

There is one gospel —  one body, one Spirit, one faith, one Lord, one baptism.

——–

Scriptures — On Paul at Ephesus – Acts 19:1-7; On Apollos – Acts 18:24-26; On Baptism – Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 4:4-6; 5:26; 1 Cor. 12:13.

foreshadows

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The Passover Meal foreshadowed the Lord’s Supper. Under the old covenant(s) all the members of covenant households were commanded to eat the passover meal together. Likewise, it seems fitting that all members of new covenant households should eat the Lord’s supper together–provided the family members are baptized, able to eat solid food, and capable of understanding the basic meaning of the covenant meal. As scripture says, “We must keep the festival for Christ our paschal lamb has been slain.”

Under the old covenant foreigners, aliens, and uncircumcised males were prohibited from eating Passover. The same rule applies in the Lord’s supper. No covenant outsiders (whether unbelievers or unbaptized persons) should be permitted to eat the bread or drink the wine. The table of Christ is for the members of his covenant community.

Covenant members are marked with the covenant sign. The covenant sign under the Law was circumcision. Now, under the Gospel, it is baptism.

Circumcision foreshadowed Baptism. Jewish households were marked by circumcision. That meant they were covenant households. All the males adults and children, from the least to the greatest, bore the sign of the covenant in their bodies. Likewise, Christian households should be marked by baptism. All the family members, male and female, from the least to the greatest, should be marked with the sign of the new covenant. (Otherwise they are not covenant households.)

Under the old covenant(s) no uncircumcised male was counted as a covenant member. Likewise, under the new covenant no unbaptized person is considered a member of the covenant community.

Covenant Baptism. All Israel were baptized into Moses and the Law of Works. All were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all (men, women, and children) were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. We were baptized into Christ and the Gospel of Grace. For by one Spirit we were baptized into one body and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

covenant foreshadows

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Here are a few sketches from a recent tabletalk at Java Ranch. We were discussing the Mosaic Covenant from Exodus 12-14.

1. Passover – God established the Jewish calendar on the Passover Event. It marked a new beginning.

2. Households – The paschal lamb was sacrificed for the whole family. All covenant members from oldest to youngest who were able to eat solid food ate the passover meal. The covenant meal was/is also a community meal, not to be taken in isolation. Individualistic worship was prohibited.

3. Paschal lamb – A male without defect or blemish. The lamb represented the Lord Jesus Christ (the true paschal lamb that was sacrificed for the sins of God’s people, 1 Cor. 5:9). It was slaughtered and the blood was painted on doorframes of house with hyssop. The flesh was roasted over fire. This conjures up images of the Lamb of God enduring the fury of wrath and “descending into hell” (Apostles’ Creed) for our sins.

4. Signs and Symbols – Blood (12:13); circumcision (12:48); unleavened bread (13:9); redeem firstborn son (13:16). All these signs and symbols point to Christ Jesus.

5. Catechesis – Fathers are commanded to catechize (instruct) their children, to teach them the word of God and explain what it means. Explain the meaning of the festivals such as Passover (12:26-27), Unleavened Bread (13:8), Consecration (13:14-15). A good Question and Answer catechism encourages a living conversation between fathers and children.

6. Crossing the Red Sea – The Israelites were baptized in water (cloud and Red Sea) into Moses unto salvation. The Egyptians were baptized in the same water unto destruction. What was the difference? One was water-baptized along with the Holy Spirit (as symbolized by the strong wind) and the other was not (1 Cor. 10:1-3; 12:13).

Note: Water-baptism is a human responsibility; Spirit-baptism is divine sovereignty and responsibility. We cannot cause ourselves or anyone else to be Spirit-baptized. That work is performed by God alone; it is God’s prerogative to give the gift or not.

7. Wasteland – God was not pleased with the majority of the Israelites who escaped Egypt and were baptized into Moses. Many Israelites were unbelievers before baptism (Exo. 14:10-12) and continued to be unbelievers after baptism (Exo. 15:24; 16:2-3; 17:2-3). Many Israelites were just baptized unbelievers, aka “Egyptians-at-heart,” and they perished in the wasteland without faith. God was not pleased with them because they did not believe him. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

8. Apostasy and Warnings – All Israel experienced the power of God, tasted the spiritual food and drink, and shared life together in covenant community, yet many fell away and persished in unbelief. They walked by sight not by faith. Those who perished were Hebrews-on-the-surface, but Egyptians-at-heart. They were Jews outwardly but not inwardly.

A biblical principle states: not all national Israel are true spiritual Israel. Likewise, not all the water-baptized are Spirit-baptized; not all “christians” are true christians. Do not presume on God’s grace. If you think you are standing firm, take heed lest you fall (1 Cor.10:11-13).

9. Sacraments – The covenant sign and covenant meal create family solidarity.

Circumcision foreshadowed Baptism. Jewish covenant households were marked by circumcision. All the males from the least to the greatest bore the sign of the covenant in their bodies. Christian covenant households should be marked by baptism. All the family members, male and female, from the least to the greatest, should be marked with the sign of the new covenant. No uncircumcised male was a covenant member under the old covenant, and no unbaptized person is a covenant member under the new covenant.

Note: Abraham and all the males in his household from the least to the greatest were circumcised. Those who were not were counted as covenant-breakers. According to Paul, all Israel from the least to the greatest were baptized into Moses (1 Cor. 10:1-3). And Paul himself baptized whole households wherever he established churches (1 Cor. 1:14-16; 16:15).

The Passover Meal foreshadowed the Lord’s Supper. Since old covenant households were commanded to eat the passover meal together, it seems fitting that all members new covenant households should eat the Lord’s supper together provided they are (1) able to eat solid food (2) able to believe the gospel (3) able to examine themselves (4) able to perceive Christ in the supper (5) baptized. As scripture says, “We must keep the festival for Christ our paschal lamb has been slain.” 

Foreigners, aliens, and uncircumcised males were prohibited from eating Passover. The same rule applies to the Lord’s supper. No covenant outsiders (unbelievers and unbaptized persons) should be permitted to eat the bread or drink the wine because they are not in fellowship with Christ the Lord.

subverting the empire

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In [Christ] you find your legitimacy, your entrance into the covenantal community, because in relation to him your real problem—a deeply rooted sinfulness manifest in violence and self-protective exclusion—is addressed and healed. The symbol of legitimacy is not the size of your stock portfolio or the number of hits your website gets daily, but that ancient rite of baptism in which you die with Christ to all these pretentious symbols of self-aggrandizement and are raised with him through a trusting and believing faith in the power of God who raised Jesus from the dead.

Don’t forget that you once were dead too—dead in the dead-end way of life that characterizes our cannibalistic and predatory culture. But now you are dead to that way of life, and God has made you alive with Christ by dealing with the real problem through radical forgiveness.

Source: Brian J. Walsh and Sylvia C. Keesmaat, Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire, p.137

cutting to the chase

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[For those who did not read the lengthy “Circumcision of Christ” post, here is a condensed version that cuts to the chase. No pun intended.]

I believe “the circumcision of Christ” refers to the redemptive accomplishment of Jesus at the cross. Christ bore all the sins of God’s chosen people in his body on the cross where he was cut off from the world.

When he was circumcised and cut off from the world, we were circumcised and cut off from the world. When the whole body of flesh was stripped away at the cross, it was stripped away once for all for all God’s people.

It makes sense to me that the location of our circumcision was “in Christ” and the occasion of our circumcision was the crucifixion, “the circumcision of Christ,” not baptism or even regeneration.

I believe that through water-baptism we commune with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. Through water-baptism we connect with the circumcision of Christ which is the cross (as per Romans 6). And through water-baptism we confess that we were circumcised in Christ in the circumcision of Christ.

By faith his death is our death.
By faith his burial is our burial.
By faith his resurrection is our resurrection.

At the cross the penalty of our sin was paid by Christ, the punishment for our sin was suffered by Christ, and the power of sin was destroyed by Christ. Far be it from us to boast in anything except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been circumcised to us, and we have been circumcised to the world.

Circumcision of Christ

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While doing a comparative study of Ephesians 2:1-9 and Colossians 2:11-14 (the texts are very similar in style and structure) I got side-tracked thinking about a phrase that appears in Colossians 2. 

The text reads:

“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

The phrase that grabbed my attention is the circumcision of Christ. I happened to be reading the text in a new-to-me translation and that phrase leaped off the page. 

The ESV simply translates the Greek phrase τῇ περιτομῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ into English as “the circumcision of Christ.” The NIV interprets the phrase as the “circumcision done by Christ.”

After comparing several translations my curiosity was aroused. I wondered what Paul actually meant by the enigmatic phrase, so I started thinking, conversing, and reading about it—comparing one thing with another. What follows are some of my notes and thoughts on the circumcision of Christ.

Here is a brief run down of what I consider to be possible explanations or theories. Each theory has its strong points and weak points, but none does violence to the gospel.

The first is what I call the spiritual circumcision theory. It states that the circumcision of Christ refers to circumcision of the heart, the spiritual circumcision performed by the Spirit of Christ in the heart of believers. 

The second is the Christian baptism theory. It states that the circumcision of Christ refers to Christian water-baptism.

The third is the crucifixion theory. It states that the circumcision of Christ refers to the actual crucifixion experienced by Jesus Christ.

Continue reading →

secret heart

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God requires his covenant people (the church) to be marked with a covenant sign. Circumcision was given to the Jewish community, and baptism has been given to the Christian community. God never considered anyone a true Jew just because he experienced physical circumcision, and God does not consider anyone a true Christian just because he/she experiences water-baptism.

Now, just as circumcision of the heart is what enabled a circumcised Jew to repent of sins and believe unto justification, so circumcision of the heart is what enables a baptized Christian to repent of sins and believe unto justification.

A true Christian is not someone who is one “openly” or outwardly, rather a true Christian is someone who is one “secretly” and inwardly. In other words, a true Christian is someone who has been circumcised in heart by the Spirit of Christ, not merely baptized in water by human hands. Such a man’s praise is from God not from man. “For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Man looks on the surface for things like blood and water, circumcision and baptism, but the LORD looks under the surface for conversion and belief, Spirit and truth.

Again, God gave water-baptism as a covenant sign to the Christian community. And God requires all members of his new covenant community to experience baptism in water. Nevertheless, we must guard ourselves against the sin of presumption, which is like the evil of idolatry. No one can be a true Christian from the skin out, but only from the secret heart.

May it be that we, who were once slaves of sin, will be obedient from the heart to the standard of apostolic teaching to which we were committed, so that we may become slaves of righteousness.