What Baptists Believe About Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Prayer: That God will open our hearts to receive the truth concerning the ordinances.
 

XIV. OF BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, (1) into the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost: (2)  to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, with its effect, in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; (3) that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation; and to the Lord's Supper, (4) in which the members of the church by the sacred use of bread and wine, are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ; (5)  preceded always by solemn self examination.(6)





Places in the Bible where taught.

1. Acts 8:36-39. And the eunuch said, See, here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest. And they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
Matt. 3:5, 6; John 3:22, 23; 4:1, 2; Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16;
Acts 2:38; 8:12; 16:32-34; 18:8.

2. Matt. 28:19. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Acts 10:47, 48. Gal. 3:27, 28.

3. Rom. 6:4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness Of life. Col. 2:12; 1 Pet. 3:20, 21 ; Acts 22:16.

4. Acts 2:41, 42. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and there were added to them, the same day, about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Matt. 28:19, 20. Acts and Epistles.

5. 1 Cor. 11:26. As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Matt. 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20.

6. 1 Cor. 11:28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. 1 Cor. 5:1, 8; 10:3-32; 11:17-32; John 6:26-71.

We do not recognize as Bible baptism the immersions practiced in other denominations for lack of ecclesiastical (church) authority in its administration.

We believe that Baptism as well as the Lord's Supper should be administered by duly ordained ministers.





Discussion by Leader:

1. Baptists believe in only two ordinances. Baptism first, the Lord's Supper second.

2. Baptism must come first because there must be a resurrection before a dead man can eat.

3. In baptism, we have a sinner raised through the gospel to life, and in the Lord's Supper his new food after resurrection.





Parts for Assignment:

1. Baptism is by immersion in water.

2. The formula of scriptural baptism.

3. The symbol of baptism.

4. The place of baptism and the Lord's Supper in the church.





Discussion Questions:

1. Who are we to baptize? Infants? Lost? Saved? Matt. 28:18-19; Acts 8:35-39.

2. Who has the authority to baptize? The individual or the church? I Cor. 11: 2.

3. What is baptism? Sprinkling? Pouring? Dipping? Four requirements: Right way, person, purpose, authority. Lack of any one invalidates the baptism.

4. Why be baptized? Christ commands it; to show forth our faith in the gospel; to indicate our own change of life. Matt. 28:18-19; Rom. 6:1-8.

5. Must a person be saved, baptized, and added to the church before taking the Lord's Supper? Matt. 28:18-19; Acts 2:46-47.

A. The two paragraphs added have been translated from the Articles of Faith
of the Latin American Baptist Theological Seminary in Old Mexico, a
seminary operated by the Central Baptist Church of Little Rock, Ark.

6. Can Methodists and Baptists take the Lord's Supper together? Presbyterians? Catholics? Jews? Mormons? I Cor. 11:18-20.

7. Is close communion scriptural? I Cor. 5:11. Restricted to salvation, baptism, membership, fellowship.

 

I'm placing a link to the HTML BIBLE for your convenience so you can look up some of these references... It will come in a new window and you can reduce it and keep it for for all your Bible study lessons...
Just click;  HTML BIBLE

Midi playing is; "Shall We Gather at the River?"