So..What are the Lord's Supper and Baptism any way?

The Lord's Supper

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

The Lord’s Supper is directly instituted by the command and example of Jesus Christ Himself on the night before His death. This is also one of the two ordinances to be observed by the church. Then what is the meaning of the Lord’s Supper? The meaning can be derived from two important Biblical teachings. First, it is to observe “in remembrance of Christ Jesus” (Lk. 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24-25). What do we remember of Chirst? We remember His sacrificial, redemptive death; His saving presence in Spirit and His future coming. His life is given as “ransom” for many (Mk.10:45). Mark 14:24-25 states, “This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many. 14:25 I tell you the truth, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Thus, when we partake the Lord’s Supper we remember his sacrificial death for many and we also hope for his second coming-the day when Jesus will drink it new in the coming kingdom of God.

Again Jesus says, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ate, but then later died. The one who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:53-57). When we take the bread and wine, which signify His flesh and blood, we are participating Christ’s saving present in His Spirit.

Second, the meaning of the Lord’s Supper is further heightened by the unity and fellowship of believers. “Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17). As we eat and drink from One true flesh and blood, we are bound in unity and friendship with one another.

How is Christ present in the Lord’s Supper? The Roman Catholic view of “Transubstantiation” asserts that the bread and wine actually or literally become the body and blood of Christ. This view fails to recognize the symbolic nature of Jesus’ statement (such as I am the true vine, I am the door). The Lutheran are of the view that the body of Christ is present “in, with, and under” the Lord’s Supper. The other protestant churches hold a symbolic and spiritual presence of Christ. This is the view based on sound Biblical teaching. Matthew 18:20 says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” If Christ is present in the midst of the believers who worship him, we can surely assume that Christ will present in a special way in the Lord’s Supper. It is not literal presence of the body and blood of Christ; it is rather symbolic or representative presence in the Lord’s Supper. And we cannot also deny the genuine spiritual presence and spiritual blessings in the Lord’s Supper. Yet in personal level, the effect of this genuine spiritual presence and blessings is conditioned on personal faith and commitment.

The Participants in the Lord’s Supper: the first qualification will be “genuine faith and commitment” in Christ. Second, the believers need “self-examination.” 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 warns, “For this reason, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself first, and in this way let him eat the bread and drink of the cup. For the one who eats and drinks without careful regard for the body eats and drinks judgment against himself.” Every believer should examine whether they have right relationship with Christ and have character that reflects the character of the Lord Jesus whom we meet and represent in this Supper.

Therefore, we should view the Lord’s Supper as the commemoration or the remembrance and proclamation of Christ redemptive death and His saving presence until He comes again in the future. And the bread and wine are only symbolic or representative of the flesh and blood of Christ; nevertheless, the Lord Supper is actual communion with risen Christ, which we express practically in the love and fellowship with fellow believers.

Baptism

Christian baptism is baptism by immersion (Acts 8:36-39). It is genuine testimony of a believer showing that he/she has faith in crucified and risen Christ—crucifying his/her sin and resurrection to a new life in Him (Rom. 6:1-11). The Greek word baptizo means “to plunge, dip, immerse” something in water. Therefore, baptism by immersion signifies our union with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection. Paul says, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4). Again Paul states, “You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Col. 2:12). When one is going down into the river, it signifies a state of dying into sin, and coming up out of the water signifies a state of being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life.

Acts 2:41-42 states, “So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added. They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Therefore, baptism is also a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible Body of Christ, the Church.

Who then is qualified to be baptized? Any one, even infant? From Biblical perspective, it is only genuine believer who, from his/her clear conscience, confesses faith in Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 2:41 states, “Those who received his word were baptized.” Again Acts 8:12 reads, “When they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” Therefore, only those who received God’s Word, thus, trusted and believe in Christ’s redemptive work for salvation, were baptized.

Paul in Galatians 3:27 says, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” This statement suggests that baptism is outward sign of Christian inward regeneration. Everyone who has regenerated must show genuine evidence that he/she has begun true Christian life. This fact cannot be true to infants, who cannot confess genuine faith in Christ and show any sign or evidence of regeneration.

What then will be the effect of Christian baptism? Is it just symbolizing a spiritual born-again state of a believer, thus, no spiritual benefit? No! Or is it a “means of grace” thus, it is necessary for individual salvation? Absolutely Not! It is indeed outward “symbol” of spiritual rebirth. But it does not nullify possible spiritual benefit to the believers. Here I will directly quotes Wayne Grudem as he says, “there is the blessing of God’s favor that comes with all obedience, as well as the joy that comes through public profession of one’s faith, and the reassurance of having a clear physical picture of dying and rising with Christ and of washing away sins. Certainly the Lord gave us baptism to strengthen and encourage our faith.” 

In addition, baptism is also not a “means of grace.” We are not baptized because it is necessary for our salvation. We are justified, thus, saved by faith alone through grace. If we still need “baptism” to be saved, it would be a similar heresy that circumcision was necessary for salvation, which Paul strongly opposed (Gal.5:1-12). Thus, baptism is not necessary for salvation. Yet it is necessary if we determine that we will believe, obey and follow Christ.