Meaning Of Ordinances
- Ordinances are normally defined as an established rite or ceremony
Hebrews 9:9-10 “Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.”
- Christians are to keep the ordinances
1 Corinthians 11:2 “Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.”
- Two ordinances commanded for the Christians:
a. Water baptism
The context here is worldwide, it is not limited to the Jews.Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
b. Lord’s supper
1 Corinthians 11:20 “When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.”
1 Corinthians 11:23-25 “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Participants Of The Ordinances
- Prerequisite to baptism is salvation.
Acts 8:35-37 “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
- Prerequisite to the Lord’s supper is baptism.
Paul warned that we cannot take the Lord’s supper unworthily, we got to make sure that everything is right with God.1 Corinthians 11:27-28 “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.”
Jesus said that to John the baptist that He needs to get water baptized.
Matthew 3:14-15 “But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.”
What makes us think that we’re better than Jesus in skipping the tub? We should follow Jesus’s example. Paul said be followers of me as I follow Christ.
Frequency Of The Ordinances
- Water baptism should be done as soon as possible and only once in the life of a believer.
Acts 16:31-33 “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.”
- Lord’s supper should be done whenever possible. In most churches, it’s around once a month.
1 Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”
Meaning Of Water Baptism
- Water baptism has nothing to do with our salvation.
Paul’s job was to preach the gospel to everybody but Christ Jesus did not send him to baptize. This means that water baptism must be separated from the gospel or salvation.1 Corinthians 1:14-17 “I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 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.”
Also, the cross of Christ had nothing to do with water baptism.
- Baptism is a symbol of our salvation.
Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection is symbolized in baptism. It symbolizes old sin dead life, and now a new Christian life, alive in the spirit.Romans 6:3-6 “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
Romans 6:11 “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Modes Of Water Baptism
- Baptize means immersion.
Baptize comes from the Greek word ‘baptizo’ which means immersion.
Jesus Christ was immersed when He was baptized.Matthew 3:16 “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:”
Acts 8:38-39 “And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.” - Catholics and Presbyterians like to use these passages to argue that water baptism is by sprinkling.
This seems to show that water baptism is done by sprinkling but the problem is that do you think sprinkling washes your whole body?Hebrews 10:22 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
The context here is the blood of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 10:19 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,”
cf 1 John 5:6 “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.” - Baptism is done in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
Meaning Of The Lord’s Supper
- We come to the Lord’s table to remember Christ’s sacrifice and that Christ died for our sins.
Luke 22:16-20 “For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
1 Corinthians 11:24-26 “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” - This passage seems to prove that we are to take bread and wine literally.
John 6:54-55 “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.”
But the context here is coming to Christ for salvation, that’s how we eat the bread of life and drink him. It’s figurative.
John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
‘spirit that quickeneth’: it’s all spiritual application.
‘flesh profiteth nothing’: His flesh has no profit.
‘words that I speak unto you, they are spirit’: it’s all a spiritual process when we take in the body and blood of Jesus Christ and that’s by receiving Him for salvation.John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
Modes Of The Lord’s Supper
- unleavened bread
The bread symbolizes Christ’s body that was broken for us.
Matthew 26:17 “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?”
Matthew 26:26 “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.”leaven represents sin.
1 Corinthians 5:8 “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
- Grape juice
Fruit of the vine means grape and it symbolizes Christ’s blood shed for us.Matthew 26:29 “But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Mark 14:25 “Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Luke 22:18 “For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.”Sometimes when the Bible mentions wine, it can be something squeezed fresh off the cluster on the vine.
Isaiah 65:8 “Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.”
- Sin must be examined first
Before we partake in the Lord’s supper, we have to examine ourselves first and confess that sin to Jesus Christ. If we partake the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner, we can even get sick and die.1 Corinthians 11:27-30 “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.