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CCS SYSTHEO

The Church:Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

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Baptism

+Baptism Views

Means of Grace

Covenant Sign or Seal

Picture of Salvation

+Also categorized . . .

PedoBaptism – Baptizing Children into Church

CredoBaptism – Baptizing believers as the Church

+Baptism as a Means of Grace

PedoBaptists

Considered a sacrament, rather than an ordinance

Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran*

Either God’s doing through the Church authority or God’s doing more nebulous – but mystical in sacrament – God’s doing through procedure

Generally approached from the biblical texts regarding entire households being baptized (Acts 11, 16 & 18)

+Baptism as Sign & Seal of the Covenant

PedoBaptists*

Considered a sign, but a calling to the faithfulness to the Covenant

It is a promise of grace, but only through obedience to the Covenant – yet, with overlap to sacramentalists views

Much like the sign of circumcision for the covenant in OT, so is baptism in NT

Approaches to passages like Col. 2:11-12, as well as household passages again in Acts to support.

+Baptism as a picture of Salvation

CredoBaptists

Not a sacrament, but an ordinance

Has no merit whatsoever, but is an act of obedience, confession and experience

Only for those who have exercised faith in the Gospel unto salvation and therefore happens after

Matthew 28:19-20 and Ethiopian Eunuch was baptized after belief; also thief on Cross promised Paradise with no baptism – not required.

+To Clear things up . . .

Jesus saves – and only Jesus. Acts 4:11-12

How that salvation is applied is in question

The flow of salvific history/theology is also in play

The Bible must be the final authority

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The Lord’s Supper

+Lord’s Supper Views

Transubstantiation

Consubstantiation

Commemoration

+Other Categories

Roman Catholic (Transubstantiation)

Lutheran (Consubstantiation)

Reformed (Sacramental)

Zwinglian (Commemoration)

+Roman Catholicism

transubstantiation. A term in Roman Catholic theology meaning “essential change,” the belief that by the power of God at the consecration in the Mass, the bread and wine change substance into the actual substance of Jesus’ body and blood, even though they seem to retain their natural characteristics.

+Lutheranism

consubstantiation. Martin Luther taught that the body and blood of the Lord is present “in, with and under” the actual bread and wine.

+Commemoration Commemorialism. Originating with Ulrich

Zwingli, a view of the Lord’s Supper that sees the rite as symbolic, as representing (or memorializing) Christ’s self-giving on the cross (together with his last supper with the disciples). Commemorialists believe that Christ’s presence is not localized in the communion elements but within the gathered community of believers. Memorialists consider the word is in Christ’s words, “This is my body. . . . This is my blood” (Mk 14:22, 24) to be figurative, so that it means “signifies” or “represents.” Hence by this phrase Jesus was not referring literally to his physical body and blood but was indicating that the physical elements are symbols of his life that would be given for them.

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The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of the death of Christ and of its sacrificial character in our behalf, a symbol of our vital connection with the Lord, and a testimony to His second coming.

+ A Focused and Sobering Passage

1 Corinthians 11:23-32

+And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood! Died he for me? who caused his pain! For me? who him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

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CCS SYSTHEO

The Church:Baptism and the Lord’s Supper