Sep 25
21
Baptist Catechism 103
Q. 103 Who are the proper subjects of this ordinance [that is to say, of the Lord’s Supper]?
A. They who have been baptized upon a personal profession of their faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance from dead works. (Acts 2:41,42)
Scripture Reading: Acts 2:36–42
“‘Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:36–42, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
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We have, for some time now, been considering the outward and ordinary means that Christ uses to distribute the benefits of the redemption he earned a long time ago to his elect, living in all times and places. These means, conduits, or delivery mechanisms are sometimes referred to as the means of grace. Baptist catechism 93 rightly identifies the Word of God, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer as the outward and ordinary means of grace. These are the things, external to us, that God ordinarily uses to save and to sanctify his people.
Baptist Catechism 94 and 95 focus on the Word of God, read and preached.
Baptist Catechism 96 is about the efficacy of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Questions 97 through 100 focus on baptism, what it is, to whom it is to be administered, and how it is to be administered.
Interestingly, Baptist Catechism 101 is about church membership. Q. 101. What is the duty of such who are rightly baptized? A. It is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. So then, those who turn from their sins and place their faith in Christ are to be baptized, and these are to join themselves to an orderly church, typically, the one they were baptized in.
I say it is interesting that Baptist Catechisms 101 is about church membership, because it is situated right in the middle of a series of questions and answers about the means of grace. The meaning is clear: God distributes these means of grace that we are here considering in and through his churches.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is to be preached to the world by the church, that is to say, by her minsters and members sent out
Those who are brought to repentance and faith (through the converting ordinance of the word of God) are to be baptized into the church (by those called and ordained to do so).
And it is within the church (as members of it) that Christ followers are to “walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” This means that Christians are to strive to obey God’s commands as church members, and they are to partake of these ordinances or means of grace as church members. It is in the church that the word of God is read and preached, that baptisms are administered and observed, that the Lord’s Supper is served, and that prayers are offered up to God.
I think it was Cyprian who famously said, “No one can have God as Father who does not have the church as Mother”, and there is truth to that statement. The Holy Spirit uses the church to give birth to new believers through the preaching of the word of God. And it is within the contect of the church that new believers are nursed, nurtured, and disciplined, so that they might grow up to maturity. It is not the church that saves and sanctifies—God and Christ do. But the church used by God to bring salvation to sinners and to sanctify them further, for these means of grace that we are now considering are administered by her.
When our catechism says in question 101, It is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless, this includes the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s supper is an ordinance (something Christ has ordered or ordained) to be observed in the church to the end of the world.
That is what Baptist Catechism 102 teaches. Q: What is the Lord’s Supper? A: The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ; wherein by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to His appointment, His death is shown forth, and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporeal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of His body and blood, with all His benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace.
Finally, Q 103 asks, Who are the proper subjects of this ordinance? In other words, who should partake of this ordinance? A. They who have been baptized upon a personal profession of their faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance from dead works.
Notice, our catechism does not say, it is they who have been baptized who are the proper subjects of this ordinance. If the answer were worded like this, I suppose it could be taken to mean that those baptized as infants may properly partake of the Supper, but that is not our view.
I also find it interesting that our catechism does not directly ask who may partake of this ordinance, but rather who are the proper subjects of this ordinance. I’m not sure about this, but I wonder if the wording is meant to leave room for the opinion that some Particulat Baptists of the 17th century held (and some still hold today) that those who were baptized as infants in protestant churches and who hold to paedobaptsit conviction can be permitted to come to the Lord’s Table, especially when visiting from other churches. May they be served the Supper? Some would say, yes. Is it proper? Not in our view. Why? Because their baptism is invalid, given that it was not administered upon a personal profession of their faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance from dead works.
Acts 2:41-42 is listed as a proof text in our catechism, and it is a good one: “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:41–42, ESV).
Baptism is to be given to those who turn from their sins and profess faith in Jesus, which is something infants can’t do.
Baptism marks the beginning of the Christian life and membership in the covenant community. The Lord’s Supper signifies continuing in Christ and in the covenant community.
Baptism may be compared to a wedding. The Lord’s Supper may be compared to an anniversary celebration.
In baptism, we say, “I believe”, and “Jesus is Lord”. In the Lord’s Supper, we say “I still believe”, and “Jesus is still Lord”.
In baptism, God says, “This one is mine”. In the Lord’s Supper, God says, “I am ever faithful and with you still.”
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Conclusion
Appendix
Compare the Baptist Catechism with the Westminster Shorter Catechism at this point.
Q. 92. What is a sacrament?
A. A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.
Q. 93. Which are the sacraments of the New Testament?
A. The sacraments of the New Testament are, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.
Q. 94. What is baptism?
A. Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s.
Q. 95. To whom is Baptism to be administered?
A. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized.
Q. 96. What is the Lord’s Supper?
A. The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ’s appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace.
Q. 97. What is required for the worthy receiving of the Lord’s Supper?
A. It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord’s Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.
