Baptism: A “Church Ordinance”?

A congregation with which I once worked had an exhibit at which we gave away gospel tracts during a three-day community event. Our tract on the new birth caught a gentleman’s attention. “Isn’t this teaching that baptism is necessary for salvation?” he asked. I agreed that the tract so taught and affirmed that the Bible taught this as well. A rather spirited discussion ensued, to say the least.

Among the many objections he offered was that baptism was just a “church ordinance.” I asked him to show me where the Bible said that. Of course, he made no attempt to do so. Biblically there is no such thing as a “church ordinance.” Ordinance is merely another word for law. The church is not in the law-making business. There is but one law giver (James 4:12).

Sometimes even brethren carelessly call baptism and the Lord’s Supper “church ordinances” (or, worse yet, “sacraments”). Both expressions are foreign to Scripture.

Rather than the church making laws, Christians have pledged themselves to obey the law of Christ. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are two of many things commanded by Jesus, so technically they might be called ordinances of Christ; but He commanded many other things as well.

Sacraments, on the other hand, are purely the invention of men. Nobody ever heard of “sacraments” connected with the church for over a thousand years after its beginning.

Unwilling to surrender his point, my visitor re-phrased his argument: “Baptism is just a command; it has nothing to do with salvation.” Evidently, he didn’t stop to think that faith is also commanded (Acts 16:31); repentance is also a command (Acts 17:30). Yet my opponent believed both of those things were necessary for salvation! Indeed, Jesus is “the author of eternal salvation to those who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9).

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