Why is Baptism Required for Membership?
Baptism is where one makes a public declaration to the world and the cosmic powers and authorities that he or she now belongs to Christ. At Pentecost, Peter called people forward to publicly respond to the gospel that had cut them to the heart and make their faith known to the hostile world; 3,000 did just that and the church was born.
Baptism acts as a new covenant sign of initiation. When I joined a fraternity in college, I gave an oath and was “pinned” as a brother at a pinning ceremony. When I graduated college, there was a graduation ceremony and I was given a degree and declared a graduate of that school. When one becomes a police officer, there is a ceremony where one gives the oath of office and receives their badge. When one becomes a Marine, basic training ends with a ceremony where you receive your EGA pendant that signifies you as now a U.S. Marine. When I was married, I made the vows and took the ring, which I wear everywhere to show I belong to Ariel. The pin, the degree, the badge, the pendant, and the ring are signs of initiation that show what you now officially are. Baptism is like that.
This new covenant sign is assumed of every christian in the New Testament; the authors just assume all those they are writing to have been baptized (Rom 6:3, 1 Cor 1:13-15, 12:13, Gal 3:27) because it was connected to becoming a Christian (Ac 2:38, 41, 8:12-16, 36-38, 10:47-48, 16:15, 25-34, 18:8, 22:16). We don’t have any example of someone coming to faith and then not being baptized with some urgency.
It is important here to emphasize that it is not the baptism that saves you or that moves you from death to life or even that gives you faith; baptism is the declaration that those things have happened already to you and so who you are is now different. One will not come to the baptismal waters genuinely unless God has already given them a new heart. My wedding ring doesn’t make me a husband. While we were dating, my wife couldn’t have just quietly slid that ring onto my finger while I was asleep and thereby make me wake up a husband! The ring signifies the inner and deeper reality of the covenant I’ve made with my wife and God. The ring is Vital! If I didn’t want or wear the ring, you would rightly question my husband-ness; however, the ring wasn’t the cause, it is the sign.
So, since baptism is assumed of all Christians and is the sign of who belongs to Jesus, baptism is required both for membership and for the Lord’s table; if one refuses the sign, they are refusing the covenant with Christ that the sign represents. We are not allowed to make up our own signs of initiation, we will use the one Christ gave.
Baptism acts as a new covenant sign of initiation. When I joined a fraternity in college, I gave an oath and was “pinned” as a brother at a pinning ceremony. When I graduated college, there was a graduation ceremony and I was given a degree and declared a graduate of that school. When one becomes a police officer, there is a ceremony where one gives the oath of office and receives their badge. When one becomes a Marine, basic training ends with a ceremony where you receive your EGA pendant that signifies you as now a U.S. Marine. When I was married, I made the vows and took the ring, which I wear everywhere to show I belong to Ariel. The pin, the degree, the badge, the pendant, and the ring are signs of initiation that show what you now officially are. Baptism is like that.
This new covenant sign is assumed of every christian in the New Testament; the authors just assume all those they are writing to have been baptized (Rom 6:3, 1 Cor 1:13-15, 12:13, Gal 3:27) because it was connected to becoming a Christian (Ac 2:38, 41, 8:12-16, 36-38, 10:47-48, 16:15, 25-34, 18:8, 22:16). We don’t have any example of someone coming to faith and then not being baptized with some urgency.
It is important here to emphasize that it is not the baptism that saves you or that moves you from death to life or even that gives you faith; baptism is the declaration that those things have happened already to you and so who you are is now different. One will not come to the baptismal waters genuinely unless God has already given them a new heart. My wedding ring doesn’t make me a husband. While we were dating, my wife couldn’t have just quietly slid that ring onto my finger while I was asleep and thereby make me wake up a husband! The ring signifies the inner and deeper reality of the covenant I’ve made with my wife and God. The ring is Vital! If I didn’t want or wear the ring, you would rightly question my husband-ness; however, the ring wasn’t the cause, it is the sign.
So, since baptism is assumed of all Christians and is the sign of who belongs to Jesus, baptism is required both for membership and for the Lord’s table; if one refuses the sign, they are refusing the covenant with Christ that the sign represents. We are not allowed to make up our own signs of initiation, we will use the one Christ gave.
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