| The CROWN of CHRIST - Understanding the Times in the Light of Scripture |
| Up From Neo-Gnosticism How I came to believe in "infant" baptism and reject pious irrationalism. |
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Step One - Israel is the Church and the Church is Israel
As an antipaedobaptist, I was taught that "Old Testament" Israel and the
"New Testament" Church are two distinct entities. Israel is an earthly people, a
preferred ethnic group; the Church, which supposedly didn't exist prior to Acts
chapter 2, is God's plan B, a spiritual people for a temporary "age of grace".
The Bible, however, teaches otherwise, using the word assembly or
congregation (ekklesia) to refer to God's chosen people from Adam and Eve to
doomsday. Moses led the Church through the Sinai desert (Acts 7:38), and
Christians are Abraham's children (Gal 3:7). We are grafted onto the very root of
Old Testament Faith from which unbelieving Jewry was cut off (Rom 11:17).
Thus the Age of Grace began with Adam and Eve, who were saved by God's
merciful provision of blood sacrifice - just as believers are saved today. (Gen 3:21
& 22, Rom 5:12-15) The Bible identifies the "Israel of God" as all those who
follow the rule of Jesus, regardless of their nationality. (Gal 6:5-17)
Dispensationalism's agenda won't allow for this simple Biblical view of the
Church. The false claim that Israel and the Church don't mix leads to a variety of
errors.
Step Two - The Church has both Visible & Invisible Aspects
As an antipaedobaptist, I was taught that we were members of a "believers'
church" made up of only born-again Christians. Only those who have really been
saved can be water-baptized. Infants can't profess belief, so baptizing them
seems as ridiculous as baptizing tables or other furniture. Profession and actual
salvation are equated from this perspective.
But the Bible teaches that SOME SAVED PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE! (Jude 5)
The Apostle warns us that some members of the Israelite Church were saved
from Egypt, yet not saved from Hell. In the institutional Church, there have
always been hypocrites. Only Christ knows who are really His sheep, and only
the invisible church - in heaven and saved hearts - is exclusively a church of the
saved.
Esau was born into the Church and circumcised, yet God hated Esau (Rom
9:13). Abraham, Rahab and Ruth, by way of contrast, were born as pagans, yet
called into covenant with God. One can be water baptized yet damned - or
unbaptized and heaven-bound. We take a brother's profession at face value by a
judgement of charity; but only God sees the heart.
This is what the historic Reformed creeds mean when they speak of the
Visible Church and the Invisible Church. Those who claim to have
"believers-only" churches are claiming to see into the human heart. Ironically,
this error brings the antipaedobaptists full circle. They say that "infant baptism"
is Popish. But the Popish doctrine, that water baptism washes away guilt, is not
so different from the Baptist doctrine that only believers can be immersed. In
both cases, the priests are claiming to end up with a church that contains only
real Christians.
Step Three - Jesus was not Buried underground!
As an antipaedobaptist, I was taught the ridiculous notion that being
lowered under the water was a picture of my being "buried with Christ". But
Christ was, as we all know, carried sideways into a hillside tomb and laid on a
flat surface! Paul did not have our "six foot under" graves in mind when he wrote
of being buried with Christ in our baptism.
Step Four - Baptidzmos means Washing, not Immersion
(Mark 7:4,8 Hebrews 9:10, 10:22)
The Bible does actually say that the Jews BAPTIZED TABLES, and that the
various sprinklings of the ceremonial law were baptisms. Baptism simply does
not mean immersion.
Step Five - Baptism replaced Circumcision as the sacrament of Church
initiation
As an antipaedobaptist I was taught that circumcision is an ethnic rite of
the physical Jews. It has nothing to do with Christian baptism. But the Apostle
Paul teaches otherwise:
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands,
in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the
faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you,
being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he
quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Colossians
2:11-13
This passage is not about water baptism, but the inward work of the Holy
Spirit. Just as there is a spiritual circumcision, there is now a spiritual baptism -
both outward ceremonies being symbols of the removal of innate sin. Not all
circumcised Israelites were Israelites indeed, and not all baptized Christians are
regenerate members of the invisible Church. But the outward sacraments are
pictures of the same inward reality.
Step Six - Abraham received B E L I E V E R ' S circumcision!
This was the last hurdle for me. The Scriptures led me to believe that
Israel was the Old Testament Church, while the New Testament Church is
spiritual Israel. They clearly teach that the institutional Church on earth is no
pure "believers' church", but only a visible institution of professing Christians.
And one need not be buried under baptismal waters to emulate Jesus. It took me
much longer to face the simple grammar in Colossians 2. I made my last stand
here: where does the Bible SAY that circumcision was a sign of faith, not of ethnic
identity with Israel? Finally, someone showed me Romans 4:6-14: ... God
imputeth righteousness without works ... Blessed are they whose iniquities
are forgiven ... we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
How then was it reckoned, when he was in circumcision, or in
uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received
the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had
yet being uncircumcised ...
Adult believers receive the sign of the faith they already profess. But we,
like Abraham, should not hesitate to place the sign on our children born into
godly families. Compare Acts 2:38,39 and 1 Corinthians 7:14.
Sadly, those who reject God's covenant generally fall into errors like
Zionism, salvation by works, revivalism, open communion, Pelagianism and the
mythical "age of accountability". See Psalm 58:3 and Ephesians 6:4.
by Scott Rocca Box 365 Gratz PA 17030.
As an antipaedobaptist, I was taught that "Old Testament" Israel and the
"New Testament" Church are two distinct entities. Israel is an earthly people, a
preferred ethnic group; the Church, which supposedly didn't exist prior to Acts
chapter 2, is God's plan B, a spiritual people for a temporary "age of grace".
The Bible, however, teaches otherwise, using the word assembly or
congregation (ekklesia) to refer to God's chosen people from Adam and Eve to
doomsday. Moses led the Church through the Sinai desert (Acts 7:38), and
Christians are Abraham's children (Gal 3:7). We are grafted onto the very root of
Old Testament Faith from which unbelieving Jewry was cut off (Rom 11:17).
Thus the Age of Grace began with Adam and Eve, who were saved by God's
merciful provision of blood sacrifice - just as believers are saved today. (Gen 3:21
& 22, Rom 5:12-15) The Bible identifies the "Israel of God" as all those who
follow the rule of Jesus, regardless of their nationality. (Gal 6:5-17)
Dispensationalism's agenda won't allow for this simple Biblical view of the
Church. The false claim that Israel and the Church don't mix leads to a variety of
errors.
Step Two - The Church has both Visible & Invisible Aspects
As an antipaedobaptist, I was taught that we were members of a "believers'
church" made up of only born-again Christians. Only those who have really been
saved can be water-baptized. Infants can't profess belief, so baptizing them
seems as ridiculous as baptizing tables or other furniture. Profession and actual
salvation are equated from this perspective.
But the Bible teaches that SOME SAVED PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE! (Jude 5)
The Apostle warns us that some members of the Israelite Church were saved
from Egypt, yet not saved from Hell. In the institutional Church, there have
always been hypocrites. Only Christ knows who are really His sheep, and only
the invisible church - in heaven and saved hearts - is exclusively a church of the
saved.
Esau was born into the Church and circumcised, yet God hated Esau (Rom
9:13). Abraham, Rahab and Ruth, by way of contrast, were born as pagans, yet
called into covenant with God. One can be water baptized yet damned - or
unbaptized and heaven-bound. We take a brother's profession at face value by a
judgement of charity; but only God sees the heart.
This is what the historic Reformed creeds mean when they speak of the
Visible Church and the Invisible Church. Those who claim to have
"believers-only" churches are claiming to see into the human heart. Ironically,
this error brings the antipaedobaptists full circle. They say that "infant baptism"
is Popish. But the Popish doctrine, that water baptism washes away guilt, is not
so different from the Baptist doctrine that only believers can be immersed. In
both cases, the priests are claiming to end up with a church that contains only
real Christians.
Step Three - Jesus was not Buried underground!
As an antipaedobaptist, I was taught the ridiculous notion that being
lowered under the water was a picture of my being "buried with Christ". But
Christ was, as we all know, carried sideways into a hillside tomb and laid on a
flat surface! Paul did not have our "six foot under" graves in mind when he wrote
of being buried with Christ in our baptism.
Step Four - Baptidzmos means Washing, not Immersion
(Mark 7:4,8 Hebrews 9:10, 10:22)
The Bible does actually say that the Jews BAPTIZED TABLES, and that the
various sprinklings of the ceremonial law were baptisms. Baptism simply does
not mean immersion.
Step Five - Baptism replaced Circumcision as the sacrament of Church
initiation
As an antipaedobaptist I was taught that circumcision is an ethnic rite of
the physical Jews. It has nothing to do with Christian baptism. But the Apostle
Paul teaches otherwise:
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands,
in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the
faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you,
being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he
quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Colossians
2:11-13
This passage is not about water baptism, but the inward work of the Holy
Spirit. Just as there is a spiritual circumcision, there is now a spiritual baptism -
both outward ceremonies being symbols of the removal of innate sin. Not all
circumcised Israelites were Israelites indeed, and not all baptized Christians are
regenerate members of the invisible Church. But the outward sacraments are
pictures of the same inward reality.
Step Six - Abraham received B E L I E V E R ' S circumcision!
This was the last hurdle for me. The Scriptures led me to believe that
Israel was the Old Testament Church, while the New Testament Church is
spiritual Israel. They clearly teach that the institutional Church on earth is no
pure "believers' church", but only a visible institution of professing Christians.
And one need not be buried under baptismal waters to emulate Jesus. It took me
much longer to face the simple grammar in Colossians 2. I made my last stand
here: where does the Bible SAY that circumcision was a sign of faith, not of ethnic
identity with Israel? Finally, someone showed me Romans 4:6-14: ... God
imputeth righteousness without works ... Blessed are they whose iniquities
are forgiven ... we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
How then was it reckoned, when he was in circumcision, or in
uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received
the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had
yet being uncircumcised ...
Adult believers receive the sign of the faith they already profess. But we,
like Abraham, should not hesitate to place the sign on our children born into
godly families. Compare Acts 2:38,39 and 1 Corinthians 7:14.
Sadly, those who reject God's covenant generally fall into errors like
Zionism, salvation by works, revivalism, open communion, Pelagianism and the
mythical "age of accountability". See Psalm 58:3 and Ephesians 6:4.
by Scott Rocca Box 365 Gratz PA 17030.