Many months ago, inspired by discussion revolving around The Passion of the Christ, I wrote an article I entitled “Take This Cup Away From Me.” In recent days I have been continually struck by the greatness of Jesus’ sacrifice and my lack of understanding as to how great it really was. My thoughts turned to the article I wrote and I decided I would rewrite it and post it again. So here it is.

Jesus knew when and how He was going to die. Before the world was created, before He took on human flesh and drew His first breath, before His hands were nailed to a hard, rough piece of wood, Jesus knew when and how He would die.

The day before He was to die was the Passover. The Lord spent the evening with his disciples honoring the Old Testament laws pertaining to what He knew was the final celebration of the first and greatest of the feast days. When they had eaten their meal and shared in the first celebration of the new feast, the Lord's Supper, Jesus led them to the Garden of Gethsemane, a place they often visited to spend time in quietness and prayer away from the crowds of followers - from those who wished to learn from the mouth of God Himself and those who simply wished to see Him perform great deeds. Leaving eight of the disciples near the gate He led the three who were His dearest friends deeper into the Garden. The gospel of Mark recounts this event.

He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 16:33-13)

Luke also relates this story but adds "His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground." As Jesus awaited the final hours of His life, He was in agony of spirit. His agony reached such intensity that His capillaries began to burst, mixing blood with His sweat. His blood began to pour before anyone had laid a hand on Him, before the first thorn was pressed into His flesh and the first leather strap bruised His back. Such was His agony that He called out to God that if it was possible, His Father would remove this cup from Him.

Did Jesus fear those He knew were coming to lead Him to the cross? Did He fear whips, chains, thorns and spikes? Perhaps his humanity recoiled at the thought of having a spike driven through His wrist or at being beaten with ruthless brutality, yet at the beginning of His earthly ministry Jesus had spoken to His disciples about just such an event. In Matthew 10:28 we read "do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." In the Garden He prayed to God, asking if He might "take this cup away from [Him]."

To understand what Jesus' words mean, we must turn to the Old Testament where we find continual references to a cup symbolizing God's judgment. Consider the following passages:

You are filled with shame instead of glory.
You also—drink!
And be exposed as uncircumcised!
The cup of the LORD’s right hand will be turned against you,
And utter shame will be on your glory (Habakkuk 2:16)

You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will put her cup in your hand.’ “Thus says the Lord GOD:
“You shall drink of your sister’s cup,
The deep and wide one;
You shall be laughed to scorn
And held in derision;
It contains much.
You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
The cup of horror and desolation,
The cup of your sister Samaria.
You shall drink and drain it,
You shall break its shards,
And tear at your own breasts;
For I have spoken,’
Says the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 23:31-24)

Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup (Psalm 11:4)

Time and again the Bible speaks of the cup of God's wrath which will be poured out against sinners. It is a cup of horror, desolation, shame and destruction. It is a cup filled to the brim with the perfect, justified wrath of a perfectly just God.

Before the world was created, Jesus had agreed to drink this cup to save the ones He loves. He would not just take a sip of it, but would drink to the bottom of the cup, until there was nothing left. How His spirit must have assailed Him as our Lord, as fully human as He was fully God, waited to drink this cup. From the beginning of His life He knew this would be His end. Each day of His life He lived with the knowledge of the terrible, brutal end that awaited Him.

When Jesus considered the events that were to come, what was it He feared? He did not fear men, but rather feared His own Father! As He waited, He looked not to the beatings or the spikes, but to the cup of wrath His own Father was going to pour out upon Him. He feared the punishment He would have to face for my sin! He feared the punishment He would have to endure for your sin!

Just a few short hours after His prayer in the Garden, Jesus' battered body was nailed to the wooden cross. As He hung there, alone and naked before God, He drank that cup. He faced God's judgment and drank in the horror, desolation, shame and destruction that are rightfully mine. How the Father must have felt, having to punish His own Son with every bit of the wrath of His righteous anger against sin. At the time His Son needed Him most, He was unable to comfort Him. The Father poured out punishment against His Son the likes of which human minds can never comprehend. Hour after hour God's wrath poured in, on and through Jesus. Jesus was utterly and completely forsaken by His own Father.

Finally, hours after He began, Jesus did what no other person ever could do - He emptied that cup, drinking down the last drops of God's wrath, until there was no more. The wrath that deserved to be poured out against me was consumed by the One who loves me more than I can ever know. Having swallowed the last drops, Jesus shouted out in triumph "It is finished!" The work had been done. Knowing that His task was complete, Jesus turned His gaze to heaven and said "Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit." At that moment He yielded up His spirit and returned to fellowship with His Father. Forsakenness was replaced by communion; pain by exaltation. All heaven must have rejoiced as Jesus returned to His Father in triumph!

There are those who would say that having seen the events of Jesus' life portrayed in film or in drama they are better equipped to understand Jesus' sacrifice. Make no mistake: this can never be! Though you may have greater appreciation for the physical abuse and torture Jesus endured, you can never begin to know the depths of His sacrifice. Seeing the drama of a spike being driven through the arms of a man tells you no more about the sacrifice of Jesus than seeing a thimble-full of water helps a child understand the power, depth and vastness of the oceans. Do not presume to understand what you can never comprehend!

How can we but stand in awe of what Jesus did. There is nothing we can add to this work to make it more complete, nothing we can do to make it less perfect. But what we can and must do is:

Fear! Fear, as Jesus did, the One who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Turn! Turn to Him who drank the cup, acknowledging that He drank the cup of wrath that was meant for you. Turn to Jesus, praising Him for the completeness of the sacrifice that is too great for us to comprehend.

Rejoice! Be thankful that Christ drank the cup to the bottom. Be thankful, knowing that all of eternity would not be enough time for you to drink that cup. Jesus' sacrifice was so great, so complete, that what He drank during His time on the cross, you could not drink if you had the rest of eternity to do so. Look beyond the nails, beyond the blood, to the cup of wrath that was poured out upon Him. Look beyond the priests and beyond the soldiers to see God Himself sacrificing His very own Son's life. See God laying His only Son on the altar as the full and final propitiation for our sin.

Rest! Rest in Him and in His infinite, complete, awesome love. Rejoice that your cup is empty, consumed in the greatest act of love the world could ever know.

A thousand songs, a thousand books, a thousand words cannot express adequate thanks for the sacrifice Jesus made. Yet let praise and thanks flow from your lips and from your heart, honoring the One who gave all He had for you and for me.

Last week I posted some new ideas on the passage in 1 Corinthians that seems to say it is better to stay single than to marry. If you missed the post, you can get all caught up here. One question that arose in subsequent discussion (some in the forums and some via email) concerned verses 10 and 12 of that chapter, where it seems that Paul might be providing wisdom that is not inspired by God.

“Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

I will concede that on the face of it, it seems that Paul may be admitting that he is giving uninspired advice. One of the principles of Biblical interpretation is that the most obvious meaning should be considered first. It would be easy to believe from these verses that Paul at first gives wisdom inspired by God (“not I but the Lord”) and then gives personal, uninspired wisdom (“I, not the Lord”). So can we conclude that Paul gives personal opinion here? Obviously this would bring his words into contradiction with other verses, even some written by Paul himself. For example, in his second epistle to Timothy, Paul says “All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God…” (2 Timothy 3:16). See also 2 Peter 2:20-21. Clearly there would be a conflict with that interpretation. Either all Scripture is inspired or it is not. A second principle of interpretation is that Scripture interprets Scripture. Further to this, it must be impossible for one Scripture to contradict another. So there must be a way of resolving this apparent contradiction!

So let’s step back and discover what Paul meant when he said: “Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord.” To unwrap this we need only look to the words of Jesus, who in Mark 10:1-12 gave His guidelines for marriage and divorce. Though He does not use the exact words “A wife is not to depart from her husband,” that teaching is clear from His words. Notice that Paul does not quote Jesus - he merely summarizes the Lord’s teaching. So when Paul says “not I but the Lord” he is saying that he will repeat what Jesus has already taught - that a woman should not leave her husband and a husband is not to divorce his wife.

Now we turn to verse 12 where Paul says “I, not the Lord say…” We must interpret this in light of what Paul has already said. He has just repeated something that the Lord Himself taught while He was on the earth. Now Paul is going to teach something that Jesus did not speak about. Paul is not saying that he is going to give his opinion or give some uninspired teaching. He merely states that what he is about to say is something on which Jesus was silent.

We see then, that in no way was Paul going outside of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit when he wrote those words. He is merely going beyond the scope of the teaching Jesus provided, discussing a difficult situation that was important to the people of Corinth.

This week’s BlogSwap entry is provided by Joe Missionary and is on the subject of How To Pray For Missionaries. Take it away Joe…

Brothers, pray for us (1 Thes 5:25).

Before Jane and I left the States, we of course spoke before a lot of groups. A common question was, “How can we pray for you guys?” From that, I was motivated to do a little study on how Paul requested prayer, and for what. Below you’ll see every prayer request of Paul (I’m pretty sure), which I have grouped into three general prayer requests. So if you know missionaries but don’t quite know how to pray for them, what better place to start than from the Bible?

1. Pray for boldness (Eph 6:19-20; Col 4:3-4). Paul wanted people to pray that he would clearly and fearlessly preach the Good News. In both verses mentioned here, he reminded his readers of the chains that bound him as a result of his preaching, so he asked that people would pray that he would have the opportunity to preach, and that he wouldn’t miss the opportunities when they arose.
2. Pray for deliverance:
   • from persecution (Rom 15:30-32; 2 Cor 1:8-11; 2 Thes 3:2). In light of the constant harrassment and persecution Paul was receiving, Paul asked the believers to join him in his struggle by praying for him. He was dealing with life-and-death stuff, here, so he asked to be “rescued” and “delivered.”
   • from prison (Phil 1:18b-19; Philemon 22). Paul trusted that the prayers made on his behalf will lead to his being released from prison.
3. Pray for the spread of the gospel (2 Thes 3:1). Paul’s desire was that the gospel would spread rapidly and that it would be honored. You could also add Col 4:3 here, where Paul asked that people pray for open doors.

I hope this short message is helpful to you, as you pray for your brothers and sisters serving God overseas.

You can visit Joe Missionary’s site at joemissionary.blogspot.com.

My entry will be posted at danny.brendoman.com.

¹ Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ²Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ³Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ⁵Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. ⁷For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

A Traditional Explanation

This is a well-known passage from the book of Corinthians (1 Corinthians 7:1-7 NKJV). Theologians have traditionally interpreted the first two verses of the passage to show that Paul is suggesting celibacy as a higher calling than marriage. The typical explanation we hear in this regard is that celibacy allows people to be freed from the responsibilities of marriage and family, which gives them greater opportunity to dedicate themselves entirely to the Lord. Many Bible translations render the words "touch a woman" as "marry." They believe it shows that Paul is suggesting that since it is good not to marry, therefore celibacy must be better than marriage. However, if a person is unable to control himself because of sexual immorality, he should marry to avoid sinning. It almost seems he should accept a substandard Christian walk because of his lack of self-control. The church fathers taught this view and it impacted the Roman Catholic Church as they forbade their clergy to marry, lest it keep them from their higher calling.

This explanation has always troubled me, for at the beginning of time, while the word was still perfect, God said "it is not good for man to be alone" and in a sinless world instituted marriage. Since then it would seem that marriage has been normative for Christians - unless we have a good reason not to marry, we should get married. I have often struggled with reconciling God's plan that we should marry and Paul's words that we should avoid marriage unless we will not be strong enough to avoid sexual sin.

A New Perspective

I have recently been reading a study of 1 Corinthians by Richard Ganz entitled 20 Controversies That Almost Killed A Church. In his explanation of this chapter he provides an alternative to the traditional view. He suggests that what Paul is telling us to flee is not marriage but sexual immorality. The word that most Bibles translates "marriage" is really synonymous with "sexual intercourse" - a meaning it carries in other places in the New Testament (though he does not tell us where these words appear). Paul's usage, then, should be similar to what we read about in regards to Abimelech not touching Sarah or Boaz who ordered his men not to touch Ruth. The sexual context of these words is clear. So when Paul says not to touch a woman or not to marry, he is actually saying "it is good for a man not to be involved in sexual immorality."

When we view the verses through that understanding, the meaning changes completely! He does not say that because of the dangers of sexual immorality we should marry. Rather than teaching that marriage is a second-rate institution, the passage teaches that:

"In the face of all this sexual immorality, remember that each of you should be having a sexually intimate relationship within marriage." "Each man having his own wife" means, "Each man having this special sexual relationship only with his wife." This, friends, is very different from thinking that this passage teaches that marriage is not good! (20 Controversies - page 100)

Having dispensed with the possibility of sexual immorality within a Christian marriage, Paul explains the importance of a mutually satisfying sexual relationship. He does so with words and explanations that place him far ahead of his time. In an age where women were regarded as second-class citizens, Paul writes about the importance of a husband dedicating himself to his wife and giving to her any rights he might hold back that would keep her from enjoying sexual intimacy with him. And of course the same is true of the wife to her husband.

This passage concludes with the words "For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that." In light of the traditional interpretation we would assume that Paul wishes that all Christian men were able to remain unmarried and that the gift he refers to is celibacy. In the interpretation provided by Pastor Ganz we have to change the explanation. Now we see that the gift he has is the gift of self-control. He wishes that all men were able to avoid the temptations of sexual immorality as he does.

Analysis

As one who has long been dissatisfied with the standard explanation of these verses, I was intrigued by Pastor Ganz's new take. He seems to provide adequate Scriptural support and takes into account other passages of Scripture.

There is one thing that continues to trouble me, and that is in the verses immediately following the passage I outlined above. Verses 8 and 9 of the same chapter read "⁸But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; ⁹but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion." It seems that these verses may be easier to understand in light of a traditional interpretation of the first 7 verses.

It is first important to note that the "unmarried" Paul is referring to are people who have been previously married but have gone through a legitimate divorce. Paul places himself in the group of people who are either previously married or divorced (we do not know which, but it is likely that Paul was married and perhaps his wife left him when he became a Christian). To these people he says that it is good for them to remain unmarried but if they are unable to exercise self-control, they should marry instead of burning with passion.

In light of the traditional interpretation, we would assume that Paul is instructing these people to place a priority on the Lord's work - dedicating themselves to that task - freed from the need to dedicate themselves to a marriage. However, if they feel they will be unable to contain themselves sexually, they should marry to avoid sin.

By the time Ganz reaches verses 8 and 9 he has begun a new chapter and looks at the verses under a different topical heading. He does not directly show how these verses apply to the preceding ones in light of his new explanation. I can assume, though, that he would provide the same explanation as before - though it may be good for them to remain unmarried, this does not make it the best or necessary decision, and certainly does not insinuate that remarriage is a lesser calling than remaining single. Or perhaps since they have already been married, they have in a sense fulfilled their obligation in that regard and are no longer normatively required to marry. I do not want to put words in his mouth, so will leave it at that.

Conclusions

I generally get a bit nervous (justifiably, I think) when I read words such as "I have already presented my interpretation, which is substantially different from that of my fellow Christian theologians." (page 103). Though I hesitate to accept explanations that differ from what the majority of Christian theologians have believed, they cannot be summarily disposed simply because they are new. In the case of this one I do find it satisfying, and more satisfying than the standard explanation. But that, of course, does not make it right. Sorry to defer a decision, but I am going to reserve judgment on this one for the time being while I see what other Christians have to say on the matter.

Got something to say? Why not drop into the forum and let us know what you think!

Today I am going to carry on the discussion of baptism that I began yesterday. Or more correctly, I will begin it again. Yesterday I asked some questions that were of a rambling nature rather than being presented logically. Today I am going to try to bring a more systematic approach to the different views of baptism. Time does not allow me to do so exhaustively, but at the same time I will try to avoid painting a mere caricature of the different approaches.

One question that arose in the discussion was whether baptism is a sacrament or an ordinance. Therein lies one of the main differences between Reformed baptism and the “baptist” form of baptism that most evangelical churches practice. Reformed churches consider baptism to be a sacrament whereas Baptist churches regard it as an ordinance. The same holds true of the Lord’s Supper. I am going to present a couple of definitions for each of those terms. The first is from Miriam-Websters and the second from Dictionary.com.

Ordinance:

1 a : a Christian rite (as baptism or the Eucharist) that is believed to have been ordained by Christ and that is held to be a means of divine grace or to be a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality b : a religious rite or observance comparable to a Christian sacrament

1. An authoritative command or order.
2. A custom or practice established by long usage.
3. A Christian rite, especially the Eucharist.
4. A statute or regulation, especially one enacted by a city government.

Sacrament:

1 a : an authoritative decree or direction : b : a law set forth by a governmental authority; specifically : a municipal regulation
2 : something ordained or decreed by fate or a deity
3 : a prescribed usage, practice, or ceremony

Christianity. A rite believed to be a means of or visible form of grace, especially:

• In the Eastern, Roman Catholic, and some other Western Christian churches, any of the traditional seven rites that were instituted by Jesus and recorded in the New Testament and that confer sanctifying grace.
• In most other Western Christian churches, the two rites, Baptism and the Eucharist, that were instituted by Jesus to confer sanctifying grace.
• A religious rite similar to a Christian sacrament, as in character or meaning.

The significant difference between the two terms is God’s role in the act. When viewed as sacramental, baptism is more than an act of man - it is a means by which God conveys grace. When viewed as an ordinance, baptism is the testimony of the person being baptized. While it points back to an act of God in the person’s life, God plays no role in the baptism - it is an act by a man (usually a pastor) performed on a man (the person being baptized).

I will look briefly at the different views of baptism, first discussing the Reformed view and then turning to the Baptist view.

Signs & Seals

We can get a Reformed perspective on the word sacrament through the Westminster Confession which reads “Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ, and his benefits; and to confirm our interest in him: as also, to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the church, and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to his Word.”

Two important things we need to notice here. First, sacraments are signs. This means that they point to something other than themselves. Think of an exit sign that points towards a door. The sign itself is not the exit - it merely points the way to the exit. Similarly a sacrament points to something greater. Sacraments are also seals which means that God signifies that the person receiving the sacrament has the quality it signifies. So the seal points back to the sign. An illustration of a seal is a diploma. I will quote from Bob Burridge:

When someone receives a diploma upon graduation, the diploma certifies that he has completed the course of instruction as recognized by the faculty and board of the institution granting the degree. If a person forges a diploma or has misrepresented himself to the institution, the certificate does not make him qualified in the field it represents. It would be a serious crime and offense to the institution to make such a false claim. Similarly, someone who wrongly receives a sacrament offends God and does not bring the blessings promised upon himself. Instead he calls down the wrath of God upon himself for his false claim. But when a child of God receives the sacrament rightly administered by God’s prescription he receives that blessing which is represented by the sign upon the authority of God who instituted it.

In this sense we say that a sacrament is a means of grace. It does not convey the grace by its outward application. But God uses the sacrament, when rightly applied and received, as a means by which he dispenses his grace to the recipient.

Big Words

Let’s turn back to the Westminster Confession.

There is, in every sacrament, a spiritual relation, or sacramental union, between the sign and the thing signified: whence it comes to pass, that the names and effects of the one are attributed to the other.

The grace which is exhibited in or by the sacraments rightly used, is not conferred by any power in them; neither doth the efficacy of a sacrament depend upon the piety or intention of him that doth administer it: but upon the work of the Spirit, and the word of institution, which contains, together with a precept authorizing the use thereof, a promise of benefit to worthy receivers.

I am going to introduce two words that describe two different views on the sacraments.

Sacerdotalism - This is the view that the Roman Catholic Church holds to. In this view the sacraments have the power to actually convey the blessings they signify. So the sacrament has the power to confer the grace which it signifies. This is the view the Reformers fought against.

Memorialism - This is the view of the vast majority of Protestant churches, including most Baptist and evangelical churches. In this view the sacraments have no real power, but are merely memorials, object lessons, which teach something about God. This view arose in opposition to the Catholic view.

The Reformed Position

The Reformed position stands apart from these two views. As the Confession said, there is a sacramental union (or spiritual relationship) between the sign and the thing signified. So when a sacrament is properly administered, there is a real and effectual promise attached to it. The effect that will be derived from the act will be from God alone. This is not to say that baptism removes sin or conveys salvation, but it is to say that there is some spiritual advantage to being baptized. Similarly, there is a spiritual advantage to participating in the Lord’s Supper. More than merely signifying something, baptism actually conveys something.

Because of the sacramental nature of baptism and Lord’s Supper, Reformed churches traditionally try to ensure that they are properly administered. This means that, based on the Biblical example, only church officials (pastors and elders) may administer the sacraments. They strive to ensure that only those who Biblically qualify for them are included. Improper administration of the sacraments is considered blasphemous.

The Baptist View

Having briefly examined the Reformed view of baptism, let’s take a quick look at the Baptist view. As we have stated already, Reformed theology refers to baptism as a sacrament where Baptist theology refers to it as an ordinance.

Here is a typical statement of what Baptist churches believe about baptism (as found at the Web site for the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists):

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified buried and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin the burial of the old life and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.

Baptism, then, is not a means by which God conveys grace, but is a testimony of a person who has believed. It is a sign, but not a seal. Where sacraments revolve around what God does, ordinances revolve around what man does and what God did. I am going to quote David Heddle who studied this topic just a few weeks ago: “When reduced to merely an ordinance, baptism and communion are no longer about what God does, but what man does. There is nothing supernatural occurring, as if the supernatural realm were off limits to the Creator of the universe, God merely observes as we commemorate His work. An ordinance is actor-centered.”

My View

So where do my beliefs lie? I guess since I have taken the time to write all of this I should identify what I believe. So here goes. As a Reformed believer attending a Baptist church I struggle with this on an on-going basis. I have trouble viewing baptism as a mere ordinance. It may come from the Word or even from the way I was raised, but reducing baptism to anything less than a sacrament, a means of grace, just does not seem right. But I continue to struggle with it. At this time I cannot definitively say what I believe.

Over the past few days I have been doing some thinking about baptism. I come from a Reformed/Presbyterian background and spent the first 20-some years of my life in churches that practiced infant baptism (the Protestant flavor of it). Of course these churches also practice adult baptism when an unbaptized person becomes a believer. Several years ago my wife and I moved to a new town and, because of a lack of Reformed alternatives in town, began to attend Baptist churches. Needless to say, these churches practice adult baptism. I have had exposure, then, to both of the predominant modes of Protestant baptism and feel that I have a pretty good understanding of each of them.

One thing I am not clear on is the role of repentance in baptism when it comes to baptizing adults (even in the Reformed system). Allow me to explain.

In the Reformed churches, baptism is not as easily achieved as in the Evangelical churches. This would be a typical chain of events in a Reformed church if an unbaptized person were to become a believer.

• Person becomes a Christian.
• Attends Catechism or Profession of Faith classes for several weeks and months.
• Indicates an interest in being baptized and making a public profession of faith.
• Presents himself before the elders for an interview where they can determine whether or not he is truly a believer.
• Assuming he is approved by the elders, he then simultaneously professes his faith and is baptized.
• At this point he is considered a member and may also partake of the Lord's Supper.

In the evangelical churches the process is quite different. There is some variance but I believe this is typical:

• Person becomes a Christian.
• He is now eligible to participate in the Lord's Supper.
• He indicates a desire to be baptized.
• Presents himself before the elders or pastor for a short interview where they ensure he knows what baptism means and that he professes Christ.
• He is baptized.
• After baptism he is eligible for membership. Some churches will allow someone who was baptized as an infant to have membership, but the majority will not.

In the Evangelical churches baptism is regarded as something one should do with almost no knowledge of what it is all about. It is a first step of obedience once one has made a profession of faith. Those who later wish to be rebaptized saying that they didn't even know what they were doing at the time (something I have heard several times) are missing the point. While baptism is generally a prerequisite for church membership, it often is not for partaking of the Lord's Supper.

A striking difference between the two systems is the necessity of showing true repentance and a changed life before baptism may be performed. In many Reformed churches several months may elapse between the time a person becomes a believer and his subsequent baptism while classes are completed and so on. During this time it will usually become quite obvious whether or not that person has truly become a believer. While professing to be a Christian is easy enough to do, displaying the fruits of the Spirit and showing a life of repentance is more difficult. On the other hand, in evangelical churches people are urged to be baptized almost immediately after professing Christ. There may not have been time for these people to begin to show whether they made a true conversion and whether they have begun to reform their behavior.

Let's consider a few short examples:

1) A pastor meets someone in a restaurant one evening and their talk turns to what they believe. The pastor shares his testimony and some verses of Scripture with the other man who is convicted of his sin. He prays then and there, asking God to forgive him and placing his faith in Him. He asks to be baptized the next Sunday.

2) A pastor meets someone in a restaurant one evening and their talk turns to what they believe. The pastor shares his testimony and some verses of Scripture with the other man who is convicted of his sin. He prays then and there, asking God to forgive him and placing his faith in Him. He asks to be baptized the next Sunday. As they continue talking, the pastor finds out that this man is a practicing homosexual.

3) A pastor meets a couple in a restaurant one evening and their talk turns to what they believe. The pastor shares his testimony and some verses of Scripture with the couple who are convicted of their sin. They pray then and there, asking God to forgive them and placing their faith in Him. They ask to be baptized the next Sunday. As they continue to talk, the pastor finds out that they couple is living together, though they are not married.

In any of these cases, should the people be baptized the next Sunday?

In the Reformed churches they would generally not be baptized. The instruction they received in the time leading up to their baptism would likely either convict them of their sinful lifestyles or would harden them and drive them out of the church. Failing this, the elders would bar them from baptism until they repented of their sin.

In the evangelical churches these people may well be baptized (I have seen examples of this in evangelical churches). The church would not expect new Christians to show repentance and changed lives in so short a time and would baptize them on the basis of their confession, not on the basis of ongoing "proof" of the genuineness of their confession.

So here is the big question: are repentance and reform necessary prerequisites to baptism? Should people who live blatantly unchristian lifestyles be barred from baptism until they repent and reform?

I will have to put a lot more thought into this one, but initially I believe that the church should protect baptism. Rather than baptizing anyone who asks, it seems that the church should try to ensure that the people are genuinely Christian before performing baptisms. Repentance is as much an expression of faith as baptism is and should be treated equally (at the very least).

I am going to continue today with some thoughts from my Bible readings. This morning I read Revelation 6 (don't even ask why yesterday was Corinthians but today was Revelation). In the previous chapter we read about a scroll sealed with seven seals that was in the right hand of God. A loud voice called out to inquire who was worthy to open it and only one was found. The Lamb (Jesus Christ) was the only one worth of the task. He took the scroll and was praised by every creature in heaven as they proclaimed "Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!"

The sixth chapter describes the opening of the first six seals. My attention was grabbed by the fifth seal. Verses nine to eleven read:

When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were was completed.

This passage describes those who have had the honor of suffering and dying for their faith crying out to God, asking how much longer they will have to wait until God judges those who killed them and how long before He avenges their blood. They are told that they must wait just a little while longer. I would like to make several observations about this passage.

Under the altar

The souls of the martyrs, who had been slain for believing in God's Word and for holding fast to their testimonies, were under the altar. This seems to parallel the sacrifices of the Old Testament where blood of the sacrificial animals was poured onto the base of the altar.

Judgment and Vengeance

As I read this passage which describes the end of the world, I was reminded of a passage that occurred at the beginning of the history of the world. In Genesis 2:18 we read "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a helper comparable to him.'" The parallel between these two passages is that they both speak of imperfection in a perfect world. In Genesis we see that even in a perfect world God decreed that it was not good for man to be alone. In Revelation we see the martyrs, who are already in paradise, free from sin and corruption, asking God when He will avenge their blood. This shows that God's justice is perfect, holy, complete. God's justice extends beyond the petty, prideful arguments you and I tend to be embroiled in. God's anger and justice are always holy - never swayed by circumstance or emotion. The martyrs, having been perfected in heaven, are crying out to God to ask how much longer they will have to wait for the perfect fulfillment of God's justice. The imperfection of those waiting to be judged clashes with the perfection they experience before God's throne. Their cries are just. They are not chastised for their request - rather they are told to wait patiently until the time God has decreed.

How long?

The current state of the world is unnatural. The world was created to be a perfect, sinless expression of God's wisdom and majesty. Everything was created to perfectly bring glory to God. Yet man sinned and destroyed the perfection of the world. Since that time, as we read in Romans 8, "creation groans and labors with birth pangs." As a woman groans in agony as she prepares to bring her child into this world, so the whole earth groans in anticipation of the destiny it longs to have fulfilled. The earth's current condition is temporary. The earth cries out wondering how much longer it will be before God returns to deliver it from imperfection. In the same way the martyrs cry out to God asking how long He will allow their blood to remain unavenged.

It seems life is mostly waiting. Anything worth having or experiencing is worth waiting for. How much more will the new heaven and the new earth be worth waiting for?

White Robe

White robes are mentioned many times in Revelation as symbols of purity and blessedness. We are told that all the saints that overcome will be dressed in white; the Laodiceans are told to wear white clothes to cover their shameful nakedness; the twenty four elders wear white; and so on. In this passage we see that the martyrs are given white robes to wear. As part of their reward for enduring shame, torture and death for the sake of their faith, they are given a white robe, symbolic of their special status as martyrs.

Until the number

This sentence surprised me. "…it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were was completed." God has ordained that the history of the world will not end until a certain number of His servants have shed their blood for their faith. In that sense, the days of the earth are measured in the faithfulness of the saints for their Lord. However strange it may seem, God requires that many of His people pay the ultimate sacrifice for what they believe. These people will receive special honor in His kingdom based on the special privilege of dying for the One who died for them.

You could almost deduce from this passage that it would be wrong to pray for the deliverance of those who undergo persecution. After all, wouldn't praying for the deliverance of the persecuted amount to praying against the Lord's return? When we pray for the Lord to come quickly, are we not asking for the blood of the martyrs to be poured out?

Obviously this is not the case, yet sometimes God's will for us seems awfully confusing. Yet I trust that His infinite wisdom far surpasses my limited, sinful wisdom. For today I will leave it at that!

Chris is a very dear friend of mine who does not always like to adhere to what I consider normal social conventions. I can't say it is a bad thing that he does not constantly comply with what society says he is supposed to do and who he is supposed to be, but I must admit it does throw me at times. If I didn't know better, I would have to guess that he derives pleasure from making me squirm.

Let me give an example. Last Christmas Chris and his wife Rebecca traveled to their hometown in Saskatchewan for a short vacation. Over the holiday I spoke with Chris on the telephone, and after a nice discussion we were set to part ways when he said words that shocked me. I offered a rather emotionless "bye" to which he replied, "Tim, I love you man!" My mind went blank! What kind of a man tells another man that he loves him? It was too much for me. All I could say in reply was "Chris, there is nothing in my life's experience that would allow me to reply to that." And so we hung up, both laughing.

Another memory I have of Chris is from a day we spent at the house of some mutual friends. The family was preparing to list the house with a real estate agent and we spent the day painting, helping to get the house looking presentable. At one point we were all working and chatting when we noticed that Chris had disappeared. We walked around to the front of the house and there he was, face down on the driveway, nose to the pavement, watching some ants scurrying about. I guess it was then I learned that Chris was able to appreciate the small things in life that I somehow always seem to miss.

We first met Chris and his wife Rebecca through our church. Chris, a nuclear engineer, and Rebecca, an elementary school teacher, had just moved to Toronto from small-town Saskatchewan and learned about our church through the local newspaper. One Tuesday they showed up at our small group Bible study and I sensed an immediate connection with them. Maybe it was Chris' quirkiness or Rebecca's gut-honesty that drew me to them - I can't truly say. It may even have been that we had a cultural closeness as they grew up in the midst of a German culture while I grew up in a Dutch culture. I think they sensed an immediate closeness in our group too, for I remember Rebecca breaking down and crying that evening, embarrassed that she did so the first time she ever met us, but feeling such loneliness in being so far from her family and friends.

Over the following months our families grew close. Aileen and I were blessed with our second child and a few months later, Rebecca gave birth to a beautiful little girl. I have wonderful memories of a long weekend at our cottage and a day we spent in an apple orchard, munching on apples and sitting under the trees, just talking about life, dreams and direction. I am a better person, a better friend and best of all a better Christian for having been blessed with their friendship. They taught me so much.

Through times of great joy and times of great difficulty we began to see such exciting growth in Chris and Rebecca's life. We saw them learn to depend on God and to discern what He wanted them to do with their lives. We saw Chris catch on fire for God so that he began to be almost consumed by a desire to know God more and to know Him more intimately. We saw him consumed with a desire to share God's love with his community.

Two years later, at the same Bible study where we had first met, it was our turn to cry. Chris and Rebecca, whom I had come to love and respect so deeply, were following God's will for their lives by returning to Saskatchewan. The next day they packed all they owned into a truck and headed west.

In the months since then we have stayed in close contact. Chris and I type back and forth in MSN Messenger and whenever the phone rings at 10:30 PM I know it is going to be Chris just calling to see how we're doing. In some ways it feels like we are almost closer to them now than when they lived mere minutes from us. While the miles between us have increased, we have come to realize that a bond forged based on God's love is stronger than the distance we may be apart. Chris continues to challenge and sharpen me, even from thousands of miles away. Rebecca continues to provide friendship and encouragement to Aileen.

I sense that we will be together again on this side of eternity. Though at this time I have no intention of moving to Middle-of-nowhere, Saskatchewan (population 800 and that's not the real name of their town) I do know that both our families are waiting to find clear direction. Many times I have prayed that God would cause our paths to cross again and I often truly feel that they will.

While they were living only blocks from us I may have been ignorant of the unique treasure God had given us in friends like Chris and Rebecca. I know now. And while I wait to see if our families will once again be together, I thank them for the wonderful friendship we have shared and continue to pray that God will bless them richly, holding them safely in the palm of His hand. I pray that the memories we shared will linger on and on. On and on.

In this series of articles we are looking at what God's Word says about community within the church. To facilitate this we have drawn out all of the verses in the New Testament that contain the words "one another" or "each other" and found that they point to four themes: unity, hospitality, devotion and edification. In our last article we spoke about the theme of unity and in this one we will examine edification.

There are several terms the Bible uses that we will include in the category of edification. Among them are admonish, teach, instruct, encourage, exhort and spur on. The word "edify" means, literally, to build up, and that is what these terms speak of. They all point to believers helping others grow closer to God. This may take the shape of encouragement for things done right or admonishment for things done wrong.

It is God's will that believers edify each other. We all believe this to be the job of the pastor and perhaps elders, but often lose sight of the fact that we are all told to participate in this activity. While there is little doubt that office bearers are to take the lead in this and even have a special God-given calling in this area that does not preclude lay people from doing likewise. In the third chapter of Colossians Paul addresses all believers, calling them "the elect of God." He says to "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs." Paul tells the church that they are to let the word of Christ to penetrate their hearts and dwell within them. This spiritual presence will be as effective to them as if Paul himself was standing in their midst. As Christ dwells in them, He will empower them to teach and admonish one another in wisdom.

I believe we often fail in this area because we do not trust our own abilities. We often feel that others are wiser, more gifted, more in tune with God and more able to build others up. In his letter to the Romans, Paul spends chapter after chapter instructing them in the basics of the faith. He even moves well beyond the basics, speaking of things that are difficult to understand for a long-time Christian, not to mention a novice. He tells believers to be devoted to one another, to honor one another, to live in harmony with one another and to stop passing judgment on each other. Yet right near the end (Romans 15:14) we find these words, "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." Paul is warning the church at Rome against being discouraged by all that they did not know. While their faith may be young, Paul still has confidence that they will be to apply their faith in a practical way by admonishing each other. If young believers are told that they are not exempt in this instruction, how much more are mature believers to take this command seriously?

While we are to admonish each other, it is important that we also ensure that we encourage one another. While as humans the ability to point out all that is wrong is easy (and even fun) encouragement is much more difficult. We love to put down, but are much less likely to lift up. In Hebrews we are told to "encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." God tells us that we are all responsible for encouraging each other, lest we become discouraged and are hardened by the illusion that sin is more secure and pleasurable than a life of faith and service.

I became convicted in this area several months ago. I realized that I derived far more enjoyment from admonishing people than from encouraging them. While it seemed very fake at the time, I put the word "Encourage" in the calendar in my computer so that every third day at 10 in the morning the word would pop up on the screen before me. I did not want to allow it to become legalistic, so decided I would leave it there for only a short while. It provided an immediate reminder of the importance of encouragement. Often I would use that reminder to send someone an encouraging email or to give them a quick call to tell them how much I appreciated them. While at the beginning it felt forced, after a few weeks it became very natural and I was able to remove the reminder. I guess it is true what they say that a task becomes a habit after only three or four weeks. While I still naturally tend towards admonishment (a friend labels this his "spiritual gift of discouragement"), encouragement has become a greater part of my life. I am thankful for the God-given opportunities I have had to be an encouragement to others. I am equally thankful for the many times believers (many of which read this site) have taken the opportunity to encourage me.

In a similar vein, Hebrews 10:24 tells us to "consider one another in order to stir up love and good works…" If we follow to the next verse we see that this is to be done within the context of church meetings. "…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching." Our weekly church gatherings provide a God-given opportunity to edify each other. By considering others instead of ourselves we can stir up love and good works in the church community. We also see that in this same church context we can exhort one another.

Truly the church plays a crucial role in God's plan for relationships between His people. Being a member of God's community is both an immense responsibility and a great privilege. When we have God's perspective on these matters I believe it becomes a joyful, not a burdensome, responsibility.

Several weeks ago we noticed an industrious pair of robins building a nest in a tree directly outside our bathroom window. Just about a foot below the window and perhaps 8 feet out from the house, in a little crook of a crabapple tree, they built a nest of grass, mud and bits of string. Before long the mother began spending all her time sitting on the nest and though we couldn't see the bottom of the nest we knew that she had laid some eggs. Sure enough, a couple of weeks later we began to notice little pink heads and yellow beaks protruding from the nest. We laughed at the little things as they sat with their beaks to the sky, wide open, just waiting for a feeding. After just a few days their heads and then their bodies began to rise above the edges of the nest.

It was incredible to see how quickly they grew. In less than two weeks they bore a striking resemblance to their parents. Though still quite small and though their chests were spotted for camouflage, they seemed as if they were just about ready to explore the world. This morning after I woke up I took a peek through the blinds and sure enough the nest was empty. The little birds had flown the nest.

I was actually quite sad. I had enjoyed watching the birds grow up and was sure that I would get to watch them for longer than two weeks! But just like that they were gone. You know, I wonder if even their parents were surprised at how quickly they grew up. It seems that children always grow up faster than their parents expect, for I can't count the number of times I have heard people older than me marvel at how soon their own children flew the nest.

I reflected on this further and began to think about my own children. Even now I can't believe that my son is already four. Wasn't it just yesterday that we were celebrating his first birthday? Just two or three days ago that he first called me "daddy?"

Though it will probably be twenty years before I walk my little girl down the aisle, I have little doubt that as I hold her arm and walk her into her new life and into her new family, I will be struck by how quickly time passes. I can imagine her childhood flashing before me, as it will seem like just yesterday that the nurse passed me the little pink baby just moments after she was born, all swaddled in blankets, and who stared at me with her big brown eyes, wondering who I was. I'll have memories of chasing a little, bare-bottomed, giggling baby around the house, trying desperately to corral her to get a diaper on her before company arrives. I'll have memories of her first day at school, her first ballet class and probably even her first date. I know it will seem that there just hasn't been enough time - that I'll want her to wait for just one more day. Just one more day to sit with daddy and talk about her hopes and her dreams. Just to sit with daddy.

It seems time just passes too quickly.

It seems they grow up so fast.

I wonder what God thinks as He looks down on me. Does He look down at me and wonder to Himself how I could have come so far, so fast? Does He smile in amazement that after only ten or fifteen years of being a Christian I've grown up so much?

Somehow I don't think He does. In fact, it is far more likely that He looks down and shakes His head in wonder that I have so often refused to grow up; that I've refused to learn from the tough times and have refused to keep my sight fixed on Him in the good times. So often I have believed that I can do this all on my own. So often I have had to be reminded that I cannot. And just as often I have failed to learn my lesson. I have failed to grow up.

But as often as I have chosen to continue sipping milk rather than grow up and begin to chew on solid food, God has extended His forgiveness. He has given me the hope and even the yearning to desire adulthood. It seems ironic that I will never fully become alive - will never fully grow up - until I die, for the day I leave this earth and pass into glory, I will finally reach full spiritual maturity. Yet even now I know that with His help and through His grace I will continue to grow up, continue to grow closer to Him and continue to grow in my desire to be like Him.

God help me grow up.