A Scriptural Understanding Of Baptism Week 1

What Is Systematic Theology?

All right, let's pray Thanks father for a time together. We pray this would be profitable. Help us Lord to learn this for your glory and not just for our. Help us now as we consider these things in Jesus name.

Amen. I was thinking of asking the deacons and the elders to meet me after the service, but Two things constrain me not to do that so that we have this lecture this afternoon. The first is I was sworn by a bunch of people that said don't you dare cancel?

So we've been looking forward to this for months. So don't even do it. And the second thing is there's no way I want to be called yellow. So or yellow.

All right.

Okay. This is our.

First.

Lecture in our systematics on Sunday lecture series. And what we want to do is take the time. To work through some systematic theology. Now, I'm gonna start out the very beginning. What do we mean? By systematic theology.

What are we talking about? We use that term. Wayne Grudem has written in his book systematic theology. Systematic theology is a is any study that answers the question. What does the Bible teach us today?

About.

Any given topic and so it draws on the entire Bible. Rather than utilizing individual texts in isolation from one another like expository preaching which just takes a text and deals with what it means systematic theology attempts to relate the various portions of the scripture that speak about the same topic and organize it into a Systematic coherent Whole.

All right. Now the Bible is not a theological textbook. You don't open the Bible and it says chapter 1 the character of God chapter 2 the works of God. Chapter 3 what is man? And what does he do? It's not organized like that.

It's not a theological textbook or a systematic theological textbook. It's more like a storybook. Showing how God reveals himself in his works through from beginning to end and you know I could I could I would liken it to almost like a biography it's God telling his story from beginning to end and From that we we choose things that we ask a question.

What is God like and we look at at how his story unfolds and we take it's kind of like Antipasma's life is an unfolding story. Okay. Girls I'm not just picking on the boys for illustrations now. So someone asks what is antipasma like and so you go through her unfolding story and you pick out facts.

Someone says did she work? So you go? Okay as a child, she helped her mom in high school. She worked for Jim Lynch down at the down at the store. She was in a library at two different a librarian at two different libraries.

She's a substitute Permanent substitute teacher who is trying to launch her own businesses. Okay. Now deep deeper questions then flow from that and you look at all this stuff like what does that tell you?

But the kind of work she likes to do. So that's what we're doing. It's systematic theology.

Yes.

Did she have a family and so you go through a whole story you choose those? Points that talk about family and you put it together at a coherent whole. And then you even ask more questions of that and see what it tells you that's how systematic theology works.

That's what it does with the Bible. So you say what is God like? Well, you see him in creation. You see him at Sodom and Gomorrah. You see him at the Exodus you see Jesus miracles. And then there are some direct statements about God just tells you straight out what he's like.

And so you conclude as you go through the book God is omnipotent. Okay. Now you don't start out chapter one God is omnipotent. You look at the whole story and you say, you know as I look at God working in the world.

We conclude he's omnipotent. Okay. So you read through the whole scriptures and you say God is a triune being. Now again, you don't go to one place and it says God is a triune being. You don't do that.

You go through all of scripture and you look at all that it says and you come up with that concluding coherent statement God is a triune beating being. You read through the scriptures about human beings all through the ages in the Bible and you say you conclude Man is a created being created in the image of God corrupted by sin needing a salvation that is external to him.

Okay, that's that as you go through the whole scriptures and you ask the question, what is man? That's what you conclude. And so systematic theology. Tries to take all of what the Bible says about a topic and make it into a systematic coherent.

Whole.

Okay, answering that question now you may not realize this but all of you do systematic theology. Everybody does systematic theology when you say to someone the Bible says that everyone needs to be saved.

You're making a systematic theological statement. You're saying when I when you look at the Bible, this is what it tells you. All right. You say nothing happens by chance because God is sovereign. Everything's part of his plan.

Well, how do you know that because as you read through the whole of the Bible you say, okay. Why do things happen the way they do? They happen by chance or is there something else? And what you do is you look through the whole Bible and you come up with a concluding statement God is sovereign.

Nothing happens by chance. So you do theology all the time. By the way, you've heard me say it all the time. The question is not whether you're a theologian. The question is whether you're a good one or a bad one.

Everybody operates with theology all of you do systematic theology. You take what you know, and you organize it, okay. Now I'm going to say something really quickly about theological terms. Don't get in the habit of saying cool.

Why do you use $50 words for 50-cent ideas? Well for one thing they're not 50-cent ideas and for another the big words. Often if not, always. Most of the time give you a better Understanding of the concept because you have one word that'll that'll say so if I use the word Epistemology it's not theological term by the way, it's philosophical term if I use the word epistemology.

What's your epistemology? That's a lot better than saying. How do you? How do you know what you believe? Why do you how do you know what you know? Right. How do you know what you know? And how do you know that's the right way of knowing and Epistemology just sums all that up right there.

That's what I'm asking you. I'm asking you all those questions. So when it comes to theology Don't you know don't start saying why is he using such big words because they're better. Okay, and so the answer is Learn them.

Don't complain about them. All right, I Remember my philosophy professor in in college he was lecturing away and one kid had the the courage to raise his hand and Professor Greer looked at him said yes, he goes professor Greer.

Could you please define your terms and He looked at this kid right in the eye and he said in your syllabus you have listed a philosophy of Philosopher a dictionary of philosophical terms.

By it.

Okay. So what I'm saying to you is you don't know the term write it down. Look it up. Ask about it, but get used to using the theological terms. They're much better at Explaining okay again. Yeah, we have to define those we have to talk about what that means.

Two Views of Baptism: Pedo and Credo Baptism

But then once you know that that term will suffice to deal with all the questions that pop up in that area. So we're going to begin with a systematic understanding of baptism. That's the first thing I wanted to tackle.

There'll be other things we'll talk about covenants Character of God and so forth. We want to start with baptism. We want to look at the what the scriptures have to say about it now before we. What I want to do is introduce you to some things today.

Introduce you to some things that I think are important. The first is there are basically two views of baptism. There are basically two views of baptism and In this study, we're going to compare and contrast two views of baptism.

One is pedo baptism and the other is credo baptism. Okay, pedo now. Here's a good example pedo baptism. Why are you using that kind of terminology because it explains it that's why don't ask me again.

All right pedo baptism comes from the word pedo which means child which comes from the Greek word Pais. Which means child okay? So you put the two together you get infant baptism. Pedo baptism means infant baptism.

Okay. Well, what's credo baptism? All right, it comes from the latin word credo, which means I.

Believe.

Okay, I believe. So therefore when we use the term credo baptism, we're talking then about Believers Baptism and so we're asking the basic question. Who are the proper subjects of baptism?

Infants and.

Children or Those who have professed faith. Which is the which is the biblical view pedo baptism or credo baptism? Okay, that's what we're going to be looking at. I call this the water that divides because this is where Denominations divide right this is where we divide we divide in in in our view of baptism, okay?

Now do you know any pedo baptists? I mean, let me just give you a list of a few Martin Luther John Calvin Ulrich's Wingly Jay Adams Paul David Tripp RC Sproul Sinclair Ferguson Jonathan Edwards William Tyndale Tim Keller J .i. Packer Jerry Bridges And all those guys are pedo baptists.

And by the way when it wouldn't talk about this. You know what? I don't hate pedo baptists. In fact, I how's this for a statement some of my best friends are pedo baptists, right? Some of my best friends and some of my best.

Teachers on.

My shelf are pedo baptists. In fact, there was a time in my life Where I wanted to be a pedo baptist really badly. I mean, man, I wanted it. I was talking to Dave Dernal in yesterday and he was in the same position years ago.

And he says Tim, isn't it great that God saved us from Presbyterianism? Which is not to say I hate Presbyterians because one of the most influential guys in my life is Is a paid of was a pedo baptist so.

Anyway, all right now within pedo baptists. There are differing views. Within that group there are differing views. Okay, first one we want to look at is the Roman Catholic view. Roman Catholics are pedo baptists.

The Roman Catholic View of Baptism

They baptized infants. The difference. The difference in these views. Revolves around what does baptism do? Okay. Revolves around that question. What does baptism do? All right in the Roman Catholic view then baptism is necessary.

For.

For salvation. It's necessary for salvation. Okay. That is to say if you're not baptized, there's no way. Well, they'll they'll make a few exceptions, of course, but as a whole unless you're baptized you're beyond What they would call grace you're beyond salvation.

Now, why do they say it's necessary? Well, they they say that the Lord affirms it. Well, we all know the the verse. John chapter 3 verse 5 says. Unless a man is born by water and the Spirit you cannot see the kingdom of God.

So they say there Jesus season teaches it in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We see this statement the Lord himself affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation. Okay, so they're really out front about that.

They're not hiding anything. They say it's necessary for salvation because the Lord affirms it and because it is the cause of forgiveness and Regeneration. All right, if you don't know what? Regeneration means it's a theological term for the fact that you're born again.

You're given a new nature you are Cleansed okay. So listen to the Catholic Catechism by baptism all Sins are forgiven. Original sin and all personal sins as well as all punishment for sin. There's another statement.

Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte a new creature an Adopted Son of God who has become a partaker of the divine nature member of Christ and Co-heir with him and a temple of the Holy Spirit.

That's what they're saying when you bring the baby to back be to be and listen I'm I'm choking down the word when I talk about baptizing infants because I don't even think the mode is baptism. But for sake of just keeping things smooth, I'll use the term baptism.

All right.

By that they bring the infant to baptism. By that they're all their sins are washed away. They have forgiveness. They're cleansed. They become co-heirs with Christ. Right all of that all of what we're used to seeing in terms of what it means to be saved.

Here's another statement. Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin children also have need of the new birth in baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and Brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God to which all men are called the sheer gratuitousness of the sheer Gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant baptism.

The church and the parents Would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were Where they do were they not to confer baptism shortly after birth? Okay.

There it is.

So it's clear from their own statement of faith that baptism Actually gives you new birth. Brings you forgiveness for all your sins makes you a co-heir with Christ all of these things Happen. When the baby is is baptized now the act of baptism baptism itself confers the grace of Forgiveness and regeneration being joined to Christ and so forth actually Confers that great the act of baptism actually does that does that now?

Here's a statement that you need to know it's a Latin statement. It says X opere operato. Okay, X opere operato which means From the work performed. Okay. I should have put that on there. It means from the work performed.

What does that mean? When it when something acts X opere operato. What they're saying is it does not depend on the faith or the worthiness of the recipient. Okay. Baptism actually brings new birth By the act of baptism.

It doesn't matter Whether the person has faith or whether in their view he's worthy enough now. This also is true. It does not depend on the personal Worthiness or orthodoxy of the priest that doesn't matter either.

Okay. That doesn't matter if the priest is some degenerate. Right, and he baptizes that baby. It works. X opere operato doesn't matter what the infant is like doesn't even matter what the priest is like.

It just does its work the the sacrament of baptism itself. Accomplishes the regeneration of the person. Okay. Are you with me? You got it? So if a priest has sired six children on the side. Even though he's supposed to be celibate and he's questioning the doctrine of the infallibility of the Pope.

If he baptizes that baby. It's a done deal. It's a done deal it doesn't matter about what he's like or what the infants like. The act of baptism is what gets the job done.

All right.

So baptism conclude they conclude baptism is therefore appropriately ministered to infants.

The Lutheran View of Baptism

All right.

What about the Lutherans. What about the Lutheran view of Baptism. Lutherans also believe That baptism regenerates the infant, but it does not work. X opere operato. So here's the difference. Does the baptism save the baby?

Yes. But not in the same way that the Rotham Catholics say. It's not just the act itself. Will you say to me. And I asked this question for years. I don't get it. What are my great heroes. Martin Luther brought back to the church the idea that you're justified by faith.

Alone.

How in the world can anybody? Be regenerated by baptism and here's what they've concluded. They believe that God justifies the sinner through faith. They still believe that but baptism Works faith in the infant.

So he's he's justified by faith. Now, of course, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking what? You mean the baby actually exercises faith. Well, not exactly. But faith then is worked in the infant.

Now. Here's their reasoning. Here's their reasoning. The Word of God produces faith in the here, right. 1st Peter chapter 1. That we are given new birth by the Imperishable seed of the Word of God when you share the gospel with someone that very word produces the faith that it calls for.

Right. We all know that yes, the Word of God produces faith. The Spirit Uses the Word of God to produce faith. Well, so the Spirit can use baptism to produce faith in the infant.

All right.

Baptism can do the same thing. Baptism like the gospel is Powerful to produce the faith it calls for with its promises. In fact, they would say to you the Spirit can work faith through the gospel and Baptism.

Whatever instrument he chooses he can do it. By the way, I believe that the Spirit Can do that. He can do anything can't he?

All right.

But I'll never forget what pastor good one of my mentors and counseling said and I love it. Yes, God can do whatever he's whatever God can do whatever he wants to do, but we ought to expect God to do what he says he'll do.

Right, he hasn't said that about baptism, although I'm getting ahead of myself.

So.

Here's one writing a fellow by the name of JF Johnson writing about this in Lutheran understanding. It is no more difficult for the Spirit to work faith in infants through the gospel promises. Attached to the water of baptism then in adults alienated from God through the proclamation of the gospel in preaching.

So what he's saying is. It's no more difficult to believe that the Spirit works through the promises that are pronounced in baptism to work faith in a child. That's that's not more extraordinary than the Spirit of God.

Working faith in someone through the proclamation of the Word can use both or either one. We shouldn't expect the Spirit we you know, the Spirit can do that. All right, and so for them infants then are appropriate subjects for baptism.

The Presbyterian/Reformed View of Baptism

So those are the two first views now. The last view of pedo bass. Baptism is a Presbyterian or reformed view now when I use that term reformed in this context.

Presbyterians are.

Reformed in their theology that is to say let's go back in our history. There was the Lutheran Revolution, right. Or Martin Luther launched the the revolution called the Protestant Reformation a few years later a guys like Zwingli and Calvin came along and Emphasize more doctrines like unconditional election, although Luther did that too.

But unconditional election and the things that we're all used to total depravity, right? Particular atonement all those things. And that was called the Reformed branch of the of The Reformation. So there's the Lutheran and then later what's called the Reformed.

The Reformed to where the Presbyterians came from. The Reformed faith spread across Europe all the way to England and to Scotland and the Reformed faith is what Influenced the Scots and the Puritans and so Presbyterianism came out of there.

But on the continent of Europe there are other Reformed bodies that are called Reformed like Christian Reformed Church or Dutch Reformed okay like in Holland and places like that. So they're called Reformed churches over here Presbyterian churches.

They believe the same thing they got different names.

Are you with me?

Okay. All right, so for example. My family came out of the Continental Reformed people the Dutch Reformed Pasmas came from the Netherlands and so. Up until my grandpa they were part of the Reformed Church.

All right, so Presbyterians or Reformed same thing now. Here's what they say. Baptism does not regenerate or save anybody so let's get that right down right. Let's let's get that straight. Presbyterians do not believe that baptism is the means by which God saves people.

All right, it is not the means by which God saves people doesn't regenerate anyone. And Here's the here's the nubbins of the argument. Here's what you have to get. Baptism is to the New Covenant infants.

What circumcision was to Old Covenant infants. So circumcision. Old Testament New Testament Baptism. Now when you look at circumcision in the Old Testament, right? Circumcision was the outward sign of entrance into the Covenant community.

As such it did not save anyone. All right to be a member of Israel. You were born into the nation of Israel eight days later. You were circumcised and that brought you into that was a sign that you belong to the Covenant community of God.

But it didn't save anybody. Look over at what Paul's argument is in Romans 4. Okay, let's look at Romans 4. Because that soon became equated with if you're circumcised in part of the Covenant community of God, you're alright with God and He's trying to make an argument even about the Old Testament.

Here's what he says. Romans 4 verse 1. What then shall we say was gained by Abraham our forefather according to the flesh. For if Abraham was justified? By works he has something to boast about but not before God.

For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as Righteousness. Now to the one who works his wages are not counted as a gift. But as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly his faith is counted as righteousness.

Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised or Also for the uncircumcised. For we say that faith was counted to Abraham is righteousness. How then was it counted to him was it before or after he'd been circumcised?

It was not after but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised that Righteousness would be counted to them as well and to make him the father of the circumcised.

Or not merely circumcised. But who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. So Paul argues that even in the Old Testament They were what they were counted.

Righteousness righteous by faith. Circumcision did not. Save you faith saves you. Faith has always saved God's people. It's not circumcision that saves you. And so they would our Presbyterian friends would say.

That circumcision brought a person into the covenant community, but it did not save them. Well, then why are they. So what's the advantage of circumcision? What is the advantage of it then? Well, let's look at what Paul says about that back in chapter 3 verse 1.

He asks that question. Then what advantage has the Jew the one who circumcised. Or what is the value of circumcision? Much there's great advantage in every way to begin with the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

What does he say there. God set apart this people and You are circumcised to become part of that people. It is to that people that the Word of God was entrusted of all the nations of the earth. Who had the Word of God?

Written.

Just the Jews and it was from them that we get our Bible. Okay. So what's one advantage? You are in the nation where the true God revealed himself. Alright look over chapter 9. He he. He says the same thing in chapter 9 Verse 1.

I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit. That I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart for I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ For the sake of my brothers my kinsmen according to the flesh.

They are Israelites and to them belong the adoption the glory the covenants the giving of the law the worship and The promises. To them belong the patriarchs and from their race according to the flesh is the Christ.

Who is God over all blessed forever? Amen, you see what he's saying. They also had the sacrifices the temple the law All of these things that revealed God to them that was the advantage. All right. It brought them into the community where they had where God revealed himself in marvelous in different ways.

That was the advantage of circumcision. Okay?

So.

Circumcision doesn't save in the Old Testament. But it brings you into the covenant community where you have all of these things that reveal God. You have something that all the other nations didn't have.

Now.

Our pedo-baptist friends then would say that Baptism is the outward sign of entrance into the new covenant community. Okay. So what they're saying is there's a one-to-one exchange between circumcision and Baptism.

There's a one-to-one exchange. Baptism is the new covenant Equivalent of circumcision and like circumcision it is applied to the infants of people particularly parents Who are already part of the covenant community of God and like circumcision it doesn't save anyone but it brings him or her into the covenant community and it makes him or her a Member of the church.

So that's one thing to remember when we talk about entrance into the covenant community when that baby is.

Christened.

He is then is a member of the church. He is enrolled. His name is on the roll of the members of the church. Okay, because he's now part of the covenant community and Like circumcision it brings you into the community where God has revealed himself in a special way.

There you there you are brought into the community where parents have at your baptism Have vowed that they're going to bring you up in the admonition and nurture of the Lord. You're surrounded by people who care for you who love you who will teach you who will rebuke you you're surrounded by all those other people and You have the Word of God preached to you All the time you're in that community and it has discipline to help you live a godly life.

So Just like Old Testament baptism brings you into the covenant community not to save you but to Make you part of that community expose you to all the advantages that come as being part of that community.

And so.

If.

Baptism is like Old Testament circumcision then infants are proper subjects of baptism. Okay.

Why Systematic Study of Baptism Matters

Now.

Why why are we doing this? Let me give you a couple reasons. Why I wanted to launch on this or why we're even doing systematic study. Here's the first because I've spent nearly 37 years in expository preaching.

Right and.

If that's all we do which is pretty much all that we've done with some exceptions in Sunday school and stuff. Then we tend to be weak in systematic theology. Okay, I wish I'd thought about this 28 years ago, but be that as it may we tend to be weaker in systematics.

And so this is an attempt to help us. Get stronger, right? I mean we could do. You could do systematic theology and listen to all the sermons that I've ever preached. And I threw a ton of books of the Bible, but not all of them and so we have a certain weakness there and.

So I.

Want us to get stronger? I mean, that's my desire. It's not that I want it, you know, the other guys had to pass on this, too. But it's it's kind of my vision I guess. Here's another reason in The last few years we've had plenty of folks asking questions about our view of baptism.

In the last three years, we have tons of people that have been raising this question. And so we need to tackle it. We need to tackle it and.

Lastly.

I don't think we've ever undertook. We've talked about it. We've showed some things about I don't know that we've ever undertook a real systematic study of baptism and I think that's what we need to do.

So today, you know with this we embark on the study of baptism and I hope in these times together with you. I can show you that our view is The one that most closely accords with Scripture, okay, I am.

You know what? I wasn't growing up. But I don't know somewhere in my 20s. I became a Baptist by conviction and By the way, can I say this the more reading I'm doing now? I have no pun intended.

Dennis.

No pun intended but for the last several weeks I have immersed myself in Presbyterian literature okay, and The more I read their defense The more I'm convinced They just don't get it. They're missing the mark in Major ways and I don't say that as a matter of pride.

Okay, I don't say as a matter of pride, but I am saying At once I thought wow, they got great arguments, but the more I read the deeper I go the less convincing it is and so and not just that but I become more convinced of a lot of things in the Bible that Impinge on this and those are the things we want to talk about.

So next week what I want to do, we're not going to talk about the Roman view or the Lutheran view. I don't think that's where most of us are struggling. I don't think I can't imagine any of you struggling with that.

But the Pato Baptist view that's expressed by the Presbyterians is the one I think that really is the one that hits us the hardest so Next week what I want to do is to build the system their system. Show you how they got where they are.

Okay to outline for you their theological structure and their biblical their view of the Bible that brought them to Their views that's what I want to do next week and then the following weeks. We'll look at Critiquing and building okay, and then we got to spend at least one week on mode.

Why dunk somebody as opposed to just you know on their forehead right? Why do that? Okay, so that's where we're going now at this point. Okay, I want to keep this to no longer than 45 minutes, and that's really stretching it so right now.

I think we're at 40. So you got five minutes to ask questions. Annie.

Yes, and yeah, yeah.

I've not seen him even touch that subject yet. Have you Andrew? Yeah, but no Presbyterians. Yeah, and Annie you're jumping the gun, I'm that's one of my critiques right there, that's a radical departure.

Why even mess with the girls. Why why even do that now?

So.

Okay I've never by the way Andrew. I've never read anybody say anything about that. But then you're more widely read in the Baptist than I am.

Yeah Yeah.

Okay. The other questions yes Daniel mean by crying and squalling and fighting. That's interesting. The Lutherans would say that the baptism does not take effect if someone's resisting it. Well, how does a baby resist it.

I don't know I don't.

So.

Okay Levi I think one of the practical differences One that comes immediately to mind is The complacency that I see. I'm not talking about what I've read, but what I've seen in people's lives who have Pedo-baptists as pedo-baptism as part of the theology.

There's a certain I think complacency that settles over them. Let me give you an example so I'm flying out to teach at this little Bible Institute in Montana and We're supposed to change planes in Great Falls or something like that one of those towns on the east side of the mountains and They canceled the flight so I went to to rent a car.

And there was one car left and a woman Was going to Kalispell and I was going to Kalispell and so we rented the car together. And we drove and I found out she was a Presbyterian in fact. She was part of the church where Ken Sandy went.

Ken Sandy who wrote the Peacemaker. His church is in Kalispell and we were talking and got into that and chatted for a while. And I asked her about her kids, and she said something like well one of my girls is far away from the Lord, but She's a covenant child.

And she'll come back all right that really struck me There even though they want to avoid. Even though they want to avoid it I think it has a very practical implication of people trusting in their baptism more than in Christ.

Another thing I've seen is that. Because I've been baptized and and this is this is what grows all these different things grow out of your system once you go a certain way so. Okay, so now they get to be about 12.

What do we do now. Well now we have confirmation where they're confirmed in their faith and again. You're confirmed in your faith now. Yeah, we know that you accept it intellectually, but it doesn't make any difference in The way you live your life.