Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things"
2Ti 2:7.

Thursday, May 28, 2020

1689.28 - the institution of the two ordinances by Christ




The Institution of the Two Ordinances in the Church. (1689.28)

a. Chapters 28-30 belong together. They deal with the two church-ordinances instituted by Christ in His church. This chapter differs drastically from chapter 27 of the WCF. The five paragraphs have been turned into two brief paragraphs in the 1689 CoF.
- There are many 'ordinances' mentioned in the Scriptures. God has ordained many things in human affairs - eg. marriage, civil authority, etc. But there are only two church-ordinances instituted by Christ Jesus in His church.

1689.28.1: Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of positive and sovereign institution, appointed by the Lord Jesus, the only lawgiver, to be continued in his church to the end of the world. Matt. 28:19,20; 1 Cor. 11:26
1689.28.2: These holy appointments are to be administered by those only who are qualified and thereunto called, according to the commission of Christ. Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 4:1

1. The Institution of the Two Ordinances in the Church
a. The number and order of these two ordinances in the church:
- “Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances…”
- The number is two; there are only these two ordinances instituted in the church by Christ, the Head and the lawgiver of His church.
- The order is baptism first, then united with the church as a member, and only then eligible to partake the Lord’s Supper, to express the communion in the Lord Jesus Christ and with the church.

b. The origin of these two ordinances in the church:
- “… of positive and sovereign institution…”
- “… appointed by the Lord Jesus…”
- “… the only lawgiver…”
- A positive and sovereign ordinance is something in addition to the law of nature. It is NOT something merely deduced or by necessarily implied.
- They did not exist from the beginning of time nor in the OT, but came into existence by a positive and sovereign appointment of the Lord Jesus. They are explicitly laid down by Christ the Lord.
- Christ Jesus, in His capacity as the Messianic King is the exclusive author of these ordinances. We are baptized and partake of the Lord's Supper properly only when we do it because Christ commanded us to do so. They are no mere traditions, human or ecclesiastical.
- We do them not because they seem good ideas to us, but because we feel upon our hearts the authority of Christ in His word and respond to that authority. It is out of conscious obedience and allegiance and submission to His authority.
- Careful observation of and obedience to Christ's positive and sovereign institution evident a peculiar love for and loyalty to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ the King.
- Neglecting them evidences a want of submission to Christ.

c, The perpetuity of these two ordinances in the church:
- “… to be continued in his church to the end of the world.”
- These two ordinances are, in a qualified sense, perpetual. They are to be continued from the time they were appointed and are only to cease with the end of the world.
- The ministry of the word for the gathering of God’s children into the visible church continues unto the end of the world; the gathering of God's children into the church requires baptism.
- The Lord's Supper is also clearly to be observed till the return of Christ, 1Cor 11:26, Lk 22:14-20.
- Both these ordinances not only point us back to the living authority of Christ but forward to the actual return and presence of Christ. They are lifelines that remind us of the living Christ and His power.

2. The Administration of the Two Ordinances in the Church (28:2)
a. The two ordinances are the holy appointments of Christ the Head and Lawgiver of His church:
- “These holy appointments…” These are ordinances by the positive and sovereign appointment by Christ, the Holy One; their appointment by the Holy One elevates what appears to be ordinary and common to become holy, sacred.
- Holy things are appointed for a holy people, a people sanctified by the free and sovereign grace of God in His Son Jesus Christ.
- Holy things are to be administered with clean hands and a pure heart.
- They are to be received with due reverence to Him who appointed them.
- The administrators or the recipients who despise or abuse or neglect these holy appointments do betray an unholy character.

b. The lawful administrators of these ordinances:
- “… are to be administered by those only who are qualified…”
- “… and thereunto called,
- Who are they? According to the Scripture, who may baptize and administer the Lord's Supper?
- "... those who are qualified" are those who are equipped and made fit by Christ for the work of the ministry of the word; they are also "called" and set apart to the work by the church
- 1Cor 4:1 speaks of the 'stewards of the mysteries of God.' This text points to the concept of a steward.
- Mt 24:45-51 & Lk 41-44 show that not all in God's household are stewards who have authority and responsibility to give God's people their 'food in due season.'
- Tit 1:5-7 describes elders as stewards of God. God still has stewards in His household (1Tim 3:5-16) and over His people in the continuing office of the elder, pastor-teacher cp. Eph 4:11ff.
- Since baptism and the Lord's Supper are visible symbols of that spiritual food and those mysteries, it is the prerogative of God's stewards to oversee & administer such ordinances.

c. '... according to the commission of Christ.'
- The commission here DOES NOT refer to the Great Commission which was addressed to the Apostles alone with unique promises; the Apostles fulfilled their commission by 70AD. The four parallel accounts of this commission make it very clear that the commission is addressed to Christ's apostles.
- The commission here is Christ’s calling and authorization of men to the ministry of the gospel; those commissioned by Christ are recognized and set apart by His church for the work of pastor and teacher. see Chapter 26:8,9.
- It is only those commissioned by Christ and recognized and set apart by the church that has been authorized to administer the two holy appointments of Christ.
- Both are church ordinances, given to the church to be administered according to the law of Christ.