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.
