Baptism & Local Church Membership

Most Christians on the Earth are accustomed to the idea that, in order to be a member of a local church, baptism is an absolute requirement.

Is this true when the Bible is correctly understood, or an ecclesiastical tradition?

It is our belief @ Philadelphia Apostolic Presbyterian in WSNC that this is an ecclesiastical tradition that has been passed down through the ages & that the requirement that males be circumcised in the Old Testament qualifies as case law not a rigid command that rules over Abraham & his offspring in a manner that is inelastic. 

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27)l

To illustrate, let’s look at 7th Day Sabbatarianism again. 

7th Day Sabbath worship has never been abolished. It has been expanded, just as circumcision had never been repealed.  Rather, it has been expanded via baptism.   In fact, baptism came before circumcision according to 1 Pet. 3:21.   The Bible doesn’t state that the Sabbath Day is only valid day for gathered worship. There was never a repeal of 7th Day Sabbath worship.  The early churches’ custom adds a specific day to the calendar.  The Bible never repealed 7th Day worship.  

The 4th Commandment declares that the people are to work 6 days & set aside the 7th day out of a 7-Day cycle. It does not prescribe a Friday @ sunset to Sat. @ sunset day to the exclusion of any others. You ought to be able to deduce that the actual day or days of the week can be legally expanded.  

Baptism works the same way.   The mode of baptism is established by ecclesiastical tradition. The requirement for local church membership is as well. 

Circumcision works the same way too.  Was Abraham justified without formal circumcision?Absolutely!   

Was Abraham exercising the keys of office (prophet, priest, king) prior to the institution of circumcision?Absolutely he was! 

Does the Bible teach representational theology?  Yes it does! 

One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.  (Hebrews 7:22)

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.(1 Corinthians 15:22)

Circumcision was never repealed.  Baptism corresponds to it.  

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Question: Does Acts 2 serve as a universal command for people to be baptized? 

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

See?  Isn’t it obvious?

Reply: Let’s take a look at the preceding text? 

Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,which God did among you through him,as you yourselves know. 

23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:

“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
    Because he is at my right hand,
    I will not be shaken.

26 

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest in hope,

27 

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    you will not let your holy one see decay.

28 

You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand

35 

until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”’

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter isn’t commanding them to be baptized to join the Jerusalem Church.  He’s reminding them of who Yeshua was & is and of what had transpired during His ministry & the shameful & high - handedly super - duper off the books way He had been treated just 50 days or so before.    

As a reminder, some of the people in Jerusalem for Passover a few weeks earlier were likely in the audience or at least had heard about what had happened.   Peter is reminding them of those events & who was behind them & tacitly calling attention to Israel’s history relative to what happens to the nation when prophets are ignored &/or persecuted. 

In addition, John the Baptist hadn’t been deceased for very long, so Peter is stepping into John’s shoes & calling them to take a stand for themselves & their children & all who are far off.   He’s essentially calling them to Faith & repentance & to join or rejoin the reform movement, not calling them to join a particular church.  

Matthew’s Gospel teaches us to baptize, but it doesn’t command us to be baptized.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Thus, this is what I myself, our session, & our members affirm/believe/practice within the bounds of our local church: 

We agree with the Westminster Confession as to the meaning & mode of baptism.  We scruple with the Confession as to its statement that baptism may be administered only once.   

If the Confession means in 28.2 that only a minister may administer baptism, we disagree, although we would say that, in general, given the present state of the churches & their reliance on Ecclesiastical Tradition & Authority, Best Practices at this time ought to advise that a lay, licensed, or ordained minister/elder/deacon/church officer be present &/or undertake the administration of baptism.   That said, this is not an inelastic proposition. 

We draw attention to 28.4:

Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one, or both, believing parents, are to be baptized. 

We note that the text reads “are to be baptized” not “must be baptized, & remind our neighboring churches, associations, presbyterys, denominations, & ecumenical communions/communities that tge Bible stops short of requiring non-confessing persons to be baptized.  Neither does it command confessing persons to be baptized.

Rather, the Scriptures call us to observe, administer, witness, celebrate, & enjoy baptism while simultaneously avoiding legalism / legalistic thoughts, words, & deeds concerning this & many other issues.  Church officers are servants of & to THE LORD & His people(s), not enforcers.   The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 

We affirm & do not deny that Best Practices, as we understand the Scriptures, indicates that all confessing believers ought to be baptized, but if they cannot be persuaded yet give evidence to their confession of faith, they are nevertheless to be admitted into the membership of the local church. 

They should not be badgered about this issue. Badgering is species of spiritual abuse & diminishes/demeans the dignity of God as well as His peoples.  

As to men/males

In view of religious traditions that practice religious circumcision & the truth that the Bible does not repeal circumcision nor replace it with baptism, we believe admission of persons of these traditions who come to us with a credible profession of faith, if they choose not to be baptized, ought to be admitted into church membership insofar as circumcision & baptism correspond. 

The same is true concerning the uncircumcised & unbaptized who come to us demonstrating genuine moral clarity & who demonstrate a credible profession of faith.   

As to women/females coming to us from these faith traditions & now profess Christ, wwho come to us with a credible profession of faith, if they choose not to be baptized, ought to be admitted into church membership insofar as circumcision & baptism correspond.   We recognize that according the the Bible’s theology of circumcision/baptism women who come to us from these traditions are represented by men religiously circumcised in those traditions. 

We, like Charles Hodge, also affirm the legitimacy & efficacy of Non-Protestant baptism.   We also affirm the legitimacy of circumcision among the Mohammedans & the mikvahs like those observed by Orthodox Jewish women. 

Because this is casuistic law, we believe we ourselves & our sister communions/communities are free to reserve the right to expand or contract the  acceptance or rejection of applications for church membership during times of declension &/or persecution as the need arises. 

We agree with the Scriptures that sacramental activity, which includes circumcision & baptism, neither regenerates nor justifies. These rites are, however, sacramental means of grace through which God sanctifies His people(s). 

This is the Way!  This our prayer!  

O LORD, Hear Our Prayer(s)!