A Look at Baptism

and the Lord’s

Supper
With
Kusi Appiah
The Christian church for
over 2000 centuries has
been matching on the
orders of the Lord and
Master as is recorded for
us in Matthew 28:19
 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, until the end of
the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
It is this same command
that marches the
Christian army on that
establishes baptism as
an activity of the army of
the church.
 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, until the end of
the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
 From the going forth of this
great commission then,
baptism has become part of
Christianity; an exercise that
has had a central place in
the doctrine and practice of
the Christian faith.
 It is imperative for
Christians to have a
good understanding of
baptism to inform or
relationship with and
practice of it
What is baptism
 Baptism is a Christian
exercise that finds itself
both in the teaching and
practice of Jesus
Christ.
 Baptism is an
activity done to
initiate people into
discipleship
 When therefore the Lord
knew how the Pharisees
had heard that Jesus made
and baptized more
disciples than John.
John 4:1
 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, until the end of
the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
 Baptism was something
the disciples did to people
who had accepted the
gospel so as to make them
into disciples after which
they were taught.
 And as they went on their way, they
came unto a certain water: and the
eunuch said, See, here is water; what
doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And
Philip said, If thou believest with all
thine heart, thou mayest. And he
answered and said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God.
In Acts 8: 36,37
 Baptism is a process that
brings a person from whatever
philosophy, religious persuasion
or ideology they were into the
truth of the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Immediately things like
scales fell from his
eyes and he regained
his sight. He got up and
was baptized,
Acts 9:18
 Now why do you delay?
Get up and be baptized,
and wash away your
sins, calling on His name
Acts 22:16
 Baptism is a
process a person
goes through for
the remission of
their sins
 Baptism understood is a
physical process initiation that
a person goes through to signify
their acceptance of Christ and
submission to His Lordship by
which they are cleansed of their
sins and connected to the Lord
Jesus Christ.
How is baptism
 How are we supposed
to be baptized then? To
fulfill the purpose of a
thing is to do it as it is
supposed to be done.
one Lord, one faith,
one baptism
Ephesians 4:5
One means peculiar and even
precision. There is a way of
baptism. Christ is exclusive,
and the Christian faith is,
there as some religions that
could be said to in some
sense be inclusive but
Christianity is not.
 God has particular ways He wants
things to be done. He showed Moses
exactly how the tabernacle was
supposed to be constructed in
detail. He showed the elements that
were supposed to be used to make
the anointing oil in exactitude. He
was particular even to the point of
the clothes that the priests should
wear.
He says there is a
way of baptism.
 The general rule in
Christianity is that follow
what the Bible says and
how it defines things and
when in doubt, follow what
Jesus did and you can never
be wrong.
The word baptize is from the
Greek word baptizo and it
means to immerse or dip
under water. The word
carries an understanding of
dipping into water so that a
thing is fully covered.
 We would understand
from this that the how of
baptism is to immerse
the person being
baptized into water so
that the person is
covered in the water.
The element
“Surely no one can refuse the
water for these to be baptized
who have received the Holy
Spirit just as we did, can he?”
Acts 10:47
 We baptize with
water. All who were
baptized in the Bible
were baptized by
water
Process- Immersion
having been buried with Him in
baptism, in which you were
also raised up with Him through
faith in the working of God,
who raised Him from the dead.
Colossians 2:12
 Therefore we have been buried
with Him through baptism into
death, so that as Christ was
raised from the dead through the
glory of the Father, so we too
might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4
 The examples of
baptism we have in the
also speak of immersion
as they speak to amount
of water.
 John also was baptizing in
Aenon near Salim, because
there was much water there;
and people were coming and
were being baptized
John 3:23
After being baptized, Jesus came
up immediately from the water;
and behold, the heavens were
opened, and he saw the Spirit of
God descending as a dove and
lighting on Him
Matthew 3:16
 The process is to be
immersed into water.
Not though that it does
not talk of flowing
water.
When is baptism
A number of the passages we have looked at them themselves
speak of when this thing has to happen or should happen.
When does a person go through this process?
 “He who believes
and is baptized will
be saved; but he who
does not believe will
be condemned
Mark 16:16
Peter said to them, “Repent, and
each of you be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins; and
you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38
The when of baptism is
when a person upon
hearing the gospel
accepts it, repents of
their former ways and
decides to walk with
Christ
It is a process a person intelligently,
conscientiously, deliberately,
willingly and wholeheartedly goes
through personally as it is the active
use of the individual will. It is the
willful surrender of the self to Christ
and therefore it comes at an
understanding and acceptance of
the gospel.
 What is the
significance of
baptism
For all of you who were
baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves
with Christ.
Galatians 3:27
He who has believed and
has been baptized shall
be saved; but he who has
disbelieved shall be
condemned.
Mark 16:16
 So then, those who had
received his word were
baptized; and that day there
were added about three
thousand souls.
Acts 2:41
When a person comes into
Christ there are a number
of things they do to
sustain their relationship
with Christ and grow in
Him, one such thing is the
Lords supper.
 It symbolizes the
salvation wrought
through the blood of
the lamb; Jesus
Christ.
 It has its type in the
Passover that was
instituted to celebrate the
liberation of the people of
God from bondage in Egypt
unto the promised land of
Canaan.
 You will keep this practice forever as a
statute for yourselves and your
descendants. 25 Thus, when you have
entered the land which the LORD will give
you as he promised, you must observe this
rite. 26 When your children ask you, ‘What
does this rite of yours mean?’ 27 you will
reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice for
the LORD, who passed over the houses of the
Israelites in Egypt; when he struck down the
Egyptians, he delivered our houses
Exodus 12:24-27
 They were to observe it as
deliverance of the Lord wrought
through the blood that was
smeared at their door post. This
blood looked forward to the blood
of Christ that would be smeared
for the salvation of the people of
God.
 The last time Jesus observed
this Jewish festival with His
disciples He gave it the real
meaning, pointing it to Himself
and ordering them to by its
celebration in the new(true)
light remember the salvation He
has brought to men.
 While they were eating, Jesus took
bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to
the disciples and said, “Take and eat.
This is my body.” He took a cup, gave
thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink from this, all of you. This is my
blood of the covenant, which is poured
out for many so that their sins may be
forgiven.
Matthew 26:26-28
 Then he took the bread,
said the blessing, broke it,
and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body, which will
be given for you; do this in
memory of me.”
Luke 22:19
 Every time you eat this
bread and drink this cup,
you broadcast the death
of the Lord until he
comes.
1 Corinthians 11:26
Jesus said to them, ‘I assure you, unless
you eat the flesh of the Human One and
drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my
blood has eternal life, and I will raise
them up at the last day. My flesh is true
food and my blood is true drink. Whoever
eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in them.’
John 6:53-56
 The Lords supper
symbolizes a
celebration and
remembrance of the
salvic work of Christ
and a commitment to
Him.