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Au<
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
BY
REV. J. S. EVANS; D.D.
^"*tLL''''';Ht'"/'''*''""**'''"" (*° «"««' ^^'"^ Je«"« in order to bein.
glonfied w,thH.m). "The Martyr's Millennial Reward," "The Christ^anr
Everlasting Reward " (superadded to Salvation by Faith)
and "The One Mediator."
•■••■p
mm
Baptizing and Teaching:
Ev^jsrs
NEIV EXPOSITION
OF
EITUAL BAPTISM
AND OF
BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIEIT
AS SEEN WHEN SET BACK IN THEIR RIGHT PLACES IN
THE GREAT SYSTEM OF REVEALED TRUTH,
NAMELY,
AS PERTAINING TO THE TEACHING DEPARTMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN
DISPENSATION, AND NOT TO ITS PURIFYING AGENCIES AND MEANS.
Who has not observed that bnptlzing and teaching are sperially associated by the New
Testament writers? Who has paid proper attention to that fact wlien endeavouring to ascertain
the precise nature and intended effect of baptism ?
/
TORONTO:
WILLIAM BRIGGS, 78 & 80 KING STREET EAST.
MONTREAL: C. W. COATES. HALIFAX: S. F. HUESTIS.
1887.
if/
Entered accord.ng to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand
Z I .r^'f .'"? eighty-seven. by W.llum Briogs. Book Steward of
Igriculture "' ''"'"^'"" ""'"' ''•'^°"*°' '' '""^ ^^P"*--* «
:|
PREFACE.
It was a long-cherished purpose of the author of this
work, the Rev. John S. Evans, D.D., to publish his thoughts
on the subject of Christian baptism; but the execution of
his design was delayed by a variety of circumstances till a
short time before his lamented death. While the work was
passing through the press, and before he had time to give it
a consecutive reading, "God's finger touched him, and he
slept."
The book now given to the public is the fruit of the
author's extensive, critical and varied reading, intellectual
vigour, and patient research on the subject which is here
presented, as the author believed, in consonance with the
genius of the Gospel, and the true nature and method of
human salvation. The position assumed is discussed with
clearness, earnestness and force; and many of the exposi-
tions of the proof-texts are original and unique.
The work is a valuable contribution to the literature of
the subject of Christian baptism, and is commended to the
attention of the Christian student.
JOHN A. WILLIAMS.
ToBONTO, October 27 ^ 1887.
COJ^TEJSTTS.
Chaptbr.
Introduction . ^**"'-
7
P^RT I.
I. Baptism as used in connection with the Pioneering Mis-
sion of John-He Baptized and Taught-John's
Baptism not a Purfying Rite jy
II. The Baptism of Jesus by John
III. God's Method of Teaching- Why Christ'became a
Prophet hke unto Moses g^
IV. The Gr^eat Teacher invested with Supreme Kingly Au-
^ gg
V. Christ formed a Kingdom of Disciples, as distinct from
a Kingdom of Regenerate Believers 1 14
VI. Christ issued a Royal Commission to make allNations
His Disciples (Matt. xxviii.)-In this He associates
Baptizing with Teaching jg^ .
VII. The Baptisms of Teaching, incorrectly' translated 'ihe
Doctrine of Baptisms (Heb. vi. 2) 137
I* ART II.
VIII. The Doctrinal Import of Baptism as more fully unfolded
m Rom. VI. 1-11 : Baptism into Christ's Death 198
IX. The Doctrinal Import of Baptism as unfolded in Col
11. 11, 12: Buried with Christ in Baptism 239
X. Note to Rom. vi. l-H and Col. ii. 11. 12_Baptism is'a
Commemorative Rite
XI. The Doctrinal Import of Baptism as indicated in 1 Cor
XV. 29 : Baptized for the Dead . . ' ggs
iv CONTENTS.
Chapter. Paor.
XU, The Doctrinal Import of Baptism as presented in 1
Peter iii. 8-iv. 6: Noah providentially "Saved
by Water " from the Ancient Enemies of Right-
eousness 269
XIII. The Hebrew Fathers wlio were Baptized into Moses
disregarded their Oldigations and were Punished. 289
XIV. (a) One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (?]ph. iv. 5)—
Promotion of nity. (h) Conse(|uence of Pre-
venting Unity it the Lord's Table— The Lord's
Supper is not Eaten 297
PAUT III.
XV. Cases which illustrate the Doctrinal Import of Bap-
tism : («) The Three Thousand on the Day of
Pentecost . 303
XVI. Cases which illustrate the Doctrinal Import of Bap-
tism : (h) The Baptism of Lydia and her Family
(Acts xvi. 9-15) 331
XVII. The Saviour's Tender Feelings towards Little Children
(Matt. xix. 13-15; Mark x. 13-16; Luke xviii.
15-17) 348
XVIII. Cases which illustrate the Doctrinal Import of Bap-
tism : (c) Baptism of the Philippian Jailor and all
his 366
XIX. The Special Import of Baptism with the Holy Ghost
on the Day of Pentecost (Acts ii. 1-4) 379
XX. Saul's Baptism with the Holy Ghost (Acts ix. 17, 18;
xxii. 13-16; xxvi. 14-18) 397
Fi^RT IV.
XXI. The Mode of Baptism with the Spirit as represented
in the Scripture Narrative 406
XXII. The Movie of Baptism as taught in Romans vi. 3, 4 . . . . 420
XXIII. Ritual Baptism of the Eunuch (Acts viii. 36, etc.) 428
CONTENTS. V
ClIAI'TKH. PaOK.
XXIV. The Mode of the Baptism of the Three Thousand
on the Day of Pen».-Jost 446
XXV. The Mode of John's Baptism — No need to inquire
about the Old Purifying Rites 451
XXVI. A Fresli Investigation of (1) the Primary Meaning,
and (2) of the Secondary Meanings, of Baptizo,
previously to and in the New Testament Writ-
ings
463
XXVII, CJod made Disciples under the former Dispensation
of the Gospel— He luul then, as now, a Two-
fold Kingdom — The Covenant of (Irace made
with Abraham — The Covenant of Circumcision
formed a School of Disciples in coi \ection with
the Abi'ahamic Oospel — The added Mosaic Law
did not set aside the Abrahamic Covenant 503
XXVIII. God formed also an Inner Kingdom of Regenerate
Persons under the Covenant of Grace made with
Abraham 563
XXIX.
XXX.
XXXI.
XXXII.
XXXIII.
XXXIV.
Examination of Misapplied Texts: (a) 1 Cor. vii. 14. . 573
Examination of Misapplied Texts: {b) John iii. 5
(Born of Water) ; (c) Titus iii. 5 (Washing of Re-
generation) 579
An Examination of Mark xvi. 16 592
Exposition of John iii. 5-7: Born of the Water
which is applied by the Divine Sprinkler — or as
stated in Titus, the Washing performed by Re-
generation — followed by the Renewing which is
eflfected by the Holy Ghost 607
Critical Notices of Prominent Points in the History
of the Dogma of Baptismal Regeneration 651
The Great Commandment 700
IlSrTRODUCTIOK
Baptizing and teaching are associated by the writers of the
new dispensation. TJie writers of the old dispensation connected
baptism witli ceremonial purification. The New Testament
writers sometimes allude to this, but they themselves specially
associate baptizing with teaching. Ritual baptisni is associated
with the work of John, the greatest prophet of the old dispensa-
tion, who did "baptize and teach " in order to prepare the Jews
for the first coming of Christ. It is associated with the work of
Christ, the Great Teacher of our dispensation, who taught His
disciples, though He had employed others to baptize them ; who
issued a royal commission to make all nations His disciples, and
to do this by "baptizing them and teaching them." Hence, in
order to a right understanding of the subject, we need to ex-
amine carefully : (1) The nature of John's pioneering mission ;
(2) The nature of the work of the Great Teacher. Attention
must be given : (a) To Christ's subordinate prophetic office ; (b)
To the supreme authority given to Him to form a kingdom of
disciples — i.e., of those who are put under the authority of a
teacher — that they may be afterwards taught His doctrines and
prectpts, so that when "faith comes by hearing" they may be
added to His inner kingdom of evangelical believers. Hence
there are great important and interesting themes which must be
studied in order to understand the proper subjects, the proper
i'i
Vlll
INTRODUCTION.
mode, and the intended effect of ritual baptism, and the special
nature of baptism with the Holy Spirit. Let us give more care-
ful and prayerful attention than we have hitherto done to these
most important topics.
The right understanding and due administration of a religious
ordinance ' ' instituted by Christ to be of perpetual and universal
obligation in His kingdom, and to be done in the names of the
sacred Trinity, can never be a topic unworthy of our most seri-
ous attention." (Thorn, Mode of Bupthtn, p. 34.)
"A revelation given by Infinite Wisdom contains nothing
superfluous." Hence a "well-regulated mind will not be indif-
ferent to any part of it, but will give every part of Divine truth
a share of its serious attention ; and in a case where all are
called to act, and where there is a right and a wrong way, will
perseveringly inquire what is the line of conduct that the reve-
lation which God has given points out." (Innes in Ingham's
Hand-hook on Baptism, p. 581.)
It has been well remarked that ' ' God, the fountain of all
truth and goodness, has furnished us with means for the obtain-
ing of evidence sufficient for a rational satisfaction upon all ob-
jects which it concerns us to know." (Dr. J. P. Smith, Congre-
gational Lectures, p. 16 ; Innes in Ingham's Hand-hook o)i Bap-
tism, p. 164 ) And He has taught with sufficient clearness what
He commands us to do.
There is such a thing as truth. Evidence of this truth is
presented. Time for examination has been granted to us, and
ability to conduct the examination may l)e acquired. It clearly
follows that ignorance or error in such circumstances is a thing
which God must condemn. " Opinions are not involuntary
when we possess the means of examining their evidence and
INTRODUCTION.
IX
their foundation." (TuumseiuL) "Prove" ("test" — Sir W.
Hamilton) "all things; hold fast thai which is good." The
man who has not tested his convictions has no authority to
hold them fast. In short, as Wesley said, "Every man must-
think for himself, because every man must give account for
himself." He said wisely, that we ought to be "always open
to instruction : willing to be wiser every day than we were be-
fore, and to change whatever we can change for the better. "
"In all ecclesiastical usages we must diligently mark what
God has commanded and instituted, and what men have added
thereto, in order that we may hold the Divine as the essential
part, and diligently practise it, and on the other hand judge the
human additions, whether or not tliey are things indifferent, and
if indifferent, whether they are also useful or not, in order that
what is contrary to God's Word or otherwise unprofitable may
be done away." (Preface to Brandenburgh Liturgy of 1553 in
Goode on Baptism, p. 528.)
To me the important question is not, What have men said on
the topic before us? or, What objections have been made to
those sayings ? but the great question is, Wliat saith the Scrip-
ture ? Hence very special care has been taken to ascertain pre-
cisely and exhibit clearly what the Scriptures expressly teach on
the topics under consideration. Where it seemed necessary,
however, wrong opinions have been attacked, because they are
found upon ground which we have ' ' a right to occupy for other
and more important purposes, and cannot occupy without such
aggression." (Bascum.) Besides, "Error does not die; it must
be killed." This is especially true when it has become associated
with rites and ceremonies. To expose and overthrow injurious
errors is a duty which we owe to God. It is also a duty which
r fV
f
X
INTRODUCTION.
'I
man owes to his fellow-man. " If we feel in the spirit of genuine
brotherly love," says Dr. Wardlaw, " we cannot but be desirous
that our fellow-Christians should discern and relinquish what
are, in our apprehensions, their errors." Especially do we wish
this when we observe that no opinion is "too monstrous to be
credited by a man who has been persuaded that it has been
taught in the sacred Scriptures." (BeAJ. J. Dick.)
I am aware that many in this generation try to produce the
impression that it is the duty of Christians to avoid writing
definitely on controverted subjects. Religious indifference glo-
ries in being non-sectarian. "Non-sectarians are the most in-
tolerant of all the sects." They are "fierce for moderation."
But "Christianity would never have established its unyielding
peculiarities oi opinion, discipline and holiness if the apostles
had consented to forego their zeal and diligence in deference to
popular clamour. Truth was their only, their undivided object.
From this they were neither intimidated, nor perverted, nor
seduced." (Townsend.) " A man of a true catholic spirit does
not halt between two opinions, nor vainly endeavour to blend
them into one," said Mr. Wesley. "Observe this," he adds,
"you that know not what manner of spirit you are of, who call
yourselves of a catholic spirit only because you are of a muddy
understanding, because your mind is always in a mist, because
you are of no settled consistent principles, but are for jumbling
all opinions together."
"From education, reason, or prejudice, we all generally
adopt some criterion of truth, to which every proposition is
brought." {Toivnseud.) On the present subject I adopt the
great Protestant principle, and appeal to the all -sufficiency and
exclusive supremacy of Sacred Writ. "Methodists," as Rev.
INTRODUCTION.
XI
W. Arthur says, "have chosen for principles the Word of God ;
for church model, the apostolic age ; for plans, the good hand of
Providence. "
The method we propose to follow is to give an exposition
of the scriptures which we quote as proof-texts, and to show
reasons for the interpretation given. It would, indeed, be far
easier to adopt the method of those " who make assertions, find
then quote passages without showing their relevancy to the point
at issue." But, as Dr. Dale observes, this "is neither proof,
nor worthy to be called an attempt at proof." {Johannk Bap-
tism, p. 97.) The right plan is to prove one's position by fair
interpretation, and by exhibiting the process employed. In-
stead of acting thus, some thunder forth assertions, knowing
that, "with respect to the vulgar, bold assertions generally suc-
ceed as well as arguments, and sometimes better." (Canqjbell,
Lecture on, Pulpit Eloque'nce.) "The early Baptists succeeded,"
says Curtis, "not by their arguments, but by their assertions."
We do not adopt this plan.
Unlearned hearers or readers may come to a just decision on
scriptural difficulties after hearing the points fairly and fully dis-
cussed. To illustrate this point take an analogous case in a
court of justice: "An illiterate jury, though totally incom-
petent to determine points of law from a simple recitation of
parliamentary enactments, may form a good judgment in the
case after hearing the pleadings of counsel and the summing up
of the judge. In jurisprudence, as in every science, the points
ultimately rest upon common sense. But to reduce a question
to these points, and to propose them accurately, recjuires not
only an understanding superior to that which is necessary to de-
cide upon them when proposed, but often, also, a peculiar and
!
Xll
INTRODUCTION.
technical erudition. Agreeably to this distinction, which runR,
perhaps, through all sciences, wliat is preliminary and prepara-
tory is left to the legal profession ; what is linal, to the plain
understanding of plain men. " (Paley, Works, p. G14. ) So there
are points in theology which require the aid of teachers. Christ
expounded the Scriptures to His disciples. Paul, too, in the
synagogue at Thessalonica, " reasoned out of the Si^riptures,
opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered."
(Acts xvii. 3, 4.) And so, on tue other hand, those who heard
these interpreters "searched the Scriptures to see whether those
things were so." ""There is very little real criticism which may
not be made obvious to men of good common sense," for "this
is the basis of all correct principles or rules of interpretation."
(Dobie.) "All that the unlearned reader is obliged to take
on trust is the fairness" of translations and "of reference to
authorities ; and for these he has the security that if they are
unfair they are liable to be exposed by learned opponents."
(Carsofc. )
We must, however, admit with Bishop Jewell, that some
tilings in the Scriptures require much studious attention. "It
is very expedient that somewhat should be covered to make us
more diligent in reading, more desirous to understand, more fer-
vent in prayer, more willing to ask the judgment of others, and
to presume less on our own judgment." To teach otherwise is
to justify the presumption and strengthen the false confidence
of the unreflecting reader — two bad (qualities, "of which the
weakest judgments have commonly the greatest share." (Camp-
bell.) An unlearned man may proudly wish to become wholly
independent of the learned, and with this view may turn from
the work of commentators and theologians, from critics and
l«
INTRODUCTION.
• • •
Xlll
that some
sernionizera. But this would not release him. He remains in a
state of mental dependence on the translators of the Bible, for
it is on the terms and phrases chosen and employed by these
that he has to found his conclusions. Thti -> might bo some
little plausibility in rejecting fallible interpreters if they could
do without fallible translators. But as "every translator of the
Bible is of necessity an interi)reter of the Bible in a high and
important sense " (Dohie), it is very inconsistent to accept their
work, and yet resolve to give no heed to other interpreters,
n'hebher called commentators or preachers, etc. It wo dd be
much more prudent to hear these also, and then to compare and
decide for themselves.
Some, however, assume unwisely that the interpretation of
Scripture is easy work ; that any man of common sense, however
unlearned he may be, can understand any part that it concerns
him to know as soon as he attentively reads or listens to it.
They hence conclude that they have no need of the ministry of
the Church to teach them. It is true that the study of Scrip-
ture seems easy to those who are content with isolated thoughts
or vague general ideas, which can be readily inade to assume any
desired shape. But those who endeavour to trace ' ' the exact
sequence of thought in the mind of the inspired writer " look
at it very differently. "It is useless to disguise that the close
analysis of the sacred text is very difficult; that it requires a
calm judgment and a disciplined mind no less than a loving and
teachable heart ; that it is not a power we can acquire in a week
or a month ; yet if the Scripture be what I for one believe it
to be — the writing of men inspired by the Third Person of the
adorable Trinity — then we may well conceive no labour in this
direction can bo too severe, no exercise of thought tc)0 close
': .1
ll I
XIV
INTRODUCTION.
or persistent. ' (Ellicott, Preface to Ephenians.) This is the
view that is coniirmed by the express testimony of inspired men.
Peter, for instance, says that some things in St. Paul's writings
are "hard to be understood."
The inclusi(jn of some such things may be expected from the
very design of the Bible. Its Divine Author aims at stimulating
man to mental activity, because without mental action man can-
not progress in mental power. "Energy," says Sir. W. Hamil-
ton, "is the means by which our faculties are developed, and
a higher energy the end which this development proposes."
Whatever, therefore, most impels man to mental action is his
greatest friend. The Bible was intended to do this more than
anything else can. And it does do this. But that it may do so
its method of instruction had to be made such as to treat of some
difficult subjects, and to call for " inquiry into the structure
of ancient languages, the usages of ancient times, the laws of
thought, the philosophy of moral obligation," etc. (Dr. Thomas.)
Hence it contains more than easy lessons for children. It treats
also on subjects that are fitted to exercise the minds of men, and
the minds of the most highly educated men, and which even
angels "desire to look " into.
False principles of interpretation have been the chief source
of the corruption of the truths and ordinances of Scripture. " It
is not possible that different conclusions should be grounded
on the same words if on all sides the same sound and self-evident
laws of language were employed in the deduction." (Carson,
Baptism, p. 262.) We must therefore pay special attention to
these laws, because "the misinterpretation of Scripture must
be reckoned among the gravest calamities of Christendom." {Dr.
F. W. Farrar,) This remark applies with special emphasis to
INTRODUCTION,
XV
3d from the
the misinterpretation of texts pertaining to our present inquir-
ies. On the other hand, the topics which pertain to our subject
will, when rightly investigated, be found to bo \evj interest-
ing and important, and exceedingly rich in instruction, Ipoth
ing is associated with the de-
partment of teaching. Under the former dispensation it became
connected with the work of piu'ification^from ceremonial unclean-
ness ; but it was previously connected with the work of teaching,
as in the case of "baptism into Moses." After Closes died bap-
tism into Moses was superseded by "circumcision after the man-
ner of Moses." But after the lapse of centuries baptism became
connected with the work of John, the greatest prophet of the
old dispensation, who "did baptize and teach." Hence we pro-
ceed to examine the mission of the prophet John ; and we will
find it to be an interesting study.
I
I )
Baptizing and Teaching.
PART I.
CHAPTER I.
iRAPTISM AS USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE PIONEERING
MISSION OF JOHN : HE BAPTIZED AND TAUGHT.
It is worthy of special observation that the person
who was to be the forerunner of the long-expected
Messiah was to be the son of a typical Jewish priest ;
md that this priest was in the holy place of God's
temple, for the purpose of offering incense, when the
)irth of that son was predicted. Zacharias had been
chosen by lot to perform the mediatorial act of offer-
ing incense in the typical temple of God. " Only once
In a life-time might anyone enjoy that privilege."
lEdersheim, i. 134.) Bearing the golden censer he
tood alone within the holy place. On his left was
[he seven-branched golden candle-stick which lit the
)lace ; on his right the table of shewbread ; before
lim was the golden altar of incense, on v/hich the red
[oals glowed. At a moment indicated by a special
ignal, he spread the incense on the altar, as near as
2
18
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
II
Kli
possible to the Holy of Holies. When he saw the
incense kindlini; he bowed down in worship. He
would now have reverently withdrawn had not a
wondrous sight arrested his steps (v. Edersheim, i.
137, 138): Lo! on the right or south side of the
altar, between it and the golden candlestick, stood an
angelic form. " Such a vision to an ordinary priest in
the act of incensing had never been heard of before.";
The angel reminded Zacharias of prayers and hopes
which may have been waxing faint, but which, he
assures him, shall yet be fulfilled ; for he would have
a child who would bear the significant name of John
(the Lord is gracious), and who was to be a source of
joy and gladness to a circle far wider than that of thei
family. He was to go before the Messiah " to make
ready for the Lord a people prepared."
The announcement of such a mission would specially i
attract the attention of the Jews, for they were at
that time in lively expectation of a new and most
important era in Jewish history. This fondly cherished
hope instantly aroused earnest attention to every
event of an unusual nature ; and events of such a
kind were connected with the birth and infancy of
John. Things which the Jews had not seen for
hundreds of years were then witnessed — the revival!
of angelic visitation, and of prophetic utterance, for
the purpose of announcing his birth ; and the revival
of miracle-working power in causing, and afterwards
removing, the dumbness of his incredulous father.]
(Luke i. 11, 20, 64.) These things were kept in re^
BAPTISM AND ThE PIONEERING MISSION OF JOHN. 19
he saw the
[)rship. He
had not a
lersheiin, i.
side of the
ck, stood an
Lry priest in I
1 of before."
li and hopes
t which, he]
would have
anie of John
} a source of j
I that of the'
h " to make I
uld specially
hey v^ere at
w and most
ly cherished
n to every
|s of such a
infancy of
lot seen for!
the revival I
terance, for
the revival
afterwards
lous father.]
kept in re^
membrance by the name given to this child ; for he
was called John by direction of the angel of the Lord.
As the natural result, the wondering exclamation was,
"What manner of child shall this be?" (Luke i. G6:)
His training and future movements would, of course,
be watched with special interest. It was known that
as the son of Zacharias the priest, and of Elizabeth of
the house of Aaron, he would, when of age, be entitled
to claim consecration for the work of a typical priest
in their venerated temple. Yet, as they must have
observed with astonishment, he did not go to the
temple to learn such duties, as other sons did, for he
was " in the wilderness until the time of his showing
to Israel." This omission was not caused by want of
zeal, for he was " filled with the Holy Ghost " from
earliest infancy. (Luke i. 15.) He went not to Jeru-
salem to be consecrated by man for the work of a
sacrificing priest, because he was to be called of God
to be a teaching priest, and that only. To teach was
a part of the business of the sons of Aaron. For " the
priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should
seek the law at his mouth : for he is the messenger of
the Lord of hosts." (Mai. ii. 7.) This was the only
part of the priest's duties which John was sent to
perform. And in this one part there was • one topic
which, as we shall see, he was to present more
frequently and impressively tnan other priests had
done.
For this purpose he was speci'^y commissioned.
'The word of God came unto John in the wilderness"
1 1
' 1 i i!
t''"'l
I
I j
ll
,il
> I
1 1
20
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
(Luke iii. 2) just as it did to the prophets of old.
(Jer. i. 2 ; Ezek. vi. 1 ; vii. 1.) He accordingly appeared
in the f^arb of a prophet, and undertook (1) to initiate
the Jews into his school ; (2) to teach his disciples
what would prepare them for the first coming of Christ.
The people understood that he had a commivssion to
make disciples, though he did " no miracle." (John x.
41.) To do them was rendered unnecessary in his case by
the well-known fact that the circumstances of his birth
and circumcision were distinguished by miracles, by
angelic visitation, and by the utterance and fulfilment
of prophecy. The people were thus convinced that
John was a teacher sent by God, and that they ought
to become his disciples. And they could be convinced
of these two things while yet wholly uninformed as
to the instruction which he was to give. So miracles
led Nicodemus to understand that Jesus was a teacher
sent from God before he heard the peculiar teaching
of Christ.
Influenced bv the considerations mentioned above,
many Jews became the disciples of John that they
might be taught by him. The Greek word for disciple
is mathetes, a learner, pupil, disciple. This last word
was transferred into the English language from the
Latin discipulus. The meaning of the Greek word
may be expressed more fully thus : (1) One who is
put, or one who puts himself, under the authority of
a teacher, to be taught by him. (2) It is sometimes
used to denote one who is engaged in learning the
distinguishing opinions of his teacher. (3) It has also
'I
BAPTISM AND THE PIONEERING MISSION OF JOHN. 21
been sometimes used to signify one who has already
learned tii8 peculiar doctrines of a teacher, and who
maintains them on the authority of that teacher ; i e.,
a pupil who has finished his education. In which of
these senses was it used by the Jews, and especially
by the inspired writers in the case before us ? They
used it in the first or second of these three senses.
" Discipling," says Lightfoot, " was not of persons
ih'eady taught, but to the end they should be taught ;
and if the disciples understood this word after any
other sense, it was different from the sense of the
word which the nation had ever used, and only used.'
{Thorn.) The inspired writers used the word in the sense
commonly employed by the Jews. Matthew thus uses
the word. He tells us that when Jesus " was set, His
disciples came unto Him, and He opened His mouth and
taught them," etc. (Matt. v. 1,2.) Mark, too, does so
when he says of the same Great Teacher : " When the}"
were alone He expounded all things to His disciples."
(Mark iv. 34.) That John's disciples were persons put
into his school to be taught, not persons who had been
taught his distinguishing views, is plain from the fact
that very many of them never believed what he tried
to teach them respecting the Lord Jesus Christ. John
counselled them to " believe on Him who should come
after him." (Acts xix. 4.) But when the Christ did
come they "received Him not"; and a very large
majority of them rejected Him, and cried, '• Away
with Him ! Away with Him ! Crucify Him ! Crucify
Him ! " Many disciples of John were doubtless among
IP
r
i. !
!
l(!
^2
Baptizing And TEAcritNGt.
these rejectors, and were as destitute of evangelical
knowledge and faith as were the disciples of the
Pharisees. Christ, too, had many disciples — that is,
pupils — who, though so called, had not received His
fundamental doctrines, and would not accept them.
For when this Great Teacher, using figurative terms
that alluded to the typical paschal lamb (because " the
passover " was nigh), said, " Except ye eat the flesh of
the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life
in you," — and uttered thereby the fundamental
doctrine that a true atonement could be made only by
Christ's death, — they replied : " This is a hard saying ;
who can hear it ? " " And from that time manv of His
ft/
disciples went back and walked no more with Him "
They did not like His teaching on that point. They
had not that faith which receives a doctrine on the
authority of its Divine Teacher, even though it may
be at variance with former opinions. "There are some
of you," said Christ, " that believe not." They were
not believers ; they had not accepted, and v/ould not
accept, even from the lips of the Lord Jesus, the all-
important and essential doctrine of the great anti-
typical atonement ; yet they were disciples, that is,
pupils, of the Great Teacher, and were so called by an
inspired apostle. Unwisely they resolved to be pupils
no longer. They ceased to follow Him ; they "went
away."
Let it be remembered that this took place in Galilee,
which was the scene of the greater part of Christ's
private life and public ministry, and where, accordingly,
BAPTISM AND THE PIONEERING MISSION OF JOHN. 23
evangelical
pies of the
es — that is,
Bceived His
3cept them,
rative terms
ecause " the
the flesh of
have no life
'undamental
lade only by
lard saying ;
manv of His
ft/
with Him "
)oint. They
trine on the
3Ugh it may
ere are some
They were
d v/ould not
esus, the all-
great anti-
Dies, that is,
called by an
to be pupils
they "went
3e in Galilee,
■j of Christ's
accordingly,!
His disciples were the most numerous. Among those
who did not go away were the twelve who afterwards
became apostles, and who were all Galileans either by
birth or residence. It is now fully apparent that in-
spired men sometimes used the word "disciples" to
mean simply persons who were under the authority
I of a teacher, that they might be taught by him.
Persons who have been taught for some time, and
Inow believe the fundamental doctrines of their teacher,
jinay be still called disciples, because still under in-
struction. But this circumstance furnishes no warrant
for inferring that the word "disciple" means believer
and saint. For, as Dr. Carson observes, " Words may
refer to the same thing without being synonymous"
(p. 396). " When words refer to the same thing, they
I must be consistent in what they express, but one may
[express more or less than the other" (p. 397). "I
might illustrate my doctrine by the various names
which are given to the followers of Christ. They are
called Christians, disciples, believers, saints, etc. Does
not each of these designate the persons in a difl'erent
manner?" (p. 433). Certainly. And what the term
' disciple " designates is that the person spoken of is
under the authority of a teacher, that he may learn
what that teacher is commissioned to teach. It
implies that instruction has been begun and is to be
continued; but not that it has been completed. The
attainment of all the knowledj^e which the teacher can
communicate is the aim of discipleship. " Every
disciple that is perfect shall be as his master " {McwKaioq,
24
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
\Hm
111
Hi I
m
"'i'li!
^Illl
teacher), says Christ. If the teacher is an uninspired
one, or, like John, has only a special portion of instruc-
tion to convey, cliscipleship may reach a point of
termination before life does. But if the teacher is
Divine, like Christ, the term of dicipleship must be
continued through life. Hence Christ said, " If ye
continue in My word" (i.e., if ye sit under My teaching)
" then are ye My disciples indeed ; and ye shall know
the truth " (they did not yet know it), " and the truth
shall make you free." They were not yet freed from
their sins, as the context plainly show.s. If there are
hindrances to contiiuiance they must be overcome.
When Christ says, " Whosoever doth not bear his cross,
and come after Me, cannot be My disciple," He plainly
means that one who does not do so cannot, in perilous
times, continue to be His disciple. He does not mean
that one who does not do so cannot begin to be a dis-
ciple.
The word " disciple," therefore, means a learner, a
pupil. John's disciples were the pupils of John, a
divinely appointed teacher. John could make pupils
and teach them. John could not make saints. John
formed a school of disciples. He did not form a church
of regenerate believers.
The word " disciple " means a pupil who by an
appointed rite has been initiated into the school of
a divinely commissioned teacher. John was such a
teacher, and formed a school of disciples, and initiated
them by baptizing them that he might afterwards
teach them. That John was authorized and directed
BAPTISM AND THE PIONEERENG MISSION OF JOHN. 25
aninspired
of instruc-
point of
teacher is
f) must be
id, " If ye
jr teaching)
3hall know
i the truth
freed from
f there are
overcome.
ir his cross,
He plainly
in perilous
s not mean
be a dis-
learner, a
»f John, a
lake pupils
Ints. John
a church
[ho by an
school of
7 as such a
Id initiated
ifterwards
Id directed
to employ baptism for the purpose of initiating persons
into his school will plainly appear from the following
observations : —
John administered the rite before he engaged in
teaching. He did not teach and baptize; he baptized
and taught. Mark tells us : " John did baptize in the
wilderness . . . and preach." (Mark i. 4.) The ap-
proved reading is, " John was baptizing in the wilder-
ness . . . and preaching." Some copies omit A;ai (and)
before the word " preaching "; but the great weight of
manuscriptal authority is said to be in favour of re-
taining it. That this translation is right, and, conse-
quently, that this order of words points out the proper
order of things, is evident from one of John's sermons
which is subjoined in the eighth verse : " And he
preached, saying, ... I indeed have baptized you with
water," etc. Here it is manifest that he taught those
whom he had baptized, and, therefore, that he taught
[them after baptizing them. This is here expressly
j shown, and is elsewhere obviously implied. He
r taught his disciples " to pray. (Luke xi. 1.) The only
exception to this teaching after baptism was in the
case of Christ. John baptized Christ, but did not
teach Him. Christ needed it not, and therefore did
not wait for it. Accordingly; of Christ, and of Christ
only, it is written, " He went up straightway " (apo)
from the water. Dr. Carson says, " I admit the proper
translation of apo is /rom." (Baptisvi, p. 126.) Christ
waited not to be taught; He needed it not. In all
other cases John baptized and then taught.
26
BAPTIZING AND TEA' RING.
'Vl
11
i.ii:
II
Christ approved of this order in the great commis-
sion. It says : " Baptizing them . . . and teaching
them." Our English version improperly and unhap-
pily translated 7)iathetuo to teach, instead of to disci-
ple, and thus put the word "teach " before " baptizing,"
as well as " teaching " after it. But, unquestionably
and admittedly, the proper meaning of mathetuo is that
given in the margin, namely, " make disciples of," or
simply " disciple," as it is rendered by Mr. Wesley,
and by the authors of the Baptist translation. The
proper translation is, " Go ye and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them . . . and teaching them." Mr.
Wesley's note on this text is good : " Make them My
disciples. This includes the whole design of this com-
mission. Baptizing and teaching are the two great
branches of the general design."
We shall find that the apostles observed this order.
Having, on the day of Pentecost, convinced three thou-
sand Jews that Jesus was both Lord and Christ — the
Divine and Divinely anointed Teacher of men — they,
by so doing, made them willing to become His pupils.
They then immediately baptized these, and subse-
quently taught them. For we are told that those who
had been baptized " constantly attended to the apos-
tles' teaching." This is the proper translation of pros-
karterountes te didake — the words which in our Eng-
lish Bible are inapjJropriately rendered, "they con-
tinued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine." (Acts ii.
42.) As the other apostles did, so did Paul ; for we are
told when the Corinthians were baptized (Acts xviii. 8),
JOHN S TEACHING.
27
Paul " continued there a year and six months, teaching
the Word of God amonfij them " (verse 11). The apos-
tles taught the disciples, as Christ and John had done.
(Matt. V. 1, 2 ; Mark iv. 34.) It is evident, therefore,
that baptism was used by John as a discipling ordi-
nance; that is, an ordinance by which persons were
put as pupils into his school, to be taught by him as a
teacher specially commissioned " from heaven."
John's teaching.
The Jews had been divided into three large, and
innumerable smaller, parties. John was sent to call
them away from these conflicting teachers, and to in-
itiate them into his own school, that he might show
them all the need of looking to the great teaching
and mediating High Priest who was to come, and
whose greatness was so surpassing that John himself
was " not worthy to loose the latchet of His shoes."
The year during which John began his ministry
was probably a Sabbatic year. (Ex. xxiii. 11.) "If
this year was now observed by the Jews according to
jits original intent, it was a most appropriate time for
the Baptist to begin his labours, the people having no
burdensome agricultural tasks to occupy them, and
being thus at liberty to attend upon instructions."
(Andrews, Life of Christ.) "According to Vouseler
such a year was that from Tisri 779 to Tisri 780."
[(Andrews, Life of Christ.)
John, like the prophets of old, was zealous for the
[law of righteousness, and expounded it. By preaching
*■!
^
28
BAPTi;iING AND TEACHING.
Ji :
II'
; 1
righteousness to those who had not fultilled it, he
showed them the need of "confessing their sins."
But to those who came confessing their sins he
taught the inefficacy of all typical sacrifices and
typical rites, and did this more fully than had hitherto
been done. This had been indicated in part by the
fact that they needed to be repeated constantly, and
by the other fact that confession of sin, as made under
that dispensation, had a peculiar feature. The Jews
when confessing sin were required to bring to remem-
brance sins often confessed before, as well as recent
sins ; because it was all-important that they should be
given to understand that no true atonement for any
past or present sin had yet been presented to God.
This remembrance was especially made every year on
what they called the great day of atonement. The
solemnities of this day were the most distinguished in
the whole Mosaic ritual, and the ones that have
received the fullest exposition from the inspired writers
of the present dispensation. The Epistle to the
Hebrews, when referring to that day and to the typical
sacrifices connected with it, tells us that " in those
sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins
EVERY YEAR ; for it is not possible that the blood of
bulls, and of goats, should take away sins." (Heb. x.
3.) Such a lesson had been taught them annually for
centuries; but it was imperfectly apprehended, and
soon forgotten. Hence John was sent to fix their
thoughts on it for months together, because nothing
was better fitted to prepare the people for Christ's
JOHNS TEACHING.
29
he
coming to offer the true atonement, and to provide the
means of true sanctification.
They understood that this was the case; as is
evident from the fact, already adverted to, that they
went out to him " confessing their sins" ; and also from
the multitudes who went for this purpose. The state-
ment of Matthew is: "Then went out to him Jerusa-
lem, and all Judea," — that is, " persons from all parts
of Judea" (Nasi), — "and all the region round about
Jordan " (Matt. iii. 5) — i.e., from Persea, Samaria,
Galilee, and Gaulonitis — " and were all baptized of
him in Jordan, confessing their sins." The point now
before us is, that these Jews confessed their sins in
presence of a Jewish priest, yet he did not put on
priestly vestments. He calls for a national confession
of sin, and yet says nothing about the typical sacrifices
that for centuries had been offered at such times. By
this wonderful silence he indicated their utter insuffi-
ciency more impressively than was done by the typical
high priest on the great day of atonement. For after
the latter had called the people to make remembrance
of unatoned-for sins, he proceeded again to offer a
merely typical sacrifice. The high priest, on that day,
had selected "two young goats for a sin offering."
The " two," not one of them only, were for a sin offer-
ing to the Lord, because they were presented together
" before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation." (Lev. xvi. 7.) First, one of the two was
selected by lot, and slain as a sacrifice ; and its blood
carried by the high priest into the Holy of Holies,
30
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
: :!''
and sprinkled before the mercy-seat. But no assur-
ance was given that such typical sacrifice, when offered
even by the high priest, was regarded by God as a true
propitiation for sin. On the contrary, it was shown to
be inefficacious by the fact that the high priest went
from the most lioly place to where the other goat was,
and again brought to remembrance the nation's sins as
still unatoned for. He confessed over and laid on this
second goat all the iniquities that had been typically,
but not really, atoned for by the blood of all past
sacrifices. Yet, after proceeding so far, he was not
permitted to proceed any further with his priestly
work in reference to that goat'; he was prohibited
from offering it in sacrifice — a prohibition which im-
pliedly signified that a priest who needed, and who
on that day had made, atonement for himself, was not
fitted to make atonement for others. The second
typical goat is therefore left unslain, and is led away
into the wilderness and allowed to go free. From
this last circumstance this goat was said to be for
Azazel, an abstract term which, according to Michaelis,
Jahn, etc., denotes " a free going away." The Septua-
gint translators so understood it, for they translated it
by eis ten apopompen.
But the Jews confessed their sins in the presence of
John. He in no instance gave them exhortation to go
to the priests who were in the temple courts and offer
fresh typical sacrifices. He himself never visited the
temple. This most significant omission is intsntional.
Though by birth he might have been a sacrificing
JOHNS TEACHING.
31
priest, thouj^Hi his coming was prophetically announced,
though he liimselt* is specially commissioned by God,
though he brings to remembrance the sins of his
people, yet he says not one word about their time-
honoured typical sacrifices and venerated temple.
He simply puts them to school and teaches repentance,
and says that they should believe on Him who should
^ome after him. And when he saw " Him that was to
come," and knew that He was the Christ, the anointed
a nti typical teaching and sacrificing Priest, by seeing
the Spirit descending like a dove and abiding upon
Him, he then pointed them to " Behold the Lamb of
God, that taketh away" — i.e., that beareth — " the sin of
the world." He makes reference, as we think, to the
typical goat that ia that same wilderness was bearing
all the iniquities of the house of Israel, but was left
go free because unable to make an efficacious sacrifice.
John \ as not sent to find that goat and slay it. He
was sent to point men to another sacrifice, to " behold
the Lamb of God, bearing the sin of the world," and
ready in due time to become an all-sufficient sacrifice
by one oflfering of Himself. And he gave this testi-
mony that Jesus should be " made manifest to the
house of Israel," and not only so, but that " all men
through Him might believe." (John i. 7.)
John therefore acted, not as a sacrificing priest, but
as a teaching one — as a prophet ; and his direction
was that they should repent and "believe on Him
who should come after him,"
32
JUPTIZING AND TEACHING.
JOHNS BAPTISM NOT A PURIFYING RITE.
The Levitical purifying baptisms were, as to their
design, wholly
• i ■
r
■^ r
56
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
thing which the Lord commanded to be done. And
Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them
with water. And he put upon him the coat, and
girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the
robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him
with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto
hiui therewith. And he put the breastplate upon
him." (Lev. viii. 4-8.) How utterly different is this
from John's baptism of Jesus ! " If you give his bap-
tism this interpretation you make him violate instead
of fulfil the law." (Bailey, Baptism, p. 193.)
Further, John could not have consecrated Christ to
the priesthood by any mode whatever, without acting
in violation of some requirements of the law of that
dispensation. The law which regulated the human
consecration of the priesthood required that the candi-
date should be of the tribe of Levi ; but Christ did
not belong to that tribe — He " sprang out of Judah."
The law consecrated after the order of Aaron, " in
which the chief priest had subordinates associated
with him for the discharge of^ inferior and ordinary
services." But Christ was not after that order, He
was after the order of Melchisedec, who was alone in
the honours and functions of his office, having no pre-
decessor, assistant, or successor. Moreover, it is ex-
pressly stated in Scripture that our High Priest was
"not made after the law of a carnal commandment."
No earthly creature was delegated to pour fragrant
unction on His sacred head and call Him High Priest.
He was " called of God an High Priest after the order
of Melchisedec." (Heb. v. 10.)
f
t?
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS BY JOHN.
51
Christ did not indicate, as some think, that it was
John who consecrated Him to the priestly office, when
He made reference to John in reply to the question,
" by what authority " He had acted as He did in the
temple. He implied that John had told the people
" that they should believe on Him who should come
after him." He wanted to know whether they did
not admit that John was Divinely commissioned to
teach as he did ; if so, they should infer that Christ's
authority was sufficiently proclaimed. His questioners
saw that this inference would follow from the former
admission ; they therefore refused to own that John's
commission came from heaven. As they thus showed
that they were not disposed to deal fairly with evidence,
Christ decided not to tell them by what authority He
did these things. He therefore had not implied that
He was consecrated to the priestly office by John, and
acted by his authority. To give such an interpretation
is to suppose that Christ had told them whence His
authority came, though He said He would not tell them.
Any interpretation that involves such a contradiction
must be utterly wrong.
Tlie Spirit when descending on Christ was attended
by a visible emblem in a complete bodily shape, having
the appearance of a dove, to intimate, probably, that
to Him the Spirit was given in His entire fulness ; not
in part, " not by measure," as when the Spirit after-
wards descended on the apostles. Then the chosen
emblem was a distributed part of the fiery emblem,
because to them the Spirit was given only in part. It
5S
HAI'TIZINU AND TKACHING.
W'l'
was probably the same Shecbinah-gloiy that appeared
as an entire body in the one case, and in the other as
dividinfj tonjjues. When John saw the dove-like
emblem of the Spirit descending upon Christ and
abiding with Him, he at tiie same time heard the
Divine voice saying to Christ, "Thou art My beloved
Son "; and saying to John respecting Christ, " This is
My beloved Son." Some harmonize these statements
" on the universally admitted principle that one witness
may report the substance, and another the exact form,
without any inconsistency whatever." (Nasi)
And John said, " He that sent me to baptize with
water, the same said unto me. Upon whom thou shalt
see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the
same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost,"
and who therefore can qualify His disciples to learn
spiritual things. "And I saw and bare record that this
is the Son of God " — I have seen what descended upon
Him, and I have borne witness that this is the Son of
God. " The tense employed shows that John refers to
a testimony given at the time, akid now on record in
their memories." {Alford.)
All the preternatural manifestations mentioned
above were subsequent to John's act of baptizing
Christ with water, and after Christ had left the place
of baptism. Yet many imagine that this wonderful
scene was got up for the purpose of indicating the
Divine approbation of water baptism, and of express-
ing pleasure in Jesus because He submitted to thi^t
ordinance. Such an interpretation has a tendency to
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS HV .JOHN.
59
induce people to deify a ceremony, and to become., like
the Chaldeans of old, " mad upon their idols." (Jer. 1.
38.) John, as we have seen, knew that these wonderful
manifestations were designed to honour, not a baptism
with water, but Christ's baptism with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was not in the water, and did not
co-operate with it. He came down from Heaven after
the baptismal act was finished.
As we have shown, Jesus was baptized by John, but
did not wait to be tausfht by John. He was im-
mediately baptized with the Holy Ghost, and became
the Great Teacher, and formed a school of disciples
distinct from that of John. Some of John's disciples
left him and became disciples of Jesus, but very many
of John's disciples refused to become the disciples of
Christ. Their schools were distinct, and not identical^
as some have supposed.
60
BAPTI/INf} AND TEACHIN(i.
CHAPTER III.
•:! I
':vk
GODS METHOD OF TEACHING — WHY CHRIST BECAME A
PROPHET LIKE UNTO MOSES.
As BAPTISM became connected with teaching, it will
be useful to consider why God's method of teaching
man is as it is, — why God teaches indirectly through
the prophets, and by the lettei'ed page of a book,
rather than by immediate revehition from heaven to
each individual, — why the manner of His teaching has
been adapted to the weakness and frailty of human
nature rather than to the great majesty and glory of
the Divine nature. The temporary experiment of the
latter plan, tried at Sinai, proved to be utterly over-
powering to the Hebrew fathers. They therefore
earnestly entreated God to lay it aside and resume His
former plan of speaking to them through Moses. God
not only approved of and granted this entreaty, but
promised a further fulfilment when He sent His own
Son to make further revelations. He would send Him
in the form of a Prophet like unto Moses. Moses said
to them, "The Lord thy God will ra?se up unto thee
a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like
unto me ; unto Him ye shall hearken." " And the
Lord said unto me. They have well spoken that which
they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from
among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My
GODS METHOD OF TEACHING.
61
words in His mouth; and Ho shall speak unto them all
that I shall comjnanrl Him." These prophetic words
pointed clearly to the Christ that was to come.
They were applied to Him hy a!i inspired apostle. On
the occasion when a miraculous case was performed at
the gate of the temple, in the name of Jesus Christ of
Na/areth, whom (Jod had sent unto them to bless them,
Peter argued that Christ was thus sent in fulfilment
of prophecy: "For Moses truly said unto the fathers,
A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of
your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all
things whatsoever He shall say unto thee. And it shall
come to pass, that every soul which shall not hear that
Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people."
(Acts iii. 22, 2'3.) The Jews had previously made the
same application of the prophecy. When Jesus fed
five thousand men by a miracle, like one that was
wrought in the wilderness in the days of Moses, the
Jews said: "This is of a truth that Prophet which
should come into the world." (John vi. 14.) Christ
Himself said : " Moses wrote of Me" (John v. 45), and
doubtless had reference to this statement. Kings have
been named and described beforehand, but only one
Prophet was thus prophetically announced.
The coming One was to be a Prophet like unto
Moses, in order that He might use a form of teach-
ing adapted to men in frail mortal bodies. Divine
revelation could not be made in a form worthy the
majesty of God without being utterly overpowering to
humanity in its present state. This is the explanation
!;:;
t
^•-\
62
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
given in the prophecy when viewed in the light of the
context. That there is reference to the context is very
clear. It is said : " They have well spoken that which
they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet," etc.
We must therefore enquire what the Hebrew fathers
had spoken about, and we find that it was about the
immediate manner in which God revealed His will at
Sinai. The mode used on that occasion was so majes-
tically grand that human infirmity could not stand
before it, even for a moment. Hence the Hebrews
instantly and urgently entreated God to discontinue
this method, to make known His will in an indirect
and gentle manner, and therefore by the mouth of
Moses, their fellow-creature, as God had done on
previous occasions. God heard that urgent request,
and, as we learn from the fifth chapter of Deuteronomy,
where the narration is given more fully than in the
18th chapter. He replied: " They have well said all that
they have spoken ;" i.e., they have shown prudent regard
for the preservation of their frail bodies. God there-
fore complied with their prayers, and said to Moses :
" Go say to them. Get you into your tents again. But as
for thee, stand thou here by Me, and I will speak unto
thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the
judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may
do them in the land which I give them to possess it."
(Deut. V. 30, 31.) Not only so; as their request was
one which human frailty in every age would feel con-
strained to use in similar circumstances, God resolved
tc remember it when He would send His own Son into
-•s
GODS METHOD OF TEACHING.
63
the world to make a further and fuller revelation of
His will to man. He would cause His Son to take
upon Him human nature, that He might make known
the Divine will, as Moses did, with a human vcice,
uttered by a human form. No man in any generation
could endure the great voice of God as it was uttered
from Sinai. This is the reason why Christ appeared
in the humble form of a Proj)het like unto Moses. We
shall examine this subiject more fully, but before doing
so it will be well to remember that, as an offset to
this, He was in due time invested with a higher posi-
tion, with all kingly power in heaven and in earth,
and that He has since obtained and retains that sole
supremacy, and will retain it until at the end of this
dispensation it will be delivered up that He ma> ogain
reign jointly with His Father, when " the kingdoms of
the world have become the kingdom of our God and
of His Christ."
This exalted state will be carefully considered at a
further stage. The hasty glance which we have taken
over the passage now before us discovers that it con-
tains very interesting and important instruction ; but to
understand it properly we must take time to look at it
more closelv and attentively. We will need to examine
more fully the mode of revelation employed at Sinai,
and the other mode previously employed and again
graciously granted by a prayer-hearing God. A hasty
glance, such as the one we he"^ just taken, could not
adequately discern the distinctive character of each
mode, and the reasons for requesting the discontinuance
64
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
iHii
of the one and the employment of the other ; and the
practical lessons that may be derived from a com-
parison of these methods.
To get on the right track of the inspired writer we
shall recall to mind the previous history of the people.
God selected the family of Abraham. The family in-
stitution has a tendency to counteract " the self-seek-
ing of the human individual.' The family multiplied
until it was subdivided into tribes livinij toccether-
They had a tendency to promote the brotherhood of
man. They were providentially led down into Egypt
and there preserved a distinct race, for the Egyptians
would not mingle with them. When emancipated
from Egypt by the miracle-working hand of God, God
proposed to form the twelve tribes into one nation,
that He might make them an example and blessing
to all the nations and families of the earth. He said
to them, '•' Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice in-
deed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a pecu-
liar treasure unto Me, above " (or among) " all people :
for all the earth is Mine. And ye shall be unto Me a
kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." (Ex. xix. 5, 6.)
God now proposed to become their King.
Kingly government is control by authoritative di-
rection with a view to the maintenance of moral order
among free agents. It aims to attain this end by the
sense of duty, by hope and fear, by the voice of
reason, and by love and sympathy. God now pro-
posed to rule by prescribed general laws, proclaimed
beforehand by special revelc^tion ; unlike human kings,
GODS METHOD OF TEACHING.
65
who then governed by their personal will. And these
laws were to be made known by special revelation,
and were to produce a sense of the obligation of moral
duty, and a feeling of guilt and ill-desert when duty
is neglected or transgressed. And it is a historical
fact that the Hebrews afterwards had these more
clearly and strongly than any other ancient nation.
There are noble moral sentiments in the ancient
heathen writers, but their practical moral code lacked
authority, and we find no expressions of conscience
feeling the guilt of sin.
" The history o.f the Jewish nation under the intlu-
ence of their law and prophets gave them these two
things : a moral sense and sensitiveness to sin, and
a hope for the future that the heathen world had not.
In this we have the historical proof that they were
under the special teaching of a holy and gracious God,
and that His law was to them, and to the world, a
schoolmaster to lead to Christ." {Dr. Candlish, p. 88.)
God's covenant had promises as well as laws, and these
preannounced promises showed them how God could
be merciful to unrighteousness, and ability for future
obedience may be obtained. God's kingdom was a
moral and religious training school, and the lessons to
be learned were henceforth to be communicated by
the mouth of His holy prophets. The Psalmist said,
"He showeth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and
His judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with
any nation." (Ps. cxlvii. 19, 20.) He proceeded to pro-
claim the ten commandments, which were to be taught
"'
66
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
in that orjranized system of schools, and added, " Hear,
O Israel : Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
might. And these words, which I command thee this
day, shall be in thine heart : and thou shalt teach them
diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them
when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walk-
est by the way, and when thou liesl down, and when
thou risest up." (Deut vi. 4-7.) They were thus to be
a kingdom of priests. The priest was a teacher. " The
priest's lips should keep knowledge," we are told, "and
they should seek the law at his mouth." They were
to "teach every man his neighbor, and every man his
brother, to know the Lord." God did not mean that
He would take the place of a human monarch in a
kingdom of this world, or that if thej^ chose a human
monarch He would cease to be their King ; because
when they did appoint a human king, God is still
called the King of Israel. Jehovah says, b}'' Haggai,
" The word that I covenanted with you when ye came
out of Egypt, so My Spirit remaineth among you : fear
ye not." (Hag. ii. 5.)
" From an examination of the nature and history of
the theocracy in Israel it appears that it really was
simply the special moral and religious training of that
people by God — its specialty consisting in this, that it
was a training not merely by nature but by revela-
tion." {Dr. Gandlish, p. 86.) It was what we would
call a kingdom of disciples. Persons were admitted
into this kingdom by baptism unto Moses ; they
GODS METHOD OF TEACHING.
67
were thus made the disciples of Moses, the great
prophet whom God sent to proclaim His will. When
they arrived at the promised land this initiatory-
rite gave place to " circumcision after the manner of
Moses." "What profit is there of circumcision ? Much
every way," said Paul ; " chiefly, because that unto
them " (i.e., unto those who are circumcised) " are com-
mitted the oracles of God," which are spoken by His
prophets. These oracles gave the lessons which they
were to learn in order that they might know God and
His relation towards them.
Within the outer circle of disciples there was formed
an inner circle containing those who were circumcised
in heart to love God. These formed the spiritual
Israel. The Psalmist speaks of them when he says :
" Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a
clean heart." These attended services in the Tabernacle
of David on Mount Zion. There the spiritual psalms
were sung. There David as a patriarch preached right-
eousness in the great congregation. There the Levites
preached the Abrahamic gospel. Hearers were con-
verted. Of Zion it was said, " This man and that man
was born in her." Here after the opening service sacri-
ficing priests had nothing to do. They acted merely
as trumpeters to summon the congregation. It was
in the Temple on Mount Moriah that they offered
typical sacrifices. But while they were thus engaged,
there were persons in the Tabernacle on Mount Zion
who thought of the coming antitypical High Priest,
who wa3 to offer a true and efficacious sacrifice, and of
68
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
the words which He would utter when preparing to do
so. " Sacrifice and offering" (which are offered by the
law of typical services) " Thou wouldest not, but a
body hast Thou prepared Me. Lo, I come to do Thy
will O God," as offering true atonement and interces-
sion. These few remarks indicate the importance
which the Hebrews attached to Mount Zion, and why
the Christian service was modelled after that in the
Tabernacle of David, {v. Acts xv. ; also chapter on the
Tabernacle of David in Smith's Harmony of the
Divine Dispensation.)
When Socrates and Plato saw that ancient kings
among the Gentiles had failed to produce a well-ordered
and permanent state of society, they jndged that a
remedy could be found only in education. Plato's
ideal republic w^as, as has been said, " really a great
university, since education is the main thing in it."
{Dr. Oandlish.) These distinguished men saw the need
and the importance of education. They thought it
would give wisdom, and wisdom lead to wise action,
and that wise action meant virtue. But, as Aristotle
pointed out, they failed to see that a State could not
be made good by instruction only, without good laws
and right character ; and it should be added, without
sufficient motives. There were no good civil laws until
those established by the empire of the Roman people.
Letrislation was its distinctive character. " Previous
empires were tax-taking empires. The Roman empire,
while it was a tax-taking, was also a legislating empire."
{Sir Henry Maine, quoted by Dr. Camllish.) lUii ihey
GOD S METHOD OF TEACHING.
69
ered
at a
ato's
rreat
it.
need
t it
tion,
totle
not
laws
bout
until
ople.
ious
jipire,
. >>
ire.
they
knew not how men may obtain a good character that
would dispose them to keep good laws, or how to fur-
nish them with right motives higher than temporal
ones. But long before this time God had given the
Hebrews perfect moral laws, and made provision for
"writing those laws on their minds and in their hearts;"
and strengthened right motives by connecting them
with the surpassingly great realities of eternity. And
He intended the Hebrews to be the means of benefit-
ing all other nations and families. He recognized the
unity of the race, and knew how each could realize
personal purity and righteousness, brotherly kindness
and usefulness, the true worship of God and entire
devotion to His reasonable service.
We are informed that in reply to the Divine mes-
sage w^hich Moses laid before the Hebrews, all the
people answered together and said, " All that the
Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned
the words of the people unto the Lord." (Ex. xix. 8.)
It was, of course, important that the people should be
fully convinced that Moses was Divinely commissioned
to make the proposal he had laid before them. Hence
God said to them, " Lo, I come unto thee in a thick
cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee,
and believe thee forever." Moses announced these
words to the people, and they said something in reply,
for it is written that " Moses told the words of the
people unto the Lord " (v. 9). What words ? What
answer had they given on this occasion ? Their reply
is not recorded, but it is alluded to and may be inferred
70
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
m
from what is stated afterwards. It was evidently of
a gainsaying kind, for we observe that God, after hear-
ing it, changed what He previously had proposed to do.
He had intended to announce His laws directly to
Moses only; He now resolved to proclaim directly to
the people also. All the people are to be immediately
addressed from Sinai by the great voice of God. This
shows a change in the proposed method of procedure,
and this change was obviously made in compliance
with the people's words. Their words, then, were
manifestly of a gainsaying kind, and were to this
effect : " We want to be directly taught by God Him-
self, not indirectly through Moses. Ought not our
Divine King to speak to us, too, in an immediate man-
ner ? And not only so, ought He not to do so in a
manner worthy the Divine Majesty, in a way that
must awaken the most stupid, arouse the most indolent,
convince the most unbelieving ? If Divine revelation
involves subjects that concern men deeply for time
and eternity, why not place it before them in a way
that must convince the understandings of all, excite
the feelings of all, and rouse their active powers to
become steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord ? " We think the answer which
they gave to God was of this kind. We infer it from
the fact, already stated, that it led God to make a
change in His proposed plan, and that He may yield
them an opportunity of proving by trial whether
their suggest on would be an amendment of the Divine
method, or a short-sighted device of human inexperi-
,1 f •.
GOD*S METHOD OF TEACHING.
71
ence. To let them test the matter fully, He desired
Moses to make certain preparatory arrangements serv-
ing to impress upon them the importance of the
occasion, and to call their attention away from every-
thing else, and to fix it intently on this humanly
suggested way of making a Divine revelation. That
they might be thus prepared and thus disposed to
listen reverentially, the people were to be sanctified
ceremonially for two days, and precautionary measures
were to be used to prevent any acts of daring pre-
sumption. Bounds were placed about the mount
which was to be used as the pyramidal pulpit from
which God was personally to address them. And they
were warned that neither man nor beast could with
impunity go nearer to the mount than that limit ; that
those who presumed to do so would be stoned, or
thrust through with a dart. These precautionary
measures astonished and annoyed them ; they regarded
them as needless restrictions. It is said, " They could
not endure that which was commanded," etc. (Heb.
xii. 20) ; so highly did they estimate their ability to
approach and face any manifestation of God's glory,
however majestic, or to listen to any voice which He
could use for the purpose of giving emphasis to His
legislative will.
The chosen mount and its surroundings attract our
attention for a moment. The Sinaitic group is encom-
passed by many hills and towering cliffs, producing
no vegetation, but presenting a startling contrast of
colours — red, and brown, and olive, and salmon, and
'I
I
i ■
' I
72
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
cream, and white, and black. The people had passed
throufjh these surround inofs and had come to the dark
granite cliffs of Horeb. Near these is a plain, upwards
of two and a half miles lon
V,
i/.x
u^
-%
1.0
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>- IIM
•*» 140
11.25 Ml 1.4
2.2
1.6
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.-^ ;;>
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7
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88
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
U
M
CHAPTER IV.
THE GREAT TEACHER INVESTED WITH SUPREME
KINGLY AITTHORITY.
He said, " All power is " (has been) " given unto Me
in heaven and on earth. Go therefore," etc. The Jews
had been led by the Old Testament prophecies to
anticipate that the great expected Prophet would have
kingly authority. The chief priests and scribes of the
people, when asked by Herod where Christ should be
born, said, "In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is
written by the prophet Out of thee shall come
a Governor, that shall rule My people Israel." (Matt,
ii. 5, 6.) But His rule was to extend also to other
people. " He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
and from the river unto the ends of the earth." " The
kingdom of God, even as apprehended amidst the
particularistic notions of the old economy, was to em-
brace all nations." (Isa. ii. 3, etc.; Herzog's Encyclop.,
art. Church.) The coming of the King of this king-
dom was heralded by John, who prophetically pro-
claimed to the people, " Repent ye, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand" (Matt. iii. 2) — i.e., "the kingdom
which is of heavenly or Divine origin and nature."
(Thayer.)
When Jesus began His public career on oarth He,
like John, made proclamation and said, "The time is
CHRIST S SUPREME KINGLY AUTHORITY.
89
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at band : repent
ye, and believe tbe Gospel." (Mark i. 14, 15.) "He
spake as one having authority, and not as tbe scribes."
As G. Stewart (Mediatorial Sovereignty) has remarked,
" His style of teaching was entirely dissimilar to that
of merely human prophets, however fully inspired —
it was legislative." " This is My commandment, that
ye love one another." (John x v. 12.) "A new com-
mandment I give unto you." (John xiii. 34.) " If ye
love Me, keep My commandments." (John xiv. 15.)
This authority was exercised not merely over tbe tradi-
tional teachings of the Jewish Rabbis, but over tbe
law delivered by Moses, tbe great inspired prophet of
the old dispensation. " It was said by them of old
time, Thou shalt not commit adultery : but I say unto
you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust
after her hath committed adultery already with her
in his heart." (Matt. v. 27, 28.) In this style He
proclaims. He unfolds, He establishes. He repeats,
as the case may be, and in a manner which implies
that His right to do so is not a matter for dis-
cussion. He commands, He does not merely invite,
discipleship. From the very first He said, " Follow
Me." He so spake to Simon Peter and Andrew, to
Matthew, to the sons of Zebedee and to tbe rich young
man. (Matt. iv. 19 ; ix. 9 ; xix. 21 ; u also Mark ii.
14 ; Luke v. 27 ; John i. 43 ; x. 27.) " He claimed not
merely superiority to those whom He taught, but
official supremacy over them." He said to them,
" Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me." (Matt.
90
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
e.. - i
xi. 29.) He demanded faith in Himself. Unlike
John, who told the people to believe on Him who
should come after him, He required them to believe in
Him as they do in God (John xiv. 1), and to "honour
Him as they honour the Father." In short, while He
spake as a Prophet, He also spake as a Prince reigning
jointly with His Royal Father.
For a time Christ as a Prince reigned jointly with
His Father, but afterwards it pleased the Father
Almighty to invest His only begotten Son with su-
preme kingly authority ; and this sole rule was to
continue until the close of man's day of probation,
when it was to " be delivered up " that He may again
reign jointly with the Father over the final and ever-
lasting form of the kingdom. (1 Cor. xv. 24.) But
the kingdom during this intermediate period was to
be " His kingdom." (Matt. xvi. 28.) He was to have
" all power " (" authority " — Rev. Ver.) " in heaven and
in earth, to disciple all nations, and teach them to
observe all things which He commands." (Matt, xxviii.
18-20.)
We shall find that the Lord Jesus was made Supreme
Ruler when He was on the Mount of Transfiguration,
where God proclaimed, "This is My beloved Son: hear
ye Him." (It was after His ascension to heaven that
He was made Head over all things to the Church or
inner kingdom of regenerate believers.)
His investment with this sole supremacy over the
outer kingdom is distinctly recorded. Knowing that
the time was near, Christ told His chosen twelve that
CHRIST*S SUPREME KINGLY AUTHORITY.
91
some of them " should not see death till they had seen
the Son of Man cominjr in His kingdom" (Matt. xvi.
28), — i.e., coming in His Kingship. {Thayer.) They
should see Him coming clothed with supreme authority
vested in Himself till the close of man's probationary
state. To emphasize this most important announce-
ment, some of the twelve were to be taken shortly
after to hear it confirmed by " a voice from the
Excellent Glory," which was the well-known sym-
bol of Jehovah's presence.
For this purpose He resolved to ascend a mountain,
which is not named, probably, as Bengel conjectured, to
prevent men from feeling a superstitious regard for it
if it were certainly known. "Eut as there is no evi-
dence that Christ and His disciples had left the
neighbourhood of Caesarea ; and as in that quiet retreat
Christ could teach the lesson which His disciples now
specially needed without interruption from Pharisees
and scribes " {Edersheim ii., p. 92), it may be conjec-
tured that the mountain which He now ascended was
the snowy Hermon.
" A glorious panorama can be seen from Hermon,
embracing a great part of Syria from the sea to
Damascus, from the Lebanon and the gorge of the
Litany to the mountains of Moab ; down the Jordan
valley to the Dead Sea ; over Galilee, Samaria, and
into Jerusalem and beyond it." (Edersheim ii., p. 95.)
That gigantic barrier between Jewish and Gentile
lands would seem to be a fitting place for the Divine
proclamation of His universal kingly supremacy. Only
I-— ^
'--- - --^"f— -YJ-*
92
BAPTISING AND TEACHING.
a few of the disciples were in some measure prepared
to witness the ^reat scene. " In all the most solemn
transactions of earth's history there has been the
selection and separation of a few to witness God's
great doings." On this occasion the Master took only
three of His disciples to " climb the path that led up
the mountain."
From the allusion made to sleep in a subsequent
part of the narrative, it was probably the night season*
He "had often gone to a mountain, probably because
He had not where to lay His head. But on this
occasion He took them apart to pray that the Divine
Spirit would aid them to understand aright the
Divine attestation of His authority, and the Divine
instruction as to their duty.
" And as He prayed He was transfigured before
them." They saw the change, but at first did not
clearly apprehend it. They were naturally sleepy
after the tiresome ascent. It would take six hours to
get to one of the highest peaks of Hermon, if that
was the mount. But the chansfinsf form before them
became so wondrous as to rouse them from their
drowsy feeling to wakeful attention to the process of
transfiguration, for it was done " before them." The
fashion of His countenance was altered. The inner
radiance began to glow more and more clearly through
the incarnate veil, until it made His face shine as the
sun, and His garments to become white as the light —
i.e., white and glittering " as no fuller on earth can
white them." (Mark). They were changed to super-
CHRIST S SUPREME KINGLY AUTHORITY.
98
natural whiteness. His raiment was now like the
white royal apparel of King Solomon, but far more
glorious. Solomon's raiment was surpassed in fine-
ness of texture and of tint by the lily of the field ;
but the magnificence of Christ's royal array was of
preternatural fineness and beauty. God the Father
had now openly fulfilled that which was written,
" Thou crownest Him with glory and honour, and didst
set Him over the works of Thy hands, that He, by
the grace of God, should taste death for every man,"
— for every one of His rebellious subjects. As Taleu-
cus, the Locrian king, suffered for his disobedient son,
so should He suffer for His rebellious subjects, and
become a Mediator on their behalf. It was for this
most gracious purpose that He was crowned with this
kingly glory and honour. The purpose for which He
was thus crowned was most important and interesting
to men everywhere. Two distinguished persons came
from the invisible world to talk with Him on this
subject. They are Moses, by whose ministry God
appointed the typical priests and typical sacrifices,
and Elias, " who had laboured more earnestly than any
other prophet to bring his apostate countrymen back
to those typical institutions while still in force." But
they are now silent respecting typical things, because
they are in the presence of the antitypical High
Priest, who has come to offer a true and efficacious
sacrifice and intercession for the sin of the world.
Hence they speak of " the decease which He," as the
Lamb of God, " should accomplish at Jerusalem," These,
ib
'W 1
m
' !
t
I
I
I
94
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
like other prophets, had inquired and searched dili-
gently what the " Spirit of Christ which was in them
did signify when it testified beforehand the sufferings
of Christ and the glory that should follow." They
desire and obtain a conversation with the Great Pro-
phet on this great subject. The higher knowledge
desired was doubtless conveyed to them, but was left
to be communicated to us by subsequent revelation.
Soon as the satisfactory conversation had closed, the
celestial visitors began to retire from the immediate
presence of Christ. Peter saw their movement, and
feared that they were departing from the mountain
too. " Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus,
Lord, it is good for us to be here," listening to such
wonderful conversation : " if Thou wilt, let us make
here three tabernacles ; one for Thee " — for now that
Thou art " clothed with majesty " Thou shouldst have
a tabernacle of Thine own to sleep in — " and one for
Moses, and one for Elias," supposing probably that it
is " the fear of spending the night in the open air that
obliges them to withdraw from the mount." (Godet)
■' Not knowing what he said," because not discerning
that they neither desired nor needed such a taber-
nacle. A shechinah cloud was soon to form a more
glorious covering for them. " While Peter yet spake
there came a bright cloud and overshadowed them,"
i.e., Moses and Elias. It was a cloud, yet luminous —
symbolizing, and yet veiling, t.he presence of God.
The two heavenly visitants, still ascending, entered
that glorious cloud, leaving Jesus only visible to the
I I
i^am
CHRIST S SUPREME KINGLY AUTHORITY.
95
disciples. " And they feared as they entered the
cloud." The meaning seems to be, the three disciples
feared when they saw the two heavenly personages
unhesitatingly enter the cloud, thinking perhaps that
there might be a prohibition to do so, as there was at
Sinai. But there was none — Moses and Elias wished
to retire quickly out of the disciples' view. They did
not come for the purpose of being associated with
Christ in His higher office, but to converse with Him,
and then to listen to what the Divine voice was about
to proclaim concerning Him.
The three disciples saw that when Christ was trans-
figured He wa« changed from the lowly form of a
servant, which He hitherto presented, into a kingly
appearance and majestic style. Peter said afterwards,
we were "eye-witnesses of His majesty." As said the
Psalmist, " The Lord reigneth. He is clothed with
majesty." (Psa. xciii. 1.) The term i's applied also to
earthly kings. The prophet Daniel said to Belshazzar,
*'0 thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar,
thy father, a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and
honour : and for the majesty that He gave him, all
people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared
before him," etc. (Dan. v. 18, 19.) By the transfigura-
tion Christ was robed in majesty. And above Him
they saw the cloud which was the symbol of the Divine
presence, and the sign that they may expect to hear
the word of the Lord. " And lo ! a voice out of the
cloud addressing the disciples, and saying. This is My
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear ye
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Him." Observe, the Divine voice does not say, " Hear
ye Me speaking through Moses and Elias as prophets
of the old dispensation ; " nor does He say, " Hear ye
Me speaking through Christ as the Great Prophet of
the new dispensation," though that might have been
said in reference to past communications. But He
now indicates that His Son is henceforth appointed
sole and supreme King over the special kingdom
referred to. " Hear Him," He will in due time make
this proclamation, " All power is " (has been) " given
unto Me in heaven and earth : Go therefore, and make
disciples of all nations : . . . teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you : and,
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world." (Matt, xxviii. 18-20.) He had been joint King ;
He is henceforth supreme King. They had been
initiated by circumcision into the dispensation of the
Father — the Jewish theocracy. They were now com-
manded to come to Christ as the sole and supreme
King. As it is written, " Every man that hath heard
and hath learned of the Father cometh unto Me."
" Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me," to hear
and learn of Me, and obey Me as My subjects.
It was in this sense that the three disciples under-
stood this wondrous scene, when they were eye-wit-
nesses of His majesty ; for on this warrant they pro-
claimed the power and coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ — i.e., the kingly power of Christ coming in
His kingdom, as He Himself had said six or eight
days previously, " For He received from God the
CHRIST S SUPREME KINGLY AUTHORITY.
97
Father honour and glory " (i.e., kingly honour, as stated
more fully in Hebrews ii. 7 : " Thou crovvnedst Him
with glory and honour, and didst set Him over the
works of Thy hands "), " when there came such a voice
to him from the excellent glory, This is My beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which
came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him
in the holy mount."
Havinsf witnessed this wondrous fulfilment of a
prophecy spoken by Christ Himself six days before,
they felt every word of prophecy to be " more sure."
And they saw the importance of attending, not only
to the words of each prophecy itself, but to all other
sources of information which God may give to aid in
its right interpretation. They were not giving " a
private interpretation " of the prophecy which Christ
uttered before ascending the Mount of Transfiguration,
but an interpretation which was illustrated and con-
firmed by God Himself on that mount. For as pro-
phecy is given by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, so it
is given in such a way as to leave room and need to
consult helps external to itself in order to make out
its precise and full sense. But even before it becomes
fully understood, it is "a light in a dark place, till the
day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts."
His kingly oflice was afterwards acknowledged by
Himself in the presence of the Roman governor. When
brought before Pilate He claimed to be the King of
the Jews. When Pilate asked Christ, "Art thou a
king ? " He said, " Thou sayest that I am a king," — i.e.,
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
" Thou sayest it, for 1 am a king " (American Revision
Committee). " To this end was I born, and for tliis
cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness
unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth
My voice" (John xviii. 37) — that is, My subjects are
those who listen to that truth that they may be taught
and guided by it. " He made it manifest to the Roman
governor that His claim was not a political one, for He
pronounced His innocence of the charge of sedition."
He came to bear witness to the truth, knowing that
by this He could reign over the consciences of men.
What are the springs that move this world ?
" Thoughts — nothing but thoughts. Passions, do you
say ? But passions imply thoughts, and proceed from
them." Thoughts that set forth what is true, what is
right, what is divinely commanded, w^hat is graciously
provided to raise and renew the fallen. And He sends
the Spirit to aid His subjects to understand the spirit-
ual things of which He bears witness. He appointed
subordinates to teach what He has commanded, and
He aids them by His Spirit in doing so. He knew that
this kingdom would be like leaven — the taught would
become teachers of others, and thus would increase.
He knew, however, that all would not yield to the
transforming power of this truth. The bad would be
found among the orood in the great sifting day.
Pilate said, " What is truth ?" He had no idea of a
system of government by truth. Perhaps he was in-
fluenced by those ancient philosophers who supposed
that man's understanding was not capable of knowing
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what truth is, or he knew no truth that was fitted to
restrain all wroui^-Joing and to promote all well-doing.
Among the heathen, religion had no connection with
morality. The favour of the gods was perpetuated by
ritual observances, often of a licentious or cruel nature.
He had an idea of a system of government by civil
law and justice, enforced by the arm of physical
power — for the Roman empire was a legislating em-
pire ; it imposed law on its subjects. This was its
distinctive character. Eastern empires were mere tax-
taking empires. "The four great empires which he
knew most about were established by violence and
fraud, and are by Daniel fitly described under beastly
forms. Accustomed only to this terrible dominion of
power, Pilate could not form any conception of a
dominion of truth."
But Christ had the clearest comprehension of what
truth is, and the highest approval of its power to
enlighten the minds, inspire the affections, and sway
the consciences of men ; of its adaptation to penetrate
every element of our social, political, and religious
life, so as to bring at once '* glory to God in the high-
est, peace on earth, and good-will toward men." He
proposed to be a legislating King. He did not under-
take to rule by mere w'U, without any prescribed and
proclaimed law, as heathen kings had done. He pro-
posed to employ prophets to communicate His com-
mandments ; and that men may be aided to know them
and trained to obey them. He formed a kingdom of
disciples. " The commandment is a lamp ; and the law
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is lif^ht ; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life."
(Prov. vi. 23.)
Christ said to Pilate, " My kingdom is not of this
world." He did not receive it by inheritance from
human sovereigns, or by election from human subjects.
He does not aim at mere temporary and earthly
objects, but at religious and eternal interests. He
does not use worldly means for the attainment of its
objects, or give subordinate officers power over the
lives, liberty or property of His subjects. " Civil
governments originate laws; religious governments
collate and codify what is revealed." " Except incident-
ally and indirectly, that kingdom had nothing to do
with the interests of this world, and yet, in this way,
it had everything to do with them, since the character
needed for citizenship in the future kingdom is just
the character, and the only character, that can give
peace, and prosperity, and a permanently progressive
civilization here." (Mark Hopkins, D.D.)
It was called the kingdom of heaven to set aside
the notions of an earthly kind which the Jews antici-
pated. Being wholly distinct from all earthly king-
doms, it may co-exist with them. Hence, when the
Jews were the vassals of the Roman empire, Jesus
sought to make them at the same time the subjects of
the kingdom of heaven. Their spheres are distinct.
" My domination," said Napoleon, " ends where that of
conscience begins," and so does every other merely
human dominion. But Christ's reign begins with the
conscience and proceeds to rule over the heart.
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aside
mtici-
king-
n the
Jesus
cts of
tinct.
hat. of
erely
fch the
Christ, in due time, announced His supreme kingly
authority in a more express manner, and in peculiarly
impressive circumstances. He gradually prepared the
twelve disciples for this announcement. He first
presented to them the crowning proof that He was
not merely a Divinely commissioned but a Divine
Being: He proved Himself to be "the Son of God
with power by His resurrection from the dead." After
the fact of His resurrection came the demonstration of
that fact by several personal manifestations to chosen
witnesses. " Each of these manifestations," as one has
observed, " had something new and peculiarly its own.
For instance, His appearance to Mary Magdalene
showed He was raised again to life after His passion ;
tha«; to the disciples at Emmaus proved that He was
the same wonderful expounder of Scripture ; that to
Thomas gave evidence that He had still the self-same
body that had been crucified, and which could there-
fore be clearly and fully recognized ; the miracle of
the fishes showed that the Divine nature was still
united to the human." These specified appearances
would have been abundantly sufiicient to prove the
fact of His resurrection, and thereby the rightfulness
of His previous claim to be the Son of God manifest
in the flesh ; the truth of the doctrines He taught and
the predictions He uttered, and the all-sufiftciency of
the atonement He made for the sin of the world.
So after His resurrection the theme of His instruc-
tion was the things pertaining unto the kingdom of
God. (Acts i. 3.) But He wished to have a special
102
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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interview with His disciples for the purpose of more
impressively announcing His supreme dominion and
publishing His great commission. He did not choose
for these purposes any of those times in which He
appeared to them unexpectedly. A time and place
were pre-appointed, and this pre-appointment was
made on the very day that He rose from the dead. It
was then arranged that it should be done in Galilee,
" where the Lord .began His ministry, wrought His
first miracles, uttered His first and most abundant
teachings; where the largest number of His followers
were found, and where the great bulk of them were
driven by fear : Galilee of the Gentiles too, where, as
if between the Holy Land and the wide world, He
might most appropriately assume His sceptre of
universal rule." (Pope's Kingdom of Christ, p. 184.)
The mountain in Galilee on which the meeting was
to take place is not mentioned by name in any of the
Gospels. It was not necessary, perhaps not advisable,
to make it known beforehand to any besides those
who were appointed to meet there. It is now
thought by some commentators that Tabor is probably
the place referred to. " This mount is about six miles
from Nazareth, in an easterly direction. It rises into
a high peak whose flattened top is about a mile and a
half in circumference, and whose sides are covered
with a forest of oaks and wild pistachio trees, and
the whole mountain is rich in flowers." (Lange.) It
seems probable that this was the place. Wherever
it was, this was the most important meeting after His
CHRIST S SUPREME KINGLY AUTHORITY.
103
resurrection, and probably for this reason is the only
one mentioned by Matthew.
To the appointed place, at the appointed time, went
the invited company. Among them were the disciples
who were being trained for the apostolic office. Thither
also went, in all probability, the five hundred brethren
by whom He was " seen at once," as Paul tells us ; for
it is only at a pre-appointed time and place that so
many brethren would be likely to assemble at that
perilous period. And the object of the meeting was
so important that it was desirable to call together the
largest number of brethren.
Thither went Jesus, too ; not now, however, in " the
form of a servant," but permanently in that majestic
mien which He had assumed for a few moments on the
Mount of Transfiguration. When the disciples saw
Him approaching in majesty they worshipped Him.
But some doubted. Perhaps Peter, James and John,
who had been the glorious forms of Moses and Elijah
on the mount, doubted whether it was one of them, or
Christ, who was approaching in the distance, but too
far from them as yet to be distinctly recognized by
those who were not far-sighted. That He was a good
way off when first observed is plainly implied by the
fact that His nearer approach is mentioned in the very
next words — " And Jesus came to them." The doubt,
therefore, had no reference to the propriety of wor-
shipping the Lord Jesus, but as to whether the glori-
ous personage who at a great distance was coming
towards them was Jesus Christ Himself, or some dis-
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liAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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tinguished messenger from heaven such as some of
them had seen on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Those who doubted were only a small minority. This
is implied by the omission of oi fiei>. " If Matthew had
written oi [ih npoatKwriaav^ oi (h eaiaraaav^ he WOuld have
divided the disciples into two co-ordinate and almost
equal parts." (Lange.) But he does not, and hence im-
plies that only a few doubted. And it is further im-
plied by the context in Matthew that these few were
some of the eleven.
Having come near enough to be perfectly recognized,
He said, " All power " (" authority " — Eev. Ver.) has
been given " unto Me in heaven and in earth." The
Greek word combines the idea of governing authority
with that of executive power. In many cases these
are not united ; " for many are not able to perform
those things which they have a right to do ; and on
the contrary, many have power to do things which
they have no right to do." (Beza.) Christ has both.
He always had power. He, at the time He here refers
to, received full kingly authority also ; He received a
new office — not a new attribute. This new office was
therefore distinct from the dominion which He pre-
viously possessed as Creator and Preserver of all ;
though this too might in a certain sense be said to be
given to Him, as being the Son of God. "God of God,
deriving His being and essence by an eternal generation
from the Father." (Bloomfield.) He has all power over
1 -'ial nature and its forces ; all power over all
^^.erning authority, whether angelic or human (Eph.
Christ's supreme kingly authority.
105
i. 20, 21 ; Heb. i. 6) ; whether civil (Rom. xiii. 1, 2 ;
Rev. i. 5 ; xvii. 14 ; xix. 16 ; Ps. ii.) ; ecclesiastical
(Col. i. 18; Eph. v. 23; Ps. ii.), or domestic (Eph. vi.
1-4.) He has "every kind of power." Christ has kingly
power over Satan, the prince of this world. The king-
dom of Christ is opposed to the kingdom of Satan.
Satan aims to prevent men from rendering full sub-
mission and obedience to the will and word of God.
He seduces to disobedience by means of natural infirmi-
ties, like those of hunger and thirst ; by means of
plausible error, by the allurements of worldly pleasure
and ambition, by the tyranny of worldly opposition
and persecution. Christ aims at exposing the devices
and destroying the works of the devil ; and of setting
men free from his misleading influence. Christ re-
strains him so that he cannot tempt beyond what men
may successfully resist.
The Father Almighty handed over to the Son of
God all kingly authority to employ all agencies and
instrumentalities in heaven and earth, as occasion may
require, to carry out the gracious plans of His redeem-
ing love. By so doing He gave the fullest assurance
that He wishes those plans to be tried as patiently,
fully, and zealously as possible. It is this supreme
kingly authority that will be " delivered up " at the
close of man's probation, in order that thenceforth
Jesus may reign jointly with the Father, when " the
kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of
our God and of His Christ."
It is proper here to observe that when God com-
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
mitted all this kingly power into the hands of His
beloved Son, He retained in His own hands the
prerogative to uphold the principles and laws of moral
government, and to pardon those transgressors who
are persuaded to repent and plead for mercy through
the Mediator. Hence Christ is a Priest upon His
throne, making intercession for penitent petitioners.
The Divine Father retained also the right to adopt
believers as His children, and as brethren of Christ.
And He reserved in His own power to determine when
Christ's remedial kingdom shall be delivered up, when
remedial efforts shall be terminated, and when the
day of judgment shall dawn ; and also the right to
punish the incorrigibly wicked when convicted and
sentenced by Christ as Judge.
God the Holy Spirit, too, has a peculiar department
in this great remedial work. He graciously under-
takes to convince men of sin, because they believe not
on Christ, and of righteousness, and of judgment. As
a witness He attests the adopting act of the Father ;
as a regenerating Spirit He renews men after the
image of God, and by His presence He makes them of
quick understanding to see the beauty and the glory
of spiritual and divine things ; and He will renew the
bodies of believers. Thus the blessed Trinity are
associated in the great work of human salvation, and
entitled to be the united object of man's highest
gratitude, love, and devotion.
Christ continued after His ascension to direct the
apostles whom He had sent forth. When a new
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CHRIST S SUPREME KINGLY AUTHORITY
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apostle was to be chosen, the Lord Jesus reappeared
and met him on the way to Damascus. When that
chosen one wished to exercise his ministry among his
own people, he was ordered away from that sphere by
immediate command. He says, " It came to pass, that,
while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance ; and
saw Him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee
quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy
testimony concerning Me. . . . Depart, for I will se id
thee far hence unto the Gentiles." (Acts xxii. 17, 18,
21.) Christ through the ministry of the Spirit sent him
other directions. " When Paul had fixed himself as a
settled teacher in Antioch, * the Spirit said, Separate
me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereto I have
called them.' When he would have confined himself
to the Eastern continent, and turned, in his contem-
plated circuit, first to Asia and then to Bithynia, ' the
Spirit suffered him not,' and a Divine message enabled
him to ' gather assuredly that the Lord had called him '
to carry His Gospel into Europe. In Corinth, the
Lora's own voice directed him to remain, as in the
headquarters of the Grecian world. In Jerusalem,
when disheartened and perhaps doubtful of the course
he had taken, his Master came to assure him of the
acceptance of his past testimony, and announce the
purpose that he should bear witness also at Rome."
(Bernard, Progress of Doctrine, pp. 106, 107.)
" Thus does He, who at the commencement of the
history was seen to pass into the heavens, continue to
appear in person on the scene. His apostles act not
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
only on His past commission, but under His present
direction. He is not wholly concealed by the cloud
which had received Him out of their sight — now His
voice is heard, now His hand put forth, and now
through a sudden reft the brightness of His presence
shines. And these appearances, voices and visions
are not mere incidental favours ; they are apportioned
to the moments when they are wanted, moments which
determine the course which the Gospel takes, and
prove that the whole course was under Divine guid-
ance." (T. D. Bernard.)
While the Acts show that the Lord Jesus still
directed the course of action taken by His apostles, the
Epistles show that He inspired their teaching. Paul,
for instance, says respecting the doctrine which he
taught, " I neither received it of man, neither was I
taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
(Gal. i. 11, 12; Eph. iii. 1-5.) "The Christian revelation,
therefore, is made known partly in the discourses of
our Lord, and partly in the discourses and epistles of
His inspired apostles."
Some have failed to see that Christ now has this
supreme kingly authority. They think that the Holy
Spirit now reigns as King, exercising all supervision
and control over everything pertaining to the king-
dom of God. But they wholly misapprehend the
commission given to the Spirit. It is said, " He shall
not speak of Himself." His distinctive work is to
" glorify " Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest and King.
Hence, "the descent of the Spirit to act in Christ's
CHRIST S SUPREME KINGLY AUTHORITY.
109
name was an additional attestation of Christ's sover-
eign supremacy. It was Christ who received of the
Father and sent the Divine Spirit. The Divine Spirit
came as the agent of the Divine Immanuel, who is
Head of the new theocracy on earth." The men on
whom He acted were the men whom Christ had
selected to be His own witnesses to bear testimony to
His character and dignity and work. The Spirit
fitted them fully for this work. Peter, on the day of
Pentecost, testified to the fact of His exaltation : " Let
all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath
made that same Jesus, whom" they "crucified, both
Lord and Christ." (Acts ii. 36.) And speaking of Him
to those assembled in the house of Cornelius, he told
them, '* He is Lord of all." (Acts x. 36.) When ascend-
ing from earth He did not surrender His regal au-
thority to the Divine Spirit. He not merely had. He
has, all power in heaven and in earth. Of course. He
did not resign it into the hands of the apostles. We
find that the apostles and evangelists acted not only
on Christ's past commission, but under His present di-
rection. They acted in Christ's name and by His
authority. As the Gospels record what Christ began
to do while He was on earth, so the Acts are a record
of what He continued to do after He had passed into
heaven. The activity of the apostles was under the
guidance of their risen and exalted Lord. They re-
garded themselves as agents through whom the Lord
Himself continued to act. Compare " the summary of
the last instructions of Jesus to His apostles, as men-
tioned in the beginning of the Acts, with the summary
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of Paul's teaching," and you will find that as Jesus
" gave commandments through the Holy Ghost to His
apostles," and " spoke of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God," so Paul, at Ephesus, entered " into
the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three
months, disputing and persuading " (" reasoning and
persuading " — liev. Ver.) " as to the things pertaining
to the kingdom of God." (Acts xix. 8.) At his last
interview with them he said, " I know that ye all,
among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of
God "("of God " is omitted in the Revised Version),
" shall see my face no more." (Acts xx. 25.) So at
Rome, " Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired
house, and received all that came in unto him, preach-
ing the kingdom of God, and teaching those things
which concern the Lord Jesus." (Acts xxviii. 30, 31.)
Paul afterwards wrote to the Romans that he was
" separated unto the gospel of God, concerning His Son
Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of
David according to the flesh ; and, according to the
spirit of holiness, was declared to be the Son of God
with power" — i.e., with kingly power — "by the resur-
rection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (Rom. i. 1-4.)
Paul tells the Philippians about " Christ Jesus, who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God : but made Himself of no reputa-
tion, and took upon Him the form of a servant . . .
and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted
Him, and given Him a name which is above every
»iame : that at the name of Jesus " — i.e., in devout
Christ's supreme kingly authority.
Ill
recognition of the title conferred on Him by God, viz.,
the title "Lord" {TJuiyer), — "every knee should bow,
of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things
under the earth ; and that every tongue should con-
fess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father." (Phil. ii. o-lL) In short, the title "Lord,"
which is constantly given to Jesus, has reference to
His kingly and judicial authority over men. " For
whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and whether
we die, we die unto the Lord . . . For to this end
Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might
be Lord both of the dead and the living . . . for we
shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee
shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to
God." (Rom. xiv. S-IL)
r has been said, it is worthy of remark that the
apostles to the Jews are never described as referring
to the kingdom. The Jews had formed wrong antici-
pations respecting it. They thought it would take
the form of a state, and as a logical result rejected
Christ because He did not adopt this plan. As they
were not yet willing to receive the truth on that topic,
the Spirit, it seems, did not inspire the apostles to the
Jews to dwell upon this point. He imparted a measure
of truth where persons were not prepared to receive
more. But Philip, when preaching to the Samaritans*
preached good things concerning the kingdom of God
and the name of Jesus Christ, and as a result the
Samaritans were baptized; and, as we have seen, so did
Paul when preaching to the Gentiles,
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In the Book of Revelation, Christ is introduced as
the Prince (" Ruler " — Rev. Ver.) of the kings of the
earth (ch. i. 5). Some of these enter into conflict with
Him, but it is prophetically announced that He " shall
overcome them because He is King of Jdngs and Lord
of lords." (Rev. xvii. 14; xix. 16.) The martyrs on
Christ's side will be granted a iirst resurrection, and
will " reign with Christ a thousand years " (Rev. xx. 4),
before the end of the world, when the nations of Gog
and Magog enter into the final conflict and are destroyed
by fire from heaven (Rev. xx. 8, 9). For " He must reign
till He hath put all enemies under His feet," and until
death, the last enemy, is destroyed. (1 Cor. xv. 25, 26.)
His continued reign was anticipated by the penitent
on the cross — Luke xxiii. 42 — " Lord, remember me
when Thou comest into Thy kingdom" {ev, in Thy
Kingdom) — that is, with all Thy glorious kingdom
about Thee. (Trench, p. 122 ; v. Matt. xvi. 28: " Coming
in His kingdom.")
In the preceding chapter we saw that He speaks in
a way in which we can hear. From this chapter we
see that we ought to hear what we can hear — that
we refuse or neglect to do so at our peril. " See that ye
refuse not Him that speaketh " (Heb. xii. 25), that now
speaketh from heaven. He is the only possible Saviour.
To refuse Him that speaketh is a very different thing
from the refusal of the Hebrew fathers to hear again
an earth-shaking voice. The Hebrew fathers ])rayed
to be freed from hearing again the overwhelming tones
and emphasis of fche Divine voice from Sinai. On
that occasion they had well spoken a,ll that they had
CHRIST S SUPREME KINGLY AUTHORITY.
113
spoken. From this voice they did escape by flying
afar off, and by praying against its repetition. They
at that time did not pray to be delivered from the
law that was proclaimed on that occasion, or from the
authority and government of the Divine Law^ -giver. On
the other hand, they then wished the law itself ^o be
repeated in their hearing by the mouth of Moses. But
when God afterwards spoke to them through Moses, in
a way which they could hear, they turned away, we
are told, from him that spoke — and then " they escaped
not " the judgments that God denounced against such
turning away. " Much more shall not we escape if we
turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven," that
is, from the Lord Jesus, now raised from the prophetic
to the kingly office, and invested with " all power in
heaven and in earth." He now speaks with supreme
authority from heaven, not with an earth-shaking
voice, though He will speak with a voice that will
shake not the earth only, but also the heavens, to
wake the dead and summon them to His judgment
seat. He speaks with gentle voice, but it is He that
speaks, and His words should guide the consciences
of men, for they will be the rule of judgment. See
that ye refuse Him not ; " for if they escaped not who
refused " (begged off from) " him (Moses) that spake
on earth, the testimony which God inspired him to
deliver ; much more shall not we escape if we turn
away from Him " (the Lord Jesus, no longer a mere
prophet like unto Moses, but a supreme King) " who
speaketh from heaven."
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
CHAPTER V.
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CHRIST FORMED A KINGDOM OF DISCIPLES, AS DISTINCT
FROM A KINGDOM OF REGENERATE BELIEVERS.
»
Those who hear what is taught in the school of
disciples believe. Those who believe are regenerated.
Regenerate believers are added to the Church. The
Epistles which are addressed to the churches do not
use the word /iiaS?/T}ig^ disciple.
These two kingdoms are made distinct by separate
Divine institution. Many Christian teachers have not
seen that this distinction is of Divine appointment,
yet they have felt it to be expedient and prudent to
introduce a somewhat similar distinction, a correspond-
ing two-fold arrangement, to carry out the work of
Christian evangelization. They form an outer circle
enclosing congregations for adults, and Sabbath -schools
for the young; and then they proceed, as soon as
practicable, to form an inner circle containing members
selected from the outer one, who hold Christian fellow-
ship and co-operate in Christian work. In fact, " all
the churches of scriptural Protestantism have pro-
fessedly, if not practically, societies within societies,
or select communions within general ones." (Thorn,
Suhj. of Bap., p. 335.) In the outer circle both good
and bad are permitted to remain. In the inner circle
they wish to keep the good only. Now, Christ
THE TWO DISTINCT KINGDOMS OF CHRIST.
115
clearly saw the expediency of such a course of pro-
cedure. Accordingly He instituted first a kingdom of
disciples, i.e., of pupils. In this the bad were to be
allowed to remain with the good, until He closed the
day of probation by sending forth His angels to gather
out the bad. He established also a kingdom of
regenerate believers, in which the good only should be
permitted to enter and remain. A man must be born
of the Spirit to enter this kingdom. Thus, Christ has
now two kingdoms, and that the on*^ differs from the
other in the manner that has been indicated is very
clearly taught in the following Scripture statements: —
1. The New Testament Scriptures tell us that Christ
has a kingdom which contains the bad as well as the
good. This one is variously illustrated : e.g., by the
field in which tares as well as wheat grow, but from
which the tares are not to be rooted out till harvest.
Authoritative directions were given not to remove
them sooner, lest the effort to separate the tares from
the wheat should pull up the wheat also. The sower
of the wheat will take proper action in the harvest
time. He says, " I will say to the reapers. Gather ye
together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to
burn them ; but gather the wheat into my barn. . . .
So shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of Man
shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out
of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which
do iniquity ; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire :
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matt,
xiii. 30, etc.) This explains how it is that persons may
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
be " children of the Messiah's kingdom " and yet be cast
into outer darkness. (Matt. viii. 12.) John, the fore-
runner of Christ, spoke of this outer kingdom. He
foretold that it would contain chaff as well as wheat.
But he informs us that the King has a fan with which
in due time He shall separate the wheat from the chaff.
The outer kingdom is compared to leaven hid in tne
meal, causing a process of assimilation that goes on
gradually till the whole of the meal is leavened. The
likeness to His kingdom is not said to be found in the
whole mass after it has been thoroughly leavened, but
in the leaven when hid in the meal. It therefore does
not teach that there is no kingdom until the process
of assimilation to truth has been completed. No, it
means that it exists where that process has commenced.
This kingdom is established before the judgment
day, for it is compared, as already stated, to a field in
which tares remain until gathered out at the judg-
ment day. " Therefore the kingdom must be before
the judgment." {J. E. Werden.) These Scriptures were
intended to apply to an outer kingdom of pupils*
organized in families, in Sabbath-schools, and in con-
gregations (which to get through with work should
meet also on other days). It is not necessary to meet
in one locality. They may be subdivided, but every
part is to have the one end and aim.
2. But the Scripture writers also speak of an inner
kingdom which is intended to contain the good only.
" The Lord adds " to this kingdom. He admits the
regenerate. He does not admit the unregenerate.
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THE TWO DISTINCT KINGDOMS OF CHRIST.
117
He says, " Except a man be born again " (born of the
Spirit) " he cannot enter into this kingdom." (John iii-
5.) It is sometimes compared to a vineyard in which
the unfruitful are not allowed to remain. " Every
branch in Me," said Christ, " that beareth not fruit.
He " (the Divine husbandman) " taketh away," — not
He will take it away at the judgment day ; no. He
" taketh away " when it is shown to be persistently
unfruitful. Accordingly, in reference to this kingdom,
the subordinate rulers are commanded to exclude the
bad from fellowship with the good. For instance, (a)
they are to exclude those who are immoral in their
conduct — " I wrote unto you in an epistle not to
company with fornicators : yet not altogether with the
fornicators of this world, . . . but if any man that is
called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an
idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner ;
with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to
do to judge them that are without ? Do not ye judge
them that are within?" (1 Cor. v. 9, 12.) (6) They
are to exclude those characters who impenitently
persist in what is injurious to their brethren — " If thy
brother shall trespass against thee, . . . and neglect to
hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen
man and a publican." (Matt, xviii. 15-17.) (c) They
are to exclude those who are schismatical in purpose
and aim — " Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them
which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doc-
trine which ye have learned ; and avoid them." (Rom.
xvi. 17.) (d) They are to exclude those who openly
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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disregard the prudential regulations established by
proper ecclesiastical authority — " Now we command
you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that
walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which
he received of us." (2 Thes. iii. 6.) Since they are
commanded to exclude such, it is plain that they are
impliedly forbidden to receive them.
These Scriptures are intended to apply to the inner
kingdom of regenerate believers, which is now called
the Church of Christ. In each case the kingdom
means not merely a community of men with men, but
of men in special relation to God. The congregation
is the congregation of the Lord. (Numbers xvi. 3.) The
Church is the Church of God. (1 Thes. ii. 14.) A king-
dom was more extensive than an ecdesia — the Greek
word translated church. Ecdesia originally meant an
assembly of citizens called together by proper authority
for the transaction of some business pertaining to them.
This assembly pertained to the kingdom, but did not
constitute the kingdom. There were many in the
kingdom who were not in such assemblies ; so there
are many in the outer kingdom of Christ that are
not in the Church of Christ. The outer kingdom was
to be regulated by teaching revealed truth addressed
to the conscience. The inner kingdom was to be regu-
lated by the same truth addressed to a new principle of
feeling and action in the hearts of men, which " makes
the worldly godly, the selfish loving, the cold affection-
ate," the indolent active. And this new principle was
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THE TWO DISTINCT KINGDOMS OF CHRIST.
119
imparted by the Spirit of regeneration. In the outer
kingdom they were taught to interpret the Word of
God by .ight methods and rules, that they may know
the character and will of God. This knowledge is
more excellent than that which is taught in any other
school. " Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man
glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty rnan glory
in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches :
but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he under-
standeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which
exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness,
in the earth : for in these things I delight, saith the
Lord." (Jer. ix. 23, 24.) What was taught was the
laws and promises of the new covenant, and this was
framed in view of the mediatorial sacrifice and inter-
cession which the Great High Priest was in due time
to offer. In the inner kingdom they were taught to
do the will of God " on earth as it is done in heaven."
(Matt. vi. 10.) In the Lord's prayer as given by
Luke the words " Thy kingdom come" are not followed
by " Thy will be done as in heaven so in earth." These
last words are not adopted in the Revised Version, as
they are omitted in the best authorities. From this
omission it has been inferred, as Dr. Candlish says,
that they are simply an explanation of the preceding
words, " Thy kingdom come," and accordingly, that the
object of God's reign is to get His will done on earth as
it is in heaven ; and the people of this kingdom have
immediate relation to God and special access to Him.
" In ancient empires priests and kings were supposed
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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to be the only ones who had immediate relation and
access to God, the only ones who were directly under
God the Supieme Ruler. In those empires we can
find no trace of the people being regarded as standing
in direct relation to the gods, whose will their kings
proclaimed and enforced." {D7\ Gandlish.) But the
Divine King places all the people in immediate relation
to His law, and gives them personal access to Him.
We agree with those who say that we must come to
Christ before we come to His Church. But the Church
is not the only organization which Christ has formed,
nor the first one in which He places us. Before
appointing a church organization for regenerate be-
lievers, He appointed a school organization for disci-
ples, i.e., for pupils, persons put to school to be taught
what Christ commands. Again, we agree with the
position " that the commands of Christ have supreme
authority ; that these commands are revealed in the
Bible, and there only ; that they make demand upon
the individual for personal obedience ; that this obedi-
ence is impossible without intelligent conviction as to
what they require." (Rev. Geo. D. B. Pepper.) But
we hold, also, that persons are first put to school in
order that they may attain the personal conviction
that baptism pertains unto, and initiates into, the outer
preparatory school — not into the inner communion of
the Church. In a word, we have to do not merely
with Christ as the Head of the Church, which He be-
came after His ascension to the right hand of the
Father : we have to do with Him as (1) the Great
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THE TWO DISTINCT KINGDOMS OF CHRIST.
121
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Teacher, p ad (2) King of disciples, which He became
before His ascension.
The Great Teacher began His ministry on earth by
forming a school of disciples and then teaching them.
He afterwards appointed baptism to be the initiatory
rite. But He Himself did not baptize — He taught.
He not merely announced certain truths, He laid open
their meaning — " He expounded " (solved, cTrtAwj) " all
things to His disciples." (Mark iv. 34.) Even after His
resurrection "He expounded" (interpreted thoroughly,
(kepfij^vEvu) " unto them in all the scriptures the things
concerning Himself." (Luke xxiv. 27.) So His sub-
ordinate teachers were not merely to testify, but to
expound. When Paul addressed the Romans in his
own hired house, "he expounded and testified the
kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus,
both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets,
from morning till evening." (Acts xxviii. 23.) When
Peter addressed the Jews respecting what had occurred
at Csesarea, "he expounded it by order unto them."
(Acts xi. 4.) Aquila and Priscilla took Apollos " and
expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly."
(Acts xviii. 26.) They were to teach — not merely to
announce certain truths, but to guide in study, to con-
duct through a course of study in theology. They
required special preparation for this, and hence Christ,
as an important part of His work, selected twelve in-
dividuals and trained them to be(^ me teachers.
It was to this work that His short
to have been specially directed.
ministry seems
Follow Me," said
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
He in first gathering to Him a few disciples, " and I
will make you fishers of men." His last words to
them were, ■'* All power is given unto Me in heaven
and in earth. Go therefore, and make disciples of all
nations." They were to initiate all as pupils into
Christ's school, and thus form a kingdom of disciples ;
and teach them all things that He commands, and thus
establish His reign over the consciences of men. The
commission which Christ gave to Paul shows that the
apostles, too, were to regard teaching as more import-
ant than baptizing. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
tells us that he was sent " not to baptize, but to preach
the Gospel." It was therefore understood by him that
baptizing had a relation to preaching the Gospel, but
a subordinate relation. To initiate a person into a
school is one thing, to teach the initiated is another
and more important thing. Paul had a commission to
do the latter, but not the former. He was specially
commissioned to preach the Gospel, but got no com-
mission to baptize, though not forbidden to do it on
rare occasions.
By giving due attention to this distinction between
Christ's kingdom of disciples and His kingdom of
regenerate believers we are prepared to form a right
view of the " keys " that were given to Peter. It was
the keys of the outer kingdom of disciples that were
given to him. He admitted the first Jews on the day of
Pentecost into the outer kingdom; he admitted into
it the first Gentiles, in the house of Cornelius. He said
to the former, " Repent, and be baptized every one of
THE TWO DISTINCT KINGDOMS OF CHRIST.
123
you." (Acts ii. 38.) And he commandec' the latter " to
be baptized in the name of the Lord." (Acts x. 48.) But
Peter did not get the keys of the inner kii^gdom, which
is called the Church: Christ retains in His own hands
the keys of the inner kingdom. He it is who " hath the
key of David" (as patriarch), "who openeth and no man
shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth." (Isa.
xxii. 22 ; Rev. iii. 7.) It is the Lord who " adds to the
Church daily." (Acts ii. 47.) Hence Christ said, " I
will build My Church," at the very time that He said,
" I will give unto Peter the keys of the kingdom of
disciples." (Matt. xvi. 18, 19.) Great error and injury
have resulted from confounding what Christ meant to
distinguish.
The distinction now spoken of seems to be recog-
nized in the so-called Apostles' Creed. It distinguishes
between the Catholic — i.e., the universal — Church, and
" the communion of saints." For we find these words
are made distinct and differing clauses in the so-called
Apostles' Creed: "I believe in the Holy Catholic
Church ; the communion of saints ; the," etc. It has
been affirmed that in every ancient and venerable
formulary of the faith the clause " the communion of
saints" is separated from the clause " the Holy Catho-
lic Church " by a period, a colon, or a semicolon, and
never by a comma, except as the comma is used to
separate other distinct clauses. It is a separate and
distinct clause in the present E.iglish Prayer Book,
and was so in the American one until 1845, when
an edition published by Harpers, New York, changed
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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the semicolon to a comma, to remove the distinction
between the Catholic Church and the communion of
saints. " This was the first time it was so placed in
any creed of Christendom." (J. P. Lundy, Monumental
Christianity, p. 350-358.) Many have not recognized
the distinction, but apply the word "church" to what is
really the congregation — the outer school. They have
no Church distinct from the congregation. Properly
speaking, they have no Church, no communion of
saints, but only a school of disciples, and hence no
strict ecclesiastical discipline.
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125
CHAPTER VI.
CHRIST ISSUED A ROYAL COMMISSION TO MAKE ALL
NATIONS HIS DISCIPLES. (MATT. XXVIII.) IN THIS
HE ASSOCIATES BAPTIZING WITH TEACHING.
" All great designs must bt condensed into some
brief working forms in order to secure tbe results at
which they aim." {Dr. E. Beecher.) This is done in
the commission before us. It specifies the incorpora-
tion of all nations in one kingdom as the grand aim
that the teachers are to keep in view ; and it points
out baptizing and teaching as the means by which
they were to aid in attaining that end. The English
version of this commission uses two similar words,
" teach " and " teaching," where the Greek Testament
uses different words. The first word 7 fiadnrevaaTe, the
second is 6i6aaKovTeg. Happily, as Dr. Dale observes,
" there is a very general assent as to the translation "
of the former word. Ma6?/Tevo), says Stier, means first,
" I am fiadrjTvg, a disciple, to some one," as in Matt, xxvii.
57 ; and then with a transitive meaning as here, " I
make another a disciple to some one." {v. Acts xiv. 21;
and Matt. xiii. 52.) This meaning is admitted by
Baptists to be the correct one. "It is well known
that the word corresponding to 'teach,' in the first
instance in which it occurs in this passage, signi-
fies to disciple or make scholars." (Carson, Ba'p.,
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
p. 169.) Dr. Conant translates it, " Go ye therefore
and disciple all nations." Wiberg also renders it,
" Going out, make all nations disciples, baptizing them
unto the name of the Father," etc. (Christian Bap.,
p. 33.) Dr. Dale, a Pedo-baptist, observes, "The agree-
ment on this point, so far as translation is concerned,
is now so uniform that nothing need be said upon it."
The proper meaning of this translation, however, will
need to be examined.
It is important to consider in what sense the com-
mand to make disciples would be understood by the
apostles to whom it was immediately given, " because
our Lord would not so speak as to mislead those whom
He was instructing." (Noel.) We fully adopt this
remark, and proceed on this plan. The first observa-
tion which they would make would probably be this,
that the things which the commission referred to were
partly old and partly new. " When sovereigns com-
mand their subjects, or masters their servants, to con-
tinue previously proclaimed and well-known duties,
it is not necessary to enter into full particulars in
stating them ; it is sufficient to employ general terms.
And this is all that is usually done. But if those in
authority wish to forbid what v/as previously com-
manded, or to command some new duty, or new mode
of performing it, they then employ words that will
more fully and precisely specify what is or is not to
be done." They would observe, accordingly, that the
work of making disciples was not new. Their fore-
fathers had beeii accustomed for centuries to make
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127
disciples unto Moses. John, the forerunner of Christ,
made disciples, and Christ during His personal minis-
try made disciples and then taught them. So a king
adopts a child, and then teaches it and trains it to be
fit for its royal destiny ; or enlists soldiers, and then
drills and trains them in the use of the most active,
skilful '\nd united efforts to vanquish every foe.
" Disciple means learner or scholar." (Walden, Bap.
and Com., p. 8.) The word points to instruction
yet to be received. Mr. Stovel admits this, for
after quoting what Clement says, " Let your chil-
v'>en partake of the discipline that is in Christ,"
lie subjoins, " This was the business of a disciple, and
because he had this to learn he was called a disciple."
{V. Thorn, Suh. of Bap., p. 475.) It includes those
who have been only this day placed under a teacher,
as well as those that have been under training for
months or years. Accordingly, we find it applied in
Scripture, as elsewhere, to persons at all stages from
the starting-point to the goal. The evangelists, as we
remarked in a former page, gave the name of disciples
to some followers who had not yet learned the dis-
tinguishing doctrines which Christ taught, and who
would not receive them when He did teach them.
For instance, when the essential doctrine of His sacri-
ficial death for the sin of the world was taught by
Christ, in figurative language that alluded to the
typical paschal lamb (" because the passover v/as nigh,"
John 6. 4), He said : " Except ye eat the flesh of the
Son of Man," etc., " ye have no life in you." (The eat-
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ing of the flesh of the typical paschal lamb represented
the partaking of the benefits resulting from its death;
so the eating the flesh of the Son of Man, who, as our
antitypical Paschal Lamb, was slair for us, denotes
the partaking of the benefits procured for us by His
atoning death.) They replied : " This is a hard say-
ing ; who can hear it ? " " And from that time," says
the inspired historian, " many of His disciples went
back and walked no more with Him." The sin of
those who now deserted Him " was not that they found
it difficult to understand this saying, but that finding
it difficult they had not confidence enough to wait
for light." (Smith's Diet, Art. Jesus Christ, p. 1049.)
Jesus said to them, " There are some of you that be-
lieve not." He thus made it evident that many dis-
ciples — that is, pupils — of the Great Teacher were not
believers in His fundamental doctrines. They had
not even heard them, and would not receive them
when thev did hear them ; and for this reason went
away, resolved to be disciples no longer. Therefore, to
show that persons were made and called disciples does
not prove that these persons had received previous
instruction respecting the distinguishing doctrines of
the Great Teacher. Other disciples did not go away
from Him. Those who remained with Him in due
time became believers, but did not then cease to be
disciples ; they had more to learn, and continued to
hear > His teaching. Hence, from the mere circum-
stance that the words "believer" and "disciple" may
be applied to the same person, it cannot be rightly
CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
129
inferred that the word " disciple " means believer.
For, as Dr. Carson says, " Words may refer to the
same thinof without being synonymous" (p. 396). " My
canon is that in certain situations two words, or even
several words, may, with equal propriety, fill the same
place, though they are essentially different in their
significations " (p. 57). " When words refer to the
same thing they must be consistent in what they ex-
press, but one may express more or less than the
other " (p. 397). In the situations in which they are
interchangeable " the characteristic difference may be
expressed, but is not necessary " (p. 64). " Now, it is
from ignorance of this principle that lexicographers
have given meanings to words which they do not
possess, and have thereby laid a foundation for evasive
criticism on controverted subjects, with respect to
almost all questions " (p. 57). He sayvS, " I might
illustrate my doctrine by the various names which are
given to the followers of Christ. They are called
Christians, disciples, believers, saints, etc. Are these
words identical in meaning ? Does not each of these
names designate the persons in a different manner ? "
(p. 433). Certainly, and what the term " disciple "
designates in Scripture is that the person is under the
authority of the teacher, that he may begin or may
continue to learn what the teacher engages to com-
municate. In any other school than that of Christ
a person may be advanced far enough to cease to be
a disciple, and may even become more eminent than
his teacher ; but in Christ's school this can never be.
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Here we must be disciples through life, for no disciple
can become equal in knowledge to the Great Teacher.
In short, " What constitutes a disciple is not what he
has already learned, but what he has to learn. The
most advanced and the least advanced are equally
disciples, provided they are at school. One is not a
disciple when he thiqks that he has nothing to learn,
or when he imagines that he has learned all." (Felix
Bovet, Ph.D.) The need of teaching, a teachable spirit,
and a listening ear, are the chief qualifications for
discipleship.
That the word " disciple " is not synonymous with
"evangelical believer" is evident also from the fact,
already stated, that John's followers were called " dis-
ciples," yet manifestly they were not evangelical be-
lievers. If all whom John baptized, namely, "Jeru-
salem, and all Judea, and all the region round about
Jordan," were true believers, they were all savingly
converted before Christ commenced His ministry. But
Christ did not think so. He knew that this was not
the case, for His first proclamation to them was, " Re-
pent ye, and believe the Gospel."
A full unfolding and exhibition of the doctrines of
the Gospel was not necessary in order to make dis-
ciples, for it was not in a perfected and demonstrated
system of doctrines, but in a perfect Teacher, that they
were to repose their faith. " This is the work of God,
that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." (John
vi. 29.) "I am the light of the world: he th&t followeth
Me shall not \yalk in darkness, but shall have the light
CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
131
of life." (John viii. 12.) " I am the bread of life: he that
cometh to Me shall never hunger ; and he that helieveth
on Me shall never thirst." (John vi. 35.) " If ye con-
tinue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed ;
and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free." (John viii. 31,32 ; Briggs.) Their Hrst duty
was to believe in the Teacher and in His present teach-
ing, and in due time they would know all the doctrines
which He taught. The doctrines of the Gospel are
based on its facts, especially on the facts of our Lord's
death and resurrection ; the doctrines that pertain to
these could not have been taught with perfect explicit-
ness before the facts themselves had transpired, and,
therefore, not during Christ's personal ministry. " In-
timations of them, however, had been given by Him
in the forms principally of metaphor, parable, and
contrast."
Some reverse this order. Instead of baptizing and
teaching for life, they teach for a few days or months,
and then baptize. Baptism is used as a certificate.
Thus the disciple's education is finished. As if it had
been said, " Make Rabbis of men because you have
taught them." This theory sadly checks the great
work of education, and counteracts the very design of
baptif^m. To this reversal of the proper order we may
doubtless, in very many cases, attribute the low at-
tainments in Christian knowledge, the low manifesta-
tion of Christian enterprise and efficiency.
As already stated, the first thing which Jesus did
was to form a royal school or kingdom of disciples,
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
which, as it increases, may be organized into families,
Sabbath-schools, and congregations. It was intended
to embrace all who are capable of receiving instruction,
even though they should eventually fail to become
influenced by it. This is the kingdom which is said
to be like unto a net which gathered of every kind,
both good and bad (Matt. xiii. 31-50) ; and like unto a
field in which tares are mingled with the wheat, and
are not to be separated until the harvest day. The
outer kingdom of disciples is, as already observed, dis-
tinct from the inner kinfjdom of evangelical believers.
It is most important to perceive this distinction, and
to understand and keep in remembrance that the outer
kingdom of disciples is the one to which the great
commission, and consequently baptism, has special
reference. Baptism admits into this, and, as Matthew
Henry observes, it " admits not into the internal com-
munion."
Having at this point distinguished things that differ,
we can see the way into the wonderful fulness of
meaning which is contained in the very important
words which Christ employed on this occasion ; and
can keep clear of the dangerous errors into which
others have fallen.
The warrant for putting persons to school is found
in their relation to the atonement. By the atonement,
as Mr. Wesley remarked, " God is so far reconciled to
all the world that He hath given them a new covenant :
the plain condition whereof being once fulfilled, there
is no more condemnation for us ; but we are justified
Christ's royal commission.
133
freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus." By placing them in this new and
gracious relation it has set them apart to be educated
respecting the terms and conditions of this new
covenant. In this respect " we are sanctified " (that
is, set apart) "through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all." (Heb. x. 10.) In another text, also,
the atoning blood of Jesus is called " the blood of the
covenant by which we were sanctified." Sanctification
by the atonement is diflferent from sanctification by
the Divine Spirit. Sanctification by the atonement
sets persons apart to be instructed in reference to the
promises of the covenant, and to get its laws written
in their minds. This part may be effected by human
teachers, aided by the baptism of the Divine Spirit.
The sanctification which is by the Spirit is necessary
to write the law in the heart, and to incline them to
obey it. In this manner the atonement has opened the
way for persons to get initiated into the new covenant
school of disciples, that they may learn what the will
of God is, and how to obtain grace to obey it.
A command to put under instruction presupposes
teachableness in reference to the things that are to be
taught. It will apply, therefore, (1) to all penitent
adults, and (2) to all infants who are not idiots, i.e.,
absolutely unteachable.
1. It will apply to penitent adults. Adults, being
directly responsible to God, are required to learn the
truth as it is in Jesus ; but in reference to this they
are not properly teachable until they penitently ask,
134
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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"Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" Hence the
Apostle Peter, when addressing adults on the day of
Pentecost, said, " Repent, and be baptized every one of
you in the name of Jesus." Repentance brings an
adult back to the teachableness of a child. Christ ac-
cordingly said, " Except ye repent " (the Greek words
used here literally mean, " Except ye turn hack ")
" and become as little children " (i.e., except ye turn
back to the teachableness of a child), " ye shall in no
case enter into the kinofdom," etc. Christ wishes those
who enter the kingdom of disciples to enter as little
children, willing to receive instruction, willing to
accept facts on the authority of a teacher, before they
can understand the philosophy of those facts ; willing '
to act from knowledge sufficient for present duty,
however limited it may be in other respects. " To throw
off old prejudices, and come with hearts willing to
receive knowledge and understandings open to convic-
tion, is the condition of instruction," says Sir W.
Hamilton. This is especially true in religious matters.
Men in relation to the Lord Jesus are like children in
relation to the human teachers, and must receive upon
the authority of the Great Teacher many things which
cannot at present be comprehended philosophically.
Adults who are not penitent have no desire to learn
what Christ has commanded them to know and to do.
Impenitents are not willing to be taught, and are
therefore not willing to be made disciples. Such are
not to be forced to submit to instruction. But peni-
tent adults are teachable, and teachable adults are
CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
135
eligible, and are therefore to be discipled when they
yield to exhortation.
A penitent may believe that Christ is the Great
Teacher before exercising savincr faith in Him as the
mediating High Priest. Belief that Christ is a Teacher
is wholly distinct from faith in the essential doctrines
which He teaches and in the offers of salvation which
He makes. Nicodemus, for instance, believed that
Christ was " a Teacher come from God," but would
not believe His teaching respecting the new birth. To
this he disapprovingly asked, " How can these things
be ? " Some adults have repented and exercised saving
faith, and have obtained regenerating grace ; but as
they are still teachable, and still in need of instruction,
they have the qualifications for baptism.
2. As the command to disciple all nations applies to all
that are teachable in reference to what is to be taught
them, it applies to all infants also. A command to put
under instruction supposes teachableness. But all chil-
dren are naturally teachable in some degree in reference
to what they should learn from their first teachers.
" Education begins with life. Nature does not study^
in this particular, parental convenience ; knows noth-
ing of accommodating delays, nor of formal begin-
nings. The child is born " teachable, " and receives its
first lessons with its first breath." (J. Harris, D.D.,
Patriarchy y p. 228.) " Education for good or for evil
begins in the cradle. This is plain to every one who
has watched with any discernment the wide-eyed gaze
of the infant, the open-mouthed listening to every
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
sound ; the fingering of everything it can lay hold
of ; but especially the sympathetic attention to the
features and the tones of a mother's love or anger.
Here are the first steps in the series which ends in
ability to compose symphonies, to form systems of
philosophy, and theology, etc." (The Educator). " The
bias which shapes our earthly and eternal destinies is
usually received in early childhood." (Br. Olin). " The
activity of the faculties, from the very first, being
spontaneous and inevitable, education can no more
be suspended than life. The question, therefore, is
whether we shall supply, in due variety, the materials
on which they may exercise themselves ; and to the
question so put none but an afiirmative answer can be
given." (The Educator ; v. Thorn, Suh. of Bap., p. 139.)
Reason and affection agree with Scripture in this
reply.
The apostles would naturally expect that a discip-
ling commission would apply to infants as well as to
adults. They knew that their Jewish forefathers had
been accustomed through many centuries to disciple
infant children as well as grown persons. Not only
so, they knew that the former were initiated much
more frequently than the latter. Consequently they
would necessarily understand that a commission to
make disciples would include children. They would
inevitably understand this if children were not ex-
pressly excepted. Christ knew that this must be so,
and yet made no exception in their case.
It is a general principle that "novelty gives occa-
CHRISTS ROYAL COMMISSION.
137
sion to express mention and historical narration." As
they were now to make disciples of all nations, instead
of merely one nation as formerly, this difference is
plainly stated. If children were to be no longer dis-
cipled, there would have arisen a novelty calling for
special exception and historical notice ; but no such
exception is made, either in the commission or
in the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles, or in
the Epistles written by them. We are not here
building infant discipleship on ^he mere absence of
a prohibition. " Mere silence, abstractly considered,
furnishes no argument, either pro or con, on any ques-
tion. It is the peculiar posture of circumstances in
which silence occurs that lends it whatever meaning
it may possess ; and these circumstances may lend to
silence a positive or a negative signification." (Hihhard
on Bap., p. 78.) We may say of infant discipleship
what Curtis concedes with respect to infant baptism :
" The silence of Scripture respecting it must be allowed
to prove that it was either universal or unknown;
either a Divine command perfectly understood and
obeyed, or not a command at all." {Prog, of Bap.
Principles, p. 102.) This states the matter fairly.
But we have shown that it is only the former alterna-
tive that accounts for the silence in this case. Observe,
we do not say that what is not prohibited should be
admitted and practised ; what we do say is that what
has for centuries been done in obedience to Divine
command should not be omitted and set aside, un-
less excluded by some authoritative precept, caution,
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
or example. But there is none in all the length and
breadth of the inspired volume.
If a case " involving the rights of our infants and
minors and their legal status " came before a court of
law, would it be right for one party to plead that they
have now no rights under our present government,
because we are now under a new political dispensation,
and at the time of the Confederation of the Provinces
there was no direct and positive legislation for the
benefit of the class concerned ? No ! The forcible reply
would be, " If there has been no act of repeal, the old
statute law remains in full force under the new regime^
(Rev. J. Lathern, Baptisnia, p. 91).
We point to the ancient Divine ^aw, which un-
doubtedly includes infants among disciples. Who can
point to a Divine act of amendment or of repeal to
exclude them ? Until an act abolishing infant dis-
cipleship can be found, it must be regarded as an
institution of Divine appointment which cannot be
opposed without touching the throne of God.
The parents of that day would have said, " The dis-
cipling of infants has been for centuries a Jewish
custom, kept up in obedience to Divine command. It
has been thus observed throughout the Patriarchal and
Mosaic dispensations ; it therefore cannot be set aside
without express Divine prohibition. Unless it can be
shown that the authority which so long admitted
children now excludes them, we must admit them
still." And as laws never lose their authority by mere
lapse of time, but continue binding till repealed by
CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
139
competent authority, we must conclude with Thorn
that, " Whatever we find in the Old Testament, not
manifestly abolished by the express or implied com-
mand of Christ, or of His apostles ; nor evidently con-
summated and terminated by Christ when He as-
cended to glory; nor become impracticable through the
changes of place and the alteration of human circum-
stances, is still in full force." (Suh. of Bap., p. 551.)
Such a conclusion would be drawn by any Jew, but
more readily and strongly by those Jews who had
learned the great interest which the Author of the
commission took in little children, and the great dis-
pleasure with which He rebuked adult disciples be-
cause they tried to prevent little children from coming
to Him for His blessing. (See Chapter XVII.)
The Lord Jesus might have put into the commission
the words " proselyte all nations," instead of the words
"disciple them." The words have substantially the
same meaning. The word " disciple " was applied to a
Jew who was placed under a Jewish teacher ; the word
" proselyte " was employed when a Gentile was placed
under a Jewish teacher ; so that the essential idea in
both is the same. But as the former word had been
in higher esteem, it was selected to designate the
pupils who should come from aP. nations to Christ.
Suppose, then, Christ had said, " Go, proselyte all na-
tions to Me," would they not understand that both
adults and infants were to be put under instruction ?
They knew what it was to proselyte a nation. Accord-
ing to Josephus (Ant. Bk. XIII, chap, ix., sec. 1), "the
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140
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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nation of Iclumea v/as wholly proselyted by them, and
those of them who we're Pharisees still compassed sea
and land to make proselytes." (Matt, xxiii. 15.) On these
occasions it is admitted that they proselyted infants
as well as adults : therefore, if they had been com-
manded to proselyte all nations to Christ, they would
certainly have included infants if not expressly ordered
to do differently. Now, the command to disciple all
nations, being substantially the same, would be inter-
preted in accordance with their method of proselyting
Gentiles, even if they had never been accustomed to
disciple Jewish adults and infants. This argument, be
it observed, depends on the admitted fact that they
made proselytes, but has no connection with the dis-
puted question whether those proselytes were or were
not baptized before the Christian era.
Infants unquestionably form part of the "all na-
tions " who were to be discipled. Persons can easily
imagine that there might have been no little children
in the family of Lydia, or of the jailer at Philippi, or
of the other families which were discipled as such.
But it is impossible to all except the insane to im '"-^
that there were, and would be, no little ones '^ j.e
families in all nations during the successiv j that
the commission was to remain in force. As children
are undoubtedly included in the terms of the commis-
sion, and are not excluded by its nature, they should
therefore be made disciples ; they should be initiated
at once into Christ's school, and taught from the
earliest dawn of intelligence.
CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
141
All children in all nations should be made disciples.
Hence all parents, and not merely Christian ones, are
under obligation to comply with the connnand, and lo
help to give right religious training. Wherever the
parental relation exists, there exists also the obligation
to discharge its duties aright. To suppose that some
parents are released from this obligation because they
neglected to fit themselves for its duties, is to assume
that voluntary unfitness for duty frees from obligation;
and that men are at liberty to postpone duty until
they choose to acquire a fitness. But, on this princi-
ple, it would be in man's power to make void every
command of God. It is therefore evidently a fear-
fully erroneous one. The obligation to bring up
children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord
does not arise from the parents' voluntary consent to
assume the responsibility, nor from a promise expressly
or impliedly made by them. It arises from the law of
God ; and that law is binding, irrespective of our
promise. It is as binding on those who do not pro-
mise as on those who do promise.
The institution has a new end in view. It was not
into Moses' school, nor into that of John; it was
into Christ's school. " Make them disciples to Me" is
obviously Christ's meaning. A new dispensation com-
menced with the personal teaching of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Luke presents his Gospel as a " treatise of all
that Jesus began both to do and teach." (Acts i. 1.)
Peter, after the great day of Pentecost, tells us that the
word which he preached "began from Galilee after the
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142
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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baptism which John preached." (Acts x. 37.) And
when addressin<:f the rest of the apostles at the time
they met to select a person to fill the place of Judas,
he said the selection must be made from among those
persons who "companied with them all the time that
^he Lord Jesus went in and out among them, begin-
ning from the baptism of John" (i.e.y from the day
that Jesus received baptism from John, for it was
immediately after His baptism that Hj was anointed
with the Holy Ghost for His official work), "unto
that same day that He was taken up " into heaven.
(Acts i. 22.)
Now, since a new dispensation of the kingdom of
God commenced with the personal ministry of Christ
Himself, it clearly appears that the baptism which the
twelve disciples administered under His authority dif-
fered from that by John. John's baptism made persons
the disciples — i.e., the pupils — of John. So the baptism
administered by the authority of Christ, whether
during His personal ministry or under the great com-
mission, initiated persons into the school of Christ.
This point of difference, accordingly, is expressly men-
tioned. They are to make disciples to Christ, who
issued the commission to make them. The New Tes-
tament speaks of disciples of Moses, of the Phari-
sees, and of John ; but to refer the discipleship here
spoken of to any of these is out of all question. The
only other disciples spoken of are disciples of the
Lord Jesus. These are the ones referred to. As Mr.
Wesley observed, Christ obviously meant "disciple
CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
143
them to Me." Christ was to be their authoritative
teacher.
Some have rightly perceived thfit the narrative in
the Acts speaks of " baptizing and teaching ; but they
erronously regard baptism as an obligation to hear,
not the Lord Jesus Christ, but the subordinate human
teacher, and to place implicit reliance in him as in-
fallible, and to reverence him as a superior to whose
authority the baptized are obliged to bow." (Wiseman's
Lectures on the Doctrines and Practices of the Catholic
Church.) Some imagine they are to be discipled to the
Church. They say baptism introduces into the Church,
and makes the baptized subject to the Church, where-
soever they are, and liable to be compelled to remain
in the Church and to retain its dogmas. But they err ;
this is not the design of baptism. They are to be
discipled to Christ — not unto Paul, or Peter, or Apollos,
but unto Christ. He said to other teachers, " Neither
be ye called masters," (Kadj/vrjTai, authoritative teachers),
" for One is your Master " (authoritative Teacher)?
" even Christ." Uninspired men are not infallible or
authoritative teachers, hence their interpretation of
what is to be taught must be tested by searching the
Scriptures to see whether these things are so. Christ
(lid not say to these teachers, "Go, rule in My kingdom,"
but, " Go, teach what I command." Baptism places
disciples under an obligation to hear Christ and those
who teach what Christ commands ; it places under no
obligation to hear those who teach otherwise, much
less to receive their words implicitly. The man who
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144
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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makes disciples by a ritual act does not impose on
them an obligation to hear him, if he does not bring
the Divinely given form of doctrine and of duty. A
disciple may leave one denomination for the purpose
of attending another that teaches the way of the Lord
more perfectly, without violating any obligation. Dis-
cipleship to Christ does not place the conscience under
the dominion of any minister or any denomination,
but solely under the authority of Christ ; and Christ
appointed that His commands should be perpetuated,
not by tradition, but by Holy Scripture. The Bible
is therefore the highest visible authority on earth.
To this all who have come to years of accountability
can appeal from the teachings of ministers and con-
ferences, or the decisions of kings and parliaments.
His disciples are required to " receive nothing as an
article of faith which is not contained in the Bible ;
do nothing as a part of Divine worship not com-
manded by it; but, on the other hand, must reject
nothing, and leave undone nothing, that in it has been
Divinely enjoined."
Baptism implies an obligation to hear and obey what
Christ teaches and commands. A rational creature
may be placed, at the commencement of its career,
under obligation to seek to attain the noble and
benevolent end proposed by its Maker. Even human
guardians appointed by a father's will, or by the courts
of law, are " allowed to act for the benefit of a child
who has not as yet understanding sufficient to act for
himself," " and all their acts (if legally performed) bind
CHRISTS ROYAL COMMISSION.
145
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the infant." An oblicfation for our benefit may be
validly imposed on infants by a Divine Being, though
an obligation to their injury may not be imposed by
a fellow-creature. The law of the great commission
places them under obligation to learn what Christ
commands — not to receive a man-made creed. If it
required the latter it might be advisable to postpone
placing children under obligation until they were able
to consult and consent for themselves. But it merely
places under obligation to hear Christ and those who
teach what He commanded them to teach. In such a
case no delay, no deliberation, could lead them to a
wiser or better position. If, when able to judge of
such matters, they find that subordinate teachers who
baptized them do not teach what Christ commanded
theui, they find also that they are, for this very reason,
under no obligation to hear such ; that, on the other
hand, they are under obligation to hear others who do
teach as Christ conmianded.
Teachers stand in the highest and best place that
God has ordained to man ; but they do not stand in
tiie place of God. Hence they should in no case say
to a disciple : " You must never call in question the
truthfulness or authority of what I teach." They
should, on the other hand, say : " When you come to
years of personal accountability for your opinions, you
must search for yourself whethei' these things are so,
and receive or reject me on your own responsibility."
To initiate teachable persons into the Royal school of
Christ, and to place them under obligation to hear and
10
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146
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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obey Him, is the design of baptism ; and those who
understand this must regard it as an unspeakably im-
portant ordinance. It is regarded as unimportant only
when it is grievously misunderstood. Baptism was
appointed to be the rite of initiation into Christ's
school. Special mention is made of baptism in the
commission, and afterwards in the record of the acts
performed under it. It is recorded that persons were
" baptized into the name of Christ " (Acts viii. 12, 16) —
that they were " baptized into Christ Jesus." To admit
the pupils of a religious school by some visible cere-
mony involved a principle which is adapted to man
under every dispensation. This principle would be
* expected to continue if not abolished by a " rescinding
act of the law-making power, or by a fulfilment of the
specified ends for which it was enacted — the only two
ways in which laws may constitutionally pass into dis-
use." (Hibbard, p. 70.) Divine authority has perpetu-
ated this principle of initiation by an ordinance.
It was not necessary to specify that baptism implied
the use of water, because John had made disciples by
" baptizing with water," and this was well known
throughout ''Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the
region round about Jordan." (Matt. iii. 5.) We after-
wards find that when acting under the great commis-
sion the apostle Peter said : " Can any man forbid
water that these " (uncircumcised but teachable per-
sons in the house of Cornelius) " should not be bap-
tized ?" (Acts X. 47.) It was not necessary that water
should be expressly mentioned in the commission ; to
mk
CHRISTS ROYAL COMMISSION.
147
who
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ion; to
mention it without necessity might have seemed a
warrant for giving it undue prominence. It was per-
haps for this reason that its use was not at any time
made a matter of " formal and public announcement."
{Prof. Pepper.)
An illustration to the following effect has been used
by one writer : — A farmer purcliased a large flock of
sheep, and expressly ordered his shepherd to mark both
old and young with a bloody sign ; and mentioned par-
ticularly that this sign was to be put on the lambs as
soon as they were eight days old. The shepherd did
so, and continued to observe this plan unvaryingly for
many years. He was then sent to a new country to
get another flock, and .vas told to mark them with
paint. Now, the question is, would not that shepherd
understand this order as commanding him to bring
the lambs as well as the sheep, and to mark the lambs
as well as the sheep ? Certainly he would. Both are
included in the word " flock." And he would naturally
conclude that no change was intended by his master
beyond what was expressly ordered. But suppose he
was so attentive to the letter of his instructions as to
say, " The use of the bloody sign may possibly be
superseded by the paint ; but as I am not expressly
forbidden to use it, I'll continue to use it. I will mark
them with blood and with paint also." In this case
would he not do with the paint as he had done with
the blood ? Would he not put it on the lambs as well
as on the sheep ? Of course he would. Further, if
the farmer knew that his shepherd would thus under-
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148
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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stand such directions, would he not intend that he
should do so ? This illustration is a fair one : it bears
a strict analogy to the point it is intended to illus-
trate. It would, of course, be easy for an opponent to
ifnagine a case which bore no analogy, and which, for
that reason, would seem to require the exclusion of
what was not expressly mentioned ; but any illustra-
tion would be unfair which would assume that the
Jews had never been commanded, and had never been
accustomed, to make infants disciples.
Suppose the great commission had been so worded
as to make no change of the initiatory rite, but had
run in these terms : " Go, make all nations disciples,
circumcising them in the name of the Father," etc.,
would not the apostles necessarily conclude that infants
were to be still discipled ? Certainly they would.
How then could they be excluded by mentioning
another rite equally applicable to them ? It is import-
ant to observe that even the apostles were unwilling
to make changes in a discipling ordinance. Circum-
cision was the discipling rite of the old dispensation.
This appears clearly in Paul's language : " What profit
is there of circumcision ? Much every way : chiefly,
because that unto them were committed the oracles of
God." (Rom. iii. 1, 2.) Divine revelation was entrusted
to them that they might learn it, obey it, and perpetu-
ate it. The command to make disciples by baptizing
them superseded the old command to use circumcision
as the discipling rite, and yet because circumcision
was not expressly repealed they were unwilling to
CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
149
discontinue it. They assumed that it was to be per-
petually observed. Their opinion accordingly was
that all nations were to be discipled to Moses by cir-
cumcision before they could be discipled to Christ by
baptism — that Gentiles must go through Judaism to
reach Christianity. Six or seven years after the com-
mission was given we find that even Peter was of this
opinion. He would not make the Gentile Cornelius a
disciple of Christ because he was " one uncircumcised."
Special miracle and special revelation were needed to
set aside his opinion that the rite of circumcision
ought to be continued because not expressly repealed.
And special miracle and revelation were used for this
purpose when Peter was sent to the uncircumcised
Cornelius. (Acts x.) This fact shows the unwilling-
ness of the apostles to make changes that were not
expressly specified, even when they were obviously
implied. Much more would they shrink from making
changes where change was not at all implied. Those
who were so averse to change the old form of the
initiatory ordinance without an express rescinding act
of the Lawgiver, would, of course, be more averse to
making changes on a more vital point, namely, the
proper subjects to be discipled. They would not reject
children unless they were expressly excepted. Even
if their rejection were implied, they would not act on
a mere implication. As children had been for several
centuries initiated as disciples into a Divinely approved
school, and as in the days of the apostles they were
not excepted, either expr«.ssly or by implication, from
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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the renewed command to make disciples, there is no
need of any other kind of proof to authorize their
continued admission.
Yet some undertake to dictate the kind of proof
that God should give in this case. They demand an
express statement that children were still included.
They even name the words which should be used to
convey it. But to dictate the kind of proof that God
should i>ive in any case is to imitate Satan when he
undertook to prescribe to Jesus what signs and evi-
dences would be a proper proof of Divine Sonship :
"If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down from
this pinnacle," etc. The Jevvs at one time imitated
the Satanic procedure ; but Jesus said, " It is an evil
and adulterous generation which seeketh after a sign "
— that is, a sign of their own selection, a sign different
from those which the wisdom of God deemed it best
to give, and had given.
The only conclusion is, that as circumcision under
the old dispensation, so baptism under the present one,
gives " evidence of God's care and concern for the little
ones, and cannot but produce salutary impression upon
the minds of devout and thoughtful parents." (Lathern,
Baj)ti8ma, p. 122.)
The baptizing or initiating act was to be followed
by teaching. They were to make them disciples by
initiating and teaching them. They were not com-
missioned to make them Rabbis or Doctors of Divinity
after having finished their education. In Christ's
school education is never finished in this world. There
Christ's royal commission.
151
are progressive lessons for all the days of our life.
The word "disciple" is in Scripture applied to those who
have been initiated before they have professed, or even
learned, the peculiar doctrines which Christ taught.
When Christ commenced to teach these, some said,
" This is an hard saying ; who can hear it ? ' " From
that time many of His disciples went back, and walked
no more with Him." (John v-i. 60, QQ-) They not only
had not received His characteristic doctrines, they
would not accept them even when presented by Him-
self. Yet they are called disciples, because the word
"disciple" means one who has been put to school to be
taught. Others had learned many things, but being
still under instruction were still called disciples. Hence
we are told that "Jesus taught His disciples." The
apostles also taught those that had been baptized.
The three thousand persons who were baptized on
the day of Pentecost were afterwards taught, for we are
told that they " continued steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine," or rather, attended constantly to the teaching
of the apostles (Hcav
p. 20, 21.) " Use your authority for God, and He will
support it."
Some unwisely shrink from the duty of teaching
children. " The mother of President Olin, a pious
member of the Baptist Church, believed that children
ought not to be religiously influenced. She did not
even teach them to repeat the Lord's Prayer." (Lath-
ern, Baptisma, p. 123.) Others, too, have thought that
religious education should not be commenced in child-
hood, because children are ready to receive as truth
any opinions that happen to be taught by a parent or
teacher ; and what they then receive penetrates so
d reply, and becomes so intertwined with the strong
associations of home, that it is found exceedingly dif-
160
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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ficulfc to shake them off, no matter how erroneous or
injurious they may be. But it should be considered,
on the other hand, that if wrong religious instruction
prejudices the mind against right instruction, so does
the neglect of religious teaching prejudice against all
religious knowledge. "Parents must, for a time, judge
for their children, and should therefore feel that they
are under the most sacred obligation to qualify them-
selves to train them up aright. The aim of parental
education should be the development of a free crea-
ture. The sole thought of parents, the end of their
cares for so many years, is that their child may at
last be able to do without them — a free and strong
man, able, when the occasion calls, to detach him-
self and be his own support." (Michelet, Jesuits and
Jesuitism, p. 12.) It should not be such training as is
given by the Jesuits. Beginning with a child before
he is of age to defend himself, " they aim to make him
act, not as a free agent, but as ^n instrument of theirs,
guided, even in his most trivial doings, by spiritual
directors." They afterwards give them "a set of edu-
cational works, which show them the world in a false
point of view, . . . that they may be forever im-
prisoned, walled in, as it were, in falsehood." They
unite them for action in ref ^ence to one end, but keep
them disunited in heart by employing the spy system,
which creates mutual distrust by the fear of mutual
betrayals. On the contrary, the aim of education
ought to be to teach the young in due time to assume
personal responsibility, to think, to decide, to act for
CBRISTS ROYAL COMMISSION.
161
oneself ; to be a man with men, while humbly obedi-
ent to God. Such education should be wisely directed
and assisted. Those confiding minds should be solemnly
placed under interested and responsible teachers. Rea-
son and affection say so, and so says Christ. He
appointed that they be initiated into His training
school, to be trained as He commands. He regards
teaching as the greatest work which man can do ou
earth.
When the age of accountability to God has come,
no change takes place in their relation to this school.
There is only a change in the lessons that are to be
given. They were first taught obedience to parents,
and may get grace to do it acceptably. They should
next " be brought up in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord." But as human hearts, while unchanged,
feel and show disinclination to His service so soon as
they understand it, they should be " pointed to the
remedy as soon as they manifest the disease," and be
taught how they may come to exercise " repentance
toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." In
short, they should be taught the way of salvation and
the duties of the saved. So when they are converted
and become connected with the Church, they still be-
long to the school of disciples. They continue through
life to be learners.
" Education has twcr great ends to which everything
else must be subordinated. The one of these is to
increase knowledge, the other is to develop the love of
right and the hatred of wrong." (Huxley, Lay Ser-
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
mons, pp. 70, 77.) To promote this second end is
the direct work of Christ's school. It gives moral and
religious education, and thus supplies the defect of
teachers in ancient times. " We learn," says Plutarch,
" to play on musical instruments, and to dance, and to
read, and to farm, and to ride. . . . We are taught
to do all these things, which, without some instruc-
tion, we cannot do well. . . . But to live a good and
happy life remains untaught, is without the direction
of reason and art, and is left altogether to chance."
(Quoted by J. Harris, Patrmrchs, p. 234.)
The Great Teacher, however, does not will that this
all-important part of education should be learned by
chance, or not at all. He has not left it optional. He
has appointed a Royal school, in which He comman s
that it be taught. " The true progress of mankind
depends on the cultivation of the moral and religious
portion of our nature." " Without moral improvement
we need not look for amendment of political institu-
tions." " Men must have virtue enough to desire good
institutions before they will exert themselves to attain
them. Such amendments are the effect, not the cause,
of the moral progress of the governed." " It is in vain
to seek in political institutions, or intellectual cultiva-
tion, the moral regeneration of the world."
Christ's proposal is to train the man ; not a part of
the man, but the whole man. "-To do this the whole
truth must be employed, and not a part of it ; the
doctrine as well as the precept, and the precept as
well as the doctrine ; and one doctrine as well as
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163
another, and one precept as well as another. One
truth, however important it may be, is only a link in
the chain, and hence if only a few links are used, the
influence on character is partial, instead of being uni-
versal. Not only should all truths be used, but all
should be put in their relative positions of promin?ncy
or subordination. If not, the influence will be dispro-
portional, and the result cannot be symmetrical." (Rev.
E. Manning.)
In a word, the Lord Jesus, by this commission, places
parents under obligation to have their children initiated
by baptism, and to see that they are regular attend-
ants as they pass successively all the grades of the
Royal school ; and it makes it binding on parents to
inquire whether the teachers are qualified to teach
what Christ commanded. Parents are placed under
personal responsibility in this matter. They " cannot
yield to any society or government, whether general
or municipal, the right and responsibility of saying
what shall be the kind of early training their children
shall receive, and what the mental and moral character
of the man or woman to whose moulding influence the
plastic souls of their loved ones shall be committed."
{Prof. Wells.) " Nor does He leave parents at liberty,
at a farther stage, to send their children to any insti-
tutions of learning whatever ; but only to those which
are not merely intellectually clear and stimulating,
but also morally pure and thoroughly pervaded with
sound and healthy religious influence." Not only so,
the Bible should be the great text-book. " The Bible
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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alone, of all books in the world, addresses itself to the
whole man. It exercises his memory, strengthens his
reason, controls his passions, informs his judgment,
regulates his conscience, sanctifies his will, enlivens
his fancy, warms his imagination, cherishes his affec-
tions, stimulates his practice, quickens his hope, and
animates his faith." (Dr. Woodsworth.)
Intellectual by no means involves moral progress ;
this we see in nations. Intellectual by no means in-
volves moral superiority ; this we see, alas ! in gifted
individuals — "in Bacon's sordid avarice, in Byron's
grovelling sensuality." Intellect cannot produce moral
sentiments. It can, indeed, " give dignity and vigour
to them where they do exist," but it can equally " lend
energy to bad passions."
" As Christianity is the only true religion, and God
in Christ the only true God, the most important edu-
cation is ' the nurture and admonition of the Lord.'
The whole process of instruction and discipline must
be that which He prescribes, and which He administers,
so that His authority should be brought into constant
and immediate contact with the mind, heart and con-
science of the child. It will not do for the parent or
teacher to present himself as the ultimate end, the
source of knowledge, and possessor of authority to
determine truth and duty : this would be to give his
child a mere human development. Nor will it do for
him to urge and communicate everything on the ab-
stract ground of reason ; for that would be to merge
his child in nature. It is only by w iking God in
CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
165
Christ the Teacher and Ruler, on whose authority
everything is to be believed, and in obedience to whose
will everything is to be done, that the ends of educa-
tion can possibly be attained." (Hodge in Lange on
Eph. vi. 1-4.)
" That infants should be baptized, and then be left
by ministers and churches in a situation undistinguish-
able from that of other children, appears to me irrecon-
cilable with any scriptural views of the nature and
importance of this sacrament." (Dwight.) " All bap-
tized children should be viewed as claiming the special
oversight, attention and care of the adult members of
Christian churches, and of all ministers of the gospel.
If parents knew beforehand that such would be the
consequence of having their children baptized by us,
it would prevent many from neglecting the ordinance.
Yet so feeble has been the sense of special accounta-
bility to train up the children that — startling thought !
— there is much reason to doubt whether the Church
has not lost more from her own fold through neefli-
gence than she has gained from the world through
diligence." (Breckenridge.) No man can estimate the
consequences of neglecting to train even a single child.
From that one case children, and children's children
to the remotest generation, may be led into fearful
and fatal errors. On the other hand, on the right
training of one child may depend the conversion of
thousands, and then of myriads more through their
influence.
It is wrong to suppose that the depravity which is
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natural to man should be allowed time to come to full
strength and activity that it may be overcome in after
life by a revolutionary struggle. " In a recent discus-
sion about Church schools in the Protestant Episcopal
Convention in Maryland, the Rev. Dr. Schenck made
a vigorous speech, in which he recited a fact which is
instructive in more ways than one. He said that the
Bishop of Minnesota, whose fame was known through
the whole c: alized world for his labours in behalf of
the poor Indians, had told him an anecdote concerning
this business of education. The Bishop, with a Romish
priest and several ministers of the Protestant denomi-
nation, was on a long journey to the frontier, all being
commissioners to inspect certain grounds that were to
be assigned to the Indians. Being shut up in one
coach for many days, the angles gradually wore oiF,
they became very amiable, and at last frankly com-
municative in regard to their spiritual work and prin-
ciples of action. Finally, one day, the Romish priest
broke out : ' How utterly silly are all you Protestants !
You give up all the children until they have grown
up possessed of the devil ; then you go at the work of
reclaiming them with horse, foot and dragoons, and
find that the grown-up devil is too much for you !
We know the great difficulty of doing anything with
adults, and devote nearly all our energy to the chil-
dren, well knowing that eveyy child is as plastic clay
in our hands." (Chr. Intell.)
The Lord Jesus fully understood the importance of
early instruction, and hence He ordered the continuance
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167
of that consecration of families which had existed from
Abraham's time. By family baptism He imposed the
Divinely appointed duty and established the Divinely
conferred ri^ht of the parent to "train up the child
in the way he should go." " The responsibility of giv-
i»ig these instructions and persuasions must, in the first
1 chief degree, de^4olve on parents ; and no other
Ason, or society of persons, can supersede the neces-
sity, or excuse the neglect, or compensate the loss, of
parental instruction and discipline." (J. Baker, Wes.
Meth. Mag.)
Go then. Christian parent, and with a thankful and
confiding heart oft'er your children for initiation into
the school of Christ, and do what you can to " bring
them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
Forget not that "if the child perish through default
of parental instruction, of careful superintendence, and
of good example, the blood of that child shall be re-
quired at the hand of the guilty parent." (Dr. McCrie.)
" Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded them." They are to be trained to
obey God, and not merely to know Him. " If ye
know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.''
" What signify the best doctrines .if men do not live
suitably to them ; if they have not a due influence
upon their thoughts, t!.eir principles and their lives ? "
{Bishop Burnet.) On the other hand, "a man who
lives according to the rules of religion becomes the
wisest, the best and happiest creature that he is capa-
ble of being." (Bishop Burvet.) Doctrinal teaching is
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not enough ; there must be practical teaching, includ-
ing every principle of moral and spiritual duty. The
doctrinal and the practical must be inseparably con-
nected. On this point we cannot enlarge further than
to observe, that to educate a person is to teach him
how to acquire all that knowledge, how to obtain
and cherish all those principles and motives, and how
to form all those habits, that will qualify and dispose
him to discharge the duties devolving upon him in
the present and in the future stage of existence.
" Disciples are bound to receive with docility every
doctrine distinctly discerned to be a doctrine of Christ,
and to aim at a cordial compliance with every re-
quirement clearly perceived to be a commandment of
Christ." (B. Balmer.) " In everything connected with
religion they must be regulated by His will ; they
must believe no doctrine but v/^hat He has revealed ;
observe no ordinances but what He has appointed ;
and they must believe every doctrine which He has
revealed, and observe every ordinance He has ap-
pointed ; and believe the doctrine because He has
revealed it, and observe the ordinance because He has
appointed it. To follow on these points the guidance
of their own reason or caprice is to usurp their Sover-
eign's place. To follow on these points the guidance
of other men is to exalt them into His throne." Men,
so far as their fellow-men are concerned, have indeed
" a right to think and act for themselves in religion ;
but so far as their rightful Sovereign is concerned,
they have no such right. They are to think as He
CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
109
directs them, they are to do as He bids them." (Rev.
J. Brown, D.D., on 1 Peter, p. 194.) "It is not the
comparative importance or utility of any doctrine in
human estimation, but the authority of Him who has
revealed it, which is the formal reason of receiving,
prufessinj]f, or maintaining it." " True obedience must
be grounded on the authority of the power that com-
mands, not on the judgment of the subject as to the
benefit of the precept imposed." (Bishop Reynolds.)
The commission undertakes to place all disciples in
"one kingdom, under one supreme Teacher, who is in-
finitely wise and good ; and thereby aims at the free-
dom of the human conscience on the one hand, and at
the unity of the Divine government on the other."
The true view of baptism, then, is this : It was in-
tended to initiate all that are teachable, whether
young or old, into Christ's Bible school. It places
persons under obligation to be through life in one or
other of its branches. This rightly understood and
enforced would secure a much larger and a much more
regular attendance. It would also secure for these
schools the best teachers that can be obtained, and
stimulate them to make the best preparation for
teaching with the highest attainable success.
The obligation to be a discipl^ was not originated
by a promise made for us in our infancy, which would
need to receive confirmation from a promise made by
ourselves subsequently. The so-called rite of con-
firmation proceeds, therefore, on an erroneous assump-
tion. The obligation imposed by Divine law is not
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confirmed by liuman acceptance, or weakened bj'^
human rejection. The unconditional bindingness of
the law of God is denoted most unequivocally by
ordering the rite of initiation to be administered in
infancy, and by directing it to be in every case an act
done to the candidates, not by them. It was, in this
respect, like the law of circumcision ; circumcision ad-
ministered to an infant was a sign of obligation to
future obedience, not a manifestation of present obedi-
ence. It was not an act of voluntary submission at
the moment of administration that the ordinance
required or denoted, for this was not present in the
vast majority * cases. What was found only in the
few cases of auult circumcision could not have been
an essential part of its design. So in baptism an act
of voluntary submission at the moment of administra-
tion is not the thing to be denoted or required. The
essential thing is that it is a sign of obligation to
future teachableness and future obedience. Divinely
imposed on each individual.
We can now understand how it was that in Paul's
view the administration of ritual baptism, though of
Divine obligation, was not regarded to be as import-
ant a work as the preaching of the Gospel. To
initiate a disciple into the school of Christ is one
thing, to teach him subsequently is another and
a more important work. Any one commissioned by
Christ could do the ritual work as well as an
apostle could, but any one could not do the subsequent
teaching work as well. Hence P^ial was commissioned
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171
to do the latter, but not enjoined to do the former.
Paul formed this moderate estimate of ritual baptism
because it was not mentioned in the commission given
to him by the Lord Jesup Christ, as recorded in Acts
xxvi. 17, 18 : "I send thee to open their eyes, and to
turn them from darkness to light, and from the power
of Satan unto God." This was a preparatory work of
instruction, as the next words show : " That they may
receive forgiveness of sins" (not from Paul but from
God) " and inheritance among them that are sanctified
by faith " — not in Paul, but " by the faith which is in
Me," said the Lord J-^sus Christ. A distinguished
minister, in his last siickness, admitted that he had
mistaken the relative importance of baptism, when he
said to Rev. John Lathern : " If I shall be raised up
and permitted to preach again, two themes now seem
to me only worthy of consideration : I shall feel that
I have a special mission to preach holiness, and the
importance of the one glorious baptism of the Holy
Ghost." {Baptisnia, p. 74.)
The glorious dreamer, John Bunyan, evidently re-
garded the rite as a subordinate thing, for he " took
his pilgrims all the way from the City of Dest. action
to the Celestial City, and in all their progress we meet
with no flood until, in the deep, dark river of death,
thej- finished their earthly pilgrimage, were welcomed
by the shining ones, and then went up through the
golden gates into the city of the Great King." (Rev.
J. Lathern, Baptisma, \.. 82.)
As we now see that teaching was to follow baptizing,
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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we are prepared to understand the import of baptizing
one person into another, " which is still agitated among
the most accomplished interpreters of Scripture " (Dr.
Dale.) Those who have given a wrong interpretation
to related points have regarded this point as hard to
be understood. But those who have observed that
baptizing implies that teaching is to follow, can see
that by this subsequent teaching one person can be
placed under the influence of the person or the name
of a distinguished teacher. Hence, to baptize the
nations into the " name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost," means that they were by
teaching to be placed under the influence of that name
— under the influence of the infinitely holy, good, and
happy Trinity. " Into the name of the righteous
Father. Into the name of the Son, mediating and
interceding with the Father ; teaching and beseeching
men. Into the name of the winning, renewing, and
comforting Spirit." Thus, to baptize one person into
the name of another means to place the former in con-
nection with the enlightening and ennobling influence
of the latter. This is done, not by administering an
ordinance, but by teaching the doctrines to which it
points. The word " baptized," as here used, alludes not
to the act, but to the doctrinal import of the rite.
The word is used figuratively. So the word "circum-
cision ' was sometimes used ; as when God said, " I will
circumcise thine heart to love the Lord thy God with
all thine heart. (Deut. xxx. 6.) This was not done by
the rite of circumcision, for this did not touch the
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CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
173
heart. It was performed not by a human but by a
Divine act.
" Influence is the operation of one's person, personal
character and teaching on the susceptibilities which
others possess. One who influences these can modify
the opinions, sentiments, and even appearances, of
others. For instance, earthl}'^ influence is the cause of
that wonderful thing called family likeness, whereby
persons of different features, complexions, and stations
resemble each other, and also one common model."
(Woman s Mission.) The most powerful earthly in-
fluence is the maternal. It exists everywhere, in the
cabin of the poor as in the palace of the rich. Every-
where it determines the sentiments and tastes of the
family. Hence it has been said, "Woman's mission on
earth is not merely to shine and please, but to in-
fluence, and by influence to ennoble the good and to
reform the bad." We are first placed under woman's
influence, but the great commi.s.sion shows that we
should be also placed under the unspeakably higher
influence of the inflnitely loving, kind, and sympa-
thizing Trinity. This is done by the teaching of those
who exhibit the character of the Persons of the
glorious Trinity, and their thoughts and feelings and
relations towards us.
" In the schools of the world systems are taught, not
persons ; geometry, not Euclid ; botany, and not Lin-
na3us ; astronomy, and »iot Sir Isaac Newton." (Rev. J.
Davies, in HoniiL, i., p. 90.) But in the .school of
Christ the Persons of the ever-blessed Trinity are to
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
be taught more prominently than systems of doctrine.
Here the prominence is given to the name ol: the
Father, who gave His Son to be our mediating High
Priest ; the name of the Son, who became incarnate for
us men and for our redemption ; and tlie name of the
Holy Ghost, who, in pursuance of the grand remedial
plan, undertakes to convince of sin and unbelief, and
to regenerate the believer.
A name given by inspiration is expressive of char-
acter. The name of God points to His perfections and
majesty as proclaimed by inspired testimony, that
they may be known, remembered, loved, and honoured.
The teacher therefore points to the Trinity as reflected
in the Bible. What the Bible says about the character
and work of the Trinity is the summary of what is to
be taught for the progressive development of disciples"
in knowledge and holiness. The full communication
of what may be known on these topics is the final
aim, and is to be attained through doctrinal teaching.
True teaching baptizes into the Triune name.
The Spirit of the Lord accompanies this work of
right teaching. He opens the understanding of dis-
ciples to apprehend more clearly and fully spiritual
and divine things — to see the glory of creating and
preserving love, the glory of redeeming love, the glory
of renewing love. Not only so, the Spirit by a dis-
tinct and further operation purities the heart to love
and adore the Trinity whose harmonious co-opera-
tion carries into efiect the glorious plan of everlasting
salvation.
CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
175
of
Us-
tual
and
lory
dis-
love
pera-
Man, by teachinjr what has been revealed, may
enlighten others respecting that name, but man cannot
regenerate the heart to love God. " For we are not
born of the will of the Hesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God." God only can regenerate, but man can
teach. Baptism is associated with teaching, not with
regenerating. There is a regenerating work of the
Spirit, but it is not effected by His baptizing power.
The Lord Jesus was baptized by the Spirit, but was
not regenerated by Him. Man can make a disciple,
but not a regenerate believer. Many disciples are not
regenerate.
Dr. Dale strangely thinks that the command to
make disciples is a connnand to make regenerate
believers. He perceived, of course, that those who
received the counnission could not make disciples to
Christ in this sense of the word, except by the co-
operation of " the power of Him to whom all power
in heaven and earth was given" (p. 454). He thinks,
therefore, that Divine power connects itself with
man's act of ritual baptizing. But this interpretation
wrongly assumes that Divine agency conjoins itself
with human agency to do this renewing work. This
erroneous dogma, if adopted generally, would inevitably
be made the ground of ministerial assumptions, ard of
claims as presumptuous and dangerous as those of the
popish hierarchy. Man cannot render any assistance
in the work of regenerating his fellow-men, but he
can put them to school and teach them the noi'd of
regeneration, the great desirableness of it, the solemn
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ference with the mediating priesthood that typified
the great fundamental work of the onl}^ true Mediator
between God and man, and that it was for this rea-
son it was so severely punished. In other cases it
appeared that should positive and moral laws come
in collision, the former may give place to the latter.
David knew this, when, pinched by hunger, he ate
the shewbread, which it was not lawful to do. Still,
the simple spirit of obedience will manifest itself most
fully in observing laws whose obligation depends
solely on the will and appointment of God. "The
appointment of God is to us the highest law." {Turre-
tini.) And to "claim a right to annul or alter the
commandments of Christ is the very essence of popery.*"
{Carson, p. 247.) " Whosoever therefore shall break "
— or, as Dr. Carson translates it, shall abrogate — " one
of these least commandments, and teach men so, he
shall be called the least in the kinj^dom of heaven."
(Matt. V. 19.) "Christ authoritatively silences legisla-
tive interference with His appointments by proclaim-
ing, ' One is your Master, even Christ ; and all ye are
brethren.'" (Dr. Harris, Great Teacher, p. 276.) He
also says : " And why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and do
not the things which I say?" (Luke vi. 46.) "There-
fore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and
doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which
built his house upon a rock : and the rain descended,
and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat
upon that house ; and it fell not : for it was founded
upon a rock. And every one that heareth these say-
CHRISTS ROYAL COMMISSION.
183
lat
ings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened
unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the
sand : and the rain descended, and the Hoods came,
and the winds blew, and beat upon that house ; and it
fell : and great was the fall of it." (Matt. vii. 24-27.)
" Though baptism is not necessary to salvation," says
Mr. Gibbs, " it is essential to that perfect obedience to
the will of Christ which recognizes His authority in all
things." (Thorn, Sub. of Bap., p. 605.) " The doctrines,
the positive institutions, and the morality of Chris-
tianity are combined into one regular, consistent, and
inviolable whole, and committed to our fidelity. What-
ever He has confided to us we must retain and defend.
Whatever He has ordained we must o!>serve. What
He has conjoined we must not put asunder." (Dr.
Ferrier, of Paisley.)
Well has one said, " Here are appointments made
by infinite wisdom — who will presume to improve
upon them ? and enjoined by infinite authority — who
will dare to repeal them, or set them aside ? " " Here
is at once the ample extent and well-defined limits of
the evangelical commission."
As those who were immediately addressed could not,
in their short life, disciple all nations to the end of
time, it must be inferred that tlie commission was
given to the apostles as the first of an order of teachers
who were to be sent to carry the work into completion.
But Christ keeps in His own hands the right to call,
from first to last, the men who are to fulfil His coi i-
mission.
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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" The injunction of the ascending Redeemer to make
disciples of all nations is abundantly explicit ; and yet,
for nearly three centuries after the Reformation, the
Protestant churches, with a few inconsiderable excep-
tions, made no effort to fulfil this injunction, and seemed
scarcely aware of its existence." (R. Balmer, D.D.) In
tlie present age, however, the authority of the great
commission is reviving ; not because it has been re-
vealed afresh, but because it is understood that lapse
of time has not diminished its authority, and cannot
do so. Hence it is now awakening the benevolent
action of the Church, as it did at first ; and is mak-
ing the present, like the primitive one, a missionary
age. The missionary enterprise only puts this com-
mission in action in carrying out the design of Christ
to subdue the world to Himself, to banish every false
religion, and to introduce and establish Christianity
in its stead ; and it must ever be aggressive in its
character till the glorious design is consummated.
The Lord Jesus Christ was pleased to connect with
the commission a very gracious promise. He promised
that His presence should be with its agents — i.e., with
those who rightly baptize, and rightly teach, in every
nation and through every age — " till the end of the
world." His presence will accompany the observance
of His own ordinances; and the teaching of His own
commands : not the teachers of any substituted rites,
or doctrines, or duties. In His human body He could
not be with all teachers scattered over their wide-
spread fields of evangelistic labour. But His Divine
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CHRIST S ROYAL COMMISSION.
185
nature could be present with them everywhere, and
always, or all the days, unto the end of the world,
without the interruption of one day in any case. The
Saviour had previously used the phrase the " end of
the world" to denote the time of the final Judgment
(Matt. xiii. 39, 40, 49.) At that time an historical end
will come to the course of this probationary world.
When a cloud received His ascendinj^ human nature,
and concealed it frotn the eyes of men, there was no
departure of His Divine nature. He was still " God
with us," fulfiUini^ the mystery of His name, ^nfiavovjj'k.
"As Matthew, in his first chapter, announced that
Christ should be called Emmanuel, he appropi lately
closes his last chapter with the glorious utterance of
Him who bears and fulfils that name, * Lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of the world.' " After
which He will take all His people to be with Him.
His humanity is absent, having ascended to the right
hand of the Father Almighty, but His divinity is
present, because omnipresent. The all-present Jehovah
Jesus "needs no representative or deputy." (Stier.)
And He has appointed none. He allows no man, and
no body of men, to come between Him and the alle-
giance that is due to Him ; or between us and the
blessings He communicates.
The words of the Royal commission to disciple all
nations, as recorded in Matthew's Gospel, have been
interpreted independently of the words which are
now found in St. Mark's Gospel, because the teaching
of the words in Mark cannot be harmonized with those
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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parts of Scripture which have admitted authority.
The passage in Mark will be examined carefully in a
future chapter.
Looking over the topic of baptism as we have
presented it in the foregoing pages, it appears clearly
that the ritual act is only a part of what has to be
attended to, and is by far the least important part.
To initiate a person into the school of Christ by a
momentary act is far less important than to teach the
initiated through life all that Christ has commanded-
It is true that if we have made an error respecting the
mode of initiation we cannot correct it, because the
initiatory rite is not repeated ; but any other error may
be corrected. Those who taught before baptizing, and
regarded baptism as a certificate that the disciple had
finished his education, can change that very injurious
error, and for the future can teach the baptized
throutjh life. If the teaching: itself has been incorrect
in any respect it can be corrected and taught accord-
ingly. It seems manifest, therefore, that an uninten-
tional error made at the moment of initiation cannot
be deemed fatal if the subsequent teaching has been
of the kind that was commanded. On the other hand,
the mode of initiation may be altogether correct, yet
it will b.e of no avail whatever if not followed by
teaching them the truth as it is in Jesus.
THE BAPTISMS OF TEACHING.
187
CHAPTER Vll.
THE BAPTISMS OF TEACHING, INCORRECTLY TRANSLATED
THE DOCTRINE OF BAPTISMS. -{HER. VI. 2.)
This expression requires attention and a correct
interpretation ; it therefore calls for an examination of
the verses with which it is immediately connected —
" Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine,"
etc., etc. The word " therefore " indicates some con-
nection with what precedes. The connection appears
to be this : the inspired writer was about to show that
our Lord Jesus Christ was appointed a High Priest,
not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of
Melchisedic. He had many things to say on this
topic, but felt the difficulty of presenting these things
so as to convince the Hebrews of their great importance.
He tells them the reason of his apprehending that
there would be difficulty, " seeing ye are " (yeyovare,
have become) " dull of hearing." " The difficulty of
some things in Scripture lies not in the things them-
selves, but in the hearer or reader. If ministers of the
Go.spel rise in their range, or if they dip deep, or if
they go out far, they transcend the sphere of the in-
experienced. If, on the other hand, they keep within
that sphere, they are regarded as furnishing forever
milk only, and never giving strong meat. It is a
difficult thing to purvey for all conditions at one and
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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the same time." {Evang. Repository, 1867.) " For
when for the time" — that has elapsed since you first
listened to Gospel instruction — " ye ought to be
teachers" — qualified to take part in the evangelization
of the world — " ye have need that one teach you again
which be the first principles of the oracles of God " —
i.e., of the testimony which God spake unto the fathers
by the prophets, and unto us by His Son — " and are
become such as have need of milk, and not of strong
meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in
the word of righteousness." Some, unwisely, do not
wish to be skilful in this respect. They show no
desire to know their duty, but merely how to obtain
pardon for leaving it undone. The inspired writers,
however, knew that the Word of God is emphatically
" the word of righteousness," and is specially intended
to furnish " the man of God unto all good works."
As the Hebrews had received elementary instruction
from others, the inspired writer deems it not necessary
to repeat it, but merely to allude to it. He says,
" Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of
Christ" — as the child leaves the alphabet of learning to
advance in literature — " let us " — me as a teacher, and
you as learners — " go on unto perfection " — i.e., to more
advanced instruction aiming at the fullest possible
knowledge — " not laying again the foundation."
Some think it better to give KaTajialleiv its original
signification, to cast down, to overthrow. They think
the meaning is, not destroying the already laid founda-
tion, which is composed of the following materials : —
THE BAPTISMS OF TEACHING.
189
" Repentance from dead works." This form of expres-
sion, as Dr. Dale remarks, "corresponds in structure
with the Jewish form, ftaKriCofievng a-o ft:xi)ov — baptized
from the dead" — and was most probably intended to
allude to the ceremonial pollution which was incurred
by contact with a dead body, so moral j^uilt was in-
curred by contact with dead works — the works of a
heart spiritually dead to God and to ho'iness while
alive to sin. [And as ceremonial pollution was removed
by a purifying baptism, so soul pollution is removed,
not by any rite, but by " repentance from dead works
and faith towards God," who alone is able to cleanse
from spiritual uncleanness, and who waits to be gra-
cious.] They may have had works of pharisaic mor-
ality according to " the commandments of men," but
such works do not conform to the spiritual law of
God : they werje not " out of a pure heart, a good
conscience, and faith unfeigned." There was no soul
of piety in them, and hence, like " the body without
the spirit," they were "dead works"; and "the effort
to give them the appearance of life only rendered them
the more offensive." The works of all mere formal
professors proceed from a similar state of heart and
mind, and are equally dead. Men should not rely on
them, but penitently turn from them and exercise
" faith towards God," the Father Almighty, a gracious
and merciful God, who has no pleasure in the death of
the wicked, but rather that they should turn to Him
to be taught the ti way of serving God, and of
obtaining qualification for that service.
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
This much might be known by the light of the old dis-
pensation ; but Christianity brought additional light by
its doctrinal baptisms — literally, its baptisms of teach-
ing This is the right translation, for in the Greek
Testament the word " baptisms " comes before the word
which is translated "doctrine," but which literally means
teaching. We have here the second pair of a series of
genitives, all depending on He/iE?iov, foundation. ''iSmr-
Tta/Kov (hfiaxf}g" (depending on ee/ueimv, foundation) " cer-
tainly belong together," says Winer. They should be
translated as they are ; " to transpose them would be at
variance with the whole structure of the verse." The
writer of the Hebrews uses fianuafiui', with which the
Hebrews were familiar, and which, if not qualified by
some other word, they would refer to some of the
"divers baptisms," or Jewish purifyings, as in Heb. ix.
10. But the writer here connects it with "the adjunct
daSaxTji, which removes it entirely from the popular
Jewish use." {Christie Hap., p. 330.)
" Of teaching," (hdaxvc. "This was the catechetical in-
struction which in the apostolic age followed baptism."
Conybeare and Howson.) The great commission was to
be carried into effect by a twofold process, " baptizing
and teaching"; and the teaching was to include all things
whatsoever Christ commanded, and was to be continued
through life. {v. exposition of the Great Commission.)
In Christianity there are two baptisms of this kind —
baptism with water and baptism with the Holy Ghost.
Baptism with water is the Divinely appointed form of
putting per.vons for life into the school of Christ, that
THE BAPTISMS OF TEACHING.
191
they maybe subsequently taught all things whatsoever
He commands. (See exposition of Matt, xxviii. 18 20.)
They were, according to the great commission, to be
baptized and taught; and the writer, for this reason,
placed the words in this order, as Winer remarks.
{Gram., p. 205, 6th edition.)
Baptism, understood thus, is so plain in its meaning
that it properly belongs to the " first principles " of
religious instruction. The true import of baptism may
" be made so plain that the humblest disciple may
comprehend it." {Barnes.) It was so in the apostles'
day, and should be so now; and whatever cannot be
so presented cannot be the true import.
The other baptism connected with this dispensation
is the baptism with the Holy Ghost. This is related
to baptism with water, and, like it (as we shall show
when we come to consider this topic), has reference to
teaching. Persons are baptized with the Holy Ghost
that they may get increased ability to learn religious
truths. (See exposition of Acts ii. 1-4.) This baptism
is administered by Christ, and imparts spiritual
knowledge. This baptism with the Spirit sometimes
preceded and sometimes succeeded baptism with water.
They are never represented as received simultaneously
but the succession may be in any order ; and a
knowledge of this fact may have occasioned the
various readings quoted by Griesbach, rfmJo;^'/?. ^ succes-
sion of baptisms. The instruction which is connected
with the first principles of the doctrine of Christ shows
that in addition to " repentance from dead works and
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lUPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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faith toward God," men need to be taught to " believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ " in order to obtain salvation.
The penitents were baptized, the baptized were taught
the way of salvation by faith.
" And of laying on of hands." From the context we
gather that this refers to the ordination or official
appointment of the teachers who were to give the
instruction which was to follow the baptisms. The
Lord Jesus Christ a] ointed the teaching office, calls
and qualifies men to fill that office, and wishes
His followers to recogrnize such, and to desijjnate
them by laying on of hands. All teachers of disciples
should be solemnly set apart to this work. A
Divinely appointed work shoidd have Divinely
called workers, whether they take their place in the
Sabbath -school or in the congregation. That these
words refer to Christian teachers is further intimated
by the fact, already alluded to, that the apostle " enu-
merates three pairs of chief particulars." (Bengel.) As
" repentance from dead works " and " faith toward
God " are related, so are the baptisms of teaching and
the proper appointment of teachers; and so afterwards
are the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
These form a third related pair.
Some, however, have supposed that the phrase " the
laying of hands," points to what some call 'J\e rite of
confirmation, used as a supplement to infant baptism,
that the baptized may have in after years the oppor-
tunity of making in person the promises which others
made on their behalf at the time of baptism. But to
THE BAPTISMS OF TEACHING.
193
e
assume that infant baptism requires a supplemental
rite is to misrepresent its nature. This supposition
erroneously ass'unes that the obligations pertaining to
baptism are created by human promises ; and, therefore,
that when the subject is not of competent age to make
these promises personally, other persons, called spon-
sors, must make them on his behalf, until he is old
enough to take the vows on himself, and thus ratify
them. But they forget that in God's covenant, and
covenant rite, Divine laws take the place of human
promises, and are binding, whether promises are or
are not made by man, are or are not kept by them.
God says, "They shall be to Me a people" — not "they
promise they will be."
The rite of confirmation has been unwisely used for
another purpose. Jerome, in the fourth century, tells
us : " It is the custom of the Church for bishops to go
and invoke the Holy Spirit by imposition of hands on
such as were baptized by presbyters and deacons in
villages and places remote from the Mother Church."
The High Church party in the English Establishment
claim that their bishops can use it for a similar pur-
pose. But this only shows that bishops intrude into
the apostolic office without being able to give " the
signs of an apostle," and even without rightly under-
standing why it was that the Spirit was given in con-
nection with the laying on of the apostles' hands.
The apostles were extraordinary ambassadors, specially
sent by Christ to teach the many things which Christ
Himself spake not, as the people " were not then able
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lUPTIZING AND TEACHING.
to hear thein." The apostles were, therefore, sent to
complete the revelation of the New Covenant, and
were on this account enabled to show special sij^ns of
their extraordinary commission. They could by the
laying on of hands confer the gift of tongues. When
Paul laid his hands upon "the twelve disciples" whom
he met at Ephesus " the Holy Ghost came on them ;
and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." (Acts
xix. 6.) When Peter and John were sent to the Samari-
tans who had received the word of God, " they prayed
for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost,"
and " then laid they their liands on theni, and they
received the Holy Ghost." And it is obvious that the
Spirit which they received was given for the purpose
of using His miraculous agency, as He did in the case
of the disciples at Ephesus ; for Simon the sorcerer saw
His woikings, and approving of them, offered the apos-
tles ujoney, " ^ j \g. Give me also this power, that on
whomsoeve. ^ *• y hands, he may receive the Holy
Ghost." He h i wondered at the miracles and signs
which Philip ^ ought ; but when he saw the apostles
laying their hands on persons, and procuring for them
a miracle-working power, he wished to be an apostle*
When Peter saw that Simon wished to intrude into
that office, he said unto him, " Thy money perish with
thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God
may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither
part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not
right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this
thy wickedness," etc. (Acts viii 20-22.) The power
THE BAPTISMS OF TEACHING.
195
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communicated at the moment of the laying on of
the apostles' hands was not the gift of the apostles,
but " the gift of God." But this gift of tongues
was not the baptism with the Spirit. It was merely
the sign that in a few cases accompanied baptism
with the Spirit. To baptize with the Spirit for
the purpose of enlightening the understanding is the
work of Christ only. It was He who was to baptize
with the Holy Ghost. The laying on of hands by the
apostles was for the purpose of obtaining the gift of
tongues. But the laying on of hands spoken of in the
6th of Hebrews does not refer to such an act at
all. It refers, as already stated, to the ordination of
teachers. [This construction is required by the fact
that eTTiBemug — laying on of hands — is coupled by re with
6i6axnc, teaching.]
" And of the resurrection of the dead." The resur-
rection is a preparation for the judgment. " As in
Adam all die " a temporal death, so in Christ shall
" all be made alive." " It is appointed unto men once
to die, but after this the judgment."
"And of eternal judgment" — " Kpi/na is properly the
judgment sentence, the result of Kpiaig^ the process of
judgment." (Alford.) That judgment sentence will
produce eternal consequences. Christ is appointed to
be the Judge. The power which He as Mediator got
over all flesh was not to be resigned till all were made
to appear before His judgment seat, and were accjuitted
as saved through the plan of salvation, or condemned
for disobeying the law of God, and neglecting or re-
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
jecting the Gospel of Christ. These are the principles
which the inspired writer exhorted them to leave that
they may rise to higher views of the word of right-
eousness. He now adds, "And this will we do " (or
" let us do," according to the MSS., which read ttoiticuhev)
" if God permit " us to have time to do so. It is fear-
fully dangerous to do anything else. " For it is impos-
sible for those who were once enlightened " by the
elementary instruction given to disciples, and have
" tasted of the heavenly gift " of the Holy Ghost as an
indwelling Teacher, and have, under His assistance,
" tasted the good word of God" — the text-book used by
the great Teacher, and used by His ministers — and "the
powers of the world to come " — the powerful motives
inspired by attending to the future and eternal things
which are revealed in that text-book — " if they shall
fall away " (or rather, " and fell away," for the Greek
is in the past tense, as in the former words) from the
Great Teacher, and from tho first principles of His
teaching, and from a teachable disposition, " to renew
them again to repentance " — that teachable spirit which
inquires, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? "
To bring them again to this disposition was now im-
possible, because they now rejected the Great Teacher,
and discredited His credentials, and regarded Him as
a false prophet who as such was, in their opinion,
rightly rejected and crucified by their rulers. They
crucified Him afresh. Not merely so, they continued
to do so. They crucify Him afresh. The writer here
uses the present participle, not the aorist tense, as in
THE BAPTISMS OF TEACHING.
197
the former clauses. Every fresh attempt to bring
them to repentance was counteracted by this crucify-
ing afresh the Son of God. The impossibility was not
caused by any single act of past rejection, but by pre-
sent persistent rejection. They could not be prevailed
on to become His teachable disciples again, because
they now persisted in regarding Him as a false teacher,
and in affirming that as such He was rightly put to
death by the highest civiland ecclesiastical authorities.
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PART II.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE DOCTRINAL IMPORT OF BAPTISM AS MORE FULLY
UNFOLDED IN (I.) THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS VI.
1-11 ; (XL) IN THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS II. 11, 12 ;
(in.) IN THE EPISTLE OF PETER III. 8, IV. 6.
We shall examine these in the order just stated.
L ROM. VI. l-ll.-BAPTISM INTO CHRIST'S DEATH.
This portion of Holy Scripture is very often quoted
by those who speak or write about baptism. The
instruction it contains is highly important. It gives
" God's own explanation of His own ordinance," as Dr.
Carson remarks. (Baptism, p. 144.) This explanation
is placed in the Epistles, which on this, as on^ome
other subjects, give information additional to what is
recorded in the Gospels. " As all the lessons of wisdom
concerning material nature cannot be learned in one
county or country, but from a survey of the entire
globe, so God does not explain all His mind in one
chapter of the Scriptures, nor in one book, nor even in
one Testament, but in the entire canon of revelation."
(Thorn, Sub. of Bap., p. 308.) God's successive acts
and dispensations constitute a regular progressive de-
velopment of one wise, broad, comprehensive plan.
" To understand, therefore, any part of the works or
■f ""
BAPTISM INTO CHRIST's DEATH.
199
ways of God, we must understand others which stand
connected with it." (Hihbard, p. 64.)
In the case now before us this fuller information is
presented in the form of inferences drawn by an in-
spired reasoner from all-important facts, which -are
here definitely referred to, and which had been parti-
cularly described in the historical Gospels. A careful
examination of what is stated and alluded to discovers
that the inspired writer points to the Lord Jesus
Christ when on Calvary — to the bodily death which
He there died, to the subsequent " burial " of His dead
body, and to His "resurrection from the dead," as
effected by that almighty power which is " the glory
of the Father."
The baptism which Christ received there was accord-
ingly a baptism with blood on the cross. It was
therefore a baptism by affusion. It was not, and could
not possibly have been, by immersion. The death of
Christ is here presented as an example to be imitated ;
the martyr death is the one to which reference is made,
not His atoning death. His atoning death had been pre-
viously spoken of by Paul, but this has relation to the
Lord's Supper, and not to baptism. Baptism is related
to His martyr death, and was designed to place man
under obligation to die as Christ died — i.e., to submit
the body to be martyred by the enemies of Christianity
rather than allow them to gain and exercise dominion
over the conscience or the will. The argumentative
enquiry of the apostle therefore is : How shall persons
who have felt the obligation to be martyrs rather than
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
sinners, and have shown their determination by taking
up their cross to follow Christ, and have thus by
anticipation " died to sin," as Christ did, " how shall
they continue in sin " ? This makes a very forcible
argument, and brings out to view truths that were
intended to be of very great practical importance aU
through the Christian dispensation. We undertake to
prove that this brief statement indicates tht; true and
only true interpretation of these most important words-
But all this scene has been veiled from view, and
all this utility has been prevented, by an exceedingly
erroneous interpretation that has been plausibly set
up in its stead. This wrong interpretation assumes
that the apostle's words refer not to Calvary, but to
the Jordan ; and then supposes that the words "burial"
and " resurrection " were intended to describe the mode
of a ritual baptism administered to Christ by John.
Having wholly changed the scene before the apostle's
mind, they utterly mistake the meaning of the apos-
tle's descriptive words, and entirely exclude the point
and force of the apost'e's argument.
But before examining the Immersionists' view it
will be advisable to show reasons for setting aside
another wrong interpretation, namely, that which
thinks the reference is not to any literal baptism, but
to a baptism with the Spirit; and that the terms
"death," "burial" and "resurrection," are a description
or illustration of a change from sinfulness to holiness.
But those who give this interpretation have not ob-
served that the very closely related words are applied
BAPTISM INTO ^CHRIST S DEATH.
201
on the one hand to Christ, and on the other to the
party with wlioin Paul associates himself. From this
twofold application of these terms it is plain that a true
interpretation of them must be equally applicable to
both parties, and that what is not so applicable is not
a true interpretation. It follov/s that the terms re-
ferred to cannot have been intended to illustrate a
spiritual change from depravity to sanctification ; for
in this sense the terms could not be applied to Christ
at all. Christ never had a death to a former depraved
self and a resurrection to holiness. Therefore it is
not the death and resurrection which the Pauline
party had with Christ. Besides, if we interpret Paul
as saying that it was sinfulness that died and was
buried, then, to be consistent, we should represent him
as saying that it was sinfulness that was raised again.
For, according to Paul, that which died is that which
was buried and raised again ; hence, if it was sinful-
ness that died, it was sinfulness that was buried and
raised again. Had Christ a resurrection of that kind?
The resurrection spoken of was to be effected by the
glory of the Father. Would the Father Almighty effect
a resurrection to sinfulness ? Was Paul delighted with
the prospect of a resurrection of that kind ? He says,
" We shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection."
Paul and his friends had not yet obtained the resur-
rection spoken of. If it was a resurrection to sinful-
ness, he was better without it. It is better to have
sinfulness dead than to have it raised again. On the
other hand, if it were a resurrection to holiness that
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
was referred to, Paul would not say, " We shall " have
it; he would have said, " We have it already." Paul was
not at this time an unholy man merely hoping for
sanctitication. He says, in this Epistle, " The law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from ohe law of sin and death." (Rom. viii. 2.) But
to say that spiritual resurrection to holiness is what is
here meant, is to assert that Paul had not yet attained
it ; that he died in the Gospel womb, and was buried
there awaiting a " new birth." We have surely said
sufficient to prove that Paul did not use the words
as referring to a spiritual change of heart from sin to
holiness.
We now examine the interpretation given to these
words by the Immersionists. We are confident that
we can show them that their interpretation is wholly
wrong, if we can get them to consider our arguments
with careful attention, and with minds open to con-
viction. But many seem utterly indisposed to rein-
vestigation. When their position is attacked they
throw over it the authority of antiquity, or of learned
men for whom a right of dictation is assumed. They
even bid away all scrutinizers, and demand that they
give uninquiring assent. But in this method of pro-
cedure there is nothing that could discriminate be-
tween right and wrong interpretation. Uninspired
dictation sometimes " deifies error, which," as Bacon
says, " is the greatest evil of all."
Others, more reasonable, endeavour to defend the
interpretation by the authority of argument. They
BSEBKWLUa
BAPTISM INTO CHRIST S DEATH.
203
know that Dr. Carson s&ys that to claim for any unin-
spired interpreter " any authority but that of argu-
ment, is the essence of Popery." When advocates take
this course they leave in ohe hands of their hearers or
readers some means of detecting error, should it exist.
" All the sophistry, all the colour of plausibility, all
the artifice and cunning of the subtlest disputer in the
world may be laid open and turned to the advantage
of that very truth which they are designed to hide."
{Bishop Hoadley.) We shall therefore examine the
authority of the arguments which have been presented
for this interpretation. To prove all things (" test all
things," as Sir W. Hamilton translates the original) is
a Divinely granted right, which no fellow-creature is
permitted to restrict. No party may monopolize these
important texts, they were intended to be common
property. We have undertaken, therefore, to examine
anew the entire passage, and to present what we
think to be the true interpretation, and the reasons
which conduct to it. And we shall endeavour to ex-
pose and overthrow the wrong interpretations which
have been set up in its stead and have hidden it from
the view of many.
Of course, the Baptist interpretation of this scene
has been rejected by some good writers. " Melancthon,
the most learned and accurate Greek scholar of the
sixteenth century, utterly rejected it. So also did
Philip Henry and Dr. Thomas Scott, the most devout
and popular commentators on the New Testament
since the apostolic age. So also did Dt. Charles
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204
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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Hodf^e, of Princeton, U.S., the most learned judiciary
and profound theologian and commentator to be found
on two continents in the nineteenth century " (in the
judgment of Presbyterians) ; " and so did scores of
others." " Even Judson, the great missionary, and
Robin.son, the learned historian, and others, admit that
this passage has no reference to their mode of baptism."
(Rev. W. A. McKay, B.A., Immersi'm, p. 51.) But
those who have rightly rejected the Immersionists'
interpretation have failed more or less to apprehend
the apostle's own meaning of his own words. This, if
rightly presented, brings to view things new as well
as old, and opens up a wonderful fulness of manifest
instruction that has escaped the notice of many readers.
Many have erred from the right interpretation
because they unwisely commenced their examination
in the middle of the ppostle's course of reasoning.
They begin with the words, " Therefore we are buried
with Him by baptism," etc. But the word "therefore"
obviously implies that there is a former part of the
inspired argument which should be previously con-
sidered. The proper method, therefore, for an inter-
preter to take, is to notice what the apostle's preceding
train of thought is.
Looking back to the fifth chapter, we find that he
had spoken of "sin" — i.e., sinfulness of disposition —
"entering into the world," into every human soul.
Afterwards the law enters gradually into each human
soul ; but mere law is unable to control and regulate
sinful predisposition. On the other hand, the former
BAPTISM INTO CHRIST S DEATH.
205
only aroused the latter into greater activity. Hence,
in point of fact, " the law entered that the otience may
abound," and thus betray that it is a perverse opposi-
tion to what is " holy, just, and good."
He then announced the evaui^elic statement that
" where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.'
(Rom. V. 20.) His meaning is that though natural sin-
fulness, when addressed by only the authoritative
commands of la^' resists and even abounds in perverse
oppo.sition to law, yet God employs something more
than law to deal with it. He manifests grace also, and
superabounding grace. Grace uses means which are
fitted to subdue those who have such a disposition, and
biing them to repentance, faith, and prayer. And then,
when asked to do so, grace pardons their previously
abounding per^erseness, and renews the pardoned unto
cheerful and faithful obedience to law for the future.
Paul remembered that he had made this statement
about the superabounding grace of God, and hence,
when commencing the sixth chapter, supposes it to be
not improbable that some of his readers may draw a
false inference from that statement, and ask, What shall
we say then ? — shall we say, " Let us continue in sin
that grace may abound " ? He knew that irresolute pro-
fessors of Christianity are disposed to draw inferences
that serve as an excuse for retreating from the path
of holiness, when opposed by the enemies of righteous-
ness. He thinks that, for such reasons, such persons
would wish him to consider this inference and reply to
to it if he could. The approved reading is Eirifisvunev
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206
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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(A, B, C, D, etc., adopted by Griesbach, Lachinann, and
Tischendorf). This is the deliberative subjunctive, and
means, " must we think that we may continue in sin "
in order that we may give grace a further opportunity
to abound, an opportunity to pardon future as well as
past sins, and thereby more fully increase its own
glory. In replying to this the apostle lirst utters a
ver}'- strong negative, which the translators represented
by the phrase " God forbid," but which is literally,
" may it not be " — that is, may it not be that we
should think, say, or do so. In the Greek Testament
the name of God is not here introduced. Inspired
writers never use the name of God in a mere exclama-
tion. Paul siuiply repelled the objection by an expres-
sion of holy aversion. Having done this he proceeds
to show that right views and right feelings would in-
fluence us to ask a very different question, " How shall
we that are dead to sin live any longer therein ? " In
this retorting question is contained " a brief statement
of Paul's answer to the objection," as Rev. Richard Wat-
son remarks. " His design is to show from their death
to sin that they are not to continue in it that grace
may abound." (Rev. J. Errett, in Gliristic Bap., p. 262.)
The meaning of this ' death to sin " would have been
readily understood by them if they had been taught
the full doctrinal import of baptism. The apostle
apprehends, however, that the disciples of that distant
city may not yet have been fully instructed on this
point, though it is well known to himself and to others
whom he associates with himself. Hence he inquires
BAPTISM INTO CHRIST S DEATH.
207
" Know ye not" (literally, " or know ye not." The
" or " implies that there is an ellipsis, which in this
case is to this effect : " It" my brief answer seems
obscure to you — if ye do not see the meaning of being
* dead to sin ' ") — " know ye not that as many of us as
were baptized with Jesus Christ were baptized into
His death ? " This language implies that they knew
the design of baptism in part, but not in full. The
part they knew was tliat those who wei'e baptized
were baptized into Jesus Christ ; but Paul supposes
that they may not have known that those who were
baptized into Jesus Christ were " baptized into His
death." Paul, and the others of whom he speaks,
knew this part also, but he supposes the Roman
disciples did not yet know it. This appears from the
change of pronouns, " Know ye not that as many of
us" etc. This last expression is peculiar : it seems to
imply that some of the persons alluded to were not
baptized ritually. And this seems to be true of Paul
himself {v. chapter on Saul's baptism) and of the other
apostles. They were not ritually baptized by man,
because they were not to be taught by man, but were
to receive instruction immediately from the Great
Teacher. He wishes to tell the " ye " how tlie " we "
reckoned in this matter, and after he has done so we
shall find that he added, "Likewise reckon ye also
yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ." (Verse 11.)
Prof. Ripley, an Immersionist, says very justly:
' The expressions * baptized into Jesus Christ ' and
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208
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
m:
Si-!
In ■
'baptized into His death ' require explanation. These
phrases are the hinges on which tiie interpretation of
the passage turns. As they are understood or misun-
derstood the passage will he understood or misunder-
stood." (Christie Bap., p. 256.) It is plain that these
expressions are distinct, for the Romans at this time
knew the former, but did not know the latter. We
first examine the former expression. What are we to
understand by baptism into Jesus Christ ? " This
point . . . has often been overlooked in the discus-
sion ; yet we believe it to be so vitally important that
a correct answer to this question must regulate and
control the interpretation of the entire passage."
(Christie Bap., p. 264.)
Under the Christian dispensation " baptizing " is
specially associated with " teaching," as is done in the
great commission. (Matt, xxviii. l(S-20.) Baptism with
water initiates persons into the school of Christ, the
Great Teacher, that they may be taught the truth as
it is in Jesus during all the days of their life in this
present world. This baptism is initiatory, it is " into
Christ." The preposition eig has a prospective relation
to the noun with which it stands in connection. It
n-^ver has a retrospective reference. Yet some unwit-
tingly or daringly set aside the apostle's statement
that baptism is " into Christ," and affirm that men
were not baptized until after they were in Christ.
And they, in like manner, contradict other passages.
They oppose the statement that John baptized " into "
(Eig) "repentance," and assert that he baptized after
repentance.
T
BAPTISM INTO CHRIST S DEATH.
209
" The meaning of eig with (ianni^o)" says Ellicott, " ap-
pears twofold, 'unto' and 'into.' 'Into' denotes intimate
relation with; 'unto' denotes the purpose, object or end
aimed at." (On Gal. iii. 2.) Persons were baptized
into John unio repentance. So persons are baptized
into Christ iinto His death. The disciples at Rome
knew that baptism was into Christ, but they needed
to be taught that they should regard themselves as
" baptized unto His death." We want to find the
meaning of this expression. For this purpose we shall
examine what follows. He obviously keeps the "death"
of which he speaks before the attention of his readers
for the purpose of explaining the meaning in which
he used the word. We must endeavour to ascertain
this meaning. It is well known that the word "death,"
like other words, has different senses in different con-
nections. A fully qualified and honest writer will,
when using such a word, insert other words that suffi-
ciently indicate the sense in which he uses it. Paul
was a fully competent writer ; hence he here used
other words which point to the meaning which he
intended to give to the word " death " in the sentence
under consideration. He shows that the particular
death to which he referred is (a) a death which is
closely connected with a " burial " and with a " resur-
rection," which he plainly describes ; (h) again, it is a
death which Christ died, and which some men have
died ; (c) it was a death peculiarly connected with a
baptism — baptism into death. Besides these there are
several other indexes, which will be noticed in due timei
14
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210
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
It is obvious that the meaning which the apostle
t
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BURIED WITH CHRIST IN BAITISM.
239
CHAPTER IX
THE DOCTRINAL IMPORT OF BAPTIHM AS UNFOLDED IN
COL. IL 11, 12: BURIED WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM.
These verses have the next claim on our considera-
tion, because the statements which they contain are
obviously parallel to those in the sixth chapter of
Romans, which we have just examined. They accord-
ingly require a similar interpretation. But to see this
we must get into the. apostle's train of thought. That
we may do so we shall notice how he approaches the
topic. He had said to the Colossians, " Beware lest
any man spoil you through philosophy and vain
deceit"; or, as the Revised Translation reads, "Take
heed lest there shall be " (" enTiu, the future indicative,
denotes an impending danger whose entrance is feared
as certain" — Winer) "anyone that maketh spoil of
you through his philosophy and vain deceit." (Col. ii.
8.) What the false teachers put forward as philosophy
the apostle designates to be vain or empty deceit, " as
is shown by not repeating the preposition and article
before th-^ latter word." (Lange.) He further points
out its merely human oriofin : it was " after the tradi-
tion of men." It was also " after the rudiments of
the world" — referring probably to an imitation of
Jewish ritual observances which were misunderstood
and misapplied, and therefore not regarded as pointing
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240
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
to the Christ that was to come — " and not after Christ,
who is the Great Antitype of those rites, and the Great
Teacher of this dispensation, being Divinely appointed
and Divinely qualified to teach." " For in Him
dwelleth all the fuhiess of the Godhead bodily." The
immediate reference is probably to His possessing as
a Teacher the fulness of knowledge pertaining to the
Godhead, " which only a Divine mind could contain,
and yet are complete in Him." He can furnish you a
full degree of knowledge. The word rendered "com-
plete" had this special allusion to knowledge in chap,
i. 25 : " Whereof I am made a minister ... to fulfil "
(margin, * fully to preach ") " the word of God." It is
also so used by the same writer in Rom. xv. 19 : "I
have fully preached the Gospel of Christ." The Colos-
sians therefore should not imagine that any other
teacher could (Ave them better or more full instruction
than their Great Teacher does. " Which " (who) " is
the Head of all principality and power;" being "su-
preme over every order of intelligent beings that
exercise authority and power." (Blooynjield.) His
disciples, therefore, are placed under oblij^ation to hear
Him, and render obedience to Him, and to refuse
allegiance to any other authority that may seek to get
dominion over tlieir faith and conscience ; " resisting
even unto blood, striving against sin," choosing to be
martyrs rather than apostates. To this last point Paul
specially calls attention in the words which follow, as
we shall see after examination. The words now before
us are given in the Revised Translation as follows :
m\
BURIED WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM.
241
mg
be
laul
as
lore
rs :
" In whom ye were also circumcised with a circum-
cision not made with hands, in " (or rather, as Tyndale
translated, by) "the putting off of the body of the
flesh in the circumcision of Christ," etc. The trans-
lators of the Authorized Version had a different read-
ing before them, which they translated, " the putting
off the body of the sins of the flesh." But this reading
was not accepted by the authors of the Revised Version.
In this the phrase " of the sins" is not quoted. Bibli-
cal critics have decided that it was improperly admitted
into some copies of the Greek Testament. It is
omitted hv Uie Sinaitic Manuscript, by the Vatican,
and by the Alexandrian. It is also without internal
evidence, as we shall see; it even turns an interpreter
aside from the apostle's train of thought. The apostle
was not now speaking of putting off* the body of sin
in regeneration (it is universally admitted that circum-
cision had no power to produce a spiritual change
of condition), but of putting oft' " the body of the
flesh" in death, because the apostle next speaks of
" burial " and of " resurrection from the dead."
He speaks of " putting off" the body of the flesh in
the circumcision of Christ." Let us inquire into the
meaning of this. As the circumcision of Christ here
spoken of put oft' " the body of the flesh," it was not
the mere rite of circumcision which He received in
infancy at Bethlehem, but that which He received, on
Calvary, and which was a fulfilment of its import.
The circumcision in infancy made Him a debtor to do
the whulc law of God with the fftifcljfulnwsH and imxx^
ISF't
242
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
lessness of a martyr. It was a severe rite, which
strikingly indicated the requirement of the martyr
spirit. It was, in Christ's estimation, an obligation to
allow the whole body to be put off in martyrdom
rather than allow one's self to be turned aside from
any path pointed out by the oracles of God.
Jesus was " made under the law," and circumcised
the eighth day, and thus publicly placed under obliga-
tion to obey the law of that dispensation. This made
it part of His duty to attend the Passover at Jerusa-
lem. He therefore did attend, though He knew that
doing so would put Him into the hands of enemies that
were seeking how they might put Him to death. He
was not deterred by " the fear of the brand," nor even
by the fear of the cross. Rather than set aside the
exceedingly sacred obligation of a Divine command,
and submit to ungodly counsels that pointed out a
difFerenli course, He submitted to their power to perse-
cute the flesh. He would allow them to have power
over this, but would allow them no dominion over the
soul. Hence His submission to martyrdom rather than
to sin is here regarded as a compliance with the obli-
gation imposed by circumcision in infancy. It is on
this account that the apostle speaks of " putting ©ff" the
body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ." In
the following verses we find that this circumcision
was followed by the burial of His dead body, and this
by a resurrection from the dead. We now see that
the series of terms given in this 2nd chapter of Colos-
sians is in a great degree similar to the series we
L>!)'
BURIED WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM.
243
a
rse-
wer
the
lan
bli-
on
the
In
ion
this
hat
los-
we
examined in the 6th chapter of Romans. In the lat-
ter we found the following terms: — (1) Baptism with
Christ ; (2) Death with Christ ; (3) Burial with Christ;
(4) Resurrection from the dead with Christ. (See expo-
sition of Romans vi. 3, 4.) In Colossians the series
stands thus : — (1) Circumcision with Christ ; (2) Put-
ting off the body of the flesh with Christ ; (3) Burial
with Christ ; (4) Resurrection from the dead with
Christ. The two last terms in each series are exactly
the same, and are placed in the same order. But in
the first term of the one series we find a baptism ; in
the first of the other series we see a circumcision. In
the one case the baptism was " into death " ; in the
other the circumcision " put off the body of the flesh."
As in Romans vi. 3, 4 there was a baptism of Christ
Himself, as well as a baptism of Paul and his asso-
ciates, vso in Colossians ii. 11, 12 we find a circumcision
of Christ, as well as a circumcision of the Colossian
brethren. It will be best in this instance, too, to
examine the cases separately.
And first, " the circumcision of Christ." This was a
circumcision that " put off the body of the flesh " —
" the whole body of the flesh," as remarked by Cony-
beare and Howson, Ellicott and others ; and therefore
it was not completed in infancy by the act which put
off a very small portion of the body. The word " body "
must be taken in the literal sense, as is evident " from
the concrete references ' buried ' and ' raised ' in the
context." {Ellicott.) It was a literal putting off of
the body of the flesh of Christ. There was nothing
E.t
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244
r.APTIZING AND TEACHING.
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in Christ's spiritual nature that needed to be figura-
tively put off. Hence the phrase "of the sins" is
properly absent in the Revised Translation. There
was a literal putting off of His body, causing literal
death ; for it was followed by the burial of the dead
body, and afterwards by a resurrection from the dead,
effected by the operation of Divine power.
The correctness of this interpretation will be clearly
seen by reasoning back from the resurrection spoken
of to the two related terms. As the resurrection is
expressly said to be a resurrection of Christ from the
dead, it follows that the burial must have been the
burial of His dead body, and therefore the circumci-
sion that put off the body must have resulted in His
bodily death ; and, for reasons which are mentioned
in the exposition of the parallel verses in Romans, and
which need not be repeated here, it is the martyr
death, martyr burial, and martyr resurrection which
the apostle is describing.
• The circumcision which divided asunder soul and
body caused blood to flow, and the blood which poured
down His body formed a " baptism into death," and
it is called such in the Epistle to the Romans. We
have understood the expression " the circumcision of
Christ" as meaning here the circumcision undergone
by Christ, the genitive having here a possessive refer-
ence. This circumcision was performed in Christ's case
by the hands of persecuting men on Calvary. The
Colosaiana, too, are represented as having redeived a
eircumeision, It is probable that, many of them Wer6
'I'
I
-y-.f
HURIEn WITH CHRIST IN RAPTISM.
245
■)ne
er-
se
he
a
re
Jewish proselytes before they embraced Christianity,
and that they had at that time received the Jewish
rite of circumcision. But they w^ere informed by Paul
that Christ, who received that rite, regarded it as
placing Him under obligation to put off the whole
body of the flesh at the martyr's stake rather than
submit to be turned from the right way into a sinful
course ; that on this account they should regard them-
selves as placed under a similar obligation.
The Colossians, moreover, had accepted this obliga-
tion, and accordingly regarded themselves to be dead
with Christ by circumcision with Christ ; just as Paul
and his associates (mentioned in Rom. vi. 3, 4) reckoned
themselves to be dead with Christ by baptism into
His death. The circumcision which puts off the body
of the flesh was anticipated by them, but w^as "not
made by hand " in their case as yet. They anticipated
that it would be, however, and so reckoned themselves
as dead with Christ.
The burial of the Colossians with Christ was also
anticipated. Theirs w^as a figurative burial with Christ.
They knew that they were authorized to hope that
those who, like Christ, are martj^red, shall, like Christ,
have a martyr burial — a short burial — a thousand
years shorter than that of the un martyred ; for the
general martyr resurrection will be a thousand years
earlier than the resurrection of " the rest of the dead."
(Rev. XX. ; v. author's exposition of this passage in
Christian Rewards.) They anticipated that if they
were actually martyred they too would have this
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FiAPTIXING AND TEACHING.
short martyr burial. The relation between the burials
here spoken of was that of a common doctrinal mean-
ing and design. Accordingly " he uses the preposition
sxiTiy and not the preposition mda. He would have
used the latter had he intended to say that they were
buried in the same burial-place, by the same hands, at
the same time. But he did not intend this, hence he
uses a different preposition, which denotes that the
relation between the events spoken of was that of a
common import" — that they were equally related to
the sufferings and hopes of martyrdom. After saying
that the Colossians were dead in circumcision, he tells
us they were " buried in baptism." Here is a remark-
able interchange of words. Instead of speaking of
those who were dead in circumcision as buried in cir-
cumcision and risen in circumcision, as some would
expect him to do, he speaks of them as buried in bap-
tism and risen in baptism. He might have used either
form of expression, because baptism and circumcision
were alike discipling ordinances, and bound those who
received them to hear and obey with fearless fidelity.
In that age many persons, among whom were prob-
ably the Colossians, received both circumcision and
baptism. Jews and Jewish proselytes continued to be
strongly attached to the ancient rite of circumcision.
On this account God allowed them to continue its
observance throughout the apostolic age, if they under-
stood that it was connected with the Abrahamic gos-
•
pel before it was connected with the Mosaic law, and
that the latter was never intended to take precedence
I
1
nUlUEr» WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM.
247
of
of the former. When persons proposed to use it for
this purpose its observance was forbidden by Paul.
There was no longer a Divine obligation to use it.
Hence it was gradually discontinued, and baptism took
its place, as the Lord's Supper did that of the Passover.
Knowing that such a change would be uiade, the
apostle represents the dead in circumcision as " buried
in baptism."
When the apostle said " buried in baptism " he
used the word "baptism" with reference to the abiding
design and obligation of the ordinance, not with refer-
ence to the momentary act of administering it. That
the former is the case is plain from the fact that they
are represented as being "dead in baptism," and
" buried in baptism," and " risen in baptism." These
three things could not be at the same time true with
relation to any mode of the act of baptism. But the
different parts of the doctrinal design of baptism could
be contemplated at the same time, and through a
whole lifetime. The act of baptism is transitory, but
the state resultant from the act is abiding. And the
latter, as Dr. Dale remarks, is the proper meaning of
l3a7rTiafia, the word which the apostle here uses. They
were not buried with Christ as part of the act of
baptism. The word " buried" is here followed by the
preposition ev (in). Grammarians know that when
the Greek preposition ev is placed after a verb denoting
putting or moving into an element it always signifies
that the thing put in is affirmed to be left in. If
therefore the apostle had here used the word "baptism"
248
HA1TIZIN(J AND TEACHINCJ.
II!
,1
iilll
r
to denote the baptismal element, i.e., water, and if
" buried " here meant put into watf-r, then, V)y adding
the preposition "in" after putting into, he meant that
they were left in water and were drowned. The English
preposition "in " has sometimes the same meaning in
similar circumstances. When we say "a man is put
in prison," we mean he is put into and left in. When
we say we have "put seed in the ground," we mean
w^e have put it in and left it there. But the Greek
preposition, in like circumstances, expres.ses this
abiding result always. It is certain, therefore, that
the apostle could not have intended to say that the
Colossians were put into water and left there. It is
consequently evident that he does not refer to the act
of baptism, but to the resultant state.
We cannot suppose that the burial was in water,
because the following word, " risen," does not lift him
out of the state referred to. The whole statement is,
" wherein, or in which, ye are risen "; not out of uhich
ye are risen, but wherein ye were raised. Hence, on
the supposition that Paul buried in water, it would
follow that they were raised to their feet, but left still
immersed over head and ears in w^ater, and drowned,
or else miraculously preserved alive at the bottom of
some cistern, lake, or river. An interpretation that
necessarily leads a , truly attentive reader through
such absurdities cannot be a true one. But this is not
all. As they w^ere buried w4th Christ it would, on
that supposition, follow that Christ was buried in
water by the baptismal act of John, and left there
L^IV
mnuKi) u'lTii ciiiasT in liAPTisM.
240
lot
on
in
re
until the ])ivinc Katli(T raised Hirn from the (lead. If
so, how coiiM the intervening part of His history, in-
chiding His journeyings, His teachings, His atoning
sufferings, etc., liave been accomplished under much
water ? It must now appear plain that interpreters
cannot suppose a reference to the act of baptism here
until they improperly look away from the apostle's
train of thought and separate his words from their
true connection.
On the other hand, the apostle's words, when viewed
in the connection in which he placed them, plainly
refer to the literal burial of Christ's corpse in the
sepulchre. But in that process no one can discover a
likeness to any part of any mode of baptism. The
carrying of the sacred corpse through the doorway of
the sepulchre, laying it on the stone shelf (on which
the angels afterwards " sat, one at the head and the
other at the feet "), and leaving it there, has no like-
ness whatever to any part of any mode of baptism ;
and of course there is no foundation whatever for the
strange notion that it illustrates or describes any
mode.
A resurrection also is attributed to both the parties.
We shall look first at the resurrection of Christ. I
have already observed that the apostle expressly calls
Christ's resurrection a resurrection from the dead. In
each of the parallel passages, Rom. vi. 9, Col. ii. 12,
he definitely states, and expressly affirms, that God
" raised Him from the dead." What we see here is a
dead body raised to life ; an effect which could not be
i
i it.
i'
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i!i|l
250
BAPTISING AND TEACHlNfi.
produced by the human hands that buried it. And
hence it is explicitly said that it was " the operation
of God " that effected the resurrection. The resurrec-
tion of Christ here spoken of, then, was literally a
resurrection of a dead body — a martyr's resurrection
following a martyr's burial.
The Colossians are contemplated as having a resur-
rection with Christ. But their resurrection from the
dead was not by means of the power of another, but
by the anticipating act of their own "faith." They
believed that the operation of God that raised Him
(Christ) from the dead could raise them also. Hence the
latter part of this verse, as more correctly rendered in
the Revised Translation, says : " Through faith in the
working of God that raised Him from the dead."
There is in the Greek text a genitive after Tzia-K; (faith).
And " in all cases where Trcang is thus associated with
a genitive re'i, the genitive appears to denote the
object of faith." {Ellicott) Alford, too, remarks, "The
genitive after T^iang is ever of the object of faith," not
of the efficient cause of faith. The operation of God
here spoken of did not work in the Colossians to pro-
duce this faith. No ; it wrought in Christ to raise
Him from the dead. Hence, as was already stated,
they believed that the operation of God had actually
raised the actually martyred Christ; they knew that a
similar operation could raise them too. From what
God had done they knew that He is able to raise the
martyred dead ; and from His word of promise they
knew that He will raise them in the first resurrection,
i
B^fiB^fiiM&
m
unuui^^mmttm
BURIKD WITH CHRIST IN HAPTISM.
251
;t a
lat
die
ley
on.
a thousand years before the second or general resur-
rection, in order that the risen martyrs may reign with
Christ a thousand years prior to the commencement of
the final reign over the full assembled hosts of all that
are saved.
There is no allusion here to a spiritual resurrection
from sinfulness to holiness. The operation of raising
a corpse from bodily death is wholly different from
that working which raises a depraved soul from spirit-
ual death. Hence faith in the operation of one power
would not anticipate an effect wrought by another
power. So that it was not a spiritual resurrection
from depravity that the Colossians anticipated hy
faith. A confirmation of this negative statement is
found in the fact that the resurrection of the Colossians
was " witk Christ " ; but Christ was never raised from
spiritual death — it ,.as only from bodily death that
He was raised. His was a martyr's resurrection from
a martyr's grave. To anticipate a resurrection with
Him is to anticipate a martyr's resurrection. The
Colossians did anticipate such a resurrection. In this
respect they were in advance of the Romans, who,
when Paul wrote to them, did not thus " reckon them-
selves to be alive unto God." But they were not in
advance of Paul and his fellow-disciples, who had
anticipated this resurrection, who had embraced the
promises pertaining to baptism ; and had, by their aid,
responded to the obligations imposed by bapti.^im.
Rev. A. Wiberg admits that the burial and resur-
rec^.v^n of the Colossians were not the means by which
f-i
252
lUI'TIZINU A^ TEACHING
i
; b.
h
i
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11^
their circumcision was effected, but were the " conse-
quences from this circumcision which consisted in
putting off the body of the flesh." {Chr. Bap., p. 200.)
Having admitted this, why did he not also admit, for
the sake of consistency at least, that the burial and
resurrection of the Romans were not the means by
which their baptism was effected, but the consequences
of the baptism ? For, obviously, baptism holds the
same relations to burial and resurrection in the one
case that circumcision does in the other.
It must now appear plain that the apostle's reference
is to a martyr's death on Calvary, a martyr's burial, and
a martyr's resurrection ; and not to a mode of baptism
at the Jordan, or anywhere else.
When examining the parallel passage in Romans
we showed that these three related words cannot be
supposed to describe an act of baptism by immersion
without putting utter nonsense into the clauses in
which the apostle uses those words.
Paul subsequently notices that the anticipations
which the Colossians now had by faith were very
different from those which they had in their heathen
state. The apostle calls their attention to the contrast :
" And you, being dead in your sins and the uncir-
cumcision of your flesh." That is, when they were in
a heathen state, for uncircumcision of the flesh was
"the physical mark of a heathen state." (Eadie.)
When in an unconverted and heathen state they
looked for no resurrection from the dead at all. They
anticipated death only. But old things had passed
•iHi
iw
IJUIUED WITJl CHRIST IN BAPTISM.
253
away, for now he says, " You hath He quickened
together with Him." The Father Almighty by raising
Christ from the dead led them to anticipate a similar
resurrection, a first resurrection with Christ, and thus
emboldened them to resist even unto blood, striving
aofainst sin, as did Christ, who endured the cross for
the joy set before Him. As the quickening here
spoken of is the work of God the Father, it does not
refer to the regeneration of the soul, for this is the
work of God the Holy Ghost. The apostle does not
mean the latter for another reason — the quickening
here spoken of is " together with Him," i.e., with
Christ, who never needed or received spiritual regen-
eration. It must therefore be the other quickening
that is meant. God quickened Christ, i.e., made Him
alive from the dead; and thus authorized the Colossians
to believe, as they did, that the operation of the same
Almighty power would in due time, in fulfilment of
the Divine promise, quicken them also alter a short
martyr burial, if they were called actually to die as
martyrs. It thus emboldened them to serve God
" without fear, in holiness and righteousness before
Him, all the days of their life." They had been dead
in sin ; they are now dead to sin and alive to God, ex-
hibiting the highest elements of Christian character,
with the courage and fortitude of a martyr.
Before this quickening by the Father they had,
however, passed through a spiritual quickening by the
regenerating power of the Holy Ghost. But this
pardoning and regenerating process thcjV underwent
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254
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
alone, and not together with Christ, and hence it is
not here definitely alluded to. This regeneration is
given at the time of pardon, which had taken place, for
all the oldest authorities read, " Having forgiven us
all trespasses."
"Blotting out" (having wiped out by His authority as
the Supreme Teacher) "the handwriting of ordinances "
— which, after Moses' time, circumcision bound Jews and
Jewish propf'lytes to observe — " which was contrary "
(adverse) "to us" — being a yoke of bondage — "and took
it out of the way, nailing it to His cross," and thus
exhibiting it as a wiped-out writing. He then pro-
ceeds to tell them how by that cross Christ proved
Himself victorious over all principalities and powers
that usurp the place of God by trying to gain domin-
ion over the consciences of men. When these per-
secuting powers had seized on His body of flesh, He
put off the flesh, and by putting it ofl"- — mrf-Kch^aa/jEvnc, in
the middle voice — " stripped away from Hiuiself " the
principalities and powers that had dominion over the
body only, and over that for merely a little while,
who while they had that dominion had failed to make
Him swerve from the way in which He should go,
and who now had no more that they could do. It is
thus that Wordsworth and Ellicott, following Hilary
and St. Augustine, explain this passage. They say,
" The powers of evil had power against Christ, as
mortal in His flesh : He divested Himself of His flesh ;
by thus doing He divested Himself of them." {Lange.)
They put Him to death, and thought they had made
'^1'
BURIED WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM.
255
an end of Him. But no ; He rose from the dead in
the possession of all power over them. Having
completely baffled their final effort, and being now
forever above their reach, " He made a show of them
with boldness, as the ancient conqueror exhibited those
who had been completely subjected to Him, triumphing
over them in it," i.e., in the cross, the very instrument
by which they thought they should triumph forever
over Him. He therefore tells the Colossians to " let
no man judge them " in respect of meats or drinks,
for they should feel " under no obligation to obey the
Judaizing teachers, who enjoined the now repealed
rites of Moses, the worship of angels, or bodily morti-
fications, as the means of salvation " (Dr. Macknight),
because they need not fear them that kill the body,
but after that have no more that they can do ; and
because they know that if they suffer with Christ
they shall also reign with Him. It thus appears that
the subsequent context fully sustains the exposition
jriven above.
ilary
say,
ist, as
flesh ;
\ange^
made
^
^TT^.
^ .^)
j .;
256
IJAPJIZINU AND TKACHINCI.
■'I'
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4'
! I
CHAPTER X.
NOTK TO KOM. VI. I 11, AND COL. II. 12: J^AITISM IS A
COMMKMOKATl VE KITE.
When we understantl the ordinance ari
§m
:iii :;
I
258
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
out it. Now, to keep up the proof of these doctrines,
the proof of the fact on which they are founded is
kept up ; and this proof of the fact is kept up by the
commemorative rite which is called the Lord's Supper.
This visible rite was pre-appointed by the Lord Jesus,
was observed by those who lived when the great event
took place, and has been periodically observed since
that time, in many nations, down to the present day,
as is evident from all past history and from present
usages throughout Christendom. Hence, while that
past history and this present usage prove the observ-
ance of this commemorative rite, the fact commemo-
rated must be admitted ; and while this is admitted,
the doctrines necessarily implied by it should be ad-
mitted also. No one can overthrow the doctrine that
man needs an atonement, unless he can overthrow the
fact that Christ made an atonement. But no one can
overthrow this fact except by annihilating the present
commemorative usages of Christendom, and falsifying
all past history so far as it bears testimony to the past
observance of this rite ; and to do this is surely an
utter impossibility.
In like manner, the rite of baptism is commemora-
tive. It was designed to commemorate the martyr
death of Christ — the exceedingly important fact that
our Great Teacher sealed with His ms^rtyr-blood
the truth of His baptism — the truth of all that God
has " spoken unto us by His Son." In order to
faith in teaching, there must be faith in the teacher ;
\n order to faith in the teacher, there must be fafth in
i
my
BAPTISM IS A COMMEMORATIVE RITE.
259
jtrines,
ided is
by the
5upper.
[ Jesus,
t event
d since
nt day,
present
lie that
observ-
imemo-
Imitted,
be ad-
ine that
row the
one can
present
Isifying
;he past
Irely an
lemora-
\martyr
ict that
Ir-blood
lat God
Irder to
iacher ;
[aith in
his character and in his credentials. Now, His
martyr death was a crowning confirmation of His
character, and His martyr resurrection was a
crowning confirmation of His credentials. Hence,
as we have said, baptism was appointed to com-
memorate the martyr death of Christ; and the
Lord's Supper to commemorate the atoning death of
Christ. His death in each sense is exceedingly im-
portant, but not equally important. In this respect
the atoning death far exceeds the other, being the
one peculiar and fundamental Gospel truth, without
which there could have been for fallen men no par-
don, no holiness, no heaven. And for this very reason
it is of the highest importance that the expiatory
death of Christ as our Mediator, and the scriptures
which refer to it, should be kept in our thoughts dis-
tinct from the martyr death of Christ as our example,
and the texts which point thereto. If we apply to
the former death statements which were meant for
the latter, the result will be chaotic confusion of
thought and gross perversion of doctrine. For in-
stance, it is plain that in this passage of the 6th chap-
ter of Romans, " the death of Christ " is spoken of as
an example to be imitated. This being so, the as-
sumption that Christ's atoning death is the one that
is referred to by the apostle, leads obviously to the
conclusion that it presents an example to be imitated.
But it could not be imitated. His followers could not
be conformed to His death for sin by dying to sin.
" What sort of conformity is this ? " says Dr. Carson.
H t
if) Vm
'1,
260
JJAI'TIZINU AND TEACHING.
li
11 ':..
m<.:
iii
i
'ill!;'
" There is no likeness at all in this conformity ; it is
only a mere play upon words." {Bap., p. 885.) T£ the
death of Christ hero spoken of be supposed to bo
" His death as a proper atonement " for others, then
the " dyinfT along with Him" to which baptism refers
would represent us as mediators suffering an atoning
death for the sins of others. Or else it would imply
that the *^ 'ling work was not given to Christ only;
that mer required to unite with Him in bearing
atoning sutierings — whether by bodily penances, by
sympathy of feeling, or by some mystical fiction of
thought. The result is a most gross and dangerous
perversion of the glorious work of our great High
Priest.
We have not space to specify here all the errors
that arise from confounding and misapplying the
scriptures which refer severally to the two deaths
spoken of. We can refer onh^ to those which touch
on the ordinance of baptism. When it is supposed
that the death here spoken of is the atoning one, then
the phrase " baptism into His death " leads to the
opinion that it is by means of the baptismal rite
that persons are placed in union with the atoning
sufFerinofs of Christ ; and as salvation is through these
sufferings, it is then inferred that baptismal .salvation
is a doctrine of Scripture. Thus are they misled to
embrace the dangerous doctrine that salvation is com-
municated by rites and ceremonies. And it is easy to
add, as popery does, that these rites must be adminis-
tered by a certain order of men, who claim therefore
HAPTISM IS A COMMEMORATIVE RITE.
201
an allef^iance which sinks all who yichl to it into the
degradation, guilt, and danger of gross idolatry.
The two sacraments differ as to the death commem-
orated. But they agree in commemorating one and
the same personage — the Lord Jesus Christ. It seems
all fit and right that one of the two ordinances of
Christianity, namely, the Lord's Supper, should com-
memorate Jehovah Jesus as the only true Priest and
true propitiation for sin in the universe ; and that
the other sacrament should commemorate Jehovah
Jesus as the martyred Prophet and " Apostle of our
confession." Yet some who rightly make the Lord's
Supper commemorate the Lord Jesus use baptism as
if it was intended to be a celebration in honour of a
fellow-creature who emboldens himself to profess that
he has the requisite qualifications for baptism. This
makes the rite cease to be a part of Divine worship,
and gives it the aspect, outwardly at least, of popish
saint-worship, or pagan hero-worship. And such a
celebration has often been a snare and an injury to
those who " love the praise of men," tempting them to
receive an ordinance of God for the sake of being the
hero of a religious service. But when we regard
baptism as commemorative of the martyr death of
Christ, we see Christ as the hero whose faithfulness
and fearlessness is to be imitated.
We are here reminded of the simplicity of our
Christian ritual. On this point Caird remarks : " The
principle on which the appointment of rites and cere-
monies defends is deeply seated in man's nature. There
Ill
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1 1
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nil \ il
262
liArnZlNf} AND TEACHING.
is a disinclination to rest satisfied with a mere verbal
expression, or even v/ritten record, of the greatness we
honour, or the events we celebrate. We seek by forms
and observances to give them external significance.
For instance, the coronation of the monarch, the forms
and solemnities that accompany the passing of laws
and the administration of justice, the rites and fes-
tivities of marriage, and the gloomy attire and solemn
pomp of the burial of the dead. . . . Even the fleeting
phenomena of thought and feeling are not garnered
up in words only ; there is a silent language of look
and tone and gesture, which, as it is the earliest, is
also the most vivid and impressive medium of mind."
Hence Christianity has its rites, too. These rites,
being commemorative, are more plain and simple than
those of the former dispensation, which were a'nticipa-
tive. " To aid in anticipating the unknown requires a
more full delineation, a more elaborated formality of
type and ceremony. To commemorate the known
needs merely hints for thought. A well-informed
scientific observer needs no illustration on a large
scale to remind him of the principles and laws of
nature. The fall of a stone is as significant of gravi-
tation as the revolution of a planet. The print of a
foot on a rock revives to the imagination an ancient
and extinct world." (Gaird.) So the pou' ing of a lit-
tle water on the head of an initiated pupil is suffi-
cient to commemorate the affusion of blood on their
Great Teacher in the solemn hour of martyrdom.
^]\
BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD.
263
CHAPTER XI.
THE DOCTRINAL IMPORT OF BAPTISM AS INDICATED IN
1 COR. XV. 29: BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD.
" Why are they then baptized for the dead, if the dead
rise not at all ? " We bring these words up for con-
sideration after those of the sixth chapter of Romans
and the second of Colossians, because here too we find
the apostle associating the idea of the resurrection of
the dead with the ordinance of baptism. This associa-
tion appears exceedingly perplexing to many — so much
so that some have concluded that this text cannot be
used by either party in the controversy, " because of
its obscurity." (Sumner on Bap., pp. 225, 226.) Had
they acquired a right view of Paul's conception of the
ordinance, as unfolded in Rom. vi. 3-6, and Col. ii. 11,
12, they would find no special difficulty in understand-
ing his language to the Corinthians. The apostle's
main object in this chapter is to demonstrate the doc-
trine of the resurrection of the dead. Knowing that
this doctrine is confirmed bv the reference which is
made to it by the ordinance of baptism, he alludes to
the ordinance for this purpose. Baptism, as he taught
the Romans, places disciples of Christ under obligation
to imitate their Divine Master, who submitted to mar-
tyrdom rather than yield to sin ; and he encouraged
them to fulfil this obligation by assuring them that
.It
264
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
li*
nii
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martyrs have been promised a martyr resurrection, and
that that Divine promise will surely be fulfilled. As
baptism by Divine appointment conveys such an assur-
ance, it is properly used to support the doctrine of the
resurrection. On the other hand, to deny the resur-
rection of the dead is to deny the specially promised
resurrection of the martyrs, and therefore to deprive
baptism of an important part of its import, and to
falsify its promises. If these are false, what shall they
do who have risked so much upon them ? " Else what
shall they do who are baptized for the dead if the dead
rise not " (are not raised) " at all " ? " Why are they
then baptized for the dead " ? (vrzep, over the dead) — for
them. (A, B, D, E, Slnalt., etc.) Observe, the apostle
here speaks of a part of the baptized, not of the whole
of them. He says " they," in contradistinction to "we,"
in the next clause. Again, he speaks of those who
were being baptized just at that time, not of those who
were baptized previously. The times then present
were obviously times of bloody persecution against the
disciples of Christ. " In imminent contact with this
baptism — vntf) rc^vp^*^ — we have," says Dr. Dale, "a
statement that churches are in hourly peril of death ;
and the last verse of the chapter exhorts to steadfast-
ness and immovableness amid encompassing dangers."
Hence he properly concludes that we have here "a
ritual baptism received in a time of persecution " by
persons who at the time were standing "over the dead"
martyrs. " The dead," says Dr. Dale, " may refer defi-
nitely to some Christians who had been slain at
!r 'm
BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD.
265
>>
gers.
Ire "a
lead"
defi-
lin at
Corinth, and immediately thereupon others had been
baptized." It is assumed, apparently, that the cruel
persecutors have left, having satisfied themselves that
the martyr is dead ; and tender-hearted brethren and
friends have now gathered round, and are bending
over the corpse, or over its grave. They sper k of the
martyr's true faith and godly life ; of his heroic forti-
tude while under the power of violent men; of his
happy escape to " where the wicked cease to trouble ;"
of his glorious title to a first resurrection and millen-
nial reign with Christ ; of the wisdom and goodness of
God in making even the sufferings of the present time
" work together for orood to them that love God." In-
fluenced by witnessing such an e::ample, and by listen-
ing to such remarks, some of the group desire and
resolve to become disciples of a Master who has such
follow^ers. They count the cost on the one hand, and
the reward on the other, and offer themselves to be
" baptized over the dead."
He who was baptized at such a time confronted
that death which they had met. Such action might
well elicit the inquiry : " Why do men thus give
themselves to death, filling up the ranks of the slain,
unless they believe and do know that, through that
Christ into whom they are baptized, the martyred
shall have a resurrection from the dead?" (Dr. Lf&ie,
Christie Bap., p. 1317.) Dr. Dale supposes that the
candidates were thinking only of the general resur-
rection. Had he correctly interpreted Romans vi.
3, 4 he would have seen that the reference is to tne
• \3
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ijii.
If
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i!||!;»l
III
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266
nwrV/ANii AND TEACHING.
first resurrection, promised to martyrs as a special
encourafife merit to martyr firmness, and he would
have found no diflficulty in comprehending " the rela-
tion of baptism ' to this subject. If they anticipated
that the martyred dead would have an early martyr
resurrection, it is easy to understand why they should
get themselves baptized over them. On the other
hand, why did the Divinely appointed rite of baptism
publicly point to the resurrection of the martyrs (as
they knew it did), if there was no truth in the
doctrine of their resurrection ? for there cannot be a
resurrection of the martyrs if the dead rise not at all.
It may be remarked that Bloomfield and others
consider that there is an ellipsis of the words " resur-
rection of " between " for " and " the dead." Supply-
ing this, they would read — " Why are they baptized
for — in relation to — the resurrection of the dead, if
the dead rise not at all ?" Theophylact explained the
passage thus : " Why are men baptized at all in
behalf of the resurrection — that is, in expectation of
the resurrection — if the dead rise not?" (A. Wiberg,
Ghr. Bap., p. 138.) After the criticism of some had
supposed an ellipsis of the words "resurrection of"
between " for " and " the dead," the theology of others
supplied another word, " confession." The passage
was then paraphrased by them — " Why are they bap-
tized for the confession of the resurrection of the
dead, if the dead rise not at all ?" This addition led
to the rejection of the whole e'lipsis, because the
phrase " the confession of the resurrection " cannot
hl:'i !
BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD.
267
be literally expressed by bn^p rwv vcKpuv, as Olshausen
observed. Paul does not assert that he himself had
been " baptized for " (or over) " the dead." But he
nevertheless considered himself to be as fully under
obligations as they were to be a martyr rather than
a sinner should perilous times come. And now that
such times had come he shrinks not, but stands " in
jeopardy every hour"; and asks, "Why si&nd we in
jeopardy every hour if the dead rise not ?" He
plainly implies that he and his companions ran the
constant risk of martyrdom, because they, too, con-
Udently anticipated that the brief pains of martyr-
dom would be followed, in due time, by a resurrection
of the martyrs, in order to enjoy a millennial reign
with the once martyred but already risen Christ.
He next mentions his own case particularly, as he
was in much greater danger than his associates. " I
protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ
Jesus our Lord, I die daily " — I daily expose myself
to a martyr death. And he did so because he daily
felt a martyr's joyful hope of the first resurrection,
" the rejoicing in Christ Jesus our Lord," which the
Corinthians had, and which he also had.
" If after the manner of men " (" with the views of
common men " — Lange) " I have fought with beasts
at Ephesus, what ad vantage th it me ?" — what doth it
profit me ? Some take this literally, and suppose that
as " the young men at Ephesus were famous for their
bull-fights " [Artimedor i. 9 (Wetstein) in Lange], they
wished to know whether Paul could do what they
■f
p
i
I
k I '1'
'■1
I I'.i.'
268
BAPTIZING AND TEACHlNa.
had done ; whether he could equal them in their
glory. From such motives they may have armed
him as they v/ere armed, and exposed him to the
fury of such beasts. But what advantage to Paul
would be the glory of the young men of Ephesus —
the glory of having fought with beasts and slain
them ? Would it be wise to voluntarily risk his
life for the sake of such glory ? No. Would it be
wise to pursue a course which exposed him to be
forced to such contests, if he knew that the dead did
not rise ? No, not for a moment. But he had un-
doubting faith in the power of God to raise the dead,
and in the promise of God to give the martyrs a
first resurrection. He thus justified his own conduct
in standing in jeopardy every hour, and the conduct
of those who became disciples over the corpses of
those who had been martyred for being disciples.
God cannot disappoint the hopes of such martyrs.
' li
'I'
I
pi
ii' i i
p*l
NOAH PROVIDENTIALLY SAVED HY WATER.
269
CHAPTER XI I.
THE DOCTRINAL IMPORT OF BAPTISM AS PRESENTED IN
1 PETER III. 8-IV. i: NOAH PROVIDENTIALLY "SAVED
BY WATER" FROM THE ANCIENT ENEMIES OF RIGHT-
EOUSNESS.
This portion of Scripture throws additional light on
the import ol:' baptism. It shows that when God ap-
pointed baptism to bind Christ's disciples to be martyrs
rather than sinners, He gave a pledge that they shall
not be exterminated by martyrdom. They shall be
saved from this by Him who keeps all opposing prin-
cipalities and powers under His control.
The verses that convey this encouraging thought
belong to a closely connected series of statements.
Hence their meaning can be best ascertained by care-
fully reviewing some of the preceding statements. The
inspired writer had shown Christians the feelings
which they ought to cherish towards each other. He
next shows them how they were to behave towards
an ungodly world, from whom the)'' had received, and
might still expect, injurious words and deeds. For
this purpose he adds, " Not rendering evil for evil, or
railing for railing" (ver, 9); "but contrariwise, bless-
ing " the evil-doer and the railer :
"Just as the scented sandal tree, in all its pride and bloom,
Sheds on the axe which lays it low its sweet and rich perfume."
To induce them to act thus iie presents various and
I
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270
lUrnZING AND TEACHlNa.
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strong motives as follows: " Knowing that ye are there-
unto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." The
Heavenly Father calls His children to pass through
sufferinor to the blessing which He ogives in return for
the blessing which we gave to our persecutors — to
blessing also from those who approve of our conduct,
or who have thereby been changed from enemies into
friends. He tells them, too, that by acting right they
secure long life and happy days, " For he that will
love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue
from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile "
(dolov, fraud, deceit). " Let him eschew " (turn away
from) "evil and do good; let him seek peace." Peace
is a timid thing that retires from a threatening con-
flict which it seems unable to prevent ; but " seek "
it. It flies from a conflict already begun ; but pursue
it. If it be possible, live peaceably with all men. He
proceeds to mention another motive, " For the eyes of
the Lord are over" (fr/, upon, directed upon) '"the
righteous." Ho here mentions the ej'es because " love
brightens the eyes" (Be^i gel); and those loving eyes
will watch over the interests of those who keep these
precepts. " And His ears are open unto their prayers "
for help in time of need. " But the face of the Lord
is against them that do evil." He now mentions the
face because " anger excites the entire human coun-
tenance" (Bengel); and God manifestly feels holy in-
dignation against the workers of iniquity. Besides,
such Christian kindness and meekness will prevent
many an affront from being given to you, and many an
NOAH PROVIDENTIALLY SAVED BY WATER. 271
''W
He
yes of
= the
love
coun-
ly in-
sides,
event
ny an
I
injury from being inflicted. "And who is he that will
harm you, if ye be followers of " (or, as some copies
adopted by the Revised Version read, " zealous for ")
"that which is good." " Humility," as Scott justly re-
marks, " takes away all occasion of insolence from the
proud and haughty. Meekness pacifies wratli, and the
returning of good for evil is apt to subdue the roughest
disposition, and to conquer even malice itself." Hence
few are so undiscerningly and childishly violent as to
injure those who are manifestly humble and benevo-
lent. Some such, however, have been and may again
be met with. Some will inflict suflering for righteous-
ness' sake. " But and if ye sufler" (should suffer) "for
righteousness* sake, happy" (blessed) "are ye." In
actual suffering you will need more grace, and ask
more, and therefore obtain more ; and that additional
•j-race will make you so happy as to cause you to glory
ill your infirmities that " the power of Christ may
rest upon you." "And be not afraid of their terror"
(be not terrified by the fear which they strive to in-
spire into you), " neither be troubled ; but sanctify
the Lord God in your hearts," — or, as A, B, C, Cod.
Sinai t., Lachmann, Tischendorf, etc., read, "Sanctify in
your hearts Christ the Lord," as Lord, as the one and
only one who should have dominion over your faith ;
as the only one who should by fear influence your
conduct in matters of conscience — "and be readv
always to give an answer to every man that asketh
you a reason of the hope that is in you." "There is
po hope without some antecedent belief that the thing
I- 1
i;tl
I'll ,
:mi I
272
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
hoped for may come to pass " (Benfley) ; and belief
has seen reasons for its confidence, and ought to be
able to show these reasons. Hence the Christian is
directed to give " an answer," — anoTioyiav, an apology or
defence — to " every man " asking reasons. This does
not imply that every Christian should be ready to
engage in public disputation with an enemy, but enter
into private conversation with an inquirer. "Religious
truth is not the exclusive ])roperty of any man, hence
the possession of it makes us debtors to others."
{v'inet.) He that can remove the doubts and diffi-
culties of others should do so when those others ask
reasons, not when they appear as scoifers or revilers.
We should be ready, but " with meekness " — proper re-
spect for man — " and fear" — proper reverence towards
God. It is a solemn thing, a matter of grave respon-
sibility, to define and defend religious truth. " Having
a good conscience." Defenders of the Christian hope
will do little good by giving their reasons if they
have not a good conscience attesting the consistency
of their conduct with their profession Nothing but
this will silence those who speak evil of Christians.
" That, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers,
they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good
conversation in Christ." ("They may be put to shame
who revile your good manner of life in Christ" — Rev.
Ver.) " For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye
suffer for well-doinjx than for evil-doing." Your earnest
defence of the Christian hope may silence argument,
and yet arouse a persecuting spirit. If so, it is better
NOAH PROVIDENTIALLY SAVED BY WATER. 273
belief
to be
an is
.gy or
J does
cly to
, enter
igious
hence
bhers."
I diffi-
srs ask
jvilers.
per re-
)wards
espon-
laving
n hope
they
|stency
ipr but
Istians.
Ildoers,
good
Ishame
■Rev.
Ihat ye
larnest
iment,
I better
to submit to any sufferings wliich wicked men are per-
mitted to inflict for well-doing than to have to suffer
what God will inflict for doing evil. " For Christ also
hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,"
etc. That is, even Christ suffered for well-doing ;
even His well-doing was called ill-doing, and pun-
ished as such. He was pre-eminently a just person-
age, and yet called unjust, and punished as such.
He was martyred by wicked hands. His martyr suf-
ferings are here thought of, and regarded as an
example to be imitated. (Chap. iv. 1.) His atoning
sufferings are not here referred to, for these were on
our behalf, and were not left us as an example. He
who went about doing good was martyred for ill-
doing, maliciously laid to His charge by the "false
witnesses " that were suborned against Him. He was
numbered with transgressors, and punished with them
under the pretext of making Him a warning example
to sinners. But He knew that many would after-
wards loetfc^ on Him in a very different light, and
would regard Him as a holy martyr, emboldening
them by His heroic courage to follow in His train
through martyrdom to glory. " That He might bring
us to God" — may bring them through all the stormy
opposition of sinful men into His presence, where
they will have a peaceful haven which the tempests
of this world are not permitted to invade. ** Being
put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the
Spirit." " This cannot be fairly translated ' quickened
in spirit/ so as to denote His soul ; for that needed no
18
TB ;,r
274
HAPTIZINCJ AND TKA<^IIIN(i.
: i
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(
t J
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1
1
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(luickeiiino" " — the soul continued to Vivq. Tlie antithe-
sis to tlie (leatli of the Hesh is tlie ([uielvenin^ of the
flesh. The (juickening was of the body, and hy tlie
Divinity." (Rev. M. Randals, For Ever, p. ir)2.) The
suffeiinj^s which men inflicted caused merely the
martyr death of the body, but His martyr death was
followed by a martyr resurrection. The martyr resur-
rection was in His case followed by a quickeninj^
into immortality. He both died and rose and revived.
After death (Jhrist'sbody underwent a twofold process.
One was by the jjjlorious power of the Father, which
raised the dead body to life. But when flrst raised
from the dead His body was still in a form which
those who had known Him in the flesh could recoj^nize
and bear witness to. But this risen body of flesh and
bones was, before His ascension, quickened into a
spiritual body by His own quickening Spirit. This,
we think, is what is referred to by the clause " (piick-
ened by the Spirit." The rw before Trifiymn is spurious.
This is the only (juickening that Christ ever needed.
This He Himself wrought. We are told in Paul's
first epistle to the Corinthians (xv. 45) that "the first
Adam was made a living soul ; the last Adam was
made a quickening Spirit." He quickened His nat-
ural body into a spiritual body. [The Scripture gives,
apparently, a three-sided view of man's nature ; but
really a twofold view adapted to a twofold state. It
speaks of spirit, and soul, and body. The soul is man's
immaterial nature considered in relation to the senses
of the body of flesh, and through the senses to the
NOAH IMIOVIDKNTIAF.LY SAVKI) IJY WATKR. 27.')
T;M
ot* the
by the
, Tl.e
ly the
ith was
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•evived.
process.
', which
b raised
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[icognize
esh and
into a
This,
" (jiiick-
p»u'i()ii>^.
needed.
Paul's
the first
1
am was
^is nat-
re gives,
ire ; but
bate. It
I is man's
je senses
Is to the
present material world. The spirit is man's imma-
terial nature viewed in its relation and adaptation to
spiritual and divine things.]
The natural or soul-body (rj'vxiKov nu)iia) is the body in
its present state of animal orf^anization and adaptation
to the present world. The spiritual body is the body
as it will l)e when ada{)ted by resurrecting and quicken-
ing power to the use of the spirit in reference to the
spiritual and eternal world. Christ's body after its
death and resurrection was then quickened into a
spiritual Ijody. In other cases the resurrection and
quickening will be simultaneous.
"By which also He went and preached unto the
spirits in prison," etc. That is, by which quickening,
and in which quickened and new spiritual body, He
went, etc. He personally went into the place where
the spirits spoken of were kept in prison. " The
apostle,'" says Alford, " is evidently dealing with his-
torical matters; Christ suffered, died, was (juickened,
went, preached." It is most natural to think that
those historical events took place in chronological
sequence (Weisinger in Alford) ; and, therefore, that
He went after His body was quickened into a spiritual
body ; not previous to its quickening, while He was in
His disembodied state ; and for the same reason, not
previous to His incarnation, in His pre-existent state
as a Person of the Trinity.
" And preached unto the spirits in pri.son ; which
sometime were disobedient when once" — which were
unpersuadable once when — " the longsuifering of God
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HAPTIZINU AXn TEACHING.
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waited in the days ot' Noah, while the ark was a pre-
paring " (being prepared). The word translated "dis-
obedient" literally means unpersuadable ; it often de-
notes unbelief manifested in disobedience. The word
rendered "preached" is one which means to proclaim
as a herald, to announce a thing publicly and authori-
tatively. The particular subject of the proclamation
is indicated, not by the word itself, but by the con-
text. In some cases the context points to the gospel
of Christ ; in others, to the law of Moses (Acts xv. 21);
in others, to the day of judgment (Acts x. 42). In
the case now before us it points to the announcement
of the resurrection from the dead, and the quicken-
ing of the body of flesh into a spiritual and immortal
body. By personally going in His now spiritual and
glorified body He personally made known to those
spirits a great truth respecting which they remained
"unpersuadable" in the days of Noah, namely, the
truth that dead and buried bodies will rise aixain,
and that natural bodies will be changed into spirit-
ual ones. Jesus went as the firstfruits from the dead
— the first that was raised from the dead to die
no more ; and He appeared specially to them, prob-
ably, because they were the first who openly and per-
sistently denied the resurrection, and consequently
the judgment. They were prol»ably the fathers of
this unbelief. This appearance of Christ to them
would give them, and all who followed their example
of unbelief, to feel strong convictions of the general
judgment to come ; for such an " assurance has been
11
:flH
NOAH PROVIDENTIALLY SAVED BY WATEIi.
277
; a pre-
d "dis-
ten de-
le word
roclaim
.ufchori-
1 1 nation
he con-
i gospel
xV. 21);
t2). In
icement
[uicken-
iimoital
;ual and
to those
sinained
ly, the
again,
3 spirit-
he dead
to die
n, prob-
in(i per-
'quently
hers of
them
xample
oreneral
1 as been
given to men by raising Christ from the dead." (Acts
xvii. 31.) These spirits were expressly summoned to
listen to this proclamation ; but others doubtless would
hear it, or hear of it. This assurance would deepen
their fear of the wrath to come, and this fear would
aid in keeping them under restraint until the day of
judgment. He did not make proclamation then and
there to the obedient spirits. The announcement to
these was made on His ascension into heaven. And to
them the announcement of the resurrection and conse-
quent judgment would be glad tidings. "The text
says nothing whatever of the good, but refers explicitly
to the ' disobedient.' All interpretations which ig-
nore this distinct and explicit reference are arbitrary,
and substitute speculation for the language of inspira-
tion." (Lange.) It is equally true that the text says
nothing about the repentance or final salvation of the
disobedient ones to whom the proclamation was made ;
nor does it censure them for neglecting a graciously
added opportunity. No such opportunity was added.
No saving truth of the gospel was preached to them.
They, like others, were left to be judged according to
deeds done in the body, not according to anything
done by them in a subsequent disembodied state.
Some have imagined that the meaning is, that the
Spirit of Jesus was given to the apostles, and went in
them after the day of Pentecost ; and preached not to
the same individual persons that lived in Noah's time,
but to their descendants. (Lindsay's Sequel.) But
they forgot to show how those who perished in the
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278
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
flood managed to perpetuate descendants to the days
of the apostles.
The view given above discovers a reason for allud-
ing here to the disobedient in Noah's time. They dis-
believed, and probably were the first to disbelice, the
prophesying of Enoch, " the seventh from Adam," re-
specting the coming of the Lord, " with ten thousand
of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to
convince all that are ungodly among them of all their
nngodl)^ deeds which they have ungodly committed,
and of all their hard speeches . . . spoken against
Him." (Jude 14, 15.) Then, under the influence of
this unbelief, they became "filled with violence " (Gen.
vi. 11), and manifested it against the righteous. Those
who spoke " hard speeches " against God would com-
mit hard deeds against His people. And that they
did so may be inferred from Peter's inspired reference
to them when treating on the subject of persecution
against the righteous. It may be inferred also from
the fact that Peter tells us in his second Epistle that
it was to " save Noah, a preacher of righteousness,"
that the flood was brought upon " the world of the un-
godly." (2 Peter ii. 5.) Noah was therefore in danger
of being martyred by them.
But he was " saved by water." He was providen-
tially saved from martyrdom by the flood of water
that drowned those who purposed to slay him. This
was the true design of the flood. It was not sent as
the punishment that was to be adjudged to those un-
godly men ; for Peter, in the part of his second Epistle
i':"~M
rn
!'
le days
r allud-
hey dis-
e^^e, the
am," re-
lousand
and to
all their
[imitted,
against
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J " (Gen.
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lid com-
at they
eference
secution
o from
tie that
usness,"
the un-
danger
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This
sent as
nose un-
Epistle
Noah providentially saved by nvater. 279
already quoted, adds tliis observation: "The Lord
ktioweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations,
and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment
to be punished." (2 Peter ii. 9.) This teaches us
that the Hood (verse 5) was sent for the deliverance
of the godh'^ from temptation, i.e., from temptation to
apostasy arising from fear of martyrdom. It was not
sent for the judicial punishment of the ungodly, be-
cause the infliction of this is reserved until the day of
judgment. But this method of delivering the godly
from martyrdom was not adopted until they became
so few in number as to be contained within a family
of eight persons. We have no evidence that more
than one of these eight was really pious. Noah was
" a righteous man and a preacher of righteousness."
The seven others were listeners to his preaching, but
perhaps they were hearers only. These disciples had
been diminished to this little company by fear of the
violent men of that age. And now God resolved not
to allow this process of diminution to proceed any
further. He could not permit the only prei^her of
righteousness and his seven disciples to be banished
from this fallen world. He providentially saved them
by water, which He sent to drown their persecutors.
There was a baptism at that time, but it is not said
that Noah was baptized. The probability is that the
seven persons referred to were baptized into Noah as
a teacher of righteousness, just as the Hebrews, in
somewhat analogous circumstances, were baptized into
Moses. H' there was a baptism into Noah, it is the
V"
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:l:-,«.
Mil!
ii
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280
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
earliest instance of discipling baptism on record. But
as the inspired writers do not expressly call it such,
we lay no stress on the opinion, but shall have to
regard baptism into Moses as the earliest precedent
for this kind of baptism.
What salvation took place in connection with this
baptism in Noah's time ? They were providentially
saved from martyrdom by the water that drowned
those who purposed to martyr them, but who probably
thought they might as well let Noah iinish his work
on the ark and pay off his workmen before doing so-
Soon as their lives were actually endangered, God
saved them by bringing a flood of water upon the
world of the ungodly. He thus providentially saved
the little company of disciples from extermination by
martyrdom. In this providential sense Noah was spe-
cially saved, because, being a preacher of righteous-
ness, he was specially hated by the ungodly sceptics
of his age. Noah was not spiritually saved by water ;
he was a righteous man for a hundred and twenty
years before that time. It is not said that he was
saved by the ark from water ; that water was not
intended to drown Noah, but only his persecutors.
Though it is implied that a baptism took place,
nothing is said about the mode of it. If it was a
discipling baptism it was probably by pouring upon,
as in the case of subsequent baptisms of this kind.
It certainly was not by immersing and leaving him
immersed, for that would have drowned him. It was
not by dipping, for the word never meant to dip till
'1!
NOAH PllOVI DENT! ALLY SAVED 1?Y WATER. 281
[1. But
it such,
have to
ecedent
ith this
entially
Irowned
irobably
lis work
loing so-
ed, God
pon the
ly saved
ation by
wras spe-
^hteous-
sceptics
f water ;
twenty
he was
i\'as not
ors.
f place,
was a
g upon,
kind.
njr him
It was
dip till
'%
after the apostolic age. It never took out what it put
in, or took off what it poured on. It brought into
contact in various ways, but it never removed from
contact. What Peter does say is that Noah and seven
others were " saved by water," and the meaning is, as
already stated, that the water which deluged the world
and drowned the violent men of that age, saved Noah
from the death which thev intended to inflict on him
because a preacher of righteousness. " The like figure
whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not
the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer
of a good conscience towards God) " i.e., " such answers
from a good conscience as agree with the end and
design of baptism." (Bishop Burnet in Goode, p. 498.)
Such as respond to the obligations imposed by bap-
tism are the only ones who have the promise of this
providential salvation by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ, who is gone into heaven, and is on the right
hand of God, " angels and authorities and powers
being made subject unto Him," and who is therefore
able to save from all enemies.
The Revised Version gives the former part of the
twenty-first verse thus : ** Which also after a true
likeness doth now save you, even baptism."
Dr. Dale rightly says, " The resemblance can only
be in the office, for to make simple water the type of
simple water would be absurd." (Christie Bap., p. 336.)
And he also properly observes, that " The true likeness
is seen in the salvation effected in the respective cases."
The comparison, says Dr. Dale, is between " tj^pe salva-
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IUPTi;iINfJ AND TEACHING.
tion and antitype salvation " (p, 3.S8), but lie does not
rightly apprehend the one or the other. The type
salvation was not by the ark, but "by water." The
antit3^pe salvation was not by the Spirit, but b}'' the
risen and ascended Christ.
On the one hand Peter sees the providential salva-
tion of Noah and his disciples from their violent
enemies, and on the other the providential salvation
of Christ's disciples by the same providential powder.
The salvation here spoken of is one that is effected by
the power which the risen and enthroned Christ has
over all opposing authority and power. The word
" save," as Winer remarks, is connected with the words
' by the resurrection of Jesus Christ," to whom " angels
and authorities and powers are made subject." By
giving attention to this, and keeping in memory what
the apostle had said of Noah, we understand him to
teach that one design of baptism is to assure us that
He who has appointed it to make disciples has also
appointed it to assure those disciples that all the
power which He now wields at the right hand of
God over all opposing authority and power will be
used, if necessary, to save His disciples from being
exterminated by persecution. He may allow persecu-
tion to cut off many, but He will not permit it to go
so far as to banish all disciples utterly from the earth.
Thus while God binds every individual to be a
martyr rather than a sinner, and, as we learn else-
where, makes baptism a sign of obligation to this — for
we are " baptized into the death of Christ " — yet He
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NOAH PUOVIDENTIATJ.Y SAVED HY WATER. 283
oes not
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will not allow the work of martyrdom to go so far as
to destroy utterly those who listen teachably to His
word. Were it not for this pledge some of His fol-
lowers miglit plausibly say, We had better not make
open profession and take up the cross, lest we be all
martyred, and the cause of God destroyed wholly and
forever. The Son of God will take care of that. He
may permit His followers to be deci'eased b}'^ martyr-
dom ; He will never suffer them to be annihilated by
it. All the power of the enthroned Messiah is ready
to prevent the utter extermination of true disciples.
As baptism pledges such providential preservation,
and as such preservation has in fact been hitherto
granted, it is plain that baptism as a continually
repeated promise of Divine protection has been faith-
fully kept. The connection of baptism with the evi-
dences of the Divine origin of the Christian doctrine
has been elsewhere stated. Here we see its relation
to the preservation of those who accept its teachings.
These taken together form the connection which this
visible ordinance has with the evidences of Chris-
tianity.
It now clearly appears that it is providential, and
not spiritual, salvation that is here spoken of. It was
only in a providential sense that Noah was saved by
water. There was confessedly no regenerating cere-
mony under that dispensation. There is no intimation
that the word "saved" when used in a subsequent clause
is used in a different sense fr ^^ that which had just
been given to it. The salvation spoken of is effected
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HAPTIZIN(i AND TKACHINfJ.
by the act of the enthroned Son of God. It is not
said to be an act of the regenerating Spirit. For this
reason, too, it is plain that spiritual salvation is not
here referred to ; and consequently, there is here no
ground whatever for inferring that water baptism is
a means or channel of conferring spiritual salvation.
The main object of the apostle in mentioning baptism
here is, as already stated, to assure disciples that
baptism conveys a pledge that special, present, and
continuous providential care will preserve them from
being exterminated by their enemies. In a parenthesis
he points out the baptism to which he refers — "not
the putting away of the filth of the flesh" (that is, he is
not speaking of the old Jewish purifying baptism),
" but the answer " (the inquiry) " of a good conscience
toward God ;" that is, he speaks of Christian discipling
baptism, which demands in disciples the interrogation
or inquiry of a good conscience toward God as the one
who has ability to teach, and supreme authority to
command, the consciences of disciples, and who as a
jealous God admits no rival authority, and no double
allegiance. The word translated "answer," eTrepuTT/na,
is by Knapp rendered stipulati<\ the formal demand-
ing of a good conscience. The kindred verb eTrepuTTjaev
is used by the LXX. in 2 Kings xi. 7 (2 Sam. xi. 7)»
and is by the English version rendered "demand" —
" David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the
people did, and how the war prospered." Some render
it " the asking," because the kindred verb in Rom. x.
20 is translated "asked" — "I was made manifest to
NOAH IMIOVIDENTIALLY SAVED MV WATER. 285
^w
them that asked not after Me." But what God asks
in connection with baptism He demands. He asks for
and demands the inquiry of a good conscience towards
God, and then that we act according to our conscien-
tious convictions. Paul said : " I have lived with all
good conscience" (rw Oeo)) " unto God " (Acts xxiii. 1) ; "I
exercise myself to have always a good conscience void
of offence toward God" (Acts xxiv. 10); and Peter
says : " This is thankworthy, if a man for conscience
toward God," etc. (1 Peter ii. 19) — Christie Bap., p.
836. This is certain, that God requires a good con-
science ; and baptism being a discipling ordinance, it
binds all disciples to have a good conscience towards
God. The inquiry here spoken of is addressed to God,
and not to man. This inquiry is demanded to be
made all through subsequent life, and is therefore a
very different thing from the human requirement of
a single profession of faith to man, whether before
or after ritual baptism. The providential salvation
spoken of is promised to those disciples who are
characterized by the inquiry of a good conscience
toward God. Such disciples will never be wholly
exterminated.
The correctness of the exposition now given is con-
firmed by the exhortation which the apostle himself
bases on what he had been stating. This exhortation
is given in the next verses, which have been injudi-
ciously placed in another chapter.
" Forasmuch then as Christ hath suflfered for us in
the flesh" — rather, "hath suffered in the flesh " (the
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HAI'TiZING AND TEA(JHING.
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THE HEBREW FATHERS PUNISHED.
289
CHAPTER XTIT.
THE HEBREW FATHERS WHO WERE BAPTIZED INTO MOSES
DISREGARDED THEIR OBLIGATIONS AND WERE PUN-
ISHED.
The immediate object which Paul had in view when
adverting to the baptism into Moses, was to admonish
the Corinthians who had been baptized into Christ
not to disregard the obligations of their baptism and
bring down judgment or punishr^ient upon themselves.
He reminds them that the Hebrew cathors were bap-
tized into Moses, but soon heeded not the obligations
which it imposed. They tempted Christ, the mani-
fested Jehovah of that dispensation, and were destroyed
of serpents. They became adulterers, and tvventy
thousand perished in one day. They murmured, and
were destroyed by the destroyer. They grieved God
forty years long in the wilderness, and provoked Him
to swear that they should not enter into His rest.
Precedents and examples do not lose their influence
through distance of space or lapse of time ; he^ice by
their example Paul warns the Corinthians who were
baptized into Christ, and who were thereby placed
under obligation to hear and obey the will of God as
taught by Christ, to take heed lest they sin like the
Hebrew fathers, and perish likewise. Baptism gives
no pledge of unconditional final salvation. Those
19
290
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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Hebrew fathers were rightly baptized, for the ordi-
nance was administered by God Himself, They were
under a teacher truly called of God. They received
many favours from God's special providence, and for
a time received spiritual blessings, " for they drank of
that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock
was Christ," the manifested Jehovah of the Old Testa-
ment. But they afterwards sinned and perished.
Hence, to receive the ordinances rightly, to sit under a
ministry who are called of God and who teach the
true way of salvation, and to run well for a season,
is not enough. We must be teachable and willing
and obedient to the end, else we run the risk of perish-
ing likewise. But baptism was intended to be a
pledge that God will never permit true disciples to be
annihilated by persecution. He saved them from
Pharaoh at the moment of baptizing them into Moses.
As at the time of the deluge the world was destroyed
to save the disciples of Noah from persecution, so now
the Egyptians were drowned to save those who were
to be henceforth the discioles of Moses. Hence the
latter scene was made to have some resemblance to
the former one.
The same Greek verb that in 1 Cor. x. expresses
the act of baptism into Moses, is used in Rom. vi. to
express baptism into Christ. And the same Greek
preposition is employed in reference to Moses and to
Christ. Hence, as Dr. Carson says, "There must be
some similarity between Christian baptism and what
took place with respect to the Israelites " (p. 331).
THE HEBREW FATHERS PUNISHED.
291
Moses was a Divinely commissioned teacher; Jesus
also was a Divinely commissioned, and not only so, but
a Divine, Teacher. Baptism in such cases was a ritual
use of water for the purpose of initiating persons as
pupils into the school of a Divinely sent teacher. "All
baptized into Moses . . . were marked to be the dis-
ciples of Moses." (Noel in Thorn's Sub. of Bap., p. 268.)
At the moment that ^hey were fully emancipated from
Pharaoh — that is, from slavery to mere human author-
ity and dictation — they were placed under Moses as a
prophet of God inspired to ccTimunicate such instruc-
tion and direction as their circumstances needed. Bap-
tism initiated them into the school of an authorita-
tively appointed teacher, who would subsequently and
in due time instruct them, and who, in fact, did after-
wards spend many years in teaching them. The state
of the case is as follows : — Prior to the baptism in the
Red Sea, Moses performed miracles in sight of the
Hebrew fathers, and thus convinced them that he was
Divinely commissioned to teach them. The Hebrews
then received baptism into Moses, and were then
taught by Moses. They were baptized and taught ;
they were not taught and baptized. Their baptism
did not signify that they had already learned what
Moses was to teach them, because a great part of what
he was to teach them had not yet been revealed to
himself ; but it signified that they were placed as
pupils in his school to be taught what had been re-
vealed and what was to be revealed to him by Jehovah.
Moses was an evangelical prophet. " Moses wrote of
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
Me," said Jesus. He predicted Christ's prophetic office
and His mediatorial priesthood. He said : " The Lord
thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the
midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me ; unto Him
ye shall hearken." (Deut. xviii. 15.) According to Luke
xxiv. 44-47, Moses taught that Christ ??hould suffer,
and " that repentance and reniission of sins should be
preached in His name." And it was such truths
among others, and more than others, that Moses was
commanded to teach the Hebrew disciples.
" For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded
them in the day that I brought them out of the
land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices ;
but this thing commanded I them, saying. Obey My
voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My
people," etc. (Jer. vii. 22, 23.) The fathers did not
comprehend the meaning of baptism at the moment
it was administered ; it was afterwards shown to
them. Those disciples whose feet Christ washed did
not know the meaning of this ceremony until He after-
wards explained it. The subjects of this baptism into
Moses were teachable persons — persons who were will-
ing to learn what Moses was commissioned to teach.
They had faith in God, and in Moses as a teacher sent
from God, when they were baptized. But faith in a
teacher is very different from faith in the doctrines
which he teaches ; the former precedes the latter, and
may exist without the latter. They were willing to
hear what Moses was commissioned to teach, and will-
ing that their little ones should be " trained up in the
THE HEBREW FATHERS PUNISHED.
293
nurture and admonition of the Lord." We do not say,
however, that had there been unwillingness to hear, it
would have prevented their baptism in this case, where
God, and not man, was the baptizer. He had the
right to impose obligation to hear, and the sign of
obligation, without the consent of any subject. But
had He done so. His conduct in this particular would
obviously have been no model for a human adminis-
trator, who, being a fellow-creature, ought to ask and
obtain the consent of the adult subject, or of the
parents of the infant subject, before performing a
ritual act upon them.
We should not lay stress on the reading, epairrLaavTo
— they baptized themselves. There is, says Alford,
" strong manuscriptal evidence " — A, C, D, E, F, G,
Sinait, and 15 Cursives (Lange) — in favour of a differ-
ent reading — ejianTiadnaav, " were baptized." This I deem
to be the right one, as /?a7rnC
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Hill
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294
BAPTISING AND TEACHIXa.
regarded as superseded by baptism into Moses. But
after Moses terminated his life on Mount Nebo there
were no more baptisms into Moses by Divine appoint-
ment, or into any of the prophets that came between
Moses and John. The Hebrew disciples did not "call
themselves by the name of Moses, as the several sects of
philosophers did by the names of their several leaders.
For the doctrine which Moses taught was not his own;
and the obedience which he required was not to him-
self, but to God, the Makei of heaven and earth." (Abp.
Seeker in D'Oyly and Mount.) The time when the
baptism took place was probably when the Hebrews
had nearly reached the shore to which they were mov-
ing, when Moses their leader had passed through and
ascended the high bank. Standing alone there, he
was visible to all the Hebrew host, and was ready to
stretch his rod over the sea as a signal for God to
cause its waters to close tumultuously on the pur-
suing Egyptians, beginning at the rear of the He-
brews. The Egyptian pursuit was first arrested by
a sudden manifestation of the gl^^y of the shechinah
cloud. They turned to flee, but God blew with His
wind and caused the waters to rush in and overwhelm
them as "they fled against it." That tumultuous rush
of waters doubtless caused a great spray to arise ; the
wind carried that fine spray so as to fall upon the
Hebrew host to baptize them into Moses, but it moved
not as yet the walls of water on their right hand
and their left. The baptism did not consist in being
" under the cloud and passing through the sea," but
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THE HEBREW FATHERS PUNISHED.
295
in .. mething distinct from these, which is explicitly
mentioned. They were " baptized into Moses in the
cloud and in the sea." The object was not to drench
them or obstruct their progress. There was not
enough to wet the ground; they went through "on
dry ground." The expression "in the cloud and in
the sea" simply gives the place in which the baptism
was effected. So John afterwards " baptized in the
wilderness."
It cannot mean that they were under the sea. It
was not above them, nor beneath them, nor before
them, nor behind them ; it was merely on th 'ir right
hand and their left. They were not put into its water.
The word "baptize" never takes out what it puts in, as
it never takes off what it puts on. It sometimes meant
to put in, but it cannot be supposed to do so here, be-
cause it is followed by ei>. And when ev follows a
verb signifying motion into, it denotes that the object
put in was left in. The Hebrews, in point of fact, were
not put into the sea and left in it. They were not
drowned like the Egyptians. This was the very thing
God worked a miracle to prevent. " In the cloiid " may
denote that the cloud at this moment was not merely
behind them, but had moved on each side of them to
strengthen their faith that they would get safely
through. This was not a purifying but a discipling
ordinance. It is fair, therefore, to assume that its
mode was similar to the discipling ordinances after-
wards appointed, and accordingly, that it was effected
by pouring the element upon them. They were
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296
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
baptized where there was much water, and yet by a
gentle and brief affusion. They were baptized into
Moses when he alone stood on the farther shore,
and while they were still between the divided walls
of the sea and the cloud, which had moved over their
heads to the rear and then descended between them and
the Egyptians. This was the moment at which the
baptism took place, and this was the site where this
great baptism took place. In this sense they were
baptized in the cloud and in the sea, just as John long
afterwards baptized their descendants in the wilder-
ness. When Moses stretched his rod over the sea,
the stormy winds which God sent did not disturb the
walls of water on either side of the Hebrew host, but it
did overturn those on each side of the Egyptians,
beginning at their rear ; for they tried to flee against
it when panic-struck by the glory suddenly mani-
fested by the shechinah cloud in their front. Soon the
closing sea overwhelmed them. " Thou didst blow
with Thy wind, the sea covered them." (Ex. xv. 10.)
That tumultuous rush of waters would cause a great
spray, and this spray, wafted by the wind over the
intervening cloud, was probably that which baptized
the Hebrews into Moses.
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ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM.
297
CHAPTER XIV.
(a) ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM (EPH. IV. 5)-PR0-
MOTION OF UNITY.
I
The apostle is presenting to the Kphesians the
various lines of argument which should induce them
to maintain unity of spirit. The words before us pre-
sent one of these lines, for there is " one Lord " — one
Supreme Royal Teacher presiding over all the disciples
who have been initiated into His school ; " one faith "
in that one Teacher who is Divinely appointed and
qualified. There is not as yet one faith In the various
doctrines and duties which He teaches. Some as yet
have waded but a very little way into them ; some
have different views of what they have heard; but all
may have one faith in the one great Teacher, and this
eventually may bring them nearer together in refer-
ence to His various teachings.
" One baptism " into Him as Supreme Teacher, as a
sign of obligation to hear Him, to learn His doctrines,
obey His commands, and imitate His example. Every
true baptism has this essential import : whatever has
not this one feature is not true baptism. In this respect
there is but one baptism into one Lord. Baptism
binds us to hear and believe the one Royal Teacher ;
it does not bind us to hear and follow subordinate
teachers, who may bring divers doctrines and cause
298
liAI'TIZFNCi AND TEACHfNG.
pi
parties and divisions : in this case there would be
many baptisms. Every true baptism is into Jesus
Christ, the " one Lord." Tlioiigh a thousand subordi-
nate teachers should try to gain dominion over our
conscience, there is but one Lord who has the right to
do so. The bond of unity in His school is one faith
in Him, not in a hierarchy of subordinate teacliers.
Having- in previous chapters dwelt at length on this
topic, it is not necessary to enlarge here.
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(6) CONSEQUENCE OF PREVENTING UNITY AT THE LORD'S
TABLE -THE LORD'S SUPPER IS NOT EATEN.
By looking at the eleventh chapter of Corinthians
we find that unity was to be shown in a very special
manner at the Lord's Table. Those who came to par-
take were accustomed to " come together unto one
place." When there they were to -^it together as one
family, and not in sectarian bands. The principal
object of the Supper is "to show forth the Lord's
death," and not points of higher attainment among
the partakers. One leading object of the Supper is to
keep Christian brethren united, by showing them the
common need of the atonement, the common efficacy
of the atonement in procuring precious salvation, the
common salvation obtained through the atoning death.
These common blessings are the only ones to be
thought of here. Whatever points of diversity may
exist are not allowed to intrude here. They belong
to non-essential points, and should be matters of for-
bearance everywhere, but should not be even thought
of at the Lord's Table.
ONE LORD, ONE KAITH, ONE HAPTISM.
^99
The Corintliians, however, began to cease to act on
this wise plan. They had differences, and they thought
of them and emphasized them, and felt variance to-
ward those who dissented from them. And this soon
went to such a lenorth that when " they came together
unto one place to eat the Lord's Supper, they would
not eat together." They ate with their own party.
Then came the tremendous ^^ecision of St. Paul, "This
is not to eat the Lord's Supper." Every man who has
acted in that way has " only eaten his own supper."
They departed so far from the original design of the
Lord's Supper, they changed it so utterly, that the
apostle Paul told them that they did not eat it at all.
Besides, the Lord Jesus was not there ; they had no
fellowship with Him. If they felt any persuasion
that they had, that " persuasion did not come from
Him that called them."
The place of the Corinthians is filled in the present
day by the close communion sectarians. As far as we
can now judge, these seem to be in every respect the
most blameworthy. The design of the Lord's Supper,
as we have already stated, is " to show forth the Lord's
death." To do this shows *'the terms of salvation."
Terms of salvation should be the only terms of com-
munion. Rev. Robert Hall remarks : " Terms of com-
munion should not be established which are not terms
of salvation." If we make them exceed, we disown
those which Christ acknowledges. " To do this," says
Dr. Carson, "is anti-Christian disobedience to Christ
... To set aside the weakest of Christ's little ones
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHINCi.
I call not illiberal, but unchristian." (p. 5.) Yet the
close communionists have claimed that they have full
authority to frame terms of communion, and to set
aside all who will not comply with them. In fram-
ini^ these terms they very erroneously assume that
baptism introduces into Church fellowship. We have
shown already that this is a gross error. Baptism
initiates into the outer kingdom of disciples ; it does
not initiate into the Church (see preceding chapters).
But they affirm, on the contrary, with a firmness
which seems to lay claim to infallibility, that baptism
does introduce into the Church, that immersion is bap-
tism, and hence they decide that baptism by immer-
sion is a necessary term of communion. They thus
legislate away all the children of God who were not
immersed. They boast that they have been prominent
advocates of religious liberty, but they have been
wholesale destroyers of it too. All who unite with
them are placed under strictest obligations not to
transgress in the slightest degree the terms of com-
munion.
Those who are to be received to fellowship here are
those whom God has saved. Wher persons call aright
on Him for salvation. He saves and receives them, and
then says to those whom He had previously saved,
* Receive them, for I have received." He has in some
degree a disposition to love and serve God, but may
seem to be very different from others in the degree of
light and faith. It may seem, in the judgment of his
brethren, that he has not some of the prerequisites to
ONE LORD, ONE FAITFI, ONE HAITIHM.
301
salvation; Gxl's judgment differs from theirs, for He
has saved them. The fallibility is found on their side.
Some are disposed to say, " We want to convince them
of their deficiencies." Paul did not recommend the Ro-
mans to take this course ; he said : " Receive him that
is weak in the faith, but not to doubtful disputations."
Paul could very easily have told whether the man
" that eateth herbs " or the man that " eateth all
things " was the one in error, but he refrained from
doing so. He wanted them to exercise forbearance —
to care more for the law of charity than for the law
of uniformity in such cases. Scripture speaks more
strongly against want of love to the brethren than
against want of light on non-essential points. " This
tender care is peculiar to Christianity," it has been
said, " and is greatly to its honour."
They may "assert that their withdrawing from
communion with their brethren is no interruption to
their mutual harmony and affection." But, says Rev.
Robert Hall, " it is a serious and aivful interruption,
and will ever be considered in that light. It is the
very essence of schism." (Hall's Works, p. 323-333.)
When " they come together into one place " they
appear as a sectarian party. They set aside the true
meaning of the Lord's Supper, and so far change its
purpose that we must say to them, in the language
of Paul to the sectarian Corinthians, " This is not to
eat the Lord's supper." Every attempt you have
made has been a failure ; every future attempt must
equally fail. Christ never once came to have fellow-
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BAFI'IZING AND TEACHING.
ship with you. This part of your system cannot be
improved by mending ; it must be absolutely surren-
dered. The command to you, as to the Corinthians,
is, " Wherefore, tarry one for another." If so, they
must break up their organization. But they can
organize on other principles, and use their piety,
talents and energy in doing a good work that will
grieve no child of God.
We are aware that Baptists have been always
sensitive when any remarks have been made on their
close communion sentiments, and they strongly de-
claim against it. They do so very inconsistently,
however. They hesitate not to speak very strong
words against infant baptism. " We must treat their
pretensions just as we treat similar pretensions in
Papists. We cannot have respect of persons in things
which touch the vitals of Christianity." (Seiss.)
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PART III.
CHAPTER XV.
CASES WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE DOCTRINAL IMPORT OF
BAPTISM: (a) THE THREE THOUSAND ON THE DAY
OF PENTECOST.
i i
It would be instructive to ^o fully into the preced-
incr context, but we have not space, nor is it neces-
sary. Good remarks respecting it can be found in
commentaries and elsewhere. It is important, how-
ever, to make remarks on those verses which illus-
trate the theory of baptism which we have presented,
and not the theories which others have adopted.
We must place before us for special consideration
the first directions respecting Christie baptism. " The
importance of a right interpretation of this passage
cannot be overestimated. To err here is to err in
every after case of Christian baptism. We cannot,
then, give it too close attention." (Ghristic Bap.,
p. 131.) The apostle's words are in answer to an
inquiry made after Peter had charged the Jews with
rejecting the Lord's Christ, whom God had anointed
to be their Great Teacher, Supreme King, and Medi-
ating High Priest. They rejected His claims, suborned
false witnesses against Him, and by the hands of the
wicked crucified Him. That they had acted wrong
\, I.
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
in SO doing was demonstrated by the fact of His
resurrection from the dead, and by the miraculous
scenes of the day of Pentecost. Though Peter's
argument convinced them that they had committed
a very guilty act, yet he had spoken to them with
the kindness and lowliness of a brother ; " and they
seek counsel from him as such, and not from him
only, but equally from his brethren, for he did not
magnify himself above his equals." " And said unto
Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and
brethren, what shall we do?" — what must we do? —
TzoLTjaafiev, the deliberative subjunctive. They retained
full self-possession, and felt the need of guidance.
Then Peter, still the spokesman of his associates, said
unto them : " Repent ye, and be baptized every one
of you, in " (em, on) " the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost." This answer was given to those
who already manifestly felt conviction of sin and of
danger, and who felt sorrow for sin, being "pierced
to the heart." But conviction and sorrow do not
make up repentance ; conviction produces sorrow, and
" sorrow worketh repentance." Repentance is some-
thing that is done by a convicted and sorrowful soul.
The first step of repentance is to come as a convicted
and sorrowful sinner, with a teachable spirit, to the
Great Teacher, to be admitted into His school, that
he may be taught the way of salvation and the way
of duty. Repentance precedes justifying faith in the
order of experience — " Repent ye, and believe the Gos-
■^' 'Kft
BAPTISM OF THE THREE THOUSAND.
305
pel." But before there is saving faith there may be
faith in the fact that Christ is a Divinely appointed
and Divine teacher.
The addresses which the apostles delivered to per-
suade men to become the disciples of Christ went
merely to show that Jesus was Divinely appointed
and Divinely qualified to be their Great Teacher ; but
to those who had become disciples they gave addresses
or sent epistles that were fitted and designed to give
a knowledge of the doctrines which He teaches, and
of the commands which He issues. Hence in the lat-
ter, but not in the former, we find special instruction
as to doctrine and duty.
Penitent teachableness is prerequisite to the recep-
tion of adult baptism. Adults, while impenitent, are
not earnestly disposed to hear and learn what Christ
teaches and commands. It is only when penitent th^,t
they inquire, " Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do ?"
In infancy they might have been discipled without a
penitent spirit, because then they were naturally teach-
able in reference to what earthly parents teach and
command, which is all that God requires of little chil-
dren. But when persons have arrived at adult age
without being discipled, penitence is then prerequisite,
because without it they cannot become rightly dis-
posed to learn what God requires of adults. Repent-
ance brings adults back to the teachableness of juve-
niles. " Except ye be converted " (eav fin arpai^TiTE, except
ye turn back), "and become as little children, ye '='hall
not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matt, xviii. X)
20
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; ■ ii 1-
306
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
Peter the apostle, like John the forerunner of Christ,
connects a command to repent with a command to be
baptized. John, however, placed his baptism before
repentance : he said, " I baptize you unto repentance "
{Eig /leravoiav), not "after repentance" — eig never has a
retrospective reference. But Peter puts repentance
before Christian baptism : he says, " Repent, and be
baptized," etc. This difference in the order arose from
the difference in the baptisms. John's baptism made
persons the disciples of John ; but John's peculiar work
as a teacher was to prepare men for the first coming
of Christ, and the truths which specially pertained to
his pioneering mission were such as men, while yet
impenitent, might learn. (See remarks on John's teach-
ing.) But the characteristic truths taught by Christ
to adults are ones which they do not wish to learn
until they are penitent. Peter's reply to their inquiry
was, " You must in a penitent spirit enter the school
of Christ in order to learn the way of salvation." The
"What must we do?" had not precisely the same
meaning as the fuller inquiry of the jailor of Philippi,
"What must I do to be saved ?" If it had this mean-
ing Peter would have given an answer similar to the
one which Paul gave. Paul said to the jailor, " Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."
He was not told to repent before believing, because he
was already penitent. He was riot told to believe
before he was baptized. We do not read of his believ-
ing till after his baptism. But those whom Peter
addressed were not penitent, though they were con-
1=
ill
BAPTISM OF THE THREE THOUSAND.
807
I
I
victed so as to be " cut to the heart." Hence they are
told to repent and be baptized, i.e., to come in a peni-
tent, and therefore teachable, spirit to Christ to be
initiated into His school. Repentance in this relation
implies teachableness, and this part of repentance
must, in the case of adults, precede initiation into
Christ's school. Repentance has also relation to " re-
mission of sins." In this case it includes other ele-
ments, as we shall see. It was not necessary for Peter
to say expressly that baptism had this general signifi-
cance. It was well understood, since John's ministry
began, that baptism was made a discipling ordinance.
In one point it diftered from John's baptism, and to
this Peter calls attention. It was to be ein. to ovo^an
hjaov Xpiarov, upon the nauie of Jesus Christ as the
Teacher.
The preposition eKi., when construed with f^aTzn^u,
points to that on which a person stood or rested when
baptized. Dr. Dale quotes the following examples in
illustration of this : — " ' Judith ' (xii. 7) ' baptized her-
self upo7i the fountain' {kni rfja Trr/y^g). The preposi-
tion expresses that upon which Judith rested when
she baptized herself. Every fountain has a lip, an
edge, on which one can stand. Clement of Alexandria
(i. 1352) says : ' It is a custom of the Jews to be bap-
tized icpon a couch ' {em xoirr/). The preposition points
out that upon which the Jew rested when he received
baptism ; he rested upon a couch. Matt. iii. 13 : Jesus
came from Galilee [em rov lopdavrjv ^anTiad^vai), He came
from Galilee toward the Jordan, and when He reached
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BAPTIZINCi AND TEACH IXCJ.
the bank or side of the rivar He stood unon it. Every
river has a side or a bank upon which one can stand.
These examples present a physical basis on which the
baptized rested. There is also ' a moral basis upon
which the soul may be said to rest in receiving bap-
tism.' " (Christie Bap., p. 145.)
That basis is " the name of Christ." This is an
abiding basis on which to take one's position. Winer
says that, according to Krug, " etti with the dative
indicates the notion of belonging to permanently."
They were to come to Christ in order to rest per-
manently on Him as their future and all-sufficient
Teacher.
The name of Christ expresses what He is for man,
as set forth by both Divine and human testimony. It
points to Him as represented in historic testimony as
the Great Prophet, "come and crucified, risen and
ascended." (Dr. Dale, Christie Bap., p. 213.)
They were to be baptized in His name, for the pur-
pose of being " taught in His name," (hdnaKeiv em tu
ovnjiaTi (see Acts iv. 17 ; v. 28, 40), by those who have
no other theme but " Christ, and Him crucified."
Compare analagous expressions : " Many shall come
ia " {eirt, upon) " My name, saying, I am Christ." (Matt,
xxiv. 5; Luke xxi. 8.) The high priest said, "Did
not we straitly command you that ye should not
teach in " {eni, upon) "this name ? and, behold, ye have
filled Jerusalem with your doctrine." (Acts v. 28.)
" And when they had called the apostles, and beaten
them, they commanded that they should not speak in "
liAPTlSM OF THE THREE THOUSAND.
309
(eki, upon) " the name of Jesus." (Acts v. 40.) They
were to be baptized in the name of Christ because
tliey were " to be taught upon His name." The first
lessons were to have reference chiefly to the name of
Christ. But the full course of instruction, which was
to follow in due time, would make them acquainted
with " the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost." Among the first lessons given to
convicted adults would be instruction how to obtain
remission of sins.
They were to be initiated into Christ's school "unto
remission of sins," as the Revised Translation reads.
Ea; sometimes means " into " and sometimes " unto."
Here we think it signifies " unto." Ea; points to a des-
tination aimed at, but does not of itself determine
whether it will be reached immediately, or after inter-
mediate events. It here points to a result that was to
follow, teaching them how to " call upon the name of
the Lord for the remission of sins." This statement
simply fills up an ellipsis which is readily suggested to
those who keep in mind the apostle's train of thought.
Prof. Crosby, in his Greek Granunar, observes : "It is
a remarkable but general truth, that an ellipsis omits
that word which is most essential to the grammatical
structure of the sentence. The reason is, such word
will be more readily missed, and more easily supplied."
(Quoted by Dr. Dale, Johannic Bap., p. 286 ) Peter
had mentioned baptism, and thereby suggested teach-
ing, because it is administered in order to teaching.
He had also spoken to them of calling upon the name
s
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I^APTtZlNG AND TKAOHtNCt.
i
of the Lord for salvation, of which "remission of sins"
is the part which conies first in order. Hence an atten-
tive reader, who knew the apostle's train of thought,
would fill up tlie ellipsis thus : " Be baptized every
one of you upon the name of Jesus Christ, that you
may be taught how to * call upon the name of the
Lord ' so as to obtain the remission of sins."
" And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost"
to enable you to understand the teaching. We have
seen that k/c before " remission of sins " should be
translated " unto." But Dr. Dale thinks the transla-
tion should be " into the remission of sins," because
he thinks that remission is here regarded as a bap-
tismal element ; and e "I
IV,
316
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
II
li. I-
m
It is obvious that Dr. Dale's interpretation does not
conform to Peter's words. Peter places repentance
before the gift of the Spirit. The Great Teacher put
repentance before faith — " Eepent ye, and believe the
Gospel." Paul put faith before salvation — " Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Dr.
Dale, then, cannot be right in putting salvation first,
and representing the other things referred to as coinci-
dent results of salvation. Dr. Dale's system of theology
has dimmed his critical sagacity during the examina-
tion of such texts.
" But," said a Baptist to me, " baptism is a Christian
ordinance, and Christian baptism should be given to
none but Christians, and accordingly to none but those
who have been taught, and have become evangelical
believers." This statement is made to appear plaus-
ible, but it appears so only because of its peculiarly
deceptive ambiguity. The word "Christian" is re-
peated, not in the sense in which it was first used, but
in a wholly distinct, though related, sense. The word
" Christian " sometimes means " having something per-
taining to Christianity considered objectively as a
system of agencies and means appointed by Christ."
In this sense it is applied to an ordinance. A Chris-
tian ordinance means an outward rite connected by
Divine appointment with the system of means and
agencies which Christ has established. But the word
" Christian," when applied to persons, means " having
the things which are essential to Christianity subject-
ively considered — attaining the end aimed at by those
111^
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BAPTISM OF THE THREE THOUSAND.
317
agencies and means." A Christian man is one who,
by healing the word of Christ, has justifying faith,
and wliose heart has, by the Spirit of Christ, been
regenerated to love God, the law of God. and the peo-
ple of God. Of course, an ordinance could not have
justifying faith or regenerating love, and therefore
could not be Christian in this sense of the word. It
can onlv be called Christian in the former sense,
namely, that it belongs to the system of agencies and
means which Christianity employs — the circulation
of the Bible, the preaching of the Gospel, prayer, ob-
servance of the ordinances, etc. But some of these
means and agencies, though called Christian, are ap-
plied to persons before they believe, and some after.
And therefore the mere circumstance that baptism is
called a Christian ordinance does not decide which of
these classes it belongs to — i.e., does not decide whether
it is one of those means that are applied to persons
before they are believing and regenerate persons, or one
of those that are applied to persons after they are
believing and regenerate. Those who perceive the
ambiguity of the expression, " Christian baptism," will
see that it is better, with Dr. Dale, to call the ordinance
" Christie baptism."
"And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
" The word used is fiupeav, which indicates the freest and
most benignant gift ; not fiu^nv, a legal gift or offering
which law or custom enacts." (Amer. Rev. Version.)
It is by an act of free grace that Christ baptizes with
the Spirit. It is a gift in another respect. The Divine
,.ij> .
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318
BAI'TIZIN(; AND TEACHING.
Baptizer pours on and leaves on. The Spirit occasion-
ally strives with all. The Spirit is given to disciples
to be a continually present help to understand the na-
ture and appreciate the beauty and glory of spiritual,
eternal, and Divine things. It confers also special fitness
for special spheres of duty. At first it conferred miracu-
lous endowments, but this was merely a preparatory and
temporary part of His work, and as such was not
promised to all. It does not in its ordinary work
"qualify any to do without instruction" from any other
source, as some Anabaptists and others have strangely
imagined.
The Holy Ghost is given by the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is His prerogative to baptize with the Holy Ghost;
He promised it, and fulfils that promise. It is there-
fore not given by a man who baptizes with water.
The Samaritans when baptized with water were not
baptized with the Holy Ghost, for we are afterwards
told that " He as yet was fallen upon none of them."
Baptism with water is not even a necessary prerequi-
site to baptism with the Holy Ghost, for those in the
house of Cornelius received the latter before the other.
(Acts viii. 12, 16; x. 47.) ThDse in the house of Cor-
nelius received the baptism of the Spirit when they
were listening to one of Christ's teachers, though they
had not been formally initiated into Christ's school ;
which omission was probably owing to Peter's hesita-
tion about giving the rite to those who had not been
circumcised. But they were in a teachable frame of
mind, and such may pray for the Spirit, may plead
the promise, and obtain its fulfilment.
UAITISM OF THE THREE THOUSAND.
;n9
ta-
sen
of
ad
" For the promise is unto you and to your children."
That is, you may expect the gift of the Holy Ghost,
for the promise of it is unto you. It also means, When
I tokl you to be initiated by ritual baptism into the
school, I did so because you may expect that the bap-
tism of the Spirit will enable you to understand the
teaching that is to follow the baptizing. A human
teacher may speak to the outward ear, but he cannot
remove the natural dulness of the mind in reference
to spiritual and invisible things, nor can he quicken
the " slowness of heart to understand all that the pro-
phets have spoken." There must be an accompanying
work of the Spirit for this purpose. Without this aid
ritual initiation and human teaching would be ineffec-
tual.
The promise is to you awakened ones if you comply
with my directions. Though you once spat in Christ's
face, plaited the crown of thorns and put it on Him,
cried "Away with Him, crucify Him!" and railed at
Him when He hung upon the cross, — if you repent,
the promise is unto you. Peter means that they would
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost if, in compliance
with the directions just given them, they became
pupils in a school where true instruction respecting all
things that Christ commanded could be obtained. The
Spirit will be given to those who are initiated into a
school where "the truth as it is in Jesus" will be
taught. It is not said that the Spirit is promised and
will be given to those who refuse to enter the school
of Christ, or to those who have entered another school,
,
m '<
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iff
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320
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
where the teaching is fundamentally wrong. The
Spirit may occasionally visit such, but there is no
promise that He will be given to abide with them.
The promise of the gift of the Holy Ghost is " unto
your children " also. It is equally necessary to open
their understanding to receive parental teaching and
training : to learn the one and obey the other is their
whole duty up to a certain age. Children are more
teachable, are more easily led to believe. They as
yet are not hindered by knowing the insincerity
and falsehood of men and the sophistries of errorists.
Christ gave this blessing to the little children that
were brought to Him. It made them more teachable.
(Mark. x. 13-16.) He gives the Spirit to children to
help them to learn, as well as to help parents to teach.
A boy is more worth saving than a man. He may
be trained to do more good in tho world. Believers'
children are not here referred to, for those parents
wore not yet believers. As baptism with the Spirit is
here promised to children, the plain and necessary in-
ference is that they too are regarded as fit subjects for
the baptisni with water, which initiates them into the
school where is given the teaching which the Spirit
can aid them to understand.
The term "children" referred to those found in the
families of the three thousand inquirers, and therefore
included young children. The question is not, does
TEKva imply infancy in every case in which the word is
used ; but did it not include infancy in the case now
before U'^ ? Is it not rational to assume that the three
BAPTISM OF THE THREE THOUSAND.
321
the
ifore
does
d is
now
bree
thousand inquirers — not to speak of all the other
hearers — had some infants among their children ?
Surely the contrary supposition is utterly improbable.
The promise was to " all that are afar off"; probably
meaning, to all the Jews that are scattered aV>road.
Literally, all unto a distance, that is, all who are
between Judea and the supposed distance — meaning.
Dr. Carson thinks, " the most distant nations." (Bap.,
p. 300.) The promised gift is not limited to any
line of natural descent from Abraham. The expres-
sion "all that are afar off" is extensive enough to
include all Gentiles as well as all Jews ; but this prob-
ably was nob Peter's meaning. The discipling of the
Gentiles was not " the matter in hand." It would
awaken the prejudice of the Jews if they did not
suppose that Gentiles would have to become proselytes
to Judaism in order to become disciples of Christianity.
"Even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
The call here spoken of is the call to discipleship in
the school of Christ. This call is given by those who
were sent to "make disciples of all nations." (Matt,
xxviii. 18, 19.) It is a public call, limited only by the
conditions of discipleship. Nothing could be more
irrational than to suppose that there were no infant
children found in all nations during all generations.
The state of the case, then, is this : Peter when ad-
dressing adults commanded them to "repent and be
baptized"; he did not mention children in that clause,
because children do not need to repent in order to be
teachable in reference to their lessons. But he tells
21
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
\ ] 'i
I r. ■>:•■,
us that baptism with the Spirit ought to follow bap-
tism with water, and that the promise of this is made
both to adults and children ; and thereby he most
clearly implied that the preceding baptism was to be
given to both adults and children. " To believe other-
wise would make the apostle's argument very confused
and inconclusive ; for then it would stand thus : The
promise of baptism with the Spirit is to you, therefore
be ye baptized with water. The promise is equally to
your children, therefore let them not be baptized."
(Evans, Conference on Bap., pp. 7> 12.) Surely the
apostle did not intend to reason thus. He meant
manifestly. Let your children too be baptized, for they
too may get the baptismal gift of the Spirit to give
intellectual discernment of the truths that are to be
taught them. And as the promised aid of the Spirit
has reference to your children also, you should have
them too initiated into Christ's school. " When did
God ever enter into covenant with parents without
including their infant children ? Is there a solitary
example of the kind in the Bible ?" {D7\ Rice.) Not
one. The covenant with Abraham included the young-
est children. The covenant of Moses did the same.
And when Peter, " full of the Holy Ghost," came to
expound the New Covenant on the day of Pentecost,
he said to all who yielded to his words, " The promise
is to you AND TO YOUR CHILDREN." (Acts ii. 39 ; Seiss,
p. 311.)
The Jews, in consequence of their habits of thought,
would regard infant discipleship as the rule, and knew
m
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BAPTISM OF THE THREE THOUSAND.
323
bap-
made
most
to be
3 th er-
ifused
: The
refore
illy to
bized."
[y the
meant
r they
3 give
to be
Spirit
have
len did
ithout
litary
Not
oung-
same.
|me to
ecost,
omise
Seiss,
)ught,
I knew
:
that the observance of this would soon make adult
discipleship the exception. But, of course, there could
not be infant baptism in the case of those who had
become adults before the commission to baptize was
issued. In the nature of things, there would be nu-
merous instances of the initiation of adults at the
commencement of the apostle's ministry. Under the
former dispensation we find that the first-mentioned
cases of initiation by circumcision were adults. " In
the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised " (being
" ninety years old and nine "), " and Ishmael his son "
("thirteen years old"). "And all the men of his
house, born in the house, and bought with money of
the stranger, were circumcised with him." (Gen. xvii.
26, 27.) '■ The men," as we learn from a previous state-
ment, numbered at- least three hundred and eighteen.
Among those " born in the house " there were doubt-
less children. The narrative, however, is silent re-
specting infant circumcision at that time, yet from
this silence no one ventures to infer that children
should not be circumcised It is well known that
infant circumcision was practised after that time, and
that it became the almost exclusive practice. " Dur-
ing the following four hundred and fifty years net a
single adult Hebrew is said to have been circumcised."
(Thorn, Sub. ofBa^p., p. 273 ) At the end of this period
the rite was again performed on several adults, because
it had been discontinued during forty years in the
wilderness (Joshua v. 2, 9) ; probably because they
were then " baptized into Moses." " After that, for
i; '
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324
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
fifteen hundred years more, no adult of any of the
chosen tribes is ever mentioned as bavins: been cir-
cumcised ; " doubtless because it was regularly ad-
ministered in infancy. (Thorn, Sub. of B ip., p. 273.)
Now, if the inspired writers, when narrating the
first acts of baptism, had spoken of adults only, as was
(hme when describing the first acts of circumcision, we
would not be warranted to draw an inference in the
one case which would be utterly false if drawn in
the other, analogous, case. Since, on the other hand,
circumcision commenced with adults, and yet after
that was administered to infants chiefly, and almost
exclusively, so it would be expected that baptism,
which also is a discipling ordinance, would be ad-
ministered chiefly to children in coming years. The
cases of adult baptism would not be regarded as an
example, because it is a general rule " that no matter
of fact is entitled to be considered as an authoritative
precedent, which necessarily arose out of existing cir-
cumstances, so that it could not fail to have occurred."
(Hall in Thorn's Sub of Bap., p. 269.) The persons
spoken of in each case were adults at the time the
discipling rite was instituted. The rite was not
appointed when they were infants. Hence there was
no example of delay to be imitated.
The question is, whether adults and children should
be discipled ; not whether adults or children. Some
put the question in this latter form, and then try to
make the impression that proof of adult baptism is
disproof of infant baptism. But this plan is utterly
'11:. i
BAPTISM OF THE THREE THOUSAND.
325
misleading. Giavely to demonstrate what an opponent
does not deny, is a kind of procedure more likely to
ensnare the unwise than to satisfy the sagacious.
" And with many other words did he testify " (bear
testimony to the great historical facts already noticed),
" and exhort " as to what thev should do in view of
those facts, "saying" — to give the substance of his
many words of exhortation — " Save yourselves from "
(cTTo, " separating from " — Webster) "this crooked gen-
eration." Separate yourselves from those who will not
hear the Great Prophet, and who, for that reason, will
be destroyed from among the people. Separate your-
selves by becoming the disciples of Christ and attend-
ing His school. "They then that received his word
were baptized." This, says Meyer, may be translated
either " They then who received his word to save
themselves from this untoward generation," etc.; or,
" They then — i.e., those indicated in verse 37 — after
they received his word," etc. The latter, he says, is
correct. The word " gladly," which is found in the
Unre vised Translation, is omitted in the Revised Trans-
lation, because wanting in important MSS. (A, B, C, D,
Cod. Sin.), in ancient versions (Vulgate, etc.), and
Church fathers. Hence Lachmann and Tischendorf
cancel it. (Lechler.) Peter's hearers had not yet heard
him teach the way of salvation by faith. They had
merely heard him prove that Christ was the Great
Teacher, and that penitent teachableness was, in the
case of adults, the prerequisite qualification for enter-
ing this school in order to be taught ; and exhorting
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m
326
BAPTISING AND TEACHING.
them to receive the initiatory rite. They who re-
ceived this word of exhortation were baptized.
" Apostolic baptisms appear to have taken place at
the earliest convenient place and time." (Ingham, H.
Ofi Baj)., p. 558.) Not merely so-, they took place
on the very day on which persons were first willinor to
be baptized. " No delay of baptism was suggested,"
says Mr. Noel. " No testimonials of character were
asked. No account of doctrinal sentiments was re-
quired." The three thousand on the day of Pentecost
made no profession of faith, or of religious experience.
We find no such record in their case, or in that of
Cornelius, or of the Philippian jailor, or Lydia, or
Stephanus, or Crispus, or Gaius. This conclusion is
favoured too by the fact that not a single one of those
who apostatized from Christianity is reproved for
having obtained the rite of baptism under a false pro-
fession. Even Simon Magus himself is not charged
with having done so. Baptism does not make persons
Rabbis, as a mark that they have been taught; it
merely makes them pupils that they may be taught.
Hence those who were willing to be taught were put
to school without delay.
" The same day there were added unto them about
three thousand souls." These were added to the pre-
viously existing congregation of disciples — the dis-
ciples of Jesus — w^ho were at that time in Jerusalem
and who had been made disciples while Christ taber-
nacled among them. The baptisms administered by
" the twelve " during Christ's personal ministry made
t
\\
BAPTISM OF THE THREE THOUSAND.
327
persons the disciples of Christ. " The one hundred
and twenty," previously mentioned, were some of these
disciples. There were now added unto them " about
three thousand."
" Whoever baptized also added." {Dr. Dale.) Hu-
man baptizers added these to the kingdom of disciples.
The inspired historian makes no mention as yet of
evangelical believers being added to the Church, though
there was a church which continued after the unbe-
lieving Jews were " cut off." When he does speak of
believers, he tells us " the Lord added to the Church."
After they were baptized, we read that they were
taught. " And they continued steadfastly in the
apostles' doctrine." Literally, " they were constantly
attending to the teaching of the apostles " (irpoampTepowTeg
17 (hSaxv)- " Here the reference is to the * act of teach-
ing ' (didaxT?), not to the substance or result of teaching
(rfffJaffKoAm)." (Ellicott, 2 Tiin. iv. 3.) Observe the rela-
tion of ^iSaxri to diSaoKOTrreg (teaching) in the great com-
mission. (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.) The apostles placed the
rite of baptism at the commencement of the catechetical
course, not at the close of it, as others in post-apostolic
times began to do. In the present day, unhappily,
many of the baptized are not placed in catechumen
classes at all. The three thousand disciples constantly
attended to the apostles when giving instruction.
And the whole body, of the apostles did give instruc-
tion. And instruction to penitent disciples would
doubtless set forth the way of salvation. " God will
have all men to be saved and to come to the know-
328
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
I
ill ii
.1 '
I
Jifci
ledge of the truth." " To be saved " is the end ; to
come to the knowledge of the truth is the way to that
end. This knowledge is to be obtained by attending
to the Word of God wlien read or preached, and by
seeking the aid of the teaching Spirit. " And fellow-
ship." The disciples associated together, and regarded
themselves as distinct from the unbaptized ; just as
Paul afterwards " separated the disciples." (Acts xix.
9.) This fellowship of disciples, however, was distinct
from the brotherhood of believers mentioned after-
wards. It was fellowship in ordinary meals, for we
should omit the " and " before breaking of bread (in
accordance with weighty authorities — A, B, C, D, etc.
— Lechlcr). " The bread of the Hebrews was made
commonly into cakes, thin, hard and brittle, so that
it was broken instead of being cut. The phrase ' to
break bread * sometimes denoted intimacy or friend-
ship, in the same way as the Greeks denoted it by
drinking together — av/xnoaiov." (A modern expositor,
quoted b}) Thomas.)
The expression here, and in some other places, de-
notes an ordinary meal. (Luke xxiv. 35 ; Acts xxvii. 35.)
The Roma^ Catholics apply it to the Lord's Supper in
order to :he appearance of apostolic example to
their " . administering the Supper, by distributing
breau .ly to the laity, (v. Hockel in Amer. Version.)
The Baptists, too, apply the words to the Lord's Sup-
per, to support their position that baptism is an in-
dispensable prerequisite to the Lord's Supper. But
there is no reference to the Lord's Supper here.
•jLi.
fiAPTISM OF THE THREE THOUSAND.
829
l^ing
" And in prayer " — the prayers — referring to those
offered by several persons at each praj^er-ineeting.
They were now calling on the name of the Lord for
the remission of sins.
" And fear came upon every soul." The whole Pen-
tecostal scene impressed an overawing fear on every
soul, i.e., even on those who did not repent. This pro-
cured for the new disciples a season of freedom from
persecution which was most desirable and .advantage-
ous in the commencement of the Christie school. And
this fear was intentionally deepened by the additional
" signs and wonders which were done by the apostles."
These signs were exhibited also, and chiefly, as proofs
that they held a Divine commission to teach the dis-
ciples of Christ, and that their teaching was true. It
also served the purpose of persuading others to come
and be enrolled as disciples.
Those disciples who constantly attended to the teach-
ing of the apostles soon became believer;^. " And "
then, it is said, " all that believed were together " (enl
ravTo, together in the same place). Here is a new fellow-
ship — a fellowship of believers. It is distinct from the
previously mentioned fellowship of disciples. When
disciples became believers, they appointed a place for
believers' fellowship ; and they met in that place to
exercise and cultivate such fellowship. Here is a Chris-
tian church manifesting, as the next verses show, bro-
therly love, benevolent distribution of property, glad-
ness, singleness of heart, praising God. But of this
inner kingdom of Christ we are not now treating ; we
J
'I 1
;llk
.1 !
830
BAPTlJiING AND TEACHING.
can here only take time to say that it is " the Lord who
adds " believers to the Church ; and that He adds those
"that should be saved" (rovg au^ofievovg, those that were
being saved). The participle is not in the future tense,
but in the present, or in the imperfect tense, which, as
its name signifies, denotes an incomplete action, one
that is in its course, and is not yet brought to its in-
tended accomplishment." (Donaldson.) Salvation is
begun here in ^ardon and regeneration ; it goes on in
entire sanctification ; it is finished in the resurrection
of the body, and the admission of the re-united soul
and body into the final and everlasting inheritance.
Ir.
'., ! Ill
" I
■I I
I
:i
I :
fiAPTISM OB* LYDIA AJJD HER FAMILY.
331
CHAPTER XVI.
CASES WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE DOCTRINAL IMPORT OF
BAPTISM: (b) THE BAPTISM OF LYDIA AND HER FAMILY
(ACTS XVI. 9-15).
Looking at the context of this interesting and in-
structive record, we find it noticed that Paul, on his
missionary tour, had arrived at Troas, on the north-
west coast of Asia Minor, near the waters which divide
Asia from Europe. " Alexander the Great had crossed
these waters to become the conqueror of Asia."
( Whedon.) Paul was about to cross them in the oppo-
site direction that he mig-ht become the evanjyelizer of
Europe. The part opposite to Troas was the Greek
province of Macedonia, at a distance of somewhat
more than a hundred miles. " A vision appeared to
Paul in the night. There stood a man of Macedonia,
and prayed " (besought) " him, saying " (Paul seems
to have recognized the man's nationality. When in
Tarsus he mav have often seen Macedonian seamen,
and become acquainted with their appearance and dia-
lect), "Come over into Macedonia and help us," by
bringing to us religious light. The result of the ap-
peal is thus stated : " Immediately we endeavoured to
go " (from Troas, which was the port of embarkation)
"into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord
had called us for to preach the gospel unto them." In
332
BAPTI^^ING AND TEAC^HING.
'^i!ii
i !
forming this conclusion they were influenced partly
by this vision and partly by certain previous occur-
rences : — (a) The Spirit of Jesus had restrained them
from preaching the word of God in the western mari-
time region of Asia Minor (ver. 6). (6) They were
restrained in the same manner from labouring in
Bithynia (ver. 7). But on arriving at Troas, on the
coast of the ^gean Sea, the vision invites them to
pass over to Macedonia. (Lange.) From all these cir-
cumstances, in such a sequence, they conclude that the
vision is from God, and they are immediately ready
to go. "This c"^^ for help was once addressed by
the pagan West to the Christian East. It is now ad-
dressed to Western Christianity by the East, which
has relapsed into its former misery." (Lange.)
Here we find in the narrative the pronoun " we,"
indicating that Luke, the narrator, was here an eye-
witness. When leaving Troas, Luke was added to the
company as an assistant preacher. " Silas had already
accompanied Paul from Antioch, and Timotheus at
least from Lystra." (Lanne.) " ' Therefore loosing from
Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia,'
an island about thirty-five miles from the point of
departure, ' and the next day to Neapolis,' a port situ-
ated on the Strymonic Gulf, the modern name of which
is Cavallo." (Lange.) But as this city belonged at
that time to Thrace, they did not stay here, but con-
tinued their journey towards the district from which
the call had come. Hence they went " from thence
to Philippi, which is the chief city" — Neapolis was
BAPTISM OF LYDIA AND HEH FAMILY.
333
regarded as the port of Philippi — or perhaps the nar-
rator meant the frst city of the district of Macedonia
which they reached. "First" is the marginal read-
ing, and is adopted by the Revised Version. Some
think that " Thessalonica was at this time the chief
city of the whole Province of Macedonia." {Lange.)
Others, however, think that " Philippi was then the
chief city, because it was a Roman colony — ' a body
of Roman citizens thither transferred, as a part of
Rome itself, with all the riglits of Roman citizenship '
(Whedon) — and it was part of the Roman policy that
their colonies should be the chief cities of the coun-
tries where they were placed." {D'Oyly and MovMt.)
In Europe, as in Asia, Paul preached chiefly in the
cities and large towns ; for in ancient as in modern
times the populous centres exercised a controlling in-
fluence over social and relio:ious customs. This was
the first city in Europe visited by the preachers of
the gospel. "And we were in that city abiding cer-
tain days," before the Jewish Sabbath came round.
"And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a
river side, where prayer was wont to be made." This
river was one of the tributaries of the Strymon. The
Strymon itself was nineteen miles away. There was
probably no synagogue at Philippi. The number of
Jews would be small in a city that was not a mer-
cantile but a military one. "Proseuchce" (places of
prayer) " were distinguished from the regular places
of Jewish worship by being of a more slight and tem-
porary structure " (Lange), and frequently were mere
ir^
334
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
ii ii
if
t!
roofless enclosures. These buildincfs were by prefer-
ence placed on the banks of rivers, " as it was custom-
ary with the Jews to wash the hands before praj'^er."
(Meyer in Lange.) They were sometimes made on
the seashore, according to Josephus, who quotes from
a public decree : " They may make their proseuchce at
the seaside, according to the custom of their fore-
fathers." (Lange.) These places were resorted to by
Jews and Jewish proselytes ; and to these Paul and
his company resolved to give the first offer of salva-
tion, partly from special regard for their kindred, and
partly from better hope of success. The house of
prayer was wisely chosen as the place of their first
discourse ; but no praying men were found among the
Jews or proselytes in Philippi — none but women were
there, even on the Sabbath day.
Assuming at once the attitude of teachers, they "sat
down, and spake," kialoviiev. This expression, as contra-
distinguished from leyeiv, ctc, may describe "conversa-
tional remarks, not a formal public discourse." {Lange.)
It probably implies that the number of women was
small. But among them was a certain woman named
Lydia, of the city of Thyatira. This city was a Mace-
donian colony, and was celebrated at a very early
period for its purple dyes (procured from shell-fish),
and for its purple fabrics. " The purple colour, so
extravagantly valued by the ancients, included many
shades or tints, from rose-red to sea-green or blue."
From that colony Lydia came to the mother country
of the colony, and her occupation was the impor-
BAPTISM OF LYDIA AND HER FAMILY,
8;^ 5
prefer-
[justom-
Drayer."
lade on
3s from
lichee at
ir fore-
l to by
ml and
: salva-
ed, and
ouse of
iir first
ong the
.n were
ey "sat
contra-
iversa-
^ange.)
n was
named
Mace-
early
1-fish),
mr, so
many
blue."
)untry
mpor-
tation and sale of clothes that had received a purple
dye, or of purple dye itself. As Thyatira belonged
to a district of Asia Minor called Lydia, some think
that the woman referred to was on this account
called Lydia, or the Lydian woman. As it is after-
wards mentioned that she invited Paul and his minis-
terial brethren " into lier house to abide," then it is
clear that her presence in the city was not a mere
call while attending to some business transaction. She
was there as a resident " which worshipped God."
Though the city to which she came was given to
idolatry, and though cr.; option of religion implies
that there is also, corruption o morals, yet Lydia felt
a conscientious tear of God, and resolved to worship
Him ; and this doubtless shielded her from many evils.
She knew that God had commanded the Sabbath to be
kept holy, and she tried to keep it. It is a good thing
to be found in the w^ay of duty. " Heard us." She
listened to the preachers. Perhaps it is implied that
she was the only one who gave earnest and steady
attention. But if a minister can get one lititeninof ear
he ought to continue his address. That listener was
one " whose heart the Lord opened " (diavoiyu, opened
widely) "that she attended unto the things which
were spoken of Paul." The human heart is naturally
closed against spiritual truth and the motives which
it presents. In its natural state it discerns little of the
nature, and none of the glory, of spiritual and Divine
things, until the Lord, the Spirit, opens the blind eyes
to make it capable of discerning them; and imparts a
V
1 '1
, -i
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1
.1 I
.f -■
1 .
1
ilU
if''
, ii
t!
336
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
disposition to learn ; and, consequently, a desire to
give wakeful, earnest, and fixed attention to those
wlio are commissioned to give religious instruction.
The Spirit opens the heart to attend to the ministry
of the Word, but does not make an inward revelation
that would set aside the Divinely inspired Bible, or
the Divinely appointed ministry. He merely inclined
her to attend to these, and enabled her to understand
them. Observe carefully the circumstances in which
Lydia's heart was opened. She was a woman who
feared God, kept the Jewish Sabbath, had withdrawn
her thoughts from her worldly business, had gone from
the city to a place of prayer, and quite probably had
desired and asked more light respecting the way of
salvation. Hence that God who said, if any one will
do His will, he "shall know of the doctrine," made
arrangements to send a minister to impart to her the
requisite knowledge. Probably there was a man of
Macedonia in similar circumstances, but, yielding to
temptation, he was not at meeting that day. She was,
and the Lord opened her heart to listen to the first
discourse of the first minister of Christ in Europe.
She made good use of that first opportunity. How
many allow hundreds of opportunities to pass away
unimproved !
We may infer from the result that soon followed,
that Paul informed her, in the course of his remarks,
that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Great Teacher ; that
pupils of every nationality and of either sex are re-
ceived into His school by baptism, and that she and her
BAPTISM OF LYDIA AND HER FAMILY.
337
jire to
those
action.
inistry
elation
ble, or
iclined
rstand
which
n who
idrawn
le from
)ly had
ivay of >
ne will I
made |
»er the i
nan of '
ling to
le was,
le first \
lurope.
1 How 1
1 away |
lowed, 1
Larks,
B that 1
Ire re- J
md her
family of little ones ought to be baptized with a view
to future instruction. Hence, we are informed, " she
was baptized." It is surely not without deep signifi-
cance that a woman should thus have been the first in
Europe who was enrolled as a disciple to learn the
gospel of the grace of God, and to give the first example
of Christian hospitality. "And her household " (oikoc
ovTi/g). " The earliest translation of the New Testament,
the Syriac, sa3's she was baptized with her children."
(Seiss, 358.) Here, as everywhere in Scripture, we see
immediate baptism. No previous examination made.,
no profession required. There is no intimation that
she had for this purpose to leave the spot where she
listened to Paul, or to provide change of raiment. She
would be baptized as others were, by pouring the
baptismal element upon her. When baptized she is
ready to invite Paul and his brethren in the ministry
to become her guests, that she may be their pupil.
" And when she was baptized, and her household, she
besought us, saying. If ye lave judged me to be
faithful to the Lord " (i.e., since she became a Jewish
proselyte ; there was not time to exhibit faithfulness
as a disciple of Christ) — if Paul and his brethren
judged her to have acted sincerely, conscientiously, as
a Jewish proselyte, and as such worthy to be their
hostess — " come into my house, and abide there." So
earnest was her request, so repeated her importunities,
that "she constrained us." They were somewhat
unwillinjx to 2;'ive her the burden of boanlinjTj them.
Her haptizers became her guests, and thus had a most
22
■■] 'I'S
m
;
5 ■
Ill
"I . '■
ttuvti tu oiku avrov
(Acts X. 2). This state;nent implied that his family
liad come to years of accountability. And accordingly
the inspired historian does not speak of this as a
family baptism. So when it is said that Crispus "be-
lieved on the Lord with all his family," aw o?.cj tu oiku
nvTov (Acts xviii. 8), there is no mention made of family
baptism; but in the case of Lydia mention is* made
of family baptism. The administration of baptism to
families is very remarkable from this circumstance*
that no other ordinance or " privilege of any kind is
mentioned in the New Testament as given to fami-
lies." (Ewing.) The Lord's Supper, for instance, is
never said to be administered to families. There must
be some special reason for this peculiarity in the nar-
ratives of baptism. Baptism, being a discipling ordi-
nance, like circumcision under the former dispensation,
is, like it also, given to parents and their families
while young.
It is only by means of these family baptisms that
we can trace and prove the continuance of the ordi-
nance among Christians. To say that these families
had no infants in them is to leave us without example
of the continuance of the ordinance. For if these bap-
tized families did not contain infants, but only adults
personally converted from Judaism or heathenism to
Christianity, then it would follow that we have no
examples under the ministry of the apostles (which in
■ :^
w
|i '
|i >
i I 'I r' I
!'!';■ !!■:
344
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
some cases extended over sixty years) of the baptism
of any except those who were brought up in Judaism
or paganism. From this it might be inferred that
baptism was to be given only to such proselytes, and
not at all to those born of Christian parents, whatever
their age may be. If any man thinks that these m.ay
be baptized without the warrant of examples, he can
lay no stress on the want of examples in other cases.
But as the ordinance was to be continued among the
descendants of Christians, it is surely probable that we
would find examples of its continuance ; yet, unless
those baptized families were composed of infants, we
have no examples of the kind.
It is important to observe that the Scriptures speak
not only of baptized families, but of the church in the
house ; for instance, the church in the house or family
of Priscilla and Aquila (Rom. xvi. 5) ; so that, while in
some baptized families we find merely the school of
Christ, in others we find the Church of Christ — the
church in the house or family. Children, after having
been baptized and taught, became believers ; and to
believing children the command would be appropriate,
" Children, obey your parents in the Lord." Both
parents and children were in the Ephesian church.
Paul speaks to professing Christians, and " the address
to children in a letter to the church presupposes that
the apostle regards them as belonging to the Church."
(Lange.)
As baptism introduced both adults and infants
into the outer kingdom of disciples, and not into
BAPTISM OF LYDiA AND HER FAMILY.
345
the Church, we can see why it is that we do not
read of the church in the house of Lydia, or of the
church in the house of Stephanas. Yet we do read
of the church in the house (or fan ily, oikov) of Pris-
cilla and Aquila (Rom. xvi. 5) ; of bhe church in the
liouse or family of Nymphas (Col. iv. 15), and of the
church in the house or family of Philemon (Phil. 1).
In short, where ^"^e read of family baptisms we do
not read of family churches ; and where we read of
family churches we do not read of family baptisms.
The reason obviously is that the one was composed
of young children, and the other of children old
enough to believe. It is very important to notice this
distinction between baptized families and churches in
families. Baptism was not designed, in any case, to
add to the Church, or inner kin; iom of evanjjelical
believers. It therefore was not intended to mix the
unrenewed with the renewed — the world with the
Church. Those who have unwarrantably made this
use of it have laid themselves open to the strong
arguments used by the Baptists on that ground. But
those arguments do not apply to infant baptism
as used by the apostles to initiate into the outer
school of disciples. It is the wrong view of the
design of infant baptism that exposes to these objec-
tions, and misleads the Baptists to imagine that they
are the strongest advocates for the purity of the
Christian Church. To advocate this is right, but to
pronounce infant ' ptism to be unscriptural is wrong,
fearfully wrong — opposing and counteracting the un-
'5:?
346
lUPTIZlNCi AND TEACHING.
repealed law of God respecting infant discipleship ;
a law of venerable antiquity, which has been re-
affirmed and perpetuated by the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is worthy of observation that it is in connection
with the ministry to the Gentiles that we find men-
tion made of family baptisms. This plainly implies
that it was not considered necessary to report the
baptism of Jewish families. Every one in that age
of the world knew that the Jews had for centuries
been familiar with household circumcision, and that
this meant infant circumcision. They would expect,
as a matter of course, that the new covenant required
the baptism of families, and therefore of infants ; as
the old covenant reipiired the circumcision of families,
and therefore of infants. The apostles baptized fami-
lies without previous catechetical instruction, and
without delay. A manifest departure from their prac-
tice was made in post-apostolic times, when candidates
for baptism were required to undergo a course of in-
struction, which was continued " from a few months to
three years, according to circumstances." (Dr. Hodge,
The)., iii., p. 541.)
It is now evident that the baptism of households
agrees with our explanation of the great commission,
and that it does not agree with the Baptists' explana-
tion rtf that commission. Where in the journal and
periodical accounts of Baptist missionaries do we meet
with any record of that kind ? Where do we find a
Baptist minister saying, " when she was baptized, and
her family " ? {Dr. Wardlaw.) " A Baptist minister
i^ f
BAPTISM OF LYDIA AND HER FAMILY.
847
who becatne converted to Pedobaptist views said,
that ' in all the Baptist missionary reports, we never
read of the baptism of whole households at one and
the same time.'" (Lathern, p. 118.)
"The practice of infant baptism is an institution
which prevailed in all sections of the ancient Church.
Justin Martyr, writing A.D. 138, says that in his
day there were ' many persons — some sixty and some
seventy years old — who had been made disciples of
Christ from their infancy.' Origen, born of Chris-
tian parents in Egypt, A.D. 185, declares that it was
the usage of the Church to baptize infants, and that
the Church had received the tradition from the apos-
tles. St. Augustine, born A.D. 358, declared that this
* doctrine is held by the whole Church, not instituted
by Councils, but always retained.' . It now prevails
throughout the universal Church, with the exception
of the modern Baptists, whose origin can be definitely
traced to the Anabaptists of Germany, about A.D-
1537." (Dr. A. A. Hodge, Outlines of Theol, p. 622,
623.) We conclude in the language of one of the
articles of the Church : " The baptism of young chil-
dren is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as
most agreeable with the institutions of Christ."
t w
ill
^:. !
I ill
\">l
3 ! I iM'i
> ;
I'i
I
'li
v' r'l 'R
II II
348
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
CHAPTER XVI [.
THE SAVIOUR'S TENDER FEELINGS TOWARDS LITTLE CHIL-
DREN (MATT. XIX. 13-15; MARK X. 13-16; LUKE XVIII.
15-17).
The instructive narrative mentioned in these verses
places before us a ve. ^ interesting illustration of
Christ's character in relation to children. It is there-
fore frequently referred to in connection with the
subject of infant baptism. Jesus was, at the time, at
the east of Jordan, in Perea, and therefore "away
from the great centres of Jewish ecclesiastical author-
it}^ On this account He found a sphere of labour
there, after He judged it best to retire from Galilee
and Judea." (Lavge.) He had been rejected by many
adults ; He therefore invites the children to His arms.
He thereby teaches us that proper attention to these
is the ground of hope for the world. He had gone
through this section of country before, when journey-
ing to Jerusalem to the feast commemorative of the
dedication of the Temple. At that time " great multi-
tudes followed Him ; and He healed their sick." (Matt,
xix. 2.) On His second visit " many resorted unto Him,
. . . and believed on Him there." (John x. 40-42.) They
believed that He was a Great Teacher sent from God,
because they saw the miracles which He wrought. It
was some of these believers who brought their chil-
dren to Him to be blessed. They did so in accordance
} :i
'1!
Christ's feelings towards little children. 349
with a customary practice of the Jews. " Whenever
a person of renown for learning, piety, etc., arrives in
a place, even at the present day, Jewish parents and
guardians bring their children to him to receive a
blessing from his hand." (Rev. J. S. C. Frey, a converted
Jew, now a Baptist ; quoted by A. Wiberg, Chr. Bap.,
p. 143.)
The bringing of these children to Jesus was made
the occasion of giving a beautiful illustration and
most impressive proof of the unspeakably tender in-
terest which He felt in children. That Jesus should
feel thus is not to be wondered at, since mere men,
when meditative, have been deeply interested in them,
and have even felt something like veneration in their
presence. The Rev. William Anderson, for instance, in
one of his discourses, speaks of an infant in some such
words as these : " There lies an infant in that cradle.
Nothing in all nature besides to be compared with it
for feebleness and helplessness ; and yet, such princi-
ples and energies may be slumbering within that tiny
form as shall send him forth, when developed in his
manhood, to gladden and honour his father's house; not
only so, but as a philosopher, to advance the sciences and
arts ; as a poet, to charm all around with his song ; as a
patriot, to conduct the counsels or arms of his country ;
as a minister, to illuminate them that are in darkness,
and to edify the Church ; and at last, as one of the
nobler of redeemed spirits, to excite to higher rapture
the anthems of eternity. Or, woeful alternative ! that
babe may be developed as a demon of dailuiess, to
350
BAPnZING AND TEACHING.
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■m
anguish the hearts of his parents, to be the scourge of
the earth, and at last to deepen everlastingly the wail-
ings of them that have been banished forever from all
that is pure and happy." How useful and noble the
work of teaching and guiding aright the infant mind
and heart ! How shameful and sinful to lead their
unsuspecting minds into error and crime and ruin ! H
such are the sentiinents of meditative man, with what
words could we describe the peculiarly fond anticipa-
tions of a mother's love ? And above all, who could
describe the hopes or apprehensions of the unspeak-
ably more interested and far-seeing Redeemer of all ?
Looking with peculiar interest and delight upon the
children that were now brought to Him, He approves
of the object for which they were brought. It was
that He might put His hands on them and pray. Im-
position of hands was a rite which, from the earliest
ages, had been in use by those who implored God's
blessing upon others. It was used especially by pa-
triarchs and prophets. Jacob laid his hands upon
Ephraim and Manasseh ; and Moses laid his hands
upon Joshua. (Gen. xlviii. 14 ; Num. xxvii. 18.)
The disciples of Christ who were present felt opposed
to His putting His hands on the children. They
probably would have had no objection to see children
brought to any of the Jewish Rabbis for such a pur-
pose ; but they thought there were very grave ob-
jections against bringing them to Christ. They could
not suppose that He would be unv:illing to receive
them. They had sejn Him take a little child and
CHRIST'S FEELINGS TOWARDS LITTLE CHILDREN. 351
place it in their midst, and then take it up in His arms
to illustrate what He was teaching. Their thought,
probably, was that His valuable time should not be
occupied in that way, that His attention should not be
so diverted from matters of greater moment.
It is not likely that their opposition arose from
thinking that children did not need, or could not re-
ceive, any spiritual blessing from God. They surely
would not entertain thoughts that would, l^y necessary
implication, leave unsaved the millions upon millions
who had died in infancy, and that would leave the
surviving millions without grace to obey their parents
in the Lord, and without understandings opened to
receive religious instruction in youth. It is more prob-
able, as already intimated, that the apostles thought
that the official work of Christ did not include any
care of children. They probably deemed it inconsis-
tent " with the sovereign dignity of Christ's person to
allow any such familiarity on the part of the people,
and such consideration to infants." (-Hibhard, p. 119.)
They accordingly forbade those who brought the chil-
dren, and whO; by so doing, showed that they had a
different opinion of Christ. When doing this the
apostles were at some distance from Christ. But
Jesus knew what they did at a distance, as well as
when in His immediate presence, and was " much dis-
pleased with them." [The same word was used to ex-
press the much indignation of the disciples at Bethany
when the alabaster box was broken and the costly fra-
grance poured upon the head and feet of the Saviour.]
JB ^ it
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352
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
"Jesus felt no indignation when despised, and betrayed,
and scourj^ed, and condemned, and crucified ; but He
did feel it when the disciples rebuked those that
brought their children to Him, and put their hands to
hinder the cliildren." (Lathern, //(//>., p. 95.) The dis-
pleasure of the disciples against those who brought
the chikiren w^as thus quickly opposed by the displeas-
ure of the Master against such disciples. It does not
appear that anything during their whole attendance
on Him was so highly displeasing as their conduct on
this occasion. They did not mean to displease, or to
do injury; but people may do harm ignorantly, or
heedlessly, as well as intentionally. They may do so
by vastly underrating the importance of Christ's receiv-
ing and blessing children. The children here spoken
of were little children. They are called infants, ra (ipecpri,
in Luke xviii. 15. /jpe^of properly denotes that the
child to which it is applied is one that is still nour-
ished bj^ the mother — one that has not yet been
weaned. These, thousih not weaned, w^ere able to
walk ; for Jesus said, " Sutter them to come to Me."
They had been brought part of the way. They were
probably told to stand on the ground while those who
brought them were in conversation with the apostles.
They were then called to walk from where the apostles
were to where Christ w^as. Christ, when He uttered
these words, was manifest in the flesh, and near at
hand. The coming of the children was, therefore, a
literal coming — an act of walking to Him, of which
they were capable. Christ was not in the invisible
CHRIST'S FEELINGS TOWARDS LITTLE CHILDREN. 353
world when He uttered the invitation. It cannot,
therefore, be supposed that He meant a figurative
coming, performed by an act of evangelical faith. He
was not in the invisible world addressing adults ; He
was in the visible world inviting little children to
walk to Him. He would surely receive such. There
may have been adults whom He would not receive.
The very next narrative recorded in some of the gos-
pels mentions a " young man who came to the Saviour
by the way, earnest, enthusiastic, correct in creed, and
of unexceptionable deportment ; the Master looked
upon him, and loved him, but could not receive him."
(Lathern, Bap., p. 96.) He would not accept an adult
who thought it " too hard to enter the kingdom of
GoJ " on the terms prescribed. But He would receive
all little children. " ' It is an acknowledged fact, that
when any sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is com-
manded.' Therefore the rebuke of Jesus was equiva-
lent to a command " (Lathern) — a command to some
to offer children to Christ, and to others to receive
them in His name. " Whom Christ blesses man may
receive." {Lathern, p. 96.)
They who brought the young children to Christ
brought them " that He should touch them," say Mark
and Luke ; meaning, as Matthew says, " that He might
put His hands on them, and pray." He approved of
their object, but He did more ; He took them up in His
tender and loving arms, as a father would a beloved
child, and then, " disengaging His right arm, put His
hand on them and blessed them." (Morrison.) And
23 .
I
354
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
! I
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I iiiiiii N''-!
He did thus in the case of every little child as it
came to Him. " We read twice of our Lord taking
persons in His arms or embracing them ; in both in-
stances children were the objects." (Lange.) He did
more than pray for them, He blessed them. Instead
of interceding that His Heavenly Father should bless
them, He Himself evorcised that Divine prerogative,
and immediately c »*ed a blessing. The Father's
willingness was mai i-ested in advance, and graciously
superseded the fresh intercession of the Mediator in
their case.
Those who brought the children m_ay have had defi-
nite thouyfht of the kind of blessine: that would be
appropriate, but they did not expressly name it. They
believed that His superior wisdom would instantly
discern the very kind that little children needed, and
of which they were capable. On the other hand,
Jesus imparts the blessing, but does not describe it.
Its nature, therefore, must be inferred from the state
and circumstances of its recipients, from the nature of
the kingdom to which they belong, and from the char-
acter of the Giver. The Divine plan is to give present
grace for present duty, He probably never gives
more than this to anyone. The present duties of chil-
dren, before they come to years of immediate account-
ability to God, are all included under obedience to
parents. Therefore little children like those that
Christ took up in His arms may, in answer to the
prayer of parents or friends, and by the blessing of
C/hrist, get a disposition to render obedience to earthly
I ,''i
I
CHRIST'S FEELINGS TOWARDS LITTLE CHILDREN. 355
ild as it
1 taking
both in-
He did
Instead
aid bless
rotative,
Father's
raciously
diator in
had defi-
tvould be
it. They
instantly
3ded, and
er liand,
scribe it.
the state
nature of
the char-
3 present
er gives
s of chil-
account-
ience to
se that
ir to the
ssing of
earthly
parents or guardians so willingly, cheerfully, and uni-
formly, as to be pleasing to God. This blessing would
make the duties of children practicable and delightful.
And we are persuaded that one reason why so many
parents find it impracticable to bring their children
into due submission to parental authority, is that they
have not brought them, and often brought them, to
Christ, that He might bless them. The neglect is in-
excusable, and the consequences are most lamentable.
Those who have not learned to be loving and obedient
to parents do not readily become respectful and obe-
dient to teachers of schools and colleges, to employers,
or to the powers that be in the State or in the Church.
They are more likely to become law-breakers, and
may probably have to be checked by the officers of
justice. Parents and guardians are under obligation
to train their children in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord ; but of this training the children will
not be fully capable until they have received Christ's
blessing. They need, as Mr. Watson says, " the gift
of the Holy Spirit to prepare them for instruction in
the Word of God as they are taught by parental care."
They will not feel interest in religious truth without
such influence, and will not try to understand it. If
parents brought their children to Jesus in due time,
they would be more disposed to listen to religious in-
struction, to read the Bible, to attend Sabbath -school
and to profit by it, to pray, etc. Who could adequately
describe the lamentab' consequences of the many
sinful omissions of this duty. To the neglect of this
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356
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
may be traced the thoughtless rudeness, the unfeeling
violence, the ungovernable tempers, of many youths
that disturb our streets.
The children were not brought to Christ to hear
some words of instruction or of counsel. They were
probably too young to understand it. As yet, loving
looks and tones, and fond embraces, and skilful acts of
kindness and care, may have been the only means of
educatinff them. These infants were not brought to
Christ for baptism, for He never administered the or-
dinance of water baptism to any person of any age.
Christ blessed both adults and children, but baptized
neither. If Christ had been a baptizer, and if they
had brought the children to be, by baptism, enrolled
among the disciples of Christ, no opposition would
have been shown by the apostles ; for they knew that
Jewisli children had been made disciples of Moses
during fifteen centuries, and that they were equally
capable of being put into the school of Jesus, the
prophet like unto Moses.
As Christ's loving heart contained, so did His kingly
office include, the most benevolent and tender care for
children. " For of such is the kingdom of God." He
speaks of a then existent kingdom, of which the chil-
dren before Him were subjects already. It is plain
that His meaninff is that these children are now in
the kingdom ; not that they may be, or will be, at
some future time. This kingdom was the kingdom of
disciples. These children had been placed, by the rite
of circumcision, under obligation to learn and obey the
Christ's feelinos towards little children. 357
oracles of God They were not now brought as can-
didates for discipleship ; they were accepted disciples,
and acknowledged as such. The kingdom was at this
time called the kingdom of God, because God the
Father was, a^ the time here spoken of, in the office of
Supreme King. Christ was now acting as the prophet
of God. After doing so for a while He was invested
with the authority of supreme and sole King of this
kingdom. For the Father gave " all power in heaven
and earth " to Him. See Chapter V. on Kingdom of
Disciples.)
The kingdom here mentioned is the kingdom of
disciples. It is not the kingdom of glory, the state of
future blessedness ; because, as Watson remarks, "All
the children brought to Christ were not likely to die in
their infancy." And they were not disembodied spirits;
they were dwellers upon earth. To suppose that such
little children, such infants as Christ addressed, were
then, and even previously to Christ's blessing, meet
for the everlasting kingdom, would involve a denial of
the doctrine of hereditary sinfulness of disposition ;
and hence, is a wrong supposition. For a similar
reason, we cannot assume that the kingdom here
spoken of means the Church of Christ. The Church
of Christ, as distinguished from the Old Testament
Church, was not yet organized. We must conclude,
therefore, that they were recognized pupils in the
kingdom of disciples, and were certainly made such
by circumcision. These children were subjects of the
kingdom before they were blessed by Christ, and they
A 1 i
358
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
I •■
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had received th(i initiatory rite before they were
reckoned as subjects. Children, even in early youth,
are naturally teachable in reference to what they
ought to learn, and hence are proper candidates for
admission into the kingdom of disciples. And when
brought to Christ they are fit subjects to receive the
blessintj of greater teachableness which Christ confers
on such.
" Of such." The word rendered " such " is a word
which points directly to previously mentioned indi-
viduals or objects, and indirectly and inclusively to
others of similar character. The meaning is that the
children which were then brought formed p:vt of this
kingdom ; so also did children like them. Observe
the difterence between the expression " of such," used
in this place, and the expression "theirs," or "of
them," used in Matt. v. 3 : " Blessed are the poor in
Spirit, for theirs " (of them) " is the kingdom of
heaven;" that is, says Dr. Carson, "the kingdom of
heaven is of the poor in spirit, and of them onl3^
There is none in the kingdom of heaven but the poor
in spirit." Had " of them " been used in Matt, xix.,
instead of " of such," " it would have imported that
none but children are members of Christ's kingdom
here spoken of." (Carson on Bap., pp. 199, 200.) But
" of such " is the expression used, and this means of
them, and of persons like them. It does not mean of
them only. Neither does it mean of persons like them
oaly. They are w^'ong who suppose that " of such "
refers to adults of a childlike disposition. For what
Christ's feeltnos towards little children. 359
':W
kind of reason for permitting cliildren to come ^o
Christ to receive His blessing could be found here if
the meaning was that persons who are not children,
but are of a childlike disposition, are the subjects of
the kingdom of God ? The absurdity of tiiis mean-
ins: is its own refutation, since " the reason for children
being permitted to come must be found in themselves,
and not in others." ( Watson, in., p. 418.) No interpreta-
tion can be correct which deprives the Great Teacher's
reasoning of all force and meaning. [What reason
would He assign if He xneant to say, "Suffer these
little children to come to Me, for though they are not
of the kingdom of God, yet men and women who are
like them in certain respects are members of the king-
dom."] If Christ did not mean children themselves.
He might as well have said : " Suffer little lambs, or
doves, to come unto Me ; because those who resemble
them in certain characteristics belong to the kingdom
of heaven." This mode of interpreting the phrase
plainly fails to bring out the evidently intended con-
nection of thought. It would equally take away the
rignt meaning of other passages in which the phrase
occurs For instance, when Christ said, " The Father
seeketli such to worship Him " (John iv. 23), did He
not seek those who worship " in spirit and in truth,"
but only those who resemble them ? When the Jews
said, respecting Paul, " Away with such, a fellow from
the earth " (Acts xxii. 22), would it be correct to say
that they did not mean away with Paul himself, that
they merely mfc«*nt away with those that resemble
I ,.^1
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if
360
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
him. Plainly they did not mean merely that. They
surely meant to include Paul himself, for he was then
the principal subject of their thoughts. And so, in
our Lord's words, the children before Him were meant,
for they were the principal subject of discourse. " The
little children themselves were brought to Christ for
His blessing. Upon thm the attention of all was
fixed. To them the objection of the disciples related.
And surely the words ' of such is the kingdom of
God,' which Christ spoke in reply to that objection,
must also have referred to therti ; especially as this
reply was accompanied with a direction respecting
them, in consequence of which the children themselves
did come unto Him."
" Do away with the doctrine that children belong to
the kingdom of heaven, and you destroy the ground
of the comparison, and the beauty of the metaphor."
(Hihhard, p. 108.) For, as Mr. Wesley observes, "If
they themselves were not fit to be subjects of that
kingdom, how could others be so because they were
like them." {Wesley s Works, Vol. VI., p. 18.)
Jesus assigns as the reason why the little children
should be brought to Him, that of such is the kingdom
of heaven ; but if they themselves were not of the
kingdom of heaven, it could not be the reason why
they should be brought to Him. " The followers of
Jesus in some respects resemble sheep (John x.), but
that would be a ridiculous reason for brivgivg sheep to
Christ ! " (Rev. N. Doane, Inf. Bap., p. 87.) " Besides,
if they who are like little children belong to the king-
Christ's feelings towards little children. 361
•^■•1 m
dom, why should we for a moment duubt that the
little children themselves belong to the kingdom?"
(Morrison.) Otherwise Christ would have said, " You
did right to hinder them, for little children do not be-
long, but only adults who resemble them in some
respects." He does not say, " Suffer these little children
to come to Me," as if there were some peculiarity in
their case. His words are of wider application ; all
little children who are brought to receive His bless-
ing may come to Him. Hence Mr. Maclean, a Baptist
writer, referring to Mark x. 13-16, properly says:
" Here are children brought to Christ, declared of His
kingdom, and blessed." (Lect. VIII., p. 82, in Thorn's
Sub. of Bap., p. 373.) And be it observed, the declara-
tion that these children were visible subjects of the
kingdom was made before they were blessed, not after
they were blessed. But we cannot infer that it was
said before they were ritually initiated. These little
children had been initiated by circumcision. The
meaning therefore is, " Of such initiated children, and
of all other initiated persons, is the kingdom, of God."
They had not only been initiated, but brought to
Christ for His blessing; hence the meaning may be,
" of these children, and of all who, like them, are
brought to Christ for His blessing, is the kingdom of
God."
" It is an important rule of interpretation that no
one word in any particular connection shall take a
more general meaning than the whole of the particular
subject to which it alludes." (Hibbard, BaiMsm, p. 112.)
:'ii;;
iwpi
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362
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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Now, those who were literally little children were the
particular subject of Christ's discourse in Matt. xix.
13-15. When therefore He adds, without giving the
least intimation of having changed His subject, "0/
Huch is the kingdom of heaven," He must be supposed
to mean of these little children, and of any and all
little children like them. But while this phrase does
not expressly include any besides children, it does not
prevent adults who resemble them in teachableness
fiom being included by other Scriptures, or even by
another part of the same discourse. " Verily, I say
unto you. Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of
God as a little child he shall not enter therein." (Mark
X. 15.) Others may receive it, but those others must
receive it as a little child receives it. This plainly
implies that a little child receives the kingdom, and
that the others who are spoken of should receive it in
the same way. They should receive it on the ground
of childlike teachableness and humble submission to
the appointment of Christ, without any idea of merit.
This is the qualification for admission. If the ob-
jectors thought that little children should wait to
become adults before they could enter the kingdom of
disciples, they must have been surprised to hear that
instead of children Itaving to become adults, adults
must become like children, in order to enter the king-
dom. To be as teachable as children those adults
must become penitent. Nothing but penitence will
bring an adult back to the teachableness of a juvenile,
to that humility which believes testimony on the
1
Christ's feelings towards little children. 363
authority of a competent teacher, even where it does
not comprehend the subject ; which is content to re-
ceive a statement of facts on the testimony of a Divinely
accredited teacher ; admitting that they are as yet too
feeble In mind, or too limited in knowledge, to com-
prehend the philosophy of those facts. This childlike
spirit is made the true pattern of normal discipleship,
for God frequently " gives us facts without philosophy,
and thus treats us, for the present, as little children
who are unable to fathom the deepest questions of His
moral government." (Hovey.) " The analogy to chil-
dren," says Whately, " may be traced in the knowledge
we possess and the duties we have to perform. In
regar.l to knowledge: (1) It is relative in kind — children
know chiefly what relates to themselves ; (2) in degree,
it is scanty and imperfect ; but (3) it is practically
sufficient for them, if they will make a good use of it."
That children may be brought to Christ, and are
capable of being blessed by Him, is clearly established
by this passage ; and in this light it is of inestimable
value. The Saviour here shows the relation in which
He places children to Himself. Elsewhere the Divine-
ly appointed mode of publicly and visibl}'^ introducing
them into that relation under the new dispensation is
stated, and so also are the duties and privileges con-
nected with that relation. As already observed, the
exceedingly important case before us shows that per-
sons in early youth are susceptible of spiritual bless-
ing ; and, accordingly, we find that youth at an early
age are susceptible of religious instruction. Timothy,
364
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
,r,i'.
ii:.
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1
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i
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for instancB, was instructed in the Holy Scriptures
and fiptipovc — from the time that he was a little child
(2 Tim. iii. 15) — i.e., so soon as he ceased to be a little
child. As little children are naturally teachable with
respect to parental instruction, and are susceptible of
spiritual blessing that can make them teachable with
respect to spiritual instruction, they are fit candidates
for baptism as well as circumcision ; for baptism puts
the candidate into the school of Christ, with a view to
subsequent instruction, and under obligation to hear
the Great Teacher, and the parents and ministers who
by His appointment teach what He commands Jesus
was the first Great Teacher of men who gave child-
hood a proper place in human thought, by showing
the place children had in the Divine arrangements.
" When He said, * Of such is the kingdom of heaven,'
it was a revelation." (E. Egglestone, Christian Litera-
ture.
In the estimation of Infinite Wisdom, true glory,
unlike the false glory of man, is to feel the most for
the most dependent and helpless. To promote the best
interests of infants is a work worthy even of the Son
of God. He knew how valuable a human soul is. It
has been well said, " It may be that any limited time or
finite space may be nothing to Him who fills immensity
and inhabits eternity ; but the present and future well-
being of every human soul, young or old, is every-
thing to Him who is infinite in love and in holiness."
Christ deemed this a most important work ; and co-
jliil
snsity
well-
christ's feelings towards little children. 365
operation with Him in this is man's greatest work, the
work productive of the most certain, most lasting, and
most glorious results.
"Our children Thou dost claim,
And mark them out for Thine ;
Ten thousand blessings on Thy name
For goodness so divine."
' '' 1
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^11
1
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MAl'TIZIN(i AND TKACIlINCi.
CHAITKR XVJII.
CASKH WINCH NiLUSTIlATK THK DOCTIlINAIi IMI'OIIT OF
HAITISM: (V) UAP'I'ISM OK TIIK IMIILIIM'IAN JAILOR
AND AMi IIIH.
This instructive narrative calls for careful examina-
tion. It teaches .some important truths besides those
that are immediately connected with our subject. Hut
we can only l»riefly notice some of the former. Every
sinner may hecomii a convinced sinm^r. Conviction of
guilt is produced even in lieatlien minds by the Spirit
sent to convince the world of sin, and of rijjfhteous-
ness, and of judgnuint. Everywhere men are taui^ht
that there is a difl'erence hetween right and wrong ;
and that the wrong is punishable', and the right is
rewardable ; and that there is a supernatural Power
that thinks it right and im[)erative to deal out such
punishment for wrong-doing, and such reward for
well-doing. Hence, everywhere, men may be brouj^ht
to fear that Supreme Power that stands pledged to
punish sin if persisted in. Careless sinners may thus
become awakened siimers. Further, men everywhere
believe that the Supreme Being may, by some means,
be rendered propitious — that is, disposed to ])ardon sin
on certain conditions. Evidence of this propitious-
ness of God is universally exhibited, that men may
have faith in it. In heathen lands it is made known
partly by the patience of God towards sinners after
1.1
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|{AI»TISM OK TIIK I'llIIJl'PIAN .lAII-Oll.
no?
OUT OK
JAII.OIt
aiinna-
S til OHO
,. But
Every
tion of
Spirit
iteouH-
tauufht
vroiig ;
^ht is
Powor
such
1 for
OU<'l)t
ad to
thus
ivhere
loans,
Dn sin
ious-
niay
lown
after
th(! coinrnission of sin, ^ivin^ time to repent ; partly
l»y tlie providential ^oodiKJSs of (Jod towards them,
and which is manifestcid in order to l)rin<^ them to
repentance ; partly l)y the Spirit, as the s|)irit of sup-
plication, iiiclinin^ thc^m to hope; and pray for forj^ive-
ness,an/
y
/^
<1}
<^,^»
<^
I
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370
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
from his carelessness and impenitence. Paul did not
withhold an answer that he might first ask the kind,
or degree, or duration of the jailor's sinfulness, and
then judge whether mercy was provided and reserv^ed
for him or not. He knew that all manner of iniquity
roQ,y be forgiven to every penitent who believes. He
knew that God has " no pleasure in the death of the
wicked, but that he should turn from his wickedness
and live." Hence he pointed him at once to the
remedy, knowing that " the blood of Jesus cleanses
from all sin." There was no cautious reserve in the
directions given — " Believe, and thou shalt be saved."
The apostle knew that the grace of God was will-
ing and ready to do all that the jailor needed. And
more, the jailor had made inquiry respecting his own
salvation. The answer is, " Thou shalt be saved, and
thy house " (oiko^ gov, thy family). The apostle does
not 'mean that the jailor, by exercising faith for his
own salvation, would save his family also ; he meant
that, when saved himself, he could teach them to look
for salvation in the same way, as soon as they were
capable of doing so. " And they" {i.e., Paul and Silas)
"spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all
that were in his house" (owta ayrov)— literally,- to all
his domestics. These were distinct from his family.
They spoke 0/ his family; they speak to his domestics.
As the apostle did not speak the word of the Lor^
to the family, it is implied that they were yet too
young to be taught by preaching. But the domeatios
w^re old enough to receive instruction of this kin(^.
BAPTISM OF THE PHILIPPIAN JAILOR.
371
[So far we find no report or evidence that the jailor
had as yet exercised this saving faith. The brief
exhortation of the apostle was doubtless opened and
explained.] When Paul and Silas spake to him and his
domestics " the word of the Lord," reference would be
made to the duty of the penitent. When the apostles,
on the day of Pentecost, were asked by the convicted
Jews, " Men and brethren, what shall we do ?" Peter
said, " Repent, and be baptized." Paul would do like-
wise ; he would show his awakened hearers that " the
word of the Lord " included the commission given
by the Lord Jesus to make disciples of all nations
by baptizing and teaching them ; that the qualifica-
tion for being put to school is teachableness ; and
that the penitent adults are teachable, and so are all
infant children.
The jailor was ready to comply with these instruc-
tions. But he considerately puts off asking them to
baptize him, that he may first attend to their stripes.
" And he took them the same hour of the night, and
washed their stripes." A few hours previously the
stern jailor was unmoved by the sight of blood. No
recollection of it prevented his sleeping soundly.
Now he can look upon it no longer ; he hastens to
act the part of a kind host. The blood having been
thus washed away, they were ready to attend to his
baptism.
It is said that the jailor took Paul and Silas, and
washed their stripes; but it is not s: id that they
took the jailor to a place for baptism. This was not
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372
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
necessary ; where there was water enough to wash
stripes, there was water enough for baptism.
" And was baptized, he and all his, straightway " —
i.e., all his children,. and all his domestics, for mention
was previously made of both. The children were ob-
viously young, for they were not spoken to when the
word of the Lord was explained. So that here was a
case, not of family baptism, but of the baptism of
domestics also.
These were baptized with water. Luke does not
mention the baptismal element here, but in other
places he does mention it, and puts in the instrumental
dative, vSan (with water).
It is implied that the baptism was administered in
the place where the apostles' stripes had been washed,
i.e., in the outer prison. Some have supposed, with the
most violent improbability, that the jailor, who, in his
unawakened state, felt the responsibility for the safe-
keeping of his prisoners so fully that he was about to
commit suicide rather than be suspected and charged
with allowing them to escape, disregarded that responsi-
bility as soon as he came under apostolic teaching ;
that he with his domestics, as well as his infant
children, went away from the gaol at night, taking two
of the prisoners with him, and leaving the rest to take
care of themselves ; that they went to a river, and
allowed themselves to be put under water at night by
two of the prisoners, still quivering from their stripes.
The supposition is utterly incredible. The imagination
borders on insanity. The jailor could not do so " with-
BAPTISM OF THE PHILIPPIAN JAILOR.
373
out breach of fidelity and forfeiture of life." (Luther,
p. 235.)
Deeply affected by the interest they are takinj; in
his welfare, he resolved to treat them with kind and
generous hospitality. He led them into his own house,
and set meat before them. They doubtless used the
moments in imparting the teaching that was to follow
the baptism. And as the truth as it is in Jesus was
set before the jailor, " he rejoiced, believing in God with
all his house ; " rather, he rejoiced on behalf of his
family {rravoiKi) that he now believed in God, and not
in idols, — TravoiKi is an adverb qualifying the word
"rejoiced." This strikingly "impersonal word," as
Stier calls it, shows that it was not the family that
rejoiced, but that it was the jailor who rejoiced in
their behalf. The phrase " with all his house " occurs
also in the account of Crispus, but is there a transla-
tion of different words, and has for this reason a dif-
ferent meaning, as we shall soon see.
It is after the jailor's baptism, and not previously,
that we are told " he believed in God." Hence there
appears to have been an observance of the order
mentioned in the great commission. The baptizing
was followed by teaching him, and the teaching was
followed by his believing.
The word translated " believed " is in the singular
number, as well as the word translated " rejoiced."
The parent only is said to have believed, and yet we
find a record of family baptism. It was so also in
the case of Lydia. She only attended to the words
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
spoken by Paul, but she and her family were baptized.
On the other hand, where we read of believing chil-
dren we do not read of family baptism. For instance,
it is said that " Crispus believed in the Lord with all
his house " {ow oio tu oiku avrov). Here " with all his
house " is a translation of very different words, and is
properly used to signify that both parent and children
believed in this case. But it is remarkable that in
this case we have no mention of family baptism.
Crispus is said to have been baptized, but it is ad-
mitted that " nothing is mentioned concerning; the
baptism of his household." (A. Wiberg.) It is observ-
able, too, that though we find mention of the church
in the house (ockov, family) of Priscilla and Aquila (1
Cor. xvi. 19) ; and of the church in the family of
Nymphas (Col. iv. 15) ; and of the church in the
family of Philemon (ver. 2) ; yet we find no reference
to a church in the family of Lydia, or in the family
of the Philippian jailor, or in the family of Stephanus.
The baptized families were too young to be called a
church. The other families were too old to be recorded
as cases of family baptism. ["When we consider that
old people are not easily converted, there is a strong
probability that those ' families ' we have enumerated
were comparatively young." (Benney's Compend.) And
this renders it still more probable that there were in-
fants in those families.] But, as already observed, in
the case of Lydia and of the Philippian jailor, where
the parent only is said to have believed, we do find a
record of family b^iptism. And, as elsewhere re-
fiAPTlSM OF THK PHlLlPPlAiN JAlLUU.
375
marked, these cases of family baptism are recorded in
connection with the baptism of Gentile parents. It
was not necessary to record the family baptisms that
took place in the case of Jewish parents. Everyone
acquainted with their usages would expect that they
would have the family also initiated as disciples.
We have said that in the cases of baptism which are
called in Scripture by the name of family baptisms,
there is no indication whatever that the family had
passed the age of infancy or childhood. But even if
we were for a moment to leave out of view this most
important feature of those instances, and if we were
merely to look at the fact that three whole families
were baptized, without excepting a single member, it
would, even from this view of the case, be altogether
probable that infant baptism was administered ; be-
cause it has been estimated that the inference that
there is one infant, at least, in every three families,
is much more probable than that all the children are
adults. And the baptism of one infant will prove
that all infants in the same circumstances ought to be
baptized. But further, the instances of family baptism
that are mentioned are stated in such a way as to
make the impression that they were merely specimens
of the apostles' mode of procedure in administering
the ordinance ; just as the instances of adult baptism
were merely specimens. Let us therefore take the
whole number of baptisms that are particularly men-
tioned, and inquire what proportion do the household
baptisms bear to these. The number of baptisms re-
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HAPTIZINCJ AND TKACHING.
corded under the head of household baptisms is
three, viz., Lydia and her household ; the Philippian
jailor and all his ; and the household of Stephanus
(Acts xvi. 15, 33 ; 1 Cor. i. 16). The whole number of
distinct cases mentioned in the New Testament is
about twelve. Household baptisms, therefore, form
one-fourth of the entire number of the instances
that are recorded. Now, if this proportion obtained
throughout the many myriads of baptisms not par-
ticularly described, there must have been many thou-
sands of baptized families. And in these there must
have been many hundreds of infant children. It
would therefore be of iiv, avail to say we have not
absolutely demonstrated that there were little children
in those three families ; for there must have been
many in the thousands of families not particularly
specified.
" House, or family," says Dr. Carson, " includes in-
fants as well as adults, if infants are in them." (Bap.y
p. 190.) In some families there are adults as well as
infants, and the word oiKog does not, independently of
the context, determine whether the children were
young or old. On this account some would like to
argue that as the word does not of itself specify little
children, therefore there were no little children in
those families. But by this reasoning it would also
follow that as the word otKog does not specify grown-up
children, therefore there were no grown-up children in
them. And then, uniting both inferences, it would
appear that there were no children at all in them ;
■ I
BAPTISM OP THE PHILIPPIAN JAILOR.
377
that Lydia was baptized alone, and the jailor alone,
etc. The reasoning which leads to an evidently false
conclusion must be unsound. [In the same way it
may be shown that if nothing but express statement
could prove that there were little children in that
family, then nothing but express statement could prove
that there were grown-up children there ; i.e., nothing
could prove that there were either young or old there.
But this, being a manifestly false conclusion, must
result from false reasoning, or false assumption. Hav-
ing circumstantial proof that the children were minors,
we do not need express statement to that effect.]
The interpretation of statements made respecting
families is regulated by an obvious principle. If in-
fants are universally understood to be capable of doing
or receiving what is asserted, we understand that the
statement is intended to include them ; on the other
hand, if they are obviously incapable of either, it is
known that they are impliedly excluded. This being
understood, it is not necessary formally to mention
the little ones in the one case, or expressly to exclude
them in the other. If what is stated of a family, or a
number of families, is something which little children
are known to be incapable of receiving, appreciating,
or doing, we at once infer that they are not included
in the statement. When Paul sent a salutation to
" the family of Onesiphorus " (2 Tim. iv. 19), he did not
mean thp*^^ it should be given to infants, if there were
any ; so, v jo, when we say of a family that it is an
intellectual, benevolent, or religious family, we are not
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BAPTIZING i*Xl) TEACHINO.
understood to apply this remark to infant children, if
there are any, nor to imply that there are no infanta
there. But little children are capable of receiving the
baptismal rite. It is a thino; done to the candidate,
not an act performed by him. Little children are
teachable, and need to be taught, and hence may be
made disciples by baptizing and teaching them ; hence
in this case it would be unwarrantable to exclude
infants from the statement that whole households
were baptized. The important circumstance is that
baptism is given to whole families, just as circumcision
was. The other ordinance of Christianity is not said
to have been given to families, but there is " repeated
mention of whole houses baptized." {Lanye.)
BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
379
CHAPTER XIX.
THE SPECIAL IMPORT OF BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST
ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST. (ACTS IL 1-4.)
It is most important to understand its nature, and
the relation which it bears to ritual baptism. Some of
the illustrative cases to be brought forward make
reference to both ; and unless both are rightly under-
stood, we cannot clearly understand those cases.
The communication of the Spirit by Christ to man
is in two instances expressly " designated the baptism
of the Spirit," as Ingham remarks. {Hand-book on
Baptism, p. 7.) One of these took place in Jerusalem,
on the Jewish day of Pentecost ; the other in Csesarea,
on what has been called the Gentile day of Pentecost.
(See Acts ii. 2-4; x. 44-46; compare with xi. 15-17.)
In the former case the communication of the Spirit
was attended with the visible descent of tongues of
fire as its miraculous emblem, and in each case the
given Spirit caused the tongues of the baptized to
utter praises of the wonderful works of God in various
dialects. From such an emblem, and such a manifes-
tation, we learn that the special design of baptism with
the Spirit is to give intellectual ability to teach or to
learn spiritual things. For this reason it is equally
needed by learners and teachers. This is what the
inspired writers refer to when they speak of baptism
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380
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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with the Spirit. There is, besides this, a regenerating
work of the Spirit in the heart of man, which results
in the production of love — that love which is the ful-
filling of the law of God. This work, too, is an exceed-
ingly important one, and is needed by all, but is not
called by inspired men the baptism of the Spirit. We
agree with Ingham when he said : " To our being re-
newed by ^^e Spirit we attach the highest import-
ance, but do not feel authorized from the Word of
God to denominate " this " a baptism of the Spirit."
(Hand-book on Baptism, p. 7.) Jesus had received the
baptism of the Spirit, but He did not receive or need
regeneration or entire sanctification. The apostles
needed and received both. In their case the baptism
of the Spirit came after regeneration by the Spirit.
We learn this from the fact that, at a previous period,
when Christ called Himself the vine, He called His
apostles the branches. (John xv. 5.) "He thus repre-
sented them as virtually engrafted into Him long
before they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost,
for which they had to wait until Pentecost." (Lan-
del's Pedobaptist Arguments Examined, p. 12.) The
apostles previously to this day had partaken of the
Lord's Supper. There was a spiritual Church before
the day of Pentecost, and the apostles were members
of it, and as such partook of the Supper ; if not, it
would follow that the Lord's Supper is not an ordi-
nance belonging to a spiritual Church.
" No man by mere sanctification could be fitted to
be an apostle." (Dr. Dale, Christie Bap., p. 79.) Sane-
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BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
381
tification did not preclude the necessity of baptism
with the Spirit ; for, as already remarked, even Christ
the ioly One of God was baptized with the Holy
Ghost. The Spirit thus given quickened t'le under-
standing of His human nature to see the glory of
spiritual and divine things more clearly and fully than
the unaided human understanding could possibly do.
The apostles had some instruction, but they needed to
know many other things before they were fitted to
teach the finished work and doctrine of Christ.
To baptize, in the primary sense of the word (see
Chapter XXVI.), means to bring a liquid element (or
what is figuratively thought of as such) into abiding
contact with a person or thing for the purpose of pro-
ducing a contemplated result, the kind of which is indi-
cated by the nature of the subject and of the element.
When the Spirit is the baptismal element, the contact
is eftected for the purpose of aiding the subject to learn,
or to teach, the truth as it is in Jesus, or to specially
adapt him to some special work for Christ. Under
the Old Testament dispensation the Holy Spirit was
given to persons for a little while ; but on the day of
Pentecost it was given to dwell with them. John, the
forerunner of Christ, w^as filled with the Spirit to aid
him in learning. The Spirit was given to abide with
Christ as a Teacher. He said, " The Spirit of the Lord
is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach,"
etc. But since the day of Pentecost the Spirit may be
obtained to abide with all teachers and with all
learners ; not, however, to deal with all alike, but to
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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"divide to every man severally as He will." The
Spirit is a Divine Person capable of teaching. He is
the Third Person of the Godhead, and co-operates
with the Divine Son and the Divine Father in carrying
into effect the great remedial plan agreed on in
gracious council. As a Person He comes, dwells with,
and teaches men. He comes as the voluntary Agent of
the Divine Immanuel, who is the Head of the New
Theocracy on earth. He comes to reveal Christ more
fully to the disciples of Christ. " He shall take of
Mine, and shall show it unto you." " He shall testify
of Me." " He shall glorify Me," by causing men to
see the truly Divine character of Christ, and His all-
important work as Mediator and King.
He did not come to take the place of Christ as King,
for Christ Himself said, " Lo, I am with you alway,
even '' '■^o the end of the world." Accordingly the
Ac ^h-^ jv what Christ continues to do, as the gospels
show lat " He began to do." The record of the Acts
of th Apostles shows that those acts were directed
by Christ Himself, who superintended the planting of
His Church at one important centre of influence after
another, beginning at Jerusalem, and ending at Rome.
The true view of the case, then, is that the Spirit was
given by Christ to His apostles to aid them in
establishing Christ's kingdom on earth. That the
baptism of the Spirit was intended to fit the apostles
for teaching is plainly implied in the statement : "And
they began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance." The first effect of the outpour-
f. i't
BAPTISM WFTH THE HOLY GHOST.
383
ing of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost was to
prompt them to bec^in to speak. Hitherto they had
kept silence. " From the moment when the apostles
saw their Lord ascend they were in full possession of
all the external facts of which they were to bear
witness. But they were not in possession of the
spiritual meaning, relations, and consequences of those
facts " {T. D. Bernard, D.D.) until the promised Spirit
" bore witness " to them. Then they knew the Gospel,
and preached the Gospel with the Holy Ghost sent
down from heaven. " When a man is tilled with the
Spirit he cannot hold his peace." They were wonder-
fully changed. Their perplexity and hesitancy dis-
appeared. They felt conscious of the clearest and
most firmly grounded faith, and they began to speak
clearly and earnestly, but modevstly and discreetl3\
'The Divine gift of speech could not be more appro-
priately applied " {Lechler) than it was in aKocpBEyyeadat
— uttering apothegms — i.e., wise, weighty, and sen-
tentious speeches, respecting the wonderful works of
God; dwelling especially, in all probability, on the
resurrection, ascension, and exaltation of Christ. All
languages should be employed in these themes.
The utterance of these sentiments in various dialects
was peculiarly appropriate on that day of Pentecost,
because " there were then dwelling at Jerusalem Jews,
devout men, out of every nation under heaven." (Acts
ii. .5.) . .To all these were no>v proclaimed tidings which,
if believed, would reunite, in one Christian family all
who were .dispersed by the confusion of tongues.
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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The baptism of the Divine Spirit imparted know-
ledge in a miraculous manner to the first teachers ;
for at that time the New Testament Scriptures were
not written, and Christ, during His personal presence
on earth, had not fully taught all the doctrines of the
Gospel, because there were some things that the people
were not prepared and able to bear. Hence the
apostles and other primitive teachers needed plenary-
inspiration in order to fit them to teach all things, and
especially in order to complete the Bible by the addi-
tion of the New Testament Scriptures. "But when
the first churches were supplied with ministers quali-
fied by this full inspiration, and when the New
Testament was written and circulated, then persons
had means to obtain religious knowledge without
miraculous inspiration." From that time the Spirit
merely undertakes to " open the understanding to
understand the Scriptures," and to " attend " intelli-
gently, earnestly, and teachably to those who expound
them. But, as already stated, it was a source of
plenary inspiration to the twelve disciples, to fit them
for the apostleship.
The cloven tongues which descended and sat upon
them aptly pointed out those disciples as persons who
were qualified to teach others all that Christ should
command; and to speak these things "not in words
which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy
Ghost teacheth." (1 Cor. ii. 13.) It pointed them out
as ones that were taught of God and fitted for the
work of apostleship. When we come to examine the
BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
385
baptism with the Spirit which took place in the house
of Cornelius, we shall find that the Spirit is given to
hearers to enable them to understand words whereby
they may be saved. " But everyone who earnestly
desires to do good is specially prompted, guided, and
enabled to search the Scriptures, and speak or act
effectively for Christ and for souls." The remainder
of all flesh were to receive the baptism of the Spirit
to enable them to understand what prophets were
inspired to reveal, and teachers were commanded to
teach. To hearers the Holy Spirit, when given by
Christ, imparts ability to understand the word
preached. When Peter, on a subsequent occasion*
was preaching in the house of Cornelius, " the Holy
Ghost fell on " his hearers when he " began to speak."
They received the Holy Ghost when Peter began to
speak words whereby they should be saved, and there-
fore before they had exercised saving faith, and when
they were simply desirous to receive instruction. But
the Spirit did not descend on Peter's hearers on the
day of Pentecost when he began to speak, for they
were not then desirous to hear; but when they
became so, he pointed them, as we shall see, to
the promise, "Ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost." The human mind in its unrenewed state
specially needs the Spirit's aid. It can form some
conception of spiritual things, but without the
Spirit's aid it cannot discern their importance and
their glory. An illustration to the following effect
has been employed to explain this point: — Suppose
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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that a piece of varied, beautiful and sublime scenery-
is looked at by two persons ; it will be appreciated in
a very small degfree by one who has little or no taste
for beauty and sublimity. The knowledge which such
a person has of such scenery is very defective compared
with that of the other person, who has a fully
developed and highly cultured perception and taste.
Again, some pieces of music display the richest combi-
nations of melody and harmony, but to a person who
has no ear for music they seem little more than con-
fused sounds. How different it appears to a person
who can perceive and estimate the scientific skill of
the composers, the developed talent which executes
with ease and brilliancy the most critical parts, in-
spiring into the whole the impassioned emotions
which produce the intended result.
So, though a mind in its natural state can form some
notion of the nature and attributes of God, yet it
cannot see the glory of His creating, preserving, and
redeeming attributes, or the preciousness and exceed-
ing desirableness of those things which God has pre-
pared for them that love Him. These are very dimly
seen till God "reveals them to us by His Spirit." In
short, the natural mind needs more than clear teach-
ing; it needs Divine assistance. "The things most mis-
understood are the things which are revealed most
clearly" (Dr. Angus) in the Scriptures, but are mis-
apprehended when the readers or hearers have not
sought the aid of the Spirit. The Spirit enables a
man to see what he otherwise cannot perceive. "When
BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
387
a telescope is directed to some distant landscape it
enables us to see what we could not otherwise have
seen, but it does not enable us to see anything which
has not a real existence in the prospect before us."
" Where the natural eye sees nothing but blue land
stretching along the distant horizon, the eyeglass
brings into view a charming variety of fields, and
woods, and spires, and villages ; " yet it discovers
nothing but what is there. {Dr. Chalmers.) And so
the Spirit now enables us to see what is in the writ-
ten revelation, but does not add anything to what
He previously communicated by inspiration.
The Spirit abides with those who continue to hear,
to give them higher and higher capacity to receive
further and fuller instruction. In the present day He
does not give new revelalion.s to any, but He imparts
increasing power to apprehend former revelations,
whether given in part by prophets of old, or more
fully by the apostles; and He brings suitable portions
to remembrance on appropriate occasions. He shines
in the heart to ffive " the ligrht of the knowledore of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" — the
glory of redeeming grace, the glory of propitiated
holiness, the glory of pardoning mercy and adopting
love ; not mere general conceptions of these attributes,
but distinct perceptions of their glory. He gives soul-
transforming apprehensions of them — " We all, with
open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to
glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." This makes
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
meditation delightful and profitable, and therefore fre
quent. It makes us capable of recognizing the presence
of God, and of holding " fellowship with the Father,
and with the Son," who will " come and make their
abode" with us, and "manifest" themselves to us. "If
thef presence of great human minds " exercising " great
thoughts, deep emotions, and vast energies of action,"
brings our natural powers into forms of activity other-
wise impossible to us, how much more will the pres-
ence of the inlinite understanding and divinely loving
heart of God expand our thoughts, quicken our spirit-
ual emotions, and energize our active powers. It makes
us capable of bearing these high contemplations and
glorious manifestations ; it strengthens with might the
inner man, " that Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith ; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may
be able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to
know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge."
(Eph. iii. 1 f)-19.) This prepares us to enter more fully
into the aevotions of the earthly periodical Sunday,
and into the adorations of the heavenly and everlast-
ing Sabbath. We should be very thankful that God
gives His Spirit to aid us in thinking aright about
these great subjects. We have now seen that every
man who wishes to learn needs, and should ask, the
abiding baptism of the Spirit to make him of quick
understanding in reference to spiritual and divine
things, that he may perceive and appreciate them more
fully than unaided humanity could possibly do. But
BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
389
the given Spirit would also impart gifts of various
kinds. As the bodj' is an organization of many parts,
with different offices for the several parts, so Christ's
kingdom is an organized assembly including many
offices. No one member has every office, and no single
office is independent of others ; for " one cannot say to
another, I have no need of thee." To fit men for these
various offices the Spirit has gifts of various kinds,
and divides them among different members to fit them
for difierent departments of duty with reference to
the good of the whole.
It is thus that we are by, or with, "one Spirit bap-
tized into" (eic) — with reference to — '"one body." It is
obvious that eig is not here used to point to another
element, but to denote the object or end which the Spirit
aimed to produce — namely, to secure the unity of the
body. Eig is here used in its telic sense. When the Spirit
imparts these varied endowments, He has special re-
spect to the unity of the body, to the relations of the
members one with another, to their common relation to
Christ, and to their harmonious co-operation in work-
ing out the purposes for which the organization was
established. These gifts of the Spirit are " according
to the measure of the gift of Christ " — i.e., the Spirit
imparts to each just what Christ, the Baptizer, intended
for each. Even the apostles were not made inde-
pendent of each other. These gifts should be used for
the general welfare. And when they are not so used
they are regarded as buried or misapplied. Every
one should desire a gift; should ascertain what hia
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
gift is, and what sphere of usefulness it points out ; and
should exercise his gift in that sphere. And all should
remember that the continued presence and aid of the
Spirit is intended to mould the different members into
one body, " one interdependent whole, manifesting the
unity and promoting the edification of the body.
The baptism with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost
was not given when persons were submitting to ritual
baptism, but independently of that rite. Yet the
patristic writers unhappily imagined that baptism
with the Spirit was always to be associated in prac-
tice with baptism with water. They thought that
both elements were always " co-present, co-active, and
co-efficient," and that the joint result would be the
production of a regenerate state ; forgetting, says Dr.
Dale, " that such interpretation dashed itself against
the promise of the Father " (Luke xxiv. 49), in which
there was no water ; and against the fulfilment of that
promise in the baptism of the Spirit at Pentecost, in
which there was no water ; and against the like fulfil-
ment at Csesarea, in which there was no water. "When
baptism by water is spoken of (John iv. 2) as done in
the presence and authority of Jesus, we are carefully
guarded against the error of supposing that Jesus
took any personal part in such baptism." {Christie Bap.,
p. 548.) But the Scriptures are as careful to teach that
Jesus did baptize with the Holy Ghost. The baptism in
the case of Simon the magician shows that the two are
not co-active; and the case of Cornelius, that they are
not co-present. Yet many have fallen into the error
I
BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
391
of connecting them, because they have misinterpreted
Christ's words to Nicodemus, after improperly taking
them '* from the sphere of Judaism, in which they
were spoken, to that of Christianity, which was yet
future." (Christie Bap., p. 487.) The error of confound-
ing these two baptisms is an evil fountain " which has
been pouring its poisonous streams through the Church
for more than a thousand years.'' (Christie Bap., p. 487.)
" How unutterably important is the right interpreta-
tion of one passage of Scripture! What a millstone
has been hung to the neck of the Church by adding
one word (water) to the baptism of the Holy Ghost!"
(Christie Bap., p. 487 ; see Appendix, Exposition of
John iii. 5-7.) Some who say much on ritual baptism
say very little about baptism with the Spiiit. Rev.
W. Hamilton, D.D., received in 1880 a letter from Rev.
Dr. James A. Dale (of Pennsylvania, U.S.), in which
the following passage occurs : " I was much astonished
on enquiring recently at the Baptist Board of Publi-
cation for some treatise, book or tract on the Baptism
of the Holy Spirit, to be told that ' they had none.' I
sent to Cincinnati to the Disciples Publication House,
and my astonishment became amazement when told
that they, too,'* had none except a solitary chapter in a
large volume, which did not profess to give a thorough
treatment of the subject.'" (Compend of Bap., "p. 154.)
Still, notwithstanding some exceptions of this kind, it
is believed that in no era of Church history since the
primitive times has so much attention been paid to the
work of the Spirit.
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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To administer baptism with the Spirit is now the
high prerogative of our Lord Jesus Christ. As the Son
of Man He was baptized with the Spirit. As the Son
of God He baptizes others with the Spirit. He was in-
vested with all kingly power in heaven and on earth.
Hence, when He ascended and was exalted to the right
hand of God, He received of the Father (nafja, by the
side of the Father, where Jesus sits) " the promise of
the Holy Ghost," or the promised Holy Ghost, that
He may communicate it to men to abide with them
for educational purposes. He was the Baptizer on that
grand occasion. Dr. Dale strangely failed to see this.
He did good service in showing clearly that the word
" baptize " points to the contemplated production of a
change of state or condition ; but he did not clearly
and steadily distinguish the act of the baptizer from
the agency or influence of the baptismal element,
literal or figurative. Hence he failed to distinguish
that which Christ does in this baptism from that
which the Holy Ghost does. He even thinks this
baptism "may be indifferently ascribed to the Holy
Ghost or to Christ." (p. 194.) He represents John as
teaching "that the baptism of his Lord shall be such
as is effected 'by the Holy Ghost.'" (Johannic Bap.,
p. 197.) His view is, that because Christ Hitnself was
baptized by the Holy Ghost, He is, " through the in-
fluence of the indwelling Spirit, invested with the
power of the Holy Ghost; therefore able to baptize."
The true view is that Christ is the Great Baptizer.
He places the Holy Spirit, viewed as a figurative bap-
HAiTisM With the holy ohost.
im
tismal element, in contact with the souls of the bap-
tismal subjects, and then leaves it to the active power
of the Spirit to produce the changes contemplated in
effecting the contact. This view does not set aside the
office and work of Christ, on the one hand, nor the
office and work of the Spirit, on the other. Christ
Himself was at one time the subject of baptism, and
was then influenced by the Spirit and fitted for His
prophetic office. But after He was translated from
his prophetic chair to His kingly throne. He exercised
the high prerogative of giving the Holy Ghost. [How
is it that a Presbyterian minister who has given such
searching and patient attention to this topic could fail
to trace the Headship of Christ in this department as
well as in others ?]
The baptism of the Spirit took place on the day of
Pentecost. The word rendered "Pentecost," though
strictly a numeral, was used by the Greek-speaking
Jews as a proper noun, and applied to the second of
their three annual feasts, because it took place on the
fiftieth day from the first day of the Passover. The
first day of the Passover feast was observed as a Sab-
bath. And from that "unto the morrow after the
seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days." (Lev.
xxiii. 16.) The day of Pentecost was therefore the
first day after the Jewish Sabbath, the day that is
now set apart as the Christian Sabbath, because on
this day of the week Christ rose from the dead. It
was on this Christian Sabbath the glorious baptism of
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
the Spirit took place. As the Pentecost was to take
place a week of weeks, or "st^ven weeks from such
time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn"
(Deut. xvi. 9),' it was at the conclusion of the grain
harvest, and before the vintage. Accordingly, every
Old Testament reference to its meaning seems "to bear
immediately upon the completion of the grain har-
vest." (SynitJts Dictionary.) It seems to have been
regarded as a day of public thanksgiving for the ful-
filment of the Divine promise in Deut. xi. 14 : "I will
give you the rain of your land in his due season, . . .
that thou mayest gather in thy corn." This was but a
repetition of the promise that seed-time and harvest
should not fail. For this reason it is evident that
Pentecost could be observed by Gentiles as appropri-
ately as by Jews. Accordingly, Moses tells us that
" strangers " were to be among the attendants at this
festival: "Thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the
Lord thy God. . . . And thou shalt rejoice before the
Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter,
and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the
Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger,"
etc. (Deut. xvi. 10, 11.) As both Jews and Gentiles,
old and young, were welcomed to this festival, it may
have been for this very reason that it was Divinely
selected as the most proper time for commencing to
fulfil the promise to pour out the Spirit upon all flesh.
From the verses just quoted it appears that this fes-
tival might be attended by women as well as by men ;
and this fully accounts for the fact that women were
Baptism with the holy ghost.
305
associated with the apostles when continuing in prayer
and supplication as that day approached.
As the other great feasts had " a historical as well
as an agricultural reference, thereby recognizing the
God of the theocracy as the God of nature " {Dr.
Whedon), it is supposed that the feast of Pentecost
also had a historical reference. Some of the most
eminent Jewish commentators held that it was in-
tended to commemorate the giving of the law. If so,
it was probably to commemorate the giving of the
law. not as spoken from Sinai with a voice that made
them fly in terror " afar oft'," but to commemorate the
law as afterwards given through Moses in answer to
their united and urgent request that God would give
them the words He spoke separate from the great,
terrifying voice which had uttered them on Sinai.
God graciously complied with their request, and with
His finger silently wrote the words on two tables of
stone, and handed them to Moses that he might read
them to the people. But He did more than they asked
for: He promised to remember that urgent prayer
when sending His Divine Son to make further revela-
tions ; He would cause Him to take upon Him human
nature, that He may appear among them as a prophet
like unto Moses, and that He would then put words
into His mouth that He may speak them with the
gentle ar 1 familiar voice of the Son of Man.
The Father did accordingly send His Son ; but some
things which He wished to say to them were things
which the p^^ple were then not able to bear, and
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
which they could not fully understand until the gteat
fact of His sacrificial death, and the great facts of His
glorious resurrection and ascension, had been accom-
plished. He was now going to put these remaining
words into the mouths of His apostles, that they may
speak them to the people as Moses did to their fathers,
and as He Himself had done as far as was expedient.
In accordance with this view is the symbol afterwards
employed — namely, tongues of fire — a human organ
conveying Divine truth to human understandi..gs and
hearts.
The place in which they met together is said to be
a house, but its locality is not described"; "according
to a very old tradition, it was upon Mount Zion."
(Briggs.) Not satisfied with this, some have strangely
conjectured that it was on Mount Moriah; and that
it was one of the thirty halls which were around the
principal building of the temple, and which Josephus
(Antiquities, Bk. VIII., chap, iii., sec. 2) calls houses.
But to those who take time for reflection it seems
very unlikely that the apostles, in their peculiar cir-
cumstances, would wish for, or venture to request, the
use of one of the temple apartments, and still more un-
likely that such a request would have been granted by
the authorities who had so recently crucified their
Great Teacher. The ancient tradition already referred
to, that the house was on Mount Zion, is much more
probable. If it took place here, it indicated that the
new theocracy could act independently of the minister^
of the former one.
SAULS BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
397
CHAPTER XX.
SAUL'S BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST (ACTS IX. 17, 18;
XXII. 13-16; XXVI. 14-18).
De. Dale remarks that in the texts here referred
to the narrative of Saul's baptism is "given in terms
differing from those used in any other baptism"; that
*• a departure from the accustomed language of Scrip-
ture has a reason for it, and should be made a subject
of special study." God " departed from His ordinary
ways in Providence and in grace" when He called
Paul to follow Him. Whenever God does so " there
is always a reason for it, and instruction to be derived
from its study." (Christie Bap., p. 99.) We think that
a careful examination will discover that Dr. Dale is
right in stating that Saul's baptism was a baptism
with the Holy Spirit, like that received by the other
apostles on the day of Pentecost. It was administered
in connection with his call to prepare to become an
apostle of the Gentiles.
Dr. Dale very properly compares the words which
express Ananias' mission to Saul with those that note
down the result — " Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus,
that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest,
hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight,
and be filled with the Holy Ghost." The mission con-
templated " two specific results, the one physical, the
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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other spiritual." Ananias went on this mission, and
two things are mentioned as the result. After Ananias
put his hands on him, "immediately there fell from his
eyes as it had been scales ; and he received sight forth-
with, and arose, and ivas baptized." " Are these two
things those same two things for which Ananias was
sent ? There can be no doubt as to the first, for it is
stated in precisely the same terms ; but how is it as to
the second, which is not stated in the same terms ? "
Was Saul "filled with the Holy Ghost" when he
" was baptized " ? If not, " the second thing which
entered into Ananias' mission was left undone." If
the second thing was done, then the statement that
Saul was baptized asserts, in other words, that he was
filled with the Holy Ghost. There is a baptism with
the Holy Ghost, as well as a baptism with water. And
the other apostles, when baptized with the Holy Ghost,
were said to be " filled with the Holy Ghost." (Acts ii.
4.) So that, as Dr. Dale says, " the phrases are used
interchangeably, and as of equal value, as shown by
Acts i. 5 ; ii. 4." " It is said that Saul * saw and was
baptized,' and not that he 'saw and was filled with the
Holy Ghost,' simply because the two phrases have the
same identical value" (p. 103). As already noticed,
Paul was now called to be an apostle. The promise to
the band of the apostles was that they should be
" baptized with the Holy Ghost." The fulfilment of
this promise is not verbally recorded as a baptism, but
as being " filled with the Holy Ghost"; while, reversely,
in the case of this last of the apostles, the promise was,
SAULS BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
399
be
of
)Ut
that he should be " filled with the Holy Ghost," and
the fultilment of the promise is described as a " bap-
tism." The apostles were to receive power {6vva/uv) after
"the Holy Ghost came upon them." Saul, after his
baptism, like Peter, " straightway preached Christ,"
and he was clothed with power (eveSwafiovro) for that
purpose. " How the double promise could be more
clearly declared to have had its precise double accom-
plishment, I cannot imagine. Everything entering into
the specialty of the case makes imperative demand for
a baptism by the Holy Ghost, and just as imperatively
rejects a ritual baptism." {Christie Bap,, p. 103.)
It does not appear that any of the apostles obtained
the Christie rite of baptism. Christ only could train
men for the apostleship, and Christ did not baptize
with water. It would seem that Saul, like the other
apostles, was left without ritual baptism, because this
implies an obligation to hear human teachers, and no
human teacher was qualified to train for the apostolic
office. Hence Paul was "an apostle, not of man, nor
by man." It must be remembered, however, that he
was to be trained for the work by Christ, who said,
" I will appear unto him." Like the other apostles, he
was to be first a disciple of Christ, in order to be after-
wards an apostle of Christ. Hence he was now bap-
tized with the Holy Ghost to open his understanding
to apprehend aright the revelation that Christ had
made, and the further revelations that He promised to
make to him.
Paul's baptism with the Spirit did not " immediately
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
fit him for the full work of the apostleship," as Dr.
Dale supposes. If it did he would have no need of
" those things in which Christ promised to appear to
him again"; and Dr. Dale admits that "Saul, when
baptized at Damascus, neither spake with tongues nor
prophesied" (p. 114). If so, the Spirit did not im-
mediately act on him in the precise manner that it did
on the apostles on the day of Pentecost. There was
no attendant emblem of cloven tongues when Saul was
baptized with the Spirit — that is, there was then no
emblem of " the power to speak in other languages,"
which. Dr. Dale says, was " one of the principal re-
quisites of the apostolic office " (p. 80). He was first
fitted to be a disciple. As the other apostles were
disciples for three years before they were qualified for
apostleship, so probably was Saul a "disciple during
" the three years " that intervened between his leaving
Damascus and his return to Jerusalem, and which he
seems to have chiefly spent in seclusion in Arabia, {v.
Gal. i. 17, 18.) But meantime, while still at Damascus,
he proclaimed, as a disciple might do, that Jesus is the
Son of God.
The baptism of the Spirit fitted him, as it did Peter
on the day of Pentecost, to proclaim and prove that
Jesus is the Son of God. But it took further training
to fit him to reveal all the doctrines and duties which
the Son of God commands to be taught. " All that
heard him " at Damascus " were amazed, and said, Is
not this he that destroyed them which called on this
name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent,
SAULS BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
401
the
that be might bring them bound unto the chief priests ?
But Saul increased the more in strength, and con-
founded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving
that this is very Christ." He proved that Jesus is the
long promised Messiah by " demonstrating the agree-
ment between the Messianic predictions and the his-
torical facts in the life of Jesus. He brought these to-
gether {avfiliipai;o)v) and showed the connection." (Lange.)
The Jews found themselves unable to meet him in
argument, and therefore formed purposes to oppose him
by craft and violence. " And after that many days
were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him : but
their laying await was known of Saul. . . . Then the
disciples took him by night, and let him down by the
wall in a basket ; " so that he himself was the first
Christian that fled from Damascus. How different
was this from what he anticipated when he was leav-
ing Jerusalem.
Looking back to the circumstances of this baptism,
we notice that God did not employ an apostle to lay
his hands on Saul, and say, " Receive thy sight ; " He
employed Ananias. We do not know whether he held
any ecclesiastical office, or was simply a disciple. Noth-
ing is known of him before or after this transaction.
God can employ any agency, and cause His miraculous
power to attend any chosen one. When Ananias said
to Saul, " Receive thy sight " (look up, ava ^Xe^ov), the
same hour he looked up upon him " immediately there
fell from his eyes as it had been scales; ai d he re-
ceived sight forthwith." This bodily cure was effected
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
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in answer to the prayer of Ananias. But it is not
said that Saul was filled with the Holy Ghost in an-
swer to the prayer of that disciple. On the other
hand, he told him that he himself must pray for this.
Tho New Testament baptisms are to be performed by
one person on another. In this case the Lord Jesus
was the Baptizer. Hence Saul was to call on the name
of the Lord Jesus to baptize him with the Holy Spirit.
poTTTiCu is here used in the middle voice, which is very
unusual. " There must be a reason for it," says Dr.
Dale. " A discriminating use of words in Scripture
has always a reason for it, and our business is not to
change the statement to make it accord with some
other statement, but to accept it, and seek for the
reason of it." (Christie Bap., p. 106.) The middle
voice generally denotes that the action is done by the
subject on or for himself; but not unfrequently, as
Winer observes, it denotes that an action takes place
at the " command or request of the subject." (Gram.,
p. 318.) It can be understood in this sense here. He
could, by requesting it in prayer, obtain baptism with
the Holy Ghost from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Before he received sight he was in a sitting or
reclining posture. The supposed wrong-doings of
others were shut out from view, that he might think
of his own conduct. But when Ananias had laid
hands on him, and he received sight, ^^ was told to
arise and pray to be baptized in that erect position, to
indicate his readiness to obey whatever he was re-
quired to do. "And wash away thy sins." In the
SAULS BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
403
Greek this verb also is in the middle voice. Hence
Saul was to call on the name of the Lord for this too.
Thus only could he wash away his sins. He was
therefore to arise and pray for two things: (1) bap-
tism with the Holy Ghost, and (2) remission of sins.
These things are entirely distinct. It is evident that
Ananias did not use the word " baptize " to mean to
wash away or purify, for if it had this meaning the
next words would be a needless repetition — Wash
away, and wash away thy sins. "Two words with
exactly the same meaning could not be thus conjoined."
(Dr. Carson, Baptism, p. 462.) " The sins were to be
washed away," says Guthrie, " not by his baptism, but
by his calling on the name of the Lord." Hence Tyn-
dale renders it : " And w^esshe away thy synnes in
calling on the name of the Lord." " To the same pur-
pose are the renderings of WicklifF, Cranmer, and the
Geneva Bible." {Reply to Landels.) "The translation
of this passage from the Syriac by Dr. Murdoch is as
follows : ' Arise, be baptized, and be cleansed from thy
sins while thou invokest His name.' Here the bap-
tism and the cleansing from sin are to be secured by
prayer, and ' while ' the prayer is being made." (Dale,
Chinstic Bap, p. 107.) He immediately offered prayer
for the baptism of the Spirit, for he was baptized im-
mediately. But as the exhortation to be baptized
comes before the exhortation to get his sins washed
away, it may be that it was after he was enlightened
by the Spirit that he learned the way of salvation,
and what to believe in order to obtain it, and how to
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
pray far it. And when he did pray for it he obtained
it also. At the time these exhoi'tations were addressed
to him, Saul was convinced bv a miraculous vision that
Jesus wUs the Great Teacher and Lord of all, and that
he himself was a great sinner in opposing Jesus and
His followers ; but he was not miraculously imbued
with saving faith in Christ as the Mediating High
Priest. If he had been he would not be exhorted
afterwards to wash away his sins, for they would
already have been washed away. The circumstance
that Ananias called him " brother," therefore, did not
indicate that he was a Christian brother, but that he
was a Hebrew brother.
Those who have wrongly supposed that ritual bap-
tism is the one here spoken of have, of course, drawn
wrong inferences respecting the rite. For instance,
some are of opinion that ritual baptism is a necessary
prerequisite to the washing away of sin; that without
it no one can have the consciousness of salvation, or
manifest the fruits of it; or, as Dr. Pusey puts it,
" that baptism is in itself an efficient sacrament through
which is obtained the Holy Ghost, the forgiveness of
sins, the regeneration of the soul, and justification."
This shows, as Dr. Dale remarks, that " initial error
is the radiant centre of many errors." (Christie Bap.,
p. 111.) But there is here no foundation whatever
for these inferences, because Saul's bap ism was not
a ritual baptism, but a baptism with the Holy Spirit.
"It is important to observe that the Lord Jesus
selected the most learned and accomplished man to be
SAULS BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
405
His missionary among the heathen, and thus estab-
lished a m )st important precedent." {G. J. Jones.) A
jjreat work was to be done — " Christianity was to be
emancipated from the bonds of the synagogue." It
was to be presented to those who had been " trained
in Gentile habits of joining thought to thought," and
hence by one who was " versed in the Greek tongue,
which was then the universal vehicle of thought and
argument." That its great truths may have mighty
and extensive influence over mankind, God raised up
Paul, who was partly prepared by natural capacity
and education, but more fully by the Spirit's inspira-
tion, to comprehend those truths with the clearest
intellect, and to contemplate them with a most fervent
heart, and to present and advocate them with intense
emotion and untiring energy. "The Gospel is the
greatest power that has ever operated on earth, and
Paul was its greatest minister." " His was the most
striking and important individual conversion between
Christ's ascension and His return to judge the world.
In its results, direct and indirect, it is the largest
single fruit that has yet been gathered from the tree
of righteousness" which the Lord planted in the
world. " No mere man, before or since, has filled so
great a space in the scheme of Providence, or left his
mark so wide and deep upon the world." {Arnot.)
.
f
PART IV.
CHAPTER XXI.
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THE MODE OF BAPTISM WITH THE SPIRIT AS REPRE-
SENTED IN THE SCRIPTURE NARRATIVE.
To UNDERSTAND this aright it will be advisable to
examine carefully the way in which it has been
narrated by the inspired writer. When Christ had
given th«; disciples His last charge previous to His
ascension, and spoken His last promise, He lifted up
His eyes and pronounced His last benediction. On
that occasion He breathed on them, and said, " Receive
ye the Holy Ghost." The Spirit was then given for
a temporary purpose, to impart a desire to j. ay and
make supplication for the fulfilment of the promised
baptism. From His throne in heaven Christ breathed
again, and the sound of the mighty breathing fell
upon their ears, and indicated that this impartation of
the Spirit came from their risen and ascended Lord.
The " same thought is conveyed by the phrase * the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit * — from spiro, I breathe."
(Lathern, Baptisma, p. 43.) Uwrj, the sound of breath-
ing, was distinct from TrvEvjua, the Spirit. It was the
sound which penetrated and filled all the apartment
in which they were assembled. " The idea of filling
the house with wind is not of Scripture, but of Dr.
THE MODE OF BAPTISM WITH THE SPIRIT. 407
Carson, T would have sceptics take notice," says Dr.
Halley, " lest they should profanely ask, Was it ever
empty of wind ? or, if a double quantity was put in,
what kept the building together ? " {v. Compend of
Bap., p. 102.) The disciples, hearing the sound of the
breathing, look upward, and perceive that the audible
sign is followed by a visible one. " There appeared
unto them cloven tongues like as of fire," i.e., having
the appearance of fire, but were not fire. " They were
luminous, but did not burn." (Meyer.) They were not
electrical phenomena, but supernatural. " The word
'fire,'" says Rev. W. Arthur, "might have conveyed
some idea of material burning to any people but Jews ;
but in their minds it would awaken other thoughts.
It would recall the fire which Moses saw in the bush,
which shone, and awed, and hallowed even the wilder-
ness, but did not consume ; the fire which came in the
day of Israel's deliverance, as a light on their way, and
continued with them throughout the desert journey."
{Tongue of Fire, pp. 1, 2.) This miraculous emblem
now rested, not on a house or tabernacle made by
human hands, but on man himself, who is selected to
be henceforth the temple of the Holy Ghost.
The preternatural element like fire was the attend-
ant sign of the Spirit's coming. At the beginning of
this dispensation it was advisable to employ an
emblem visible to the senses of men, and of a miracu-
lous kind, to convince men of the present agency of
Divine power ; otherwise the effects produced by the
Spirit in the inner man would not be attributed to an
i
{■
I-
M
408
BAFriZINO AND TEACHINQ.
i If 'P
■Ml "■■ i^ L
IN'' ■ l
II
invisible Divine agency. God, who made nature, has
power over nature to work wonders in it for the pur-
pose of awakening men to a sense of His providential
action, or of calling earnest attention to teachers
specially sent to announce the authoritative will of
God. Such wonders and signs cm be reported to
those who have not witnessed them. They are as
capable of satisfactory proof from human testimony
as any other events ; and the fact that good reasons
can be assigned for their appearance, adds to their
credibility. But when " the doctrine of a spiritual
influence from God was sufficiently developed, those
miraculous physical emblems would of course be dis-
continued." (Biishnell.)
This fire-like baptismal element was used only by
Christ. Even the apostles were not permitted to use
this sign. They were, however, allowed, as a peculiar
sign of their apostleship, to indicate by laying on of
hands the persons who would receive the power to
speak with tongues. (Acts viii.) They saw the She-
chinah fire assuming the appearance of tongue-like
flames, separating from one mass of flame, and becom-
ing distributed, so that one sat on each individual.
" The word," says Bengel, " is not ax^i^oiiEvai, as if each
were cloven ; nor Scaipovfievai, as if each were of a differ-
ent kind; but an intermediate term, diafiepiCo/nevai, which
here denotes the act of separating into distinct parts,
and the act of distributing those distinct parts to
distin t individuals, so that one tongue sat upon each
person." The word translated "sat" is in the singular
»il
THE MODE OF BAPTISM WITH THE SPllUT.
409
number, and iinplio.s that only one of the ton^^nos sat
on each person. "John sees P'iter's bead crowned witli
fire; Peter sees James crowned with tire ; James soos
Nathanael crowned with fire; and round and round
the fire sits upon each of them." (Tongue of Fire,
p. 34.) But none oi them saw himself crowned with
fire. " It sat upon the head, the seat of intelligence."
(Lathern.)
The descent of the cloven tongues upon them
was a literal baptism with fire, and became asso-
ciated witli the invisible baptism with the Spirit in
the fulfilment, as It had been in the promise. John
said that the " Christ would baptize with the Holy
Ghost, and with fire." He taught that the same in-
dividuals may receive the two baptisms ; not one or the
other, but both. Some suppose that John's words are
both a promise and a threatening. They interpret the
words as meaning, " He shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost, or with fire" — meaning, as they think, that
those whom John baptized into repentance would, if
they did repent, be baptized with the Holy Ghost ; and
if they did not repent, would be baptized with fire;"
i.e., would be burned with the unquenchable fire pre-
pared for the punishment of the wicked. But this
notion wholly separates baptism from the class of
ideas with which it is connected by the inspired
writers. Everywhere else it is associated with the
idea of teaching us to know, or binding us to do, our
duty. Is future punishment of this kind ? Surely
not. . •
1:
if. ■
ll! :
TC,
w.* ''
i
1
1
m$ [
ill
Ij
lilt
■i)
i. , )::
I «
1^'
i
111 i
M I
1 1
^
410
BAPTIZING AND TKACHING.
These signs came at an unexpected moment. Those
assembled hoped for the fulfihnent of the promise —
" knew that as surely as the promise is God's word, so
surely will the fulfilment, which is God's act, occur at
the proper time." {Dr. Le>'hler.) But they knew not
when that time would be ; for it came to pass that the
event prayed for took place suddenly {h(t>vij), that is,
unexpectedly. " Two signs preceded the immediate
advent of the Holy Ghost : first, a sound as of a rush-
ing mighty wind, witliout a breath of movement in
the air ; a sound sweeping down through the still sky
from the upper heaven ; a sound heard in its down-
ward course by many in the immediate vicinity, tak-
ing the direction and entering into the very chamber
where the disciples were sitting. The sound appealing
to the ear was instantly followed by a light, as of
flame, appealing to the eye. There was an appearance
as of fire, but, like the bush at Horeb, there was no
burning." (J. G. Butler.) At the moment of these
miraculous manifestations, Christ baptized them with
the Holy Ghost. And the mode of the baptism is
plainly indicated by the statement that the Spirit was
" poured upon them."
The business of an interpreter is not to determine
how baptism with the Spirit was really effected, but
merely to explain the language which intelligence
higher than human has used to foretell it and to nar-
rate the fact. Peter, now an inspired teacher, quotes
the prophecy of Joel thus : " I will pour out " ( mx^Ci)
"of my Spirit;" and afterwards records the fulfilment
THE MODE OF BAPTISM WITH THE SPIRIT. 411
thus : " He hath shed forth " (e^exeF. rovro, poured out)
"this which ye now see and hear." By a Divine act, "a
real communication of the Spirit" {Dr. Carson, p. 105)
was made to man. The narrator likens the Spirit to a
baptismal element, and then speaks of the element as
poured upon the subjects.
The phrase " pour out upon" is obviously here used
in a figurative sense. As no material element is here
spoken of, there was no literal pouring upon. But the
Divine Spirit was, in fact, communicated to these per-
sons by a Divine action. The manner of this Divine
action was known to the Son of God, and to the Spirit
who inspired the narrators to attest the fact. It may
not have been possible to ...nd in the languages of men
words that would adequately describe it, or material
symbols that would exactly represent it ; but assuredly
the words in which Christ and His inspired followers
speak of it, and the emblems with which they symbol-
ize it, represent it better than any other figurative
word or action could do. As God is not material, it is
self-evident that He has no material action or material
mode of action. But it does not follow from this that
He has no kind of action, and no mode of action. To
infer this would be to deny that He is the Creator, the
Redeemer, etc. It would be, as the Rev. John Howe
said, " to presume to compliment God out of this world,
and make Him a mere epicurean Deity, dwelling
remote from every sphere of action." God " worketh
hitherto," and hath a mode of working. We must
admit the fact, though the manner is beyond our com-
^
1!'
Iff'J'i
412
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
II
i^l
1';
!l,.i
iiiii'M:
prehension. But, as we said, though the manner of
the Divine action is not known to us men, it is known
to the Son of God, and to the Spirit who inspired the
sacred narrator to report it.
"The word ' baptism,' in the phrase 'baptism of the
Spirit,' is incontrovertibly founded on the rite of bap-
tism," says Dr. Carson {Bap., p. 275). This is obvious
from the way in which they are associated in Scrip-
ture. " He that sent me to baptize with water, the
same is He which baptizeth witli the Holy Ghost."
(John i. 33 ; see also Matt. iii. ] 1 ; Mark i. 8 ; Acts xi.
16.) Hence the mode under whicli the figurative bap-
tism of tlie Spirit is described nmst have been the
mode literally employed in the associated discipling
rite. The literal meaning of the word " baptism " is
applied figuiatively to this case. But, as Dr. Carson
observes, " words do not change their meaning when
used figuratively." The figurative meaning must have
reference to the literal meaning. It is only because a
literal falling of water upon candidates would consti-
tute a literal baptism, tliat the falling of a figurative
element upon them could be called a figurative bap-
tism. " A figure of speech inust arise from sow, real
resemblance." An author would not figuratively say
that "the sun of Napoleon's glory has set," if the
literal sun was not spoken of as really setting. (A. W.
Hamilton, D.D., Compend of Bap., p. 161.) So the bap-
tism of the Spirit would not be described as a pouring
upon, if ritual baptism was not properly effected by
pouring upon.
THE MODK OF IIAPTISM WITH THE SPIRIT.
413
; real
say
the
W.
bap-
iring
Id by
The mode of "pouring upon" may have been selected
because it aptly represents the fulness of Deity, on the
one hand ; and on the other, the very limited capacity
of creature subjects compared with the infinite source
from which the gift descends.
The best definition of a word is to point to the
object denoted by it. If I point to a lamp and say, " I
call that a lamp," I define the word. Now, God has
thus defined the word in question. He visibly applied
tlie tongues of fire to the disciples, and He inspired
men to call that application of that element a bap-
tism. He says He poured the Spirit upon them, and
He inspired men to call that act a baptism with the
Holy Ghost. Christ poured the element on them.
This is what the prophecy promised. This is what the
historical record affirms. And it was the falling of the
Spirit, on a subsequent occasion, on all them that heard
the word, that reminded Peter that the Lord Jesus
Christ said: "John indeed baptized with water, but
ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." (Acts xi.
16.) In a word, the minuteness and explicitness which
characterise the accounts of this baptism "might," to
use the words of Ingham on another occasion, " have
been expected to render quibbling or doubting im-
possible, did we not know the power of prepossessions
to render unintelligible the plainest -utterances of the
Divine Spirit." {Hand-hook on B ip., p. 331.)
Baptism by affusion is clearly implied by the
subsequent question which Peter addressed to the
circumcised brethren who went with him to Cesarea :
PTf ^^^^^ this
)le 0^^
ritual
as the
con-
pperly
to the
Jesus
it was
r bap-
was
bap-
llirist's
revolt
It with
disci-
fpirit."
Iptism,
ig the
thing promised ; not by doing a preparatory thing, or
some other thing in its stead.
" When we know how Christ baptized with the
Holy Ghost we know how John baptized with water ;
for he declared he was doing with water what Christ
should do with the Holy Ghost : " I baptize, He shull
baptize. When Christ baptized with the Holy Ghost,
as we have seen, He shed forth the Holy Ghost ; He
poured out the Holy Ghost ; He sent the Holy Ghost
upon them ; the Holy Gho>t fell upon them. When
John did the same with water — when he baptized, he
shed forth water; he poured out the water; he sent
the water upon them ; the water fell on them." (Dr.
Wardlatv, quoted by Lathern, p. 40.)
" Behold the pattern showed to thee when God Him-
self baptized ! See that pattern when at Pentecost He
baptized His disciples ! It was by affusion that blessed
work was done ; and if thus it is that God baptizes us,
is not this the way in which His ministers should bap-
tize His people ?" (Dr. Whedon.)
m
M)
!i
-
420
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
• i
i
ii, |,
CHAPTER XXII.
THE MODE OF BAPTISM TAUGHT IN ROMANS VI. 3, 4.
When considering this important passage for the
purpose of ascertaining the design of baptism, we saw
that baptism was instituted to be a commemoration
of an event visible on the cross wliich w.is erected on
Calvary, namely, a commemoration of Christ's baptism
with the blood of martyrdom. As His baptism on
that solemn and sacred occasion was by affusion of
His own blood, it follows that baptism by affusion is
the most suitable for a commemorative purpose. If
baptism were designed to be merely a symbol of some
spiritual truth or sentiment, one material mode of
administering it might do as well as another ; but
being in fact a commemoration of a visible event,
namely, Christ's baptism by affusion of blood, it fol-
lows that baptism by affusion of water is the most
suitable for this purpose. Some say that " if any
mode is used for an emblematical purpose, that mode
is essential as really as the water." (Carson, Bap., p.
370.) If so, it follows that the only true baptism is
that which is administered by pouring the element on
the subject.
It must be assumed that the views which Paul had
held also by the other apostles.
Pengelly, an Immersionist :
on this subject were he
Hence we might say wi
u
f
THE MODE OF BAPTISM TAUGHT IN ROMANS. 421
r^'Tiv
iiii is
it on
had
itles.
Inist :
" If I find one sufficient proof of the mode of baptism
in the days of the apostles, whatever that mode may
be, I infer that I have ascertained what was their
invariable practice. Because it cannot be imagined
that the apostles, having all received the same instruc-
tions from their Lord and Master, could be divided
either in sentiment or practice ; . . . and consequently
any departure from this practice is a departure from
the revealed will of Christ ; and such an act cannot
be viewed in any other light than an act of rebellion
against the Divine authority " (p. 37). When he used
these thoughts he did not perceive that they could be
used with fatal effect against his own theory. The
mode of Christ's baptism on Calvary was undoubtedly
by affusion. It was not by immersion ; it could not
possibly have been by that mode. There was not
blood enough in His sacred body to immerse it in any
place, much less when it was elevated on the cross on
Mount Calvary. It would have required a deluge of
blood to effect His immersion then and there.
Some imagine that the words " burial " and " resur-
rection " denote an act of immersion, but in thinking
so they violently disturb and misplace the things which
Paul put in comparison in this verse. As already
stated in an earlier chapter of our book, these are '^'='
follows: — Paul's baptism is compared with Christ s
baptism ; Paul's death is compared with Christ's death ;
Paul's burial is compared with Christ's burial ; Paul's
resurrection is compared with Christ's resurrection.
On the one side are placed Christ's baptism with
;|
,'■ I
II
422
BAPTIZING AND TEACH INO.
blood, His real death, burial and resurrection ; on the
other side are put Paul and his company's baptism,
their figurative death, burial and resurrection. But
the Immersionists referred to pay no heed to this
inspired arrangement. They force its words into a
wholly different comparison. They place on the one
side baptism only (without the death, burial and resur-
rection), and on the other hand th:y put death, burial
and resurrection (without the baptism). Having thus
wrested the words from their proper connection, they
turn away from the scene on Calvary which the apostle
had before his mind, and look to the Jordan. They
then imagine that the words "death," "burial" and
" resurrection " were intended to illustrate an act and
mode of baptism there administered. But, unhappily
for them, this meaning is inconsistent with the primary
meaning and previous use of the word ; everywhere
in previous usage " baptize " brings into contact and
leaves in contact. The new meaning brings into con-
tact and removes from contact : it does and undoes.
The inspired writers did not use it in this sense. When
they baptized into Christ they did not take out again.
In baptism with the Spirit, the Spirit was poured on,
but not taken off again.
Unhappily for them, the apostle's words do not
admit this sense, and when it is forced into them they
do not agree with the apostle's other words in the
same sentence. The terms " death," " burial " and
" resurrection " are related terms ; and, taken as such,
they will not describe any act or illustrate any mode
Lm
,1
lary
and
con-
loes.
'^hen
rain,
on,
not
|they
the
and
}uch,
lode
THE MODE OF BAPTISM TAUGHT IN ROMANS. 423
of baptism. "Death." tho first in order of these clo.>ieiy-
related words, does not describe the first part of any
act or mode of baptism. Seeing this, they adroitly
change " death " out of the first place into the second
place, and then slip " burial " out of the .-^econd place
into the first. They then imagine a burial into death
(which, as Meyer observes, is a " quite incongruous
conception "), and think that this may describe an act
of baptism. But such a change is an exceedingly
wrong one. It throws the most important of all his-
toric events — the death and burial of Christ — out of
the true order of time, and into an order so different
as to falsify the inspired history. Such a disarrange-
ment represents Christ as having been killed by being
buried alive, and impliedly charges His death on Joseph
and Nicodemus, who buried Him. But even by forc-
ing " burial " into the first place they cannot make out
any likeness to any act of baptism ; for the burial of
which Paul speaks is the burial of Christ's dead body
in Joseph's sepulchre. It was, in fact, taken through a
doorway into an apartment that had been hewn out
of a rock. It was there laid on a long stone bench,
on which two angels afterwards sat, one at the head
and the other at the feet. In that kind of burial we
cannot discover any likeness to any part of any act of
baptism — none whatever. The mode of burial prac-
tised by the Jews had not the most distant resemblance
to dipping ; neither had that of the Romans or the
Greeks, for they " always burned the dead bodies of
their friends, and collected the ashes and bones that
I
h .
r?'! ",'
I
I: I
4>U
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
remained into an urn. Such a burial had surely no
resemblance to a dipping in water." (Immersion, by
Rev. W. A. McKay, B.A.)
As the death and burial here spoken of do not
resemble any one part of any mode of baptism, so the
resurrection here mentioned was not like any part
whatever. It was a literal resurrection from the dead,
effected by Almighty power. It was not performed
by lifting up the corpse. To lift it off that stone
bench would not put life into it. It could be revived
while in the position in which it had been left. It
had ample room then to stand up and walk toward
the doorway when the angel was rolling back the
stone that had been laid against it. But the Divine
mode of operation when reanimating the sacred corpse
cannot be even imagined. God never inspired anyone
to explain it. What is wholly unknown cannot be
illustrated. Dr. Carson admits this ; he says : " Noth-
ing could afford a resemblance to the way of raising
the dead." (Bajx, p. 153.)
Some Immersionists, finding that they are not able
to perceive in the burial of Christ in the sepulchre any
likeness to any mode of baptism, have taken the
position that it is not necessary to show the mode in
this case, because in the matter of burying " the man-
ner is nothing." (Dr. Fuller.) What then ? Do they
also take the position that in the matter of baptizing
the manner is nothing ? By no means ; this would be
a suicidal concession. It is only in the matter of
burying a corpse that they think the manner is non-
be
)th-
iing
ible
|any
the
in
lan-
|hey
sing
be
of
^on-
THE MODE OF BAPTISM TAUGHT IN ROMANS. 425
essential. Well, then, what is the essential thing in
burying ? They do not take time to tell us. But it
is easy to see that the essential thing is the putting
and leaving a corpse in such a state of seclusion as
survivors deem proper. But a likeness to this essen-
tial part of burying is not found in the mode which
they practise. Those who put the candidate into the
element do not leave him in when it is in their power
to take him out. They at such times most carefully
omit the thing that is essential to burying. If they
most determinedly omit this in practice, what is the
use of contending for it in theory ?
These verses mention the burial and resurrection of
Paul too. These had not literally taken place as yet,
but they were anticipated by faith. Paul looks at a
literal resurrection as future in his case — "We shall
he also in the likeness of His resurrection." Paul
then had not actually received the resurrection here
spoken of; hence those who assume that Paul's
burial was under water, imply that he was left at the
bottom of some cistern, lake or river, and wrote there
this wonderful Epistle. Not only so; that he accom-
plished his extensive travels while under much water,
which must have been furnished by a second deluge.
Enough ! Any conception which involves such ab-
surdity must be at utter variance with the sense
intended by an apostle, who was " not mad, but spake
forth the words of truth and soberness."
There are other reasons, too, for concluding that the
three terms, " death," " burial," and " resurrection,"
I
w
426
BAPTISING AND TEACHING.
■^i
IS m-
hi '•
li;
f
IP
:1
were not intended to describe or allude to any act or
mode of baptism. Paul uses the word haptisDia, which,
like " all Greek nouns ending in ma, denotes a thing
done, or a state brought about and permanent, but
never the action or mode of doing the thing. Now»
as Paul uses a word whos^ nominative ends in ma, he
meant the former, and not the latter." {Rev. J. Geddes.)
Further, look at the connection in which the apostle
uses these three related terms, and it becomes evident
at once that he did not use them to describe or illus-
trate the act of baptism. He speaks of " baptism into
death." He manifestly did not mean baptism into the
first of the description of the act of baptism ? Would
an inspired apostle speak thus ? Again, he speaks of
being " buried by baptism into death." Did he mean
that they were partly baptized by entire baptism into
the first part of baptism ? Or, to put it more clearly,
did he mean that the second part of the act of
baptism was performed by entire baptism into the
fi^rst pf 't ? Most assuredly he did not mean that.
Any interpretation which by necessary consequence
puts such utter nonsense into the words of inspired
wisdom, must have utterly mistaken the meaning of
the three related terms referred to. They evidently
were not intended to describe the act or illustrate the
mode of baptism. We have accordingly shown above
that they really refer to events which occurred sub-
sequently to baptism.
Again, the apostle intended, when using these three
terras, to teach the disciples in the city of Rome what
THE MODK OF liAPTlSM TAUGHt IN UOMANS. 427
of
ice
Ired
o£
[tiy
Ithe
>ve
lub-
Iree
lat
He supposes they did not yet know. (He had said to
them, " Know ye not," etc.) To assume that he used
them to describe the mode of baptism is to imply —
what is wholly incredible — that disciples in the me-
tropolis of the Roman empire did not know the mode
of baptism which they had received, though many of
themselves received the ordinance in adult age, because
they were already adults when the commission to bap-
tize first reached their city.
Again, the apostle was answering the objection, May
not the recipients of grace continue in sin ? But what
argument would there be in his answer if he meant to
say, You cannot continue in sin, because you have been
baptized by the dipping mode of administering the
ordinance ? There is no logic whatever in such an
answer as that. The alleged allusion of these words
to dipping is therefore utterly indefensible, wholly
imaginary, and absurdly misleading. Indeed, we may
properly P^pply to this what Dr. Carson says of another
theory : " It is a mine of inconsistency that never
could be exhausted. This is the necessary condition
of all false theories" (p. 92). Such a theory, "when
pusl 3d to its legitimate consequences, looks very like
a caricature." But "no doctrine can be reduced to
absurdity which is not intrinsically absurd." (Goldwin
Smith.) I have thus reduced it because I agree with
Dr. Carson, that "specious and popular error will never
be abandoned till it is driven into extravagance"
(p. 211).
M
mi''
I !
I
428
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
CHAPTER XXIII.
RITUAL BAPTISM OF THE EUNUCH. (ACTS VIII. 35, ETC.)
"And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip;' while
still in Samaria, "saying, Arise, and go toward the
south unto" (eTTi, upon; "the way that goeth down from
Jerusalem unto Gaza." Gaza was one of the five cities
of the Philistines, situated near the southern bound-
ary of Canaan. As there were three roads from Jeru-
salem to Gaza, the angel particilarly describes the one
that he means — the one "which is desert" — because
it was the one that the person to whom he was sent
was travelling. "And he arose and went," without
knowing as yet what he w^ould be required to do when
there. In due time he discovered another traveller on
that road. "And, behold, a man of Ethiopia," a Gentile
proselyte of the Jewish religion, a eunuch and a court
officer " of great authority under Candace, Queen of the
Ethiopians," etc. Ethiopia was the name of a country
south of Egypt, including the modern Abyssinia. The
word used to express the office of this eunuch "com-
monly denotes an independent ruler," says Olshausen,
and was probably selected to intimate that he was
really, and the Queen but nominally, the ruler of the
kingdom. In his African home he had probably been
taught by Jews who sojourned there to recognise the
God of Israel as the true God, and the worship of
RITUAL BAPTISM OF THE EUNUCH.
429
the
Dry
fhe
Im-
len,
ras
bhe
ien
bhe
of
Jehovah as the true religion. He had made a long:
journey to Jerusalem, in order to offer sacrifices in its
holy temple, thus subordinating state affairs to the
more important interests of eternity. Even a stranger
in Jerusalem woui 1 soon be made acquainted with the
things that came to pass there in those days " con-
cerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty
in deed and word before God and all the people "
(Luke xxiv. 18, 19), and yet was most strangely cruci-
fied ■• y the Jewish riders, who were following out
their plans by bitterly persecuting His followers. It
may be that the decision of the Jewish Sanhedrim was
assumed to be all right by this state officer. On his
return journey he had with him a copy of the Scrip-
tures; whether he brought it from home, or had just
purchased it at Jerusalem, we cannot tell. He re-
solves to read it when travelling — a duty which many
neglect even in domestic leisure. He has opened on
the place where the evangelical prophet Isaiah utters
" perhaps the clearest and strongest of all the prophe-
cies in the Old Testament." {Paley.) " He read it
aloud, not merely to fix his attention as fully as pos-
sible, but that his attendants may hear, — amyivuaiiEiv
originally signifies to read to others." (Lange.) The
Lord Jesus had said, " If any man will do " {i.e., wishes
to do) " His will, he shall know of the doctrine." He
saw that this Ethiopian was willing to know, hence
He sent His angel to direct Philip the Evangelist to
take a walk on the road the eunuch was travelling.
" Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join
i
1 \<
li •
|l> ill
m
430
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to
him" (ran near to it) "and heard him read the
prophet Esaias," (the Greek form for Isaiah), "and
said to him," — «p« ye, yea but, i.e., it is well, thou art
well employed, but " understandest thou what thou
readest ? " This was an important question, for if we
understand not we are not profited. And the eunuch,
with frank humility, said, " How can I, except some
man should guide me ? " Besides the word of God
we need a human teacher, and the providence of God
to bring a teacher to us. An inquirer " often needs a
commentator, but never needs a pope." ( Whedon.) He
should not reject the assistance of the one, or accept
the dictation of the other. And he desired the foot
traveller to come up and sit beside him in his chariot.
Philip complied with the eunuch's request. The place,
the section of Scripture which he read, was this : " He
was led as a sheep to the slaughter ; and like a lamb
dumb before his shearers, so opened He not His mouth.
In His humiliation His judgment was taken away," or,
as the Revised Translation reads : " By oppression and
judgment He was taken away. But His generation who
shall declare ? His origin who shall unfold ?" ( Wilkin-
son.) The fathers and Bode (and so Dr. Wordsworth)
explain His generation of His eternal Sonship, and of
His miraculous incarnation. Who will have faith to
maintain that this was His origin, when they see the
manner in which His life was taken away from the
earth ? This prophecy was intended to teach that the
Messiah in His first advent would be a suffering Mes-
IP
RITUAL BAPTISM OF THE EUNUCH.
431
a
or,
ind
^ho
tin-
:th)
ot
to
ithe
the
the
Les-
siah, would " be despised and rejected of men," and be
led through a mock trial to a martyr death. But the
Jews had been expecting only a universally accept-
ed and triumphant Messiah, because they overlooked
the distinction between His first and second advent.
Not expecting a suffering Messiah at all, they did not
apply this prophecy to Him, and hence inquired, as
the eunuch did, " I pray thee, of whom speaketh the
prophet this ? of himself, or of some other man ? "
" Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same
scripture, and preached unto him Jesus," showing that
the prophecy spake of Him, and how it was fulfilled
in Him. Judi^inor from the kind of remark that would
be then suitable, and that would lead to the results
that actually followed, we infer that Philip showed
him that this Jesus was the Great Teacher who was to
come, as "a prophet like unto Moses," that He may
reveal the will of God in a way suited to the frailty of
man, rather than in a manner adapted to the majesty
of God, which would have been utterly overpowering
to man. Jesus had taken upon Him human nature for
this among other purposes. But when His teaching
showed that He loved righteousness and hated iniqui-
ty, the workers of iniquity among the Jews hated
Him, suborned false witnesses against Him, and put
Him to death in the flesh. God the Father Almighty,
however, raised Him from the dead, and thus proved
Him to be the Son of God as well as the Son of Man.
Not only so, God exalted Him to His right hand, and
thus more fully showed that He had truly proclaimed
: i
Pi!
|S3
mi ' I
Qjii
?■' 'IS
432
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
that He had "all power in Heaven and earth," and
authority, therefore, to summon all into His school ; to
appoint baptism as the ordinance for initiating His
pupils ; to call and to qualify subordinate teachers to
instruct the initiated respecting all that He com-
manded. This is the preaching that would lead natur-
ally to the results that followed. He probably showed
him also that the Messiah's views overleaped the nar-
row boundaries of Judaism, and extended to all the
families on earth. He would draw all nations into
His school, to be taught the way of salvation. This is
the teaching that would lead to the results that- ac-
tually followed.
While this conversation was going on, they were
travelling- down a descending part of the road (ctto-
pevovTo Kara t?/v o6ou). The imperfect tense implies the
continuance and progress of the act. " And as they
went on their way " down this road " they came unto
a certain water " — tpMov eki ti vSup, " they came upon
some water"; — not eig, "to," but ein, "upon"; etti may
mean " immediately adjacent to, or over." Here it ob-
viously means " over some water," for, as we shall find,
they stepped down from the chariot into the water.
The expression n v6up, " some water," " suggests natur-
ally the idea of a small degree or quantity." (Alex-
ander.) This is what might be expected from the na-
ture of the country through which they were passing.
The expression " this is desert," whether it applies to
the region or the road, shows a want of water. The
eunuch was surprised to see water (as shown by his
RITUAL BAPTISM OF THE EUNUCH.
43:j
ley
)on
^lay
lob-
ind,
Iter,
jur-
lex-
Ina-
ing.
to
:he
his
exclamation, " See, here is water,") where it was not
looked for. It was probably the noise made by driving
through it that called the eunuch's attention to it,
and to the opportunity for baptism which it gave.
The promptitude and urgency of his application for
baptism implied that if they passed by this spot no
other such spot might be found on that desert road.
"What doth hinder me to be baptized?" Philip
saw no hindrance. There was no hindrance in his
nationality, for the great commission spoke of dis-
cipling all nations. There was no hindrance in his
disposition ; he was teachable, and therefore a fit per-
son to be initiated into the school of Christ. See-
ing no hindrance, Philip intimated in some way that
there was none. How Philip did so we know not,
because the words in the 37th verse must be laid
aside. They are entirely omitted in A, B, C, G, H (in
D "there is here a hiatus" — De Wette), as well as in
the Sinaitic MS.; also in more than sixty Minuscule
MSS., in some ancient versions, and in some fathers.
The Revised English Version rejects this verse from
the text, but puts it in the margin, because it is found
in some ancient manuscripts. Its rejection is approved
by the learned English Baptist, Benjamin Wills New-
ton, " because," he says, " it is universally admitted
that the whole of this verse is an interpolation. Nor
would the Scripture so speak. If such words were
found in the Scripture, weak believers might long
torment themselves with the question whether they
believed with all their heart." (Newton on Bap., i. 9,
S8
)
«. if I
434
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
in p.]
mi
■ i
1 1
Pn
^ 1 '
mi .::
in Wolff on Bap., p. 133.) Even if this were a genuine
part of Scripture, it would only prove that the eunuch
believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God — a Di-
vine and Divinely appointed Teacher. And to believe
this, even with all the heart, would not be justifying
faith. Many, like Nicodemus, believed that Christ
was a Teacher sent from God ; and yet, like him, did
not believe, and would not believe, the fundamental
doctrines taught by that Great Teacher. Many who
have assumed that the passage is genuine, and have
supposed that it requires the exercise of justifying
faith before baptism, yet do not act accordingly ; they
think it sufficient to ask profession of faith, though,
admittedly, this is often very different from believing
with the heart. The other text on which the theory of
believers' baptism rests (namely, Alark xvi. 16), stands
under the same condemnation. It is not found in
some of the oldest MSS.
" He commanded the chariot to stand still." The
chariot was stopped upon some water. The occupants
of the chariot went down (stepped down) into some
water. " No step beyond that which brought them
down out of the chariot is mentioned in the record."
Observe, it was from a chariot, and not from a house,
that they went. Persons are never described in Scrip-
ture as going from a house to a brook, or river, or
pool, or lake, for the purpose of being baptized. A
travelling chariot is the only place that was left to
find water for baptism ; and in this exceptional case
they merely descended from the chariot into water on
RITUAL BAPTISM OF THE EUNUCH.
485
the travelled road. The people of those countries, as
Matthew Henry says, " went barelegged," or wore only
sandals ; and therefore could step down ?:roin a vehicle
into shallow water without any preparation ; and no
preparation is mentioned. " It might not be above
their ankles," says VVesley. (Workfi, Vol. VI., p. 13.)
In strict accordance with this conclusion is the state-
ment of Jerome, who lived many years in that section
of country. He says : " We often pass over such little
brooks in our common road." (Quoted by Thorn, Mode
of Bap., p. 304.) The word mrt'iiynav brings Philip down
from the chariot, to which amftav-a had taken him up
(v. 31). The former word had been used in the same
sense. "Sisera lighted down off" (/io-f,:///, "stepped down
from " — Septuagint) " his chariot." (Jud. iv. 15.) " And
when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked
on the water" {KamiSag, Peter having stepped down from
the boat, walked upon the water). Xenophon {Eq. xi.
7) uses this word to express dismounting from a horse
(iTriror Kara^aivErai). No other step is mentioned in the
record. To imagine them " going down, step by step,
from shallower into deeper water" ("two feet nine
inches, at the least") "is the purest fiction." (D^'e,
Christie Bap., pp. 185, 186.) The antithetic prt^ jsi-
tion e/v may mean " out from," or " otF from," or " up
from," or " out of." It is applied to the stone taken
from the sepulchre, as well as to the body taken out
of it (John XX. 1,2); to the chains that fell off from
Peter's hands, as the Baptist version rightly translates,
adding in a note, " Not out of, but from, his hands."
\ do
double duty. They think Christ not only came into
the Jordan, but was baptized into the Jordan; denoting,
as they think, that the baptizer put the baptized person
into the water, and wholly immersed him. But if so,
he was drowned, for the verb haptizo does not take
out what it puts in, as it does not take off what it puts
on ; as Jesus was not drowned, this was not the mean-
ing of the inspired narrator. The inspired writers do
I.' r
456
HAPTIZING AND TEACHIMG.
not use l^aTTTi^u) £ig in connection with a physical element,
but with a figurative element — " Baptized into Christ
Jesus." ' Baptizing them into the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The meaning
of this statement is considered elsewhere. John was
not in the water of the Jordan, but within its banks.
Within the outer and inner banks of the Jordan there
is one-eighth of a mile of level strand wherein thou-
sands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands,
could be accommodated without being troubled by the
water when the river is not swollen. And this strand
is so beset with bushes and trees, such as tamarisks,
willows, olianders, etc., that you can see no water till
you have made your way through them and get near
the river-bed. When John was here he was said to
baptize " in the wilderness," or " in the Jordan," mean-
inor in what is sometimes called the bed of the Jordan.
Maundsell, in describing the Jordan, says : " After
having descended the outermost bank, you go about a
fddong upon a level strand before you come to the
immediate bank of the river." John's ministrations
may have been performed upon this strand of the
Jordan, without coming in contact with its stream,
and yet be said to be performed in Jordan. Carson
admits that a person may be said to be in the river
although merely occupying the depressed grounds
between the water and the remote outer banks. His
words are, " He might be in the river, yet not in the
water: all within the banks is the river" (p. 339).
Saul, with an army of " two hundred thousand foot-
men, and ten thousand men of Judah," came and " laid
THE MODE OF JOHN S liAPTISM.
457
wait in the valley" — literally, in the brook — ento
cheimarro. (1 Sam. xv. 5.)
The name of a river often denotes, not merely the
water, but the strand alongside, which sometimes is,
and sometimes is not, covered by the water — i.e., all
within the banks of a river. Thus David says, Shimei
" came down to meet me " (etc tov Io/jJow?v) " into the
Jordan" — i.e., within its banks. (1 Kings ii. 8, Septu-
agint.) The ancients spoke in this way of other
rivers. Elijah was commanded to hide himself " in
the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan " — ^v rco x^if^appu
xoppdd. (1 Kings xvii. 8, Septuagint.) Dr. Carson
properly asks, "Could not the prophet take up his
residence within the banks of the brook ?" He speaks
still more explicitly in reference to a statement that
"Ulysses, after escaping from shipwreck, watched all
the rueful night" (ev ttotuiuu) "in the river." He says,
" He might be in the river, yet not in the water : all
within the banks is the river." When Saul went with
thousands of men against Amalek, he " formed an am-
buscade in the brook" — ev rw x^t/^m'V' (1 Sam. xv. 5).
This, too, was of course within the banks of the brook.
They spoke in the same way in reference to the
Jordan. The Hebrews were directed to " stand still
in the Jordan " — ev tu lopJav^. (Joshua iii. 8). But this
did not mean in the water of the Jordan, for they
were told that " when the soles of the feet of the
priests bearing the aik of Jehovah came in contact
with the brim of the water, the water would flow
away." (Dr. D de.) Those who followed stood there-
fore on dry ground within the banks of the Jordan.
*' 'Mi
m■^
!; i
1
11
ll
458
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
That locality was John's home previous to his com-
mencing to administer baptism. John is never repre-
sented as leaving his place and leading a company
to a river in order to baptize them. Jesus came from
Galilee to Jordan — not because there was not sufficient
water in Galilee, but " bjcause there was no John
there." (Dr. Dale.)
But even if John had travelled to a river for the
purpose of performing baptism, it would be no proof
of immersion, because, as Dr. Dale shows, " the Jews
went down to running streams for purposes for which
a handful of water would suffice." "And to do so was
a common practice in various nations, in various ages,
extending through thrice ten hundred years." (Johan-
nic Bap., p. 338 ; also for particulars and authorities
see pp. 332-334.)
There is nothing, therefore, in the circumstances to
overthrow the statement that John " baptized with
water." In ancient pictures John is represented as
baptizing by pouring upon. One presents the Sav-
iour standing in the margin of the Jordan, partially
in the water, and John on a rock, with a shell in his
hand, pouring water on the Redeemer's head. It is
a " representation in Mosaic . . . preserved in the
church in Cosmedin, at Ravenna, which was erected
in the year 401." Another picture on a plate of brass,
partly engraved and partly in relief, shows Christ
standing, not in the water, but near the stream, whilst
John with a shell is pouring water on His head. The
plate is of Greek origin, as is manifest from the in-
scriptions, and is admitted to be of very ancient
i.^31
The mode of john*s baptism.
459
workmanship. It is affixed to the door of a church
on the Via Ostensis, at Rome. But the plate is much
older than the door, which bears date 1070. " Form-
ing the centre-piece of the dome of a baptistery at
Ravenna, which was built and decorated in the year
454, we have another representation of the baptism
of Christ. As in the one first named, He is standing
partially in the water, and John, from a rock above,
is pouring out water on His head. Of the genuineness
and antiquity of these pictures there can be no reason-
able doubt." (Seiss, pp. 231, 232.) And it has been
thouffht that John himself referred to his usinc: such
a measure of limited capacity, when he said that the
baptism of the Holy Spirit, which God gave to Christ,
was not " by measure " — e^ /lerpov, out of a measure.
(John iii. 84.)
That John's baptism was administered by pouring
water upon the subject is inferable from its analogy
to Christie baptism, which is also a discipling ordi-
nance, and which, as we have seen, was administered,
like the baptism of the Spirit, by pouring the element
upon the subject.
As Johannic baptism was in some respects distinct
from Christie baptism, and was of temporary dura-
tion, it is not necessary to examine more fully the
scriptures that are supposed to indicate its mode.
"After these things cariie Jesus . . . into the land
of Judea . . . and baptized. And John also was bap-
tizing in ^non near to Salini, for" vihra 7r«AAa r/v eksI —
" there were many waters " {i.e., most probably, many
springs or pools) — " there : and they came, and were
460
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
baptized." (John iii. 22, 23.) Dr. Dale observes that
Tyndole regarded the two verses as parts of a single
sentence ; that this arrangement indicates clearly that
Jesus baptized in iEnon, and that John also baptized
in ^non, because there were many springs there, and
these could accommodate two distinct parties engaged
in baptizing at the same time. The one party would
not need to trespass on the spring selected by the
other party. This seems to be the point intended to
be indicated by the mention of the " many waters."
The locality of iEnon has much perplexed geogra-
phers. The Rev. Lyman Coleman, D.D., an accom-
plished Biblical geographer, thinks that it was in the
desert, about four or five miles north-east of Jerusa-
lem, where " a succession of fountains for a mile or two
gush out from rocky crevices under high cliffs, and
form many pools deep enough for swimming," etc.
They were away from the Jordan ; but it is probable
that this would be the case at that season of the year.
It was just after the Passover, in the first month of the
ecclesiastical year. In this month of March the Jordan
overflowed its outer banks. ** The Jordan may be said
to have two banks, of which the inner marks the ordi-
nary height of the stream, and the outer its elevation
during the rainy season, or the melting of the snows
on Mount Lebanon." These " swellings of Jordan "
would drive John away from the position which he
occupied within those outer banks. And as its sweep-
ing flood would mix up all the unclean things that
had for months been accumulating within its widely
extended outer banks, he would naturally retreat to
THE M(JI)K OF JOHN S BAPTISM.
4GI
other waters during that season. He probably did so
when baptizing at ^^non. Wherever it was, there
were many, and probably moderately distant, springs
there ; he could select some where he could engage
in his work without inconveniencing the disciples of
Christ, who were at other springs or pools in the
neighbourhood.
The translators unhappily rendered itoITm vdara " much
water." And then interpreters, overlooking the con-
text, which shows that Christ's party was in the neigh-
bourhood, and thinking only of John, have been easily
misled to suppose that the reference made to " much
water" indicates that John needed water enough to
dip his disciples. But this cannot be the design of the
inspired narrator, because haptizo had not as 3'et ac-
quired this meaning. It had never taken out what it
put in. It sometimes put in and left in. But if John
had done this he would have drowned all his disciples.
He did not do this ; he therefore did not baptize by
immersion. He baptized them with water at Mnon.
{v. Chapter XXVI. on Baptizo.)
NO NEED TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE OLD PURIFYING
RITES.
As our inquiry is. What is the mode of discipling
baptism ? we do not need to examine the mode of the
old purifying baptisms. Johannic baptism and Chris-
tic baptism are associated not with purifying but with
teaching. We shall, however, briefly notice one text
that refers to the purifying rites, but has been strange-
462
lUl'TIZING AND TEACHING.
ly supposed to allude to baptism. The text is Heb.
X. 22. But as Rev. John Owen says, " it is evident
that Christie baptism is not here referred to, because
the apostle is instructing the Hebrews, who had been
baptized, how they were daily to draw nigh to God."
(Christie Bap., p. 382.) He was not telling them to
get baptized again, much less to get baptized daily.
He alludes to the old Jewish rites — to the sprink-
ling of the blood of typical sacrifices and to the daily
washings of the priests before entering the typical
sanctua^3^ They had to wash their hands and their
feet. [Thus both allude to Jewish rites. There is
consistency in this interpretation. But there is great
inconsistency when "the 'sprinkling of the heart' is
based on a Jewish rite, and the * washing of the body '
is based on a Christian rite." (Christie Bap., p. 3S3 )
What is it, then, that corresponds to the washing in
Christian times ?] " But we have no external sanctuary
and no corporeal ablution to perform when drawing
near to worship God The apostle does not command
a repetition of the old rites, but something correspond-
ing to them in nature." (Fairbairn, Hevin. Man., p. 130 ;
Christie Bap., p. 382.) The blood of typical sacrifices
did not touch the heart. " The heart is cleansed by
sprinkling of the antitypical blood of Christ applied in
faith. The bodj-^ is washed with pure water " (Chris-
tie Bap., p. 383), or rather, when we get so cleansed
by the spiritual power of the Divin? Spirit as to bo
holy in body and soul. Those who had been baptized
needed these things daily.
PART V.
CHAPTER XXVI,
^^ m
A FUKSir IWKSTKJATION (1) OF TFIP] IMllMAUY MKAXING,
AND (2) OF TIIK SKCOXDARY MKANINOS. OF liAPTIZO
PllEVIOUSLY TO AM) IN THF \K\V TE8TAMKNT WRIT-
INGS.
The Greek word hcqdizo occurs in the great com-
mission to baptize all nations which was given by our
Lord Jesus Christ. It is our duty to endeavour to
ascertain as accurately and as fully as possible the
meaning of that Divine requirement. " The true sense
of Scripture, that, and tliat alone, is Scripture." (Bp.
IVordsiuorth.)
The right understanding: of a Divine command is
often dependent on the meaning given to one of the
words employed. This is so in the case now before us.
Its true primary meaning has not yet been found out
and proved satisfactorily. The reason doubtless is
tliat there has been a defective application of the right
method for finding it. Both Baptists and Pedobap-
tists have taken the right road for a few stages^, but
all have stopped or turned aside before coming to the
final station.
The special inquiry which has to be made has not
been kept steadily in view. It is this : What was " the
ineaning of the word at the time of it?) Hrst application
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liAPTIZING AND TEACHINC;.
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to the ordinance ?" (Dr. Garsor), p. 243.) Words that
have been lonor in use often acquire new meanings
which were not connected with them in the earlier
periods of their use. Hence Dr. Carson very properly
says : " The meaning of the word in reference to the
ordinance must be determined by its meaning at the
time of its application to the ordinance. Its meaning
in the ordinance must be determined by its sense in
the language at the period of appropriation, not by its
use in church history afterwards. Does not any one
see that a secondary meaning conferred after the insti-
tution of the ordinance can have no bearing on the
question ?" (Baptism, p. 252.) Yet, strange to say, this
correct and admitted statement has been soon forgot-
ten and ignored. For instance, the learned Baptist,
Professor T. J. Conant, D.D., when writing on Bap-
cism, placed before him not merely the examples of
the use of the word which were written previously to
and contemporaneously with the issuing of the New
Testament writings, but also all subsequent uses of
the word. He says : " These examples are from every
period of the Greek literature in which the word
occurs. They include all that have been found by the
lexicographers, and by those who have professedly
written on the subject ; and these, with the examples
added from my own reading, exhaust the use of the
word in Greek literature." Now, why did he not con-
fine himself to the examples of the use of the word
which existed at the period of its application to the
ordinance by Christ and His apostles ? Why did Dr.
' ■^^l
THE PIUMARY MEANING OF BAPTIZO.
4G5
Conant — why do the Baptist writers generally — come
down beyond that period of Greek literature ? Is it
not because at later periods they can find quotations
much more favourable to their theory. When, in po>t-
apostolic ages, persons formed a very wrong view of
the design of baptism, they supposed that dipping
would be the best mode of administering the ordi-
nance. Dipping accordingly was then put into the
meaning of the word, and it was used in a way that
showed this. Dr. Conant wished, therefore, to have
the whole varying Greek literature before him, that
he might have an opportunity to select some of these
quotations, and put them out of chronological order in
prominent places in the list of quotations in order to
produce effect. This seems fair to the undiscerning ;
but it is very unfair, when the question is, " What was
the meaning of the word at the time of its first appli-
cation by Christ and His apostles to the ordinance
which Christ instituted ? "
Theological writers and controversialists do not think
that it would be fair to undertake to settle the mean-
ing of the great commission by tracing the English
word "baptize" through all English literature. Why?
Because its meaning has been gradually changed so as
to apply the word to any and every mods that has
been practised. From numberless examples of the
use of the word by respectable writers in the present
day, it now means to initiate people into a religious
society by a ritual use of water in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; and it
30
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466
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
is equally used where the water is sprinkled upon the
candidate, or poured upon the candidate, or where the
candidate is dipped into water. The different modes
that are now employed are connected with the English
word " baptize." Baptists admit this, but forget it
when it is convenient to do so. For instance, when
Liddell and Scott's Dictionary says that in the New
Testament the meaning of the Greek verb is " to bap-
tize," they then forget the meaning of the English
word " baptize."
But may not the Greek word, too, have changed its
meaning to suit changing practices ? We contend that
it has done so. The Baptists assume that it has not,
and then appeal to dictionaries which profess to go
through the whole range of Greek literature, and
which therefore examine what was written after as
well as what was written before the time in which the
New Testament writers used the word. The use
which they make of dictionaries is grounded on the
false assumption that the Greek verb has undergone
no change of meaning throughout its history:
Jn the post-apostolic era dictionary makers can find
instances of dipping, and accordingly some of them
give " to dip " as one of the meanings, and the Bap-
tists are delighted. But did they not know that
Dr. Carson Lad asked, " What have these subsequent
meanings to do with the meaning of the word when
used by Christ ? " On this account the attempt to
det n-mine the meaning of baptizo in the New Testa-
ment by the meanings given by lexicographers, by
■f
THE PRIMARY MEANING OF BAPTIZO.
467
encyclopedias, by historians of the Christian Churcii,
is most unfair. Dictionaries undertake to ^ive the
meaning of the word in modern as well as in ancient
times, and hence give "to dip" as one of its meanings-
But this is no proof that it had this meaning when
Christ used it. Yet l)aptists assume falsely that it is
a proof. The result is that in all Christian literature
nothing is more unfair than the use which Baptists
are continually making of Greek dictionaries, of en-
cyclopedias, and Church histories, for proving the
meaning of the great commission. They are con-
stantly parading triumphantly certain meanings given
by these ; strangely unconscious that when so engaged
they are taking for granted the point in dispute, and
grossly deceiving themselves, and really, though un-
intentionally, misleading others. The long quotations
which they make from these sources do not touch the
proper question ; we must go to the earlier usage.
There are cases where dictionaries are not reliable.
" The authors of dictionaries," as one remarks, " do
not determine the meaning of words by authority ;
they ascertain and define the sense in which they are
used by respectable writers." {J. Mills.) They rarely
attempt a full examination of all the uses of a word
within a limited period as distinguished from its whole
history. They sometimes place a very inadequate
number of passages before them ; and sometimes they
are not sufficiently patient and careful in the examina-
'tion of what they have in view. Accordingly, as Dr.
Dale observes, their " conclusions are without author-
i«ii
III
ii;:
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't!,-
468
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
ity, except as they may give a true interpretation of
usacre." {Johannic Bap., p. 42.) Dr. Carson appealed
from dictionaries to usage in reference to tlie word
now before us. Ho found that the dictionaries gave
tlie word a general sigiiilication. (See a digest of their
meanings in Seiss' Baptismal System Examined.)
Notwithstanding this, Dr. Carson thought it has a
specific meaning. He says, "My position is that bap-
tizo always signifies ' to dip ' — never expressing any-
thing but moile. Noiu, as I have all the lexicographers
and commentators against me in ih>s opinion, it will
be necessary to say a word or two with respect to tlie
authority of lexicons " (p. .5.5). He says, " They have
been guided by their own judgment in examining the
various passages in which a word occurs ; and it is still
competent for every man to have recourse to the same
sources " (p. oQ). The authority of use, therefore, " is
competent to revise the decisions of all dictionaries,"
and "all critics"; "and whatever is agreeable to that
authority is justified beyond impeachment" (pp. 46,
75). " Words considered simply as sounds have no
meaning, for they are not the natural and necessary
signs of things." " The connection between words
and ideas is constituted by usage." Accordingly Car-
son says, ' I assign no meaning till the occurrences of
a word are ascertained and examined. Whether a
word has one meaning, or several, 1 determine by this
examination on philosophical principles." {Mode of
Bap., p. 8G0.) " Nothing but examples from a lan-
guage can be ultimate proof of the meaning of words.
THE PRIMARY MKANTNG OF BAPTTZO.
469
IS
The authority of lexicojj^raphers " (juithors of diction-
aries) "and critics is only secondary " (p. 9). So said
Dr. Carson, and he is highly esteemed by his breth-
ren. Benedict, in his " History of the Baptists," calls
him a man "of profound erudition, and perfect ac-
quaintance with all the canons of philology," ic, with
all the rules of criticism furnished by all the branches
of learning connected with the study of languages.
He, as already remarked, appealed from dictionaries
to usage. To usage then let us go, that we may start
from positions acknowledged by the Baptists, and thus
" reason with, rather than at, them." We must place
before us the passages which contain the word down
to the date of its being employed by New Testament
writers. These are " the witnesses that must decide
the question. And as it is possible to tamper with
evidence, the witnesses must be questioned and cross-
questioned, that the truth may be ascertained without
a doubt." (Carson, p. 24.) This very careful examina-
tion is necessary, because " in the niceties of a dead
langiiage there are continual plausibilities and incen-
tives to the exercise of ingenuity that beguile the
most candid and learned to an incalculable extent."
(Curtis, Pro;/, of Bap. Principles, p. 201.) We sliall
have to " ascertain the various meanings of the word
in various sentences"; then, by a comparison of these
meanings, we may discover the common idea that
underlies every one, and " thereby be enabled to deter-
mine the primary meaning " (p. 88) — the meaning
which everywhere adheres to the word. We can thus
470
BAPTISING AND TEACHING.
■■' '
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t'
ill
I.
II.
§1:
(listinofiiish what belongs to a word from those addi-
tions to its meaning which are sometimes l^nt to it by
other words placed in connection with it. Dr. Carson
admits that it w^ould be wrong and misleading to pro-
ceed, as some do, " on the absurd supposition that a
word embraces in its meaning everything in connection
with it in every occurrence " (p. 267). The meaning
of a word by itself is called its primary yneaning, or
its signification. The meaning of a word in a sentence
or assemblage of words is by some critics called its
sense. We are now inquiring after the primary mean-
ing of baptizo. We do not need to go farther back
and make preliminary inquiry after the root of bap-
tizo, and after the meaning of that root. Because, as
Dr. Carson properly observes, etymologists do not
undertake " to regulate language by assigning mean-
ings from origin, but from a comparison of actual
ascertained meanings to assign a probable root " (p,
88). We must learn its use before we assign its root.
" Not etymology, but use, must expound words," says
Mr. Tombes (p. 146).
It is not necessary that we should in the present
day begin to collect the examples of the use of baptizo.
This has been done already, both by Baptists and by
Pedobaptists. Dr. Conant, as already remarked, has
given in his work on " baptism " a list of quotations
which he thinks exhausts the use of the word in
Greek literature. The learned Pedobaptist, Dr. Dale,
has made out a similar list. We avail ourselves of
their collections, but shall need to use onlv some of
' "Jl
THE PRIMARY MEANINCJ OF l?APTIZO.
471
them, because the piecise point of iiujuiry is not what
meaning is connected with hdptizo through every
period of Greek literature, but what is its meaning in
books written previously to or contemporaneously with
the New Testament, and in the New Testament itself.
We have already seen that Dr. Carson admits this.
He says: "The in(iuiry is not whether certain words
afterwards chancjed their meaninor, but what is their
meaning in the New Testament. This must still be
their meaning to us. What has the meaning of a
word in Scripture to do with after-changes in its
meaning?" (p. 308) This is conceded by others too •
'• No chanjje of usajje that miijht have occurred sub-
sequently to the apostolic age could have any effect
upon its meaning in the New Testament" (Macallan
in Ingham's Hand-book on Bap., p. lcS4.) It is import-
ant to remember this, because, as they admit, "in
every successive period from the apostles to the middle
ages words were chano-ed in their meaning to corre-
spond with a change of ideas." {Rev. Barnabaf^ Sears.)
" Many words, in the lapse of time, have undergone a
very considerable change of signification in conse-
quence of change in the customs of the people." (Ira
Chase, D.D., in Wiberg's Christie Bap., p. 24o.) "It is
a sin against chronology to bring a subsequent prac-
tice to prove an antecedent practice." {Christie Bap.,
p. 263.) In such circumstances it is evident ihat the
meaning of haptizo in Scripture cannot be determined
by pointing to its meaning in subsequent literature,
becau.se it may be, and we say is, among the " many
!*
ii I
.;1
I
:#
472
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
words" that diil subsequently undergo a change of
meaning.
We shall first examine a quotation which will illus-
trate the method which Dr. Carson u.sed to find the
primary meaning of haptizo. The quotation is taken
from Polybius, an eminent historian, who died about
122 years before the Christian era. Polybius, speak-
ing of certain men, said : They " made incessant attacks
and baptized many of the ships." — na noUa rwr (r/co^wr
EtSaTTTiaov. (Polybius, flist., Bk. !., chap. lvii.,sec. 0.) He
admits that haptizo, as here employed in connection
with other words, is "applied to the sinking of ships,"
as Dr. Carson says, and that these ships were destroyed.
What then, does haptizo denote " destruction bj'' im-
mersion"? (p. G6.) Dr. Carson admits that it will
apply to this when in connection with some other
words. But, applying his "philosophy," he says: "If
there are some instances in which the verb is applied
to cases in which there was destruction, and other
instances in which there was not destruction, then
destruction is no part of the meaning of the word "
(p. 290). These quotations make it obvious that Dr.
Carson sometimes applied the rule for finding the sig-
nification of the word itself as distinguished from the
different senses which are connected with it by other
words in the passages in which the word is found. He
and his friends, now and again, with rule in hand took
a few steps in that direction ; but, for some reason,
they stopped short before the remaining steps were
trod. Some Pedobaptists also, like Dr. Dale, have
THE PRIMARY MEANING OF BAPTiZO.
473
partially applied this rule ; but, as far as I have ob-
served, it has not been by either party applied ex-
pressl}', methodically, and thoroufj^hly. It is on this
account that the primary meaninj^ of the word has
not been settled, though three centuries of controversy
have passed over the head of this noted word. " The
question has remained unsettled, not because it has
been discussed too nr.uch, but because tiie discussion
has not been sufficiently radical and exhaustive." {E.
Beecker.) Let it be remembered, then, that we are
going to apply thoroughly the lule for finding the
primary meaning of the word before us ; and that the
primary meaning of a word is the meaning of the
word itself, as distinct from the shades of meaning
which are added hy other words when placed in con-
nection with it. Interpreters, and even makers of
dictionaries, often fail to make this distinction. " I
admit," says Dr. Carson, "that the meaning which
they " (certain writers to whom he referred) " take out
of the word is always implied in the passage wdien
the word occurs. But I deny that this meaning is
expressed by the word." " They make the word express
in its own meaning peculi irities contained or implied
only in the context." (pp. 5G, 57, 296.) Hence he con-
demns them as wanting in "critical exactness." Now,
accepting this method of procedure, whicli has been
adopted by the Baptists, we w411 go with them as long
as they keep on that line ; but we will not stop where
they do; we will undertake to follow on that track till
every foreign admixture has been eliminated from the
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474
lUPTIZlNO AND TEACHING.
meaning of the word. In a quotation already made it
is said tliat certain "ships were baptized"; but it is
manifest that they were not lifted out after going
under water. It follows that to lift out is no part of
the meaning of bn/ptizo. This conclusion is admitted
by Dr. Carson. He says, " Whether a thing is taken
up or allowed to remain is not expressed by the word "
(p. 103). " Whether the baptized person is to rise up
out of the water we learn not from the word " (p. 101).
Observe, he knew that the Greek verb by itself did
not denote taking up, yet he translated it by an Eng-
lish word that does include taking up, and does so
always. He said : " My position is that it always sig-
nifies to dip" (p. 55. The italics are his). "It means
dip, and nothing but dip, in all Gree^i literature." He
knew that to dip implies a twofold act — first, the act
of bringing a liquid and an object of another kind
into contact by putting the latter wholly into the
former; and secondly, the act of removing the oliject
from contact with the liquid by lifting it out again.
Or, more briefly, it means " to put a thing into a fluid
and immediately withdraw it again." This meaning
is accepted by chem : "Dipping usually implies that
the object immersed is speedily drawn out, or by some
other means speedily emerges." (Ingham, Hand-book
on Baptism, p. 67.) And their practice illustrates this
meaning, and this only; and yet Dr. Carson selected the
word "dip" to convey the precise meaning of a Greek
word that confessedly did not include taking up. Such a
misleading use of terms in translation was very wrong:;
THE PRIMARY MEANING OF RAPTIZO.
475
the
and it was reprehen.siblo in one who witli unsparing
severity condemned otliors for want of critical pre-
cision. Others liad previously given this mean..-g.
The Baptists in England, as early as 1044, asserted
that baptizo means to dip. The}' took the position
that " baptizing is dipping, and dipping is baptizing."
This position was soon adopted by Koger Williams in
America. And then for many j-ears it was contended
by them on both sides of the Atlantic that " the pri-
mary sense of the term is to dip." (Booth.) But now
Dr. Carson concedes that the latter part of the two-
fold act of dipping is not denoted by the Greek verb
at all. Other Baptist writers have made the same con-
cession For instance, Ingham says : " Whether the
person rises again, or sinks fatally, we maintain to be
no part of the meaning of the verb." {Hand-book on
Baptism, p. 182.) Dr. Conant, too, was led to make
the same concession. He says: "The idea of emersion
is not included in the meaning of the Greek word."
(Conant on Baptizein, sec. iii., par. 6.)
After making the concession above referred to, it
would be prudent when translating the word, and when
defending his system, to use thenceforth the word
" immerse," and to let the old favourite word " dip "
drop into disuse. There was another reason for doing
this* They had discovered that it was not suitable to
their views, because it did not denote mode only. "It
may be asserted," says Booth, "of our English term
' dip,' that it nowhere signifies to immerse, except as a
mode of, or in order to, dyeing, washing, wetting, or
liv
M !;
476
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
.some other purpose." (Booth in Thorn's Mode of Bap.,
p. 109.) That it is only from words in connection, or
from the circumstances or habits of the speaker, that
Nve learn whether it means to wet, to wash, to d5''e>
" t?o put in momentarily, to examine superficially, to
take out a small quantity," etc. Thus, after using the
word "dip" for two hundred 3'ears, they discovered
that it did not properly translate the Greek verb, and
that it did not deHnitely state the meaninir. They now
prefer to translate haptlzo by the word " immerse."
"The word 'imniprse,'" says Booth, "is usually adopted
by us." '' Ba2)tizo has one single meaning, and that is
immerse." (Walden, BajD. (ind Com., p. 12.) But ob-
serve, they apply the word "immersion" to the very
same ritual act that was previousl}^ called "dipping";
and by such application have connected with it the idea
of taking up, as well as the idea of putting under; is
making it an ambiguous word, and misleadinj_ *^ rs
by using it as such. In administration they use to
express the whole of the twofold act of dipping In
translation they use it to mean only the first half of
it. " Every one knows," says Dr. Carscm, " that we
apply the word ' immersion ' to the most transient act
as well as to cases in which the subject continues in a
state of immersion" (p. 847). Ingham, too, admits that
they use the word "immersion" when the emerslofi is
"immediate, or distant, or when it never takes place."
{Hand-hook on Bap., p. 67.) As soon as they retreat
behind the word "immerse" they give it a double
meaning, and use it so as often to deceive them-
^» -\m
THE PRIMARY MEANING OF BAPTIZO.
477
selves and to mislead their hearers. But the end is
not yet. We proceed to »pply the rule in order to
ascertain whether the first half of the meaning of the
word " immerse " is found in the Greek word baptlzo
when distins action particularly."
(Classic Bap., p. 25.) He knew, for instance, that the
word " to kill " denotes a definite result to be accom-
plished by a general act ; but that it " does not throw
one ray of light on a thousand different acts equally
competent to reach that result." (Judaic Bap., p. 70.)
How is i^t then that he did not see that the Greek
word hapi'izo belongs to this kind of words. The word
" baptize," as an English word, " coes not express any
one definite act," says Dr. Conant. It is applied by
some to the act of immersing the subject ; by others, to
the act of pouring, or sprinkling the element upon the
subject. That is, it denotes a general act, not a specific
one. So the word haptizo expresses only a general act.
It denotes that an object and baptismal element are to
be placed in contact, but does not specify whether this
is to be effected by moving the subject or by moving
the element. It denotes a general action that may be
fulfilled in some circumstances by one specific act, and
in other circumstances by another of several specific
acts. If it were a command to do a specific act, it
could not be fulfilled by doing a diflferent specific act.
If it definitely meant to pour upon, it could not de-
finitely mean to put into. But it denotes a general
act, and accordingly could be complied with by any of.
several specific acts. Let us illustrate this point more
fully by looking at other general and specific words.
Ingham (Hand-hook on Baptism, p. 112) says : " There
is nothing specific in the word 'move'; but there is
in ' creep,' ' run,' * hop,' ' leap,' ' fly,' " etc. So " there is
if' I
I ,.
Iri!
484
UAPTIZINO AND TEACHING.
nothing specific in tlie word 'travel;' but there is in
tlie words 'ride,' ' A^aliv,' 'swim,' 'sail,'" etc. So, too,
"in the words 'cleanse,' 'purify,' 'sanctify,' there is
nothing specitic." The word " wash " also belongs to
this class. "The word 'wash,'" says McLean, "is a
general word; it includes various modes." "A com-
mand to wash," says Dr. Carson, " may be accom-
plished by dipping or pouring " (p. 90). Yet a com-
mand to dip could not be effected by pouring. So a
child could not hop by creeping ; but he could " move "
either by hopping or by creeping. A man could not
"sail" by "walking"; but he could travel by either
sailing or walking, or by one mode after the other in
different localities. These instances show that there is
nothing contrary to the usage of language in saying
that the primary use of haptizo denotes a general act
which may be fulfilled by any one of many specific
actions. True, a general meaning is not very definite,
but we have no warrant for assuming that our con-
ception of the meaning of a general term should be
as definite as that of a specific word. Take the word
"man" for instance. We cannot definitely " conceive
the idea of a man who is neither tall nor short, nei-
ther old nor young, neither white nor black, and yet
,is all of these. So we can form no conception of a
triangle that is neither acute, obtuse, nor right-angled,
and yet is one and all of these at the same time." [Bev.
Dan. Macafee.) But this indefiniteness does not pre-
vent us from using general terms. Unhappily, Dr.
Dale failed to find that haptizo denoted a general act,
1 iPj!
THE PRIMARY MEANlNfl OF RAPTI^.O.
485
and hence ^ave unwise counsel when he urged those
who incjuire into the meaning of hupt'izo " to aban-
don act and adopt condition " as that in which the
unity of a primary meaning could be found. To do
so would, indeed, place us on different ground from
the generality of Baptists ; but we could more eH'ect-
ually oppose them from other ground, namely, from
the position that the verb denotes a general and not a
specific act.
BaptizOy however, may bf placed in connection with
other words in such a way as to indicate clearly that
it should, in a given case, be carried into effect by
some one specific act. What we have been contend-
ing for is, that the word taken by itself does not
specify any definite act. It does not mean to im-
merse, or to sprinkle upon, or to pour upon. It means
to bring the subject and element into contact.
Further, the word does not designate that the con-
tact must be made externally. In some instances it
was used when the element was brought into contact
internally. In the list of quotations we find cases
of baptism by wine. Plato, for instance (born 427
before the Christian era), said, " I mj^self am of those
who yesterday were baptized " by wine. In these
cases of baptism by wine, the element was not applied
externally; the wine was not poured upon the men;
the men were not put into the wine ; the wine was
put into the men. A baptism is effected where the
element is brought into contact with the subject in-
ternally, as well as when it has been brought into
external contact.
?
I,
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ii
{iii:
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486
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
We have alreadj'' seen that the word haptizo ex-
presses an act which effects the contact of a baptis-
mal element antl a baptismal subject. We now further
remark, it effects this contact for the accomplishment
of a further purpose. It expresses an action that
places a baptismal element in contact with an object,
for the purpose of producing in the latter a change
of condition, state, or character, such as the element
so placed in contact is fitted to produce on the object ;
and this change can be anticipated when the respec-
tive natures of the object and element are known.
The word haptizo was not used indiscriminately.
Greek writers did not apply it to any subject and
any element that could be brought into contact, but
only in cases where the element was one which could
exert a change-producing power, and when the sub-
ject was susceptible of being influenced by such power.
In proving this point Dr. Dale rendered very great
service. The change-producing power is always found
in the baptismal element. Baptism with the element
of wine is for the purpose of intoxicating; baptism
with ceremonial purifying water is for the purpose
of making ceremonially pure, etc. ; ba,ptism with
other elements was for the purpose of defiling. It
sometimes made wet, as in the case of the baptized
soldiers on their march ; it caused sinking in the case
of the baptized ships ; it caused drowning, as in the
case of certain persons who were pressed down into
the water.
To produce the contemplated change the object was
THE PRIMAIIY MEANING OF HAPTIZO.
487
sometimes put into the element, because there are
some elements which fully impart their characteristic
qualities only when the ohject is enveloped within
them for a lengthened period. But there are other
elements which will do this equally well without en-
velopment at all. Thus water will baptize — i.e., quench
— a heated piece of iron, whether the heated object b^
enveloped in the water, or the water be poured over
it. There are other elements which will not impart
their characteristic quality by envelopment, but will
do so in other appropriate ways without envelopment.
Thus wine does not impart its intoxicating quality
to a man when enveloped within it, but when he
drinks it. A drug, too, will not impart its quality
unless it comes in contact with the stomach. Thus
some elements impart their characteristic qualities
by one mode of contact, and some by another mode ;
and on this account the word hapt'izo has a general
meaning as to mode, not a specific one. It requires
that an object and element be brought into contact,
but it admits various modes of doing this. It may
be effected by moving the element, either by sprink-
ling upon, by pouring upon, or by flowing upon ; or
it may be done by moving the object and putting it,
partially or wholly, into the element. It is effected,
not by pouring, but by pouring upon ; not by sprink-
ling, but by sprinkling upon. So it is not effected by
putting into, but by putting into a baptismal element.
If pouring w^ere baptizing, then the water is baptized,
not the subject. But if pouring upon is baptism, it
488
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
is not the element poured, but the thing poured upon,
that is baptized.
The word " baptize " was used not merely where
the change-producing element was a material fluid.
They saw that other things were capable of producing
analogous changes. Hence they figuratively regarded
them as being like baptismal elements. Literal lan-
guage tells us what a thing is ; figurjitive language
tells us what it is like. Tho.se other things were
figuratively thought of as being like a material bap-
tismal element, and were accordingly spoken of in
laneruaore that made reference to the latter. The en-
lightening and convincing Spirit of God was thought
of as being like a baptismal element. Hence they
spoke of baptism with the Divine Spirit, and repre-
sented the figurative element as poured upon the
subjects.
Looking into the New Testament writings, we find
a passage which speaks of this baptism with the Spirit
(Acts ii.). Some overlook this very important and
prominent case. Pengelly undertakes to give " the
various portions of Scripture relating to baptism," yet
never alludes to this Divine " baptism " on the day of
Pentecost. {Seiss, p. 192.) In this case the figurative
element is distinctly represented, both in the prophetic
announcement and in the historic record, as applied to
the subject by pouring it upon them. {v. Chapter XIX.
upon this subject.) This implies clearly that the word
is properly used where a figurative element is repre-
sented as poured upon the subject. The word would
T f^]]
THE PRIMARY MEAxNlNO OP RAPTIZO.
489
evidently be as properly used in a case of literal bap-
tism where the element was literally applied by affu-
sion. We see the clearest evidence of this in the ex-
amination of Rom. vi. 3, 4 (Chapter XXII.), which de-
scribes a scene on Calvary — not at the Jordan — where
Christ received a baptism with ^>lood, which was un-
doubtedly by affusion, and couki not possibly have
been by immersion.
Dr. Carson examined the record of the baptism with
the Spirit, but could not find his mode of administra-
tion in connection with it. He therefore contended
that the word here signified merely effect, and not
mode. If it meant effect merely in case of figurative
baptism, it may mean eft'ect merely in case of literal
baptism. To suppose this is to assume that resultant
state or condition is the primary meaning of the word,
and to do this is to abandon " act." But Dr. Carson
shrunk fiom this. He probably saw that it would
degrade the verb to a noun, and thus trample on the
clearest laws of language. Resultant state or con-
dition is expressed by the noun haptisma; the verb
baptizo expresses an act that causes that state. We
have seen that Dr. Gale abandoned " act " and adopted
"condition"; but the Baptists generally refuse to fol-
low him in excluding all action from the verb. In
this respect they are right ; but they err in contend-
ing that the act which it denotes is a specific one
namely, to put in or under water. In this they greatly
err.
Looking over the examples of the usage of the word
|.
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490
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
down to the time when it was used by the inspired
writers of the New Testament, we see everywhere a
baptismal subject and a baptismal clement. These
were generally apart from each other before being
brought into contact ; and in these cases the contact
was not effected by tho element or by the subject, but
by an agency or power that is called a baptizer. Hence
we often discover a baptizer in addition to a baptismal
elemenl and a baptismal subject. On this account,
too, the effect which is immediately produced by the
element is sometimes remotely attributed to the bap-
tizer who applied the element for the purpose of pro-
ducing the result. The word " baptism," as used in
Scripture, very definitely implies the presence of a bap-
tizing agent. John baptized multitudes with water.
Paul baptized the household of Stephanas, etc. So
the Lord Jesus baptizes with the Holy Ghost. Dr.
Dale does not properly recognize the presence of a
baptizer. Having set " act " aside from the meaning
of the verb, he could find no place for an agent or
baptizer. He had wrongly supposed that the word
haptizo did not express the act of connecting the
subject and the element ; he thereiore calls the bap-
tismal element the only baptizer. The element, in-
deed, is always the change-producing agency or instru-
mentality ; but it is distinct from the administrator
(or the agent) who effects the contact, without which
no change would be produced. For this reason the
administrator is probably called the baptizer. Not
seeing this, Dr. Dale fails to perceive the precise mean-
■■t ;
THE PRIMARY MEANING OF BAPTIZO.
491
ing of some texts. For instance, in the statement,
" Christ baptizes with the Holy Ghost," he seems to
see no work of Christ distinct from the work of the
Holy Spirit. He represents Christ as " baptizing by
the Holy Ghost." His explanation is that Jesus is
"in the Holy Ghost, and therefore baptizes by the
Holy Ghost " (p. 55). But, in fact, the work of Christ
and the work of the Spirit form two distinct parts of
the baptismal process. Christ, as a mightier baptizer
than John, puts the Spirit into connection with man.
" He hath shed forth this," etc. He then leaves it to
the agency of the given Spirit to produce in man the
contemplated change, which will be stated further on.
We have now inquired into the primary meaning
of baptizo, as determined by its usage previously to
and at the time in which the great commission was
issued, and have found that it has not the specific
sense that Dr. Carson assigned it, nor any other specific
sense for w^hich other Baptists have contended. We
have thus completely overthrown the ground on which
the Baptists place their chief dependence. Some seem
to place their sole dependence on it. Dr. Carson laid
little stress on anything except the meaning of haptizo.
He argued that when one meaning and one only was
found in the occurrences of the word down to "the
time of the institution of the ordinance " (p. 492), then
that meaning must be assigned it in a disputed place,
unless there are objections from the difficulties of ap-
plying it, and these difficulties amount to an impossi-
bility ; and, generalizing his remarks, he says "a new
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
meaning of words should not be admitted while authen-
ticated meanings will serve. Give up the axiom, and
universal confusion and uncertainty will ensue in all
subjects" (p. 272). Accepting this axiom, we must
not admit that " dip "' was at this time a meaning of
baptizo in any passage of the New Testament, because
this was a new meaninof. It must not be tliouorht
of unless we find it impossible to apply the primary
meaning. But we find no difficulty whatever. Dr.
Carson's own meaning is ruled out by his own axiom.
Dipping, or immersing in the sense of dipping, must be
rejected, because it is not found in the previous occur-
rences of the word in the Greek language ; and not
only so, but is inconsistent with what is found in them.
It separates after uniting : it does not leave in abiding
contact.
We have seen that the word baptizo had one pri-
mary meaning, expressing the general act of bring-
ing a subject and an element into contact. But as
the elements thus brought into contact were various,
and accordingly produced various results, it is mani-
fest that a free translation may use various English
words to represent this diversity. In one case it may
be translated to purify, because the element employed
was of that kind and was used for that purpose. In
another case, in consequence of an element of an oppo-
site kind being employed, it may be translated to
defile. They said, " Iniquity baptizes me" — i.e., defiles
me. In other cases it may be translated to drown,
because the element was used for that purpose. And
T MjV
THE PllIMARY MEANING OF BAPTIZO.
493
SO in other cases to sink or destroy, etc. Translators
seek to give the sense of a word — i.e., the meaning
which a w^ord Is used to convey in a certain assemblage
of words — rather than the mere signification of a word
as found in a dictionary, where it is independent of
any particular connection. Even Dr. Conant uses
"seven defining terms," as Dr. Dale remarks (Classic
Bap., p. 7). Other terms are used by other Baptists.
The Immersion Testament renders the word "undergo"
in Mark x. 28 ; and in Luke xii 50 it renders it
" endure." (Bowers.) Some of these words are used
by them in several different senses. Taking the whole
range of Greek literature, it has happened (as remarked
by Thorn, if I remember correctly) that eminent
scholars, in translating various Greek books that have
no relation to the controversy about the mode of
Christie baptism, have in fact translated the word
b'iptizo by at least forty -tiuo different English words —
a hard fact for those who strangely assert that the
word has only one signification, and that a specific one.
Bat these various renderings are readily accounted for
when we perceive that it has a general and not a
specific meaning, and that its general meaning may be
variously modified by added words. Though the con-
text never bestows a particle of the primary meaning
of a word, it often makes additions to this meaning,
and these additions underoro different variations in
different connections. In this way usage has gradu-
ally assigned many senses to the same word. This is
ol'ten done " lest words should be infinitely multiplied,
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
and the difficulty of learning a langimge become too
great." {Stricldand.) Hence " all languages by the
same word express a multitude of thoughts more or
less differing from one another." (Sir W. Hanulton,
Logic.) " It will often happen that you will meet in
books — sometimes in the same book, and perhaps on
the same page of this book — a word used in senses so
far apart from one another that it will seem to you at
first almost absurd to assume as possible that there
can be any bond of connection between them." (Trench,
The Study of Words.)
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THE SECONDARY MEANINGS OF BAPTIZO.
We now proceed to remark, that while the wovd
baptlzo had one primary meaning, expressing, as we
have seen, a general act, it acquiied in the course of its
early history some secondary senses. We shall be able
to see how this came to be so when we have attended
to the following remarks : — A general word may be
frequently associated with certain other words which
give it a special sense suited to certain circumstances.
When this has been the case for a certain length of
time, it will be thenceforth employed to convey that
special sense when those other words are not expressed
but understood. For instance, after English-speaking
persons had used for some time the full expression, "He
drinks intoxicating liquor until he becomes drunk,"
they soon began to abbreviate this into " He drinks
intoxicating liquor," and then into " He drinks." Here
"drinks" has absorbed the entire sentence, and ex-
THE SECONDARY MEANINGS OF BAPTIZO.
495
presses the resultant condensed thought of the whole,
viz , " He gets drunk." (Judaic Bap., p. 899.) A general
word may be thus associated with other words, and
absorb a portion of their meaning after being in fre-
(juent connection with them. And thus a word may
" acquire various secondary meanings." {Christie Baj).,
p. 404.) Let us illu.strate this in the case of ^ann^u.
This word was frec^uently employed by the Jews to
signify to bring into contact with a ritual element for
the purpose of purifying ceremonially. On this ac-
count the word alone was after a time employed to
denote an act of purification. For instance, a man
was said to be " baptized " (i.e., purified) " from a dead
body." Dr. Carson says, " Without doubt, purification
was the thing in the mind of the writer " (p. 320).
As "all common processes are usually expressed ellip-
tically," he supposed that there is an ellipsis here,
which he would supply thus, when one is baptized
" in order to purify him from the touch of a dead
body." After being frequently appropriated to that
act, it by such appropriation acquired a secondary
meaning, namely, "to purify"; and accordingly was
now used with apo (from), a form of construction un-
known to classic usajje. And, as Dr. Hallev observes,
" the best proof of a change of meaning is a corre-
sponding change in the syntax."
In a similar way it may acquire other secondary
meanings. The inspired writers of the New Testa-
ment used this word in connection with distinguished
teachers who had been specially commissioned by God.
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
By frequent use in connection with these it came to
Lave another secondary meaning. Persons were now
baptized with water to initiate them as pupils or dis-
ciples into the school of a Teacher who has received a
special Divine commission to teach. To baptize for
such a purpose meant to initiate them into a school of
disciples. Here the word was associated, not with
purifying, but with teaching. This was the association
that was made prominent by the great commission
which commands "baptizing and teaching." Attention
to tliis important fact is necessary if we would under-
stand aright the design of the baptism pertaining to
this dispensation. Teaching was regarded by the
ancient writers as having, figuratively speaking, a
baptizing power.
The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks of
" baptisms of teaching," for this is the literal and pro-
per meaning of pmrTiafiuv 6i6axfjg, which words in the
Authorized Version are incorrectly rendered " doctrine
of baptisms" (Heb. vi. 1), as if f^aTrnafiuv 6i6axtjg stood
for StdaxK fiaTTTta/iiuv. " But they do not," says Winer.
" The former are best rendered * baptisms of instruc-
tion ' (the elementary instruction of Christ), to distin-
guish them from the purifying baptisms of the Jews.
We dnd support for this in the fact that in the great
commission teaching is placed after baptizing (Matt.
XXviii. 19) — fSaTTTiaavTeg avrovg . . . SidaaKOVTsg avrovg." (^Wi7ie7\
pp. 234, 240, 690). Teaching, then, has a baptizing or
change-producing agency, and by this means one per-
-n, ,flj!
THE SECONDAUY MEANINGS OF BAPTIZO.
497
son is baptized into another. Persons were baptized
into Moses and into Christ.
Baptism by teaching places under the influence of
instruction respecting the person, character, thoughts,
and acts of a distinguished teacher. In this way it
places pupils under the enlightening and ennobling
influence of that teacher. It is -in this sense that one
person is baptized into another. Ritual baptism puts
persons into Christ's school ; subsequent teaching places
them under His influence, that they may become as-
similated to His character, and " beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, be changed into the same
image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the
Lord." Here Christ Jesus is represented as a flgura-
tive baptismal element or change-producing agency,
and teaching is the baptismal act that places pupils in
contact with that figurative element. This explains
the baptism of one person into another — a peculiar
expression, which has perplexed many readers, and
still perplexes many.
Further, the Holy Spirit, being an eminent Teacher,
is sometimes, as already remarked, figuratively thought
of as a baptismal element, because He, too, is regarded
as having a change-producing agency. He opens the
understanding to apprehend instruction, to see and ap-
preciate the beauty and glory of spiritujil and Divine
things, and the iir* ortant relation which we bear to
them. This figurative element is reprcsciited as poured
upon the subject, and as abiding on him for this pur-
posGj so that haptizj bewaujie associated with teaching
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
in three distinct but related senses: (1) discipled by
ritual initiation into the school of a great extraordi-
nary teacher; (2) di^^ipled by human teaching; (3)
discipled by the Divine act of opening the understand-
ing to apprehend what is learned or taught in the
school. But this term ''discipled," even with the addi-
tional words above connected with it, does not express
the fulness of meaning that is associated with the
word haptizo as used in the New Testament ; hence
the Greek word was properly adopted and placed in
English letters. Baptists themselves acknowledge that
a word, when thus appropriated to a special use, easily
acquires a meaning which it w^ould be difficult or im-
possible to represent fairly by any other single word.
Dr. Conant, for instance, when speaking of the word
"publican" (Matt. ix. 10), says: "It must be classed
with such terms as Pharisee, Sadducee, and the like ;
the import of which is to be learned from the circum-
stances of the age to wdiich they belonged. All such
terms require historical illustration ; and it is safer, in
such cases, to use a word that excites inquiry for fuller
information, than one that seems to convey the full
meaning, and leaves the mind in error." So also
when, instead of transferring the word " phylacteries "
(Matt, xxiii. 5), he translated it " protectives," he
added : " A knowledge of ancient customs is necessary
(as in regard to many other things spoken of in the
5ible) to show what sort of protective was meant, and
for what purpose it was used." What he says of these
wordvS is equally true of haptizo, Robinson, in his
TT^lfO^
THE SECONDARY MEANINGS OF BAPTIZO.
499
" History of the Baptists," says : " The English trans-
lators did not translate ^he word ' l)aptize,' and they
acted wisely; for there is no word in the English lan-
guage which is an exact counterpart of the Greek
word, as the New Testament uses it, containing neither
less nor more." (In Carson, p. 22.) Many have tried
to express its meaning by some one English word, and
have failed. "Such failure," says Dale, "so nuinifest
and so often repeated, constrains us to doubt, not the
scholarship (Greek or English) of these writers, but
the existence of any word in the English language
which fully represents the broad and varied usage of
the Greek word. This we shall consider, until better
informed, to be incontrovertible truth." {Classic Bap.,
p. 129.) The translators of our English Bible were
apparently of the same opinion ; for in some places
they did not give the meaning, but transferred the
word itself, by substituting English for Greek letters,
and changing the final letter. A transferred word
conveys no idea at all, except that of the explanation
given in the context of the various passages in which
it is u.sed ; and thus the danger of being misled by an
unsuitable native word is avoided, {v. Whatelfijs Logic,
p. 292.)
Let it be remembered, then, that " we have adopted
the Greek word on the declared ground that there is
no word in the EnMish lan^uao-e of the same meanincj,
with the same development, and the same peculiai'
application, both as to form and subject." (Christie
Bap., p. 594.) " The New Testament writings are a
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500
BAITIZING AM) TEACHING.
revelation of new ideas and relations, and hence the
words and phrases through which these new thoughts
are conveyed must be greatly modified in respect of
their former heathen usage ; and " for the full depth
and compass of iiieaning belonging to them in their new
application we must look to the New Testament itself,
comparing one passage with another, and viewing the
language used in the light of the great things which
it brings to our apprehension." (Dr. A. A. Hodge, Out-
lines of TheoL, p. 610.) On this account the New Tes-
tament meaning of a word soon becomes different from
its previous classical use, as, e.g., in the case of ayyE/.oc,
angel ; Trpea^ivTt:pot;, presbyter or elder ; cKKhjaia, church ;
and as we have now seen, in the case of haptizo. Those
who object to this modification of meaning in haptizo
are not consistent. They admit such a modification had
taken place in a word applied to the other ordinance of
Christianity. They know that deipnon previously
meant an evening repast, and denoted the largest and
principal meal of the day. But when this term is
applied to the Lord's Supper, they think they are at
liberty to change the time from the evening to the
noon or the morning, and to provide merely a bit of
bread and a sup of wine for each communicant. They
do not charge those who do this with having de-
parted from the Divine command so widely as to be
guilty of disobedience to it, and of distorting and vio-
lating an ordinance of Christ. They do not act thus
in reference to the word deipnon as used in the Holy
Supper, yet they do think that they are under obii^a-
^-TfJI
TIIR SKnoXDAin* MEANlNrJS OF nAPTTZO.
aOl
tion to adhere strictly to the previous import of hap-
tizo when observinj^ the other ordinance.
In writinc^ the forcf^oing remarks on the word hap-
tho, we have kept before us what Dr. Johnson says
respecting a dictionary: "It should not only fix the
sense of words, but mark the progress of their mean-
ing, and show by what gradations of intermediate
sense they have passed from their primitive to their
remote and accidental signification." We think that
this has been carefully done for the word haptizo down
to the time of its use in the New Testament. We
submit that w^e have at the same time shown clearly
that those who glory in taking this word as their
name have utterly failed to reach the primary mean-
ing of this important word, and that the explanation
which we have given plainly proves that haptizo is
not on their side at all, but is clearl}' on our side.
Their chief stronghold .^ therefore wrested from them.
The Scripture term which they have adopted as their
distinctive name is used by them in an unscriptural
sense. This is deceptive and misleading. It is utterly
wrong to attempt to show in that way that they have
footing on scriptural ground, and a presumption that
truth is on their side. Thev have no riorht whatever
to occupy this vantage ground. They ought not to be
allowed to keep it. They are right in proving that
Bapto contained their theory of dipping previously to
the age in which the New Testament was written.
They should therefore call themselves Baptoists. But
regard for truth should lead them to give up the name
n^'-i.
pfji,
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502
BAI'TIZIN'G AND TKACHINO.
oF Baptists, for hapt'izo at the time referred to did not
mean to dip. They are Baptoists ; Baptists tliey are
not. Cliristian courtesy recjuire.s us to acknowledge
warmly their piety, their zeal for the Gospel, and for
the purity of the Church, and for liberty of conscience,
etc. But I cannot see that it warrants us to give them
a scriptural name which they use in an unscriptural
sense, and which gives them a vantage ground wliich
induces them to magnify their relative position, and to
presume that they are exempt from the rule not to re-
frain from "enterinij into other men's labours"; to
claim the right to follow reviv^als, if revivals do not
follow them; to use tact and diligence in gathering
all tlie fruit they can,. and enjoy all the resultant con-
tributions that are thus diverted from the ministry of
those who called them to salvation, to the ministry of
their own Church, who, it may be, only called them to
baptism. At such times, at least, they admit that to
teach baptism is quite distinct from teaching the
Gospel. The latter may be done successfully by those
who have very different views of baptism, and very
wrong views. Their view of baptism, even if they
were correct, should not be made terms of Christian
communion. We should hold fellowship with all who
effectively preach the Gospel, who " have the mind
that was in Christ, and walk as He w^alked," no matter
how different our opinions on things not necessary to
salvation.
TFIE COVKNANT OK (JKACK MADK WITH AUKAIIAM. 508
CHAPTER XXVII.
» '1)1
OOD MADE DISCIPI.es ClNDElt THE FORMER DISPENSA-
TION OF THE GOSPEL. HE HAD THEN, AS NOW, A
TWOFOLD KINGDOM.
To PROVE this we must consider — (1) Tlie covenant
ot:' grace made witli Abraham. We find a twofold ar-
rangement of a similar kind in connection with the
Gospel as preached under the old dispensation. For
unto the Jews " was the Gospel preached, as well as
unto us." Many have had strangely defective and
erroneous views on this point. It therefore becomes
necessary to .show plainly that THE covenant made
WITH Abraham was the Gospel; that it w^as not
superseded by the law that was added four hundred and
thirty j^ears afterwards, but was confirmed of God in
reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, and was perpetuated
by Him. (2) That circumcision was appointed soon
after the Abrahamic Gospel was preached, and was
employed to initiate persons into schools where this
Gospel was in due time to be taur^ht diligently.
" What is the profit of circumcision ? " said Paul. He
replied, " Much every way : chiefly, that nnto them
were committed the oracles of God." It put them to
school. It committed to them the oracles of God, to
be taught by some and studied by others, and to be
obeyed faithfully and fearlessly. It pertained to the
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504
BAPTi;^L\G AND TEACHING.
system of making disciples by circumcising them and
teacbinof tbeni. We will show, thirdly, that there was
another company who had learned these oracles, and
had obtained grace to ol y them, and who were more
specially favoured of God — "Truly God is good to
Israel, ev^en to such as are of a clean heart " It will
be important for our purpose, as well as interesting
and instructive, to show that these statements are a
true interpretation of the Old Testament Scriptures.
THE COVENANT OF GRACE MADE WITH AliRAHAM.
First, we shall look at the covenant made with
Abraham, and shall prove that it was the Gospel. We
might go back further if we had time. For " the
covenant of grace," says Pengelly, " existed from the
beginning of the world." " If," says Guthrie, "we go
back from Christ to Abraham, we find the Gospel
already * a blown flower,' and if from Abraham we go
back to Adam, we find it ' an undisclosed bud.' " This
grand idea has been felicitously expressed by Auf,'us-
tine : " The New" Testament lies concealed in the Old ;
the Old Testament lies revealed in the New " — A'"o-
I'um Testamentum in vetere Jatet, vetus in vovo patet
(Quaest in Heptateuch, lib. ii. 73). As Noah was under
the covenant made with Adam after the fall, but was
favoured with a fuller form of it, so Abraham was
under the covenant of grace as confirmed to Noah, and
yet was privileged to receive a yet fuller dispensation
of it. To this Abrahamic covenant the inspired writ-
ers attach the greatest importance. On this through
THE COVENANT OF GRACE MADE WITH AP.RAHAM. 505
T'l^'lfljl
man}* succeeding generations lioly inon grounded tlieir
faith and erected their hopes. The writers of the
New Testament frequently refer to it, an
'■' ' '<
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522
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
structed or resurrection bodies. " And they lived, and
stood up upon their feet, an exceeding' great arniy."
This was a proplietic vision of a literal resurrection.
And this scene w.-is exhibited to the prophet to teach
him and liis people that God would raise the pious
dead of His people, in order to give them the everlast-
ing inheritance promised to their fathers ; and thus to
show that the hope of Israel was a good hope, that
the people of Israel were wrong in saying, " Our
hope is lost : we are cut off for our parts " of the
inheritance. " The word signifies rest, habitation,
possession, inheritance." {Harkness.) He goes on to
say that they and their children should dwell in the
land for ever ; that " My servant David shall be their
prince for ever;" that God's " tabernacle shall be with
them ; yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My
people." (Ezek. xxxvii. 21-28.)
[So, too, when God heard a voice "in Ramah,
lamentation, and bitter weeping ; Rachel weeping for
her children, . . . thus said the Lord, Refrain thy
voice from weeping, . . . they shall come again from
the land of the enemy, . . . thy children shall come
again to their own border." (Jer. xxxi. I.u-17.)]
The Abrahamic covenant thus embraced the Gospel
preached to Abraham ; and that Gospel, true to its
name, offered pardon, holiness, and everlasting life to
enjoy an everlasting inheritance, just as our Gospel
does.
Not only so; the Abrahamic covenant offered these
promises to Gentiles as well as to Jews. Both might
II
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THE COVENANT OF GRACE MADE WITH ABRAHAM. 523
become partakers of the faith of Abraham, " who is
the father of us all. As it is written, I have made
thee a father of many nations." (Rom. iv. 16-17.) And
both might be equally taught to keep the way of the
Lord. " I know him," said the God of Abraham, " that
he wnll command his children and his household after
him, and they shall keep the way of tlie Lord." By
giving free admission to proselytes, it showed how all
the families of the earth miojht be blessed in Abra-
ham's seed with pardon, holiness, and everlasting lif..-.
Further, faith in the everlasting Gospel preached to
Abraham warranted Gentile proselytes to look also for
an everlasting inheritance. For Abraham was made
" the heir of the world." As the father of pious Jews
he was made the heir of Palestine ; as father of be-
lievers in many nations he was made heir of the
world. There will be a new earth, and not merely a
new Canaan. But" while the Gospel offers the same
pardon and the same holiness to both Jews and Gen-
tiles, it seems to make a difference when placing them
in the everlasting inheritance. The Abrahamic cove-
nant made him, as father of the Hebrews, the heir of
Canaan. According to this view the eternal mansions
of the saved Jews will be together in one part of the
new earth ; the mansions of the saved Gentiles will be
in the other parts of the new earth. The whole of
the new world will be equally fitted for spiritualized
bodies, and for occupations exclusively pertaining to
one eternal Sabbath. But the part promised to Abra-
ham and his Jewish heirs is the part that ha become
i »
W ■
ns ; con-
is manifest that while that sentence of expulsion re-
mained in force none of Adam's descendants would
have the right to enter there. And if any did enter
without Divine permission, they could not by for-
bidden occupancy gain a title to possession, as they
might have done by entering some unforbidden terri-
tory. Intruders could be justly driven out. On this
supposition, too, the grant of that land to Abraham
appears as a repeal of the prohibition so far as he was
concerned. And if the patriarch, when led into it,
recognized it to be the site of the Adamic Paradise, he
would understand that the promise of an everlasting
possession of it was, by necessary implication, a
promise that Paradise should be restored ; that the
world should end, as it began, with Eden. Such an
association would be an important addition to those
that greatly enhance that part of the everlasting
inheritance.
The Abrahamic covenant, when given, was "con-
firmed," so as not to be annulled by any subsequent
laws. The apostle tells us that its stability may be
illustrated by that of similar arrangements among
men. " Brethren, I speak after the manner of men "
(when, in transacting secular business, they execute
a bond, a deed, or a will) ..." no man disannulleth, or
addeth thereto." Though it be but a man's covenant,
yet if it be confirmed — i.e., signed, sealed and ratified —
no man makes it void by adding new conditions or
stipulations. How much more assured, then, may we
feel that the covenant which was made by God, and
piiii
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
which, when made, was confirmed with respect to
Christ, was not and could not he made of none effect
by a law that was given four hundred and thirty
years afterwards. " And this I say, that the covenant,
that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law,
which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot
disannul, that it should make the promise of none
effect." The word by which the apostle expresses its
confirmation is a word which, as Muirhead remarks,
'' imports such ratification as i endered the covenant
pleadable at the bar of law and justice, and irreversible
by any subsequent arrangement."
As the Abrahaniic covenant and the added law were
distinct, and were intended for distinct purposes, it
followed, of course, that the Jews, from the time of
Moses to the time of Christ, were under the covenant
of Abraham and the added ceremonial law. They
were under both at the same time. And properly so,
for these aimed at different objects. The object at
which the added law aimed was to preserve Israel
after the llesh, distinct from Gentiles after the flesh.
But the older covenant sought to have all who were
born after the fiesh, whether of Jewish or Gentile
flesh, born again — born of the Spirit. It tried to
make all the families on earth believers, and to unite
all believers in one visible church, and in one ever-
lasting inheritance.
In reference to worship God said : " Ye shall have
one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one
of your own country : for I am the Lord your God,"
THE COVENANT OF GRACE MADE WJTII AlillAHA.M. 527
aw were
(Lev. xxiv. 22.) "And if a stranger .sojourn with you,
or whosoever be among you in your generations, and
will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour
unto the Lord ; as ye do, so he shall do. One ordinance
sliall be both for you of the congregation" (" For the
assembly there shall be one statute for you "' — Revised
Version), " av\d also for tlie stranger that sojourneth
with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations:
as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord."
(Num. XV. 14, 15.)
Accordingly, after the ritual law was given, the
continued stability of the Abrahamic covenant was
shown by an oath made by God to the Hebrews in the
time of Moses. Moses said : "Ye stand this day all of
you before the Lord your God ; . . . your little ones,
vour wives, . . . that thou shouldest enter into cove-
nant with the Lord thy God, and into His oath, which
the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day : that He
may establish thee to-day for a people unto Himself,
and that He mav be unto thee a God, as He hath said
unto thee, and as He hath sworn unto thy fathers, to
Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." (Deut. xxix. 10-13.)
David knew that the Abrahamic covenant still con-
tinued in force. In the psalm which he composed for
the opening service of the tabernacle on Mount Zion
he says: " Be ye mindful always of His covenant; the
word which He commanded to a thousand orenerations ;
even of the covenant which He made with Abraham,
and of His oath unto Isaac ; and hath confirmed the
same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an ever-
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528
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
lastinf^ covenant." (1 Chron. xvi. 15-17.) Here He
says, " Be ye mindful ;" and in Psalm cv. 8 he tells us
that God is mindful of it : " He hath remembered
His covenant for ever," etc.
Solomon, too, clearly understood that the spiritual
covenant, which was intended to bless all the families
on earth, continued in force after the time of the
added law. This is evident from part of the great
prayer which he offered at the dedication of the
temple : " Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not
of Thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country
for Thy name's sake (for they shall hear of Thy great
name, and of Thy strong hand, and of Thy stretched
out arm) ; when he shall come and pray towards this
house ; hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place, and
do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee
for : that all people of the earth may know Thy name,
to fear Thee, as do Thy people Israel." (1 Kings viii.
41-43.)
Isaiah, too, had the same view of the continuance
of the general covenant when he was inspired to
testify : " It shall come to pass, that from one new
moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another,
shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the
Lord." And so taught the Saviour when He said in
the temple : " Is it not written, My house shall be
called of all nations a house of prayer?" or, as the
margin reads, "an house of prayer for all nations."
The Abrahamic Gospel was perpetuated. Christ
was " a minister of the circumcision, to confirm the
THE COVENANT OF GRACE MADE WITH AURAHAM. 529
^'Ifir
• {
ere He
tells us
imbered
;piritual
families
of the
ie great
of the
at is not
country
hy great
stretclied
ards this
>lace, and
to Thee
ly name,
ings viii.
itinuance
ipired to
one new
another,
aith the
said in
shall be
)r, as the
Ions.
Christ
itirm the
promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles
might glorify God for His mercy." This plainly
refers to the Gospel that was intended to bless all the
families on earth. Peter, addressing the Jews soon
after the day of Pentecost, said, " Ye are the children
of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made
with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy
seed shall all the kindreds" ("families" — Rev. Ver.)
" of the earth be blessed." (Acts iii. 25.)
When casting oif the Jews God did not cast them
away indiscriminately. . He did not cast away those
who had obtained grace by faith in the Abrahamic
covenant. He perpetuated the covenant, and con-
tinued such believers as branches of the old stock.
Those who were connected with that root merely by
circumcision He cut off. Those who were joined to
it by personal and saving faith He did not break off.
These branches still adhered to the original stock.
And when other branches were grafted in amons:
these into the same stock, they were "of the same
body " or church.
The covenant of grace made with Abraham was
made with prospective reference to Christ. Christ ac-
cordingly came " to confirm the promises made to the
fathers." (Rom. xv. 8.) He confirmed the covenant of
promise by ofi'ering the expiatory sacrifice, for the sake
of which, as seen in prophetic prospect, it had been
made, and without which it could not be actually con-
firmed. The Scripture expressly affirms the necessity
of the death of Christ, as the Mediator of the new
i
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iliii
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530
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
covenant; declaring that wiiere a covenant is, there
must also of necessity be the death of the appointed
victim. (Heb. ix. 16; cf. Macknight in loco; Kitto,
Cyclop.) As is remarked in the margin of the Revised
Version, " the Greek word here used signifies both
covenant and testament." Our word " testament " in
some respects is better. It has the sense of "cove-
nant" in the previous verse — Heb. ix. 15 : "He is the
Mediator of the new testament " (covenant), " that by
means of death, for the redemption," etc. (compare the
same expression in chap. viii. 8) ; and in a following
verse — ver. 20 : " This is the blood of the testament "
(covenant) " which God hath enjoined unto you," said
Moses to the Hebrew fathers. If this sense of (hadtjKr^
was brought out in the intermediate verses, they would
read thus: "For where a covenant {,5ia6>/Kr/) is, there must
also of necessity be cpepeadai — adduced or declared —
the death of tov diaSefievov — the appointed or covenantal
sacrifice. For a covenant is of force over vsKpoig — dead
sacrifices (slaughtered sacrificial victims) — whereas it
has no force at all — has it? (sKei juz/rrore) — while the cove-
nantal sacrifice liveth. Hence not even the first cove-
nant was confirmed without blood."
The Gospel of this dispensation is not essentially
new, but only circumstantially new. It is at once
old and new, just as the commandment to love one
another is at once an old commandment which was
"from the beginning" (1 John ii. 7), being the second
great commandment of the law of Moses, and as old as
the law of nature, and yet is " a new commandment "
THE COVENANT OF GRACE MADE WITH AHUAHAM. 531
^
(John xiii. 34) ; because as soon as it was illustrated
and enforced by a new and perfect example, even
that of Christ, it seemed new. When Christ, who was
made under it, showed by His obedience that its re-
(juirements were vastly more full than some had pre-
viously apprehended (for instance, that it required
man to care for the spiritual necessities of his fellow-
man, as well as for his temporal wants), and made
that nev/ly apprehended fulness of meaning binding
by new motives, saying : " This is my commandment,
That ye love one another, as I have loved you," it
seemed a new commandment. So our covenant is
called a new covenant, because the Redeeming Love
that framed the covenant is more fully unveiled, and
is seen not to spare even His only begotten Son, but
to deliver Him up to make the required covenantal
atonement. This reveals a far higher degree of love
than was before thought of, and makes a far stronger
appeal to our gratitude and love in return. So the
promise of the everlasting inheritance is seen to be far
richer and more glorious. It will be prepared for
Jesus as the Heir, and therefore will be far more
glorious than if prepared for any human creature.
The hope of glory, which the Jews formed under the
old covenant, seems to have been derived from the
fact that they were the children of Abraham, God's
friend. They seemed not to understand that their
relation by faith to Abraham, as the father of be-
lievers, and the adoption of believing Gentiles to
be the children of Abraham, were merely typical of
11
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
a more important act of adoption into the Divine
family. Looking at the relations between man and
man, it is evident that the hope of getting special
favours from a man, merely because you were the
child of his friend, would be far lower than the hopes
which you would have if you knew yourself to be his
own adopted child. A great difference must be made
even when the adopting father is human. Of course, a
much greater difference would be made if the adopting
father was God, and if the adopted children were
made the brethren of the human nature assumed by
God's own and only Son.
Now, the new covenant gives this higher concep-
tion, as quoted in Rev. xxii. 7 : " I will be his God,
and he shall be My son," and not merely one of My
people. It leads us to hope for the exceedingly higher
glor}^ that may be expected from an act of adoption,
which makes us the brethren of the humanity assumed
by God's own proper and eternal Son. To adopt is to
give one who is not a son by nature access to the
present privileges and future hopes of one who is a
child by nature. In view of this, the Lord Jesus,
using wonderful words, asked the Father that " the
love wherewith He loved Him may be in them, and
He in them," that His adopted brethren may share
the perpetual radiancy of that unspeakable love ; and
that this may cause in them a returning iove more
grateful, more fervent, more adoring, than that of
angelic beings. Again, our knowledge of adoption
wonderfully heightens our view of the glory of the
everlasting inheritance. It is now understood that
THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION.
533
Jesus is the Heir of the inheritance ; that saints are
graciously made joint heirs with Him; and that in pre-
paring the inheritance for Him, Divine wisdom will
employ its utmost skill, Divine power exert its utmost
effort, Divine goodness will furnish its utmost re-
sources ; and everything beautiful, useful, and good,
will be arranged into one complete system, conformed
to the Divine ideal of goodness and happiness. The
perfections of that new creation will discover all
their splendours under the light of the glory of God,
which, like the shechinah glory in the Holy of holies,
will light up the new earth, when " the tabernacle of
God shall be with men ; and God will dwell with
them, and be their God." No wonder that Peter
should rapturously exclaim, " Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to
His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and un-
defiled, and that fadeth not away." (1 Peter i. 3, 4.)
What fulness of meaning is in the apostolic exclama-
tion, "Christ in you the hope of glory."
THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION FORMED A SCHOOL OF
DISCIPLES IN CONNECTION WITH THE ABRAHAMIC
GOSPEL.
The covenant of circumcision was connected with
the Abrahamic Gospel. Circumcision, said Christ, was
not from Moses, but from the fathers. It is very im-
4\
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O.S4
ftAPTIZINO AND TEACHlNf4.
i" ' 1
1 I
portant to have right views of this, and of its relation
to the coven.ant of grace made with Abraham. It was
appointed twenty-four years after the other covenant.
This subsequent appointment is evident, not only from
the order in which they are mentioned in the histor-
ical narrative, but from the statement of Paul that
Abraham had reposed faith in the Gospel covenant
before he was commanded to be circumcised. He says
that in Abraham's case the sign of circumcision (that
is, " the mark which circumcision always left in the
flesh " — Bloomjield on Roin. iv. 1) was " a seal of the
righteousness of the faith which he had yet being
uncircumcised." This inspired statement shows also
that circumcision was related to the covenant of grace,
and therefore properly comes under our consideration
now.
Paul teaches us that the chief profit of circumcision
was that " unto them were committed the oracles of
God." Observe, Paul does not say, " unto them were
committed the blessings promised by the oracles"; no,
but " unto them were committed the oracles of God."
The ceremony was the means of initiating them into
a school in which they were to be taught what the
oracles of God directed. The first lessons are to be
given by the lives and looks of parental love and
kindness. These will be followed in due time by
teaching obedience to parents. Hence persons were
to be initiated into this school in childhood, as early as
possible — at eight days old. " This is My covenant,
which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed
i
THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION.
535
11
after thee ; Every man child among you sliall be cir-
cumcised ... he that is eight days old among you
shall be circumcised." Education begins with life.
Hence the obligation to educate aright begins that
early. The appointment of this initiatory rite showed
that the Abrahamic covenant had special relation to
children. The covenant, says D wight, " is proposed as
a law, and our obligations to conform to its terms
arise solely from the command of God," and its seal is,
by Divine command, to be placed on all who are teach-
able, as a sign that the law of the covenant is binding
on them, and that God requires them to learn and obey.
And to keep this distinguishing feature of God's
covenant before the attention of men is an important
design of infant circumcision. It reminds us that God's
laws are made binding on the children of men by His
supreme authority solely, and hence independently of
any self-binding act on the part of man. Now, when
the reference is to laws, to which even adults are
placed under obligation without their consent, what
inconsistency is there in placing children under obliga-
tion to these laws without their consent ? If a parent
is not at liberty to neglect obedience to God's com-
mands until he has chosen to deliberate and decided
to consent, has a child more right to resist God's author-
ity, and more power to make void God's laws, than the
parent has? Surely not. As, then, the covenant laws
are binding on every human being previously to the
making of a covenant promise, so the covenant rite
may be applied before the making of a covenant
536
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
I! }i
\l in
promise. And it should be previously applied to chil-
dren for the purpose of denoting this previously exist-
ing obligation. Yea, on this account its application
is more appropriate. Then it is specially and fully
appropriate. As it is of vast importance that we
should be plainly and constantly reminded that the
Divine command, and not human consent, is the son se
of obligation in reference to our duties towards God, so
the administration of the initiatory rite of the cove-
nant to infants is specially designed and is admirably
fitted for this purpose. [As baptism is now the initia-
tory rite, it follows that baptism may be administered
to infants in full accordance with the terms of the
new covenant.]
Not merely was it right to circumcise in infancy :
" infant circumcision, as might be expected, soon be-
came the custom, and adult circumcision the rare ex-
ception." From the days of Abraham to the days of
Joshua it is probable that not a single Hebrew had
ever been circumcised in adult age. All that came out
of Egypt were circumcised ; but their children that
were born in the wilderness remained uncircumcised
until they passed over Jordan, when the rite was per-
formed by Joshua. (See Joshua v.) The reason of the
omission of tVi- rite on thousands of males, from eight
days to the age of forty years, for a time, appears to
be this : it was during that time superseded by bap-
tism into Moses, as their one great religious teacher.
All who came out of Egypt " were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea." (1 Cor. x. 2.) And all
THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION.
537
11
who were afterwards born in the wilderness durinjj
forty years were probably, as Thorn sugc^ests, made
by baptism in infancy the disciples of Moses, as their
fathers had been. But Moses died, and -being a mere
man could no longer teach them personally. And
then circumcision, which had reference to an invisible
God and His written oracles, was again practised.
Accordingly, after Moses' death, Joshua, the successor
of Moses, is Divinely commanded to "circumcise again'
the children of Israel, that is, to renew the rite of cir-
cumcision, which had been omitted apparently for the
reason referred to above. We cannot suppose that it
was omitted because Moses was less zealous than
Joshua to promote the observance of this rite. This
is wholly improbable, especially after his narrow
escape from the death threatened for not circumcising
his own son, before he led the people out of Egypt. We
can therefore account for the omission of the rite in
the wilderness under Moses only in the way already
indicated, viz., by supposing that it was for the time
set aside legitimately by the baptism into Moses.
This view is rendered more probable still by the fact
that circumcision was afterwards wholly removed by
baptism into Christ Jesus.
Circumcision was appUed to families. It solemnly
constituted the family a religious school. It made an
abiding mark which reminded parents that they were
under obligation to teach, and children that they were
under obligation through life to learn, the covenant of
grace. Successive generations were commanded to
1 1
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538
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
teach with all diligence and iidelity those who had
been circumcised. " These words, which I command
thee this day, shall be in thine heart : and thou shalt
teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt
talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and
when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest
down, and when thou risest up." (Deut.vi.6,7.) "Gather
the people together, men, and women, and children,
and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they
may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord
your God, and observe to do all the words of this law.''
(Deut. xxxi. 12.) " Set your hearts unto all the words
which I testify among you this day, which ye shall
command your children to observe to do, all the words
of this law." (Deut. xxxii. 46.) "There was not a word
of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not
before all the congregation of Israel, with the women,
and the little ones, and the strangers that were conver-
sant among them." (Josh. viii. 35.) "For He estab-
lished a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in
Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they
should make them known to their children : that the
generation to come might know them, even the children
which should be born; who should arise and declare
them to their children : that they might set their hope
in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His
commandments.' (Psalm Ixxviii. 5-7.) Obeying these
precepts, " Solomon in the character of a father, gave
wise instructions which form a very important part
of Holy Scripture (Prov. i.-vii.) ; and his directions to
THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION.
539
parents, as to the religious and moral treatment of their
children, are copious and explicit. (Pro v. xiii. 24 ; xix.
18; xxii. 15 ; xxiii. 13; xxix. 15, 17.) 'Train up a
child in the way he should go ' (or as the marginal ren-
dering is, ' catechise a child in his way ') : ' and when
he is old he will not depart from it.' (Prov. xxii. 6.)
Mothers also manifested pious fidelity in the fulfilment
of this sacred trust, as is evident from the mother of
Timothy, who taught him from a child to * know the
Holy Scriptures.' " (Thomas Jackson, Introduction to
Training and Conversion of Children, by Samuel
Jackson, p. viii.)
It was because it was an initiatory rite that "no
previous instruction was ordained, no profession re-
quired, no examination instituted, no delay allowed."
(Noel in Thorn's 8uh. of Bap., p. 346.) Of course, those
who were already adults when the rite was appointed
had to be initiated in adult age ; but it was the inten-
tion that in all other cases initiation should take place
in early childhood. As circumcision was a discipling
ordinance, we* see why it was proper to administer
that rite to the infant Jesus, who was " made under
the law " and " increased in wisdom." It placed Him
under obligation to know and do the will of God. It
made one " a debtor to do the whole law." This dis-
tinguished circumcision from every other ritual action.
Christ, being holy by nature, was able to comply with
this obligation without seeking the circumcision of the
heart. But He alone was in this position. Others
must not only learn in order to know, but be regener-
1 '
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540
RAPTi;^IXG AND TEACHING.
ated in order to do ; and hence in these cases it places
under obligation to seek the needed and promised
grace in order to be able to perform the commanded
duty (Deut. x. IG ; xxx. 6), knowing that they must
be a holy people to obtain the full Divine blessing
(Deut. vii. 6; xiv. 2-21 ; xxvi. 19; xxviii. 9).
In such cases circumcision denoted that " an obliga-
tion of faith in the promises made to Abraham, and
an obligation to holiness of life and to the observ-
ance of the Divine laws, was contracted" (Watson^a
Inst, Vol. III., p. 407.) It placed children as pupils
or disciples in a school where the previously made
Gospel covenant was to be taught, and put them under
obligation to learn its doctrines. It placed them in
the family school as their earliest training place. But
not only so : it " admitted the child to the temple wor-
ship, to the teaching of the rabbins or priests, to the
passover and other festivals, to association with the
chosen people, to the use of all the means of instruc-
tion then in the world, from which the uncircumcised
were excluded." (Noel, p. 282, in Thorn'.<5 Sub. of Bap.,
p. 539.) This Bible school was a spiritual kingdom of
God — a kingdom in which God sought to write His
law in the minds and hearts of men; to govern the con-
sciences of men by the power of truth, the conviction
of responsibility, and the influence of motives. Hence
they were called God's people. God calls the descend-
ants of Abraham His people, even when they were
persons whom He had to reprove for their wickedness.
He says : " My people have forgotten Me " (Jer. ii. 32) ;
THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION.
541
"have committed two great evils" (Jer. ii. 13); "ask
counsel at their stocks " (Hos. iv. 12) ; " are laden with
iniquity" (Is. i. 4); "I will destroy My people, since
they return not from their ways" (Jer. xv. 7). This
adoption pertained to Israel " according to the flesh ";
for in Rom, ix. 8, 4, Paul says : " For I could wish that
myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren,
my kinsinen accoi'ding to the flesh : who are Israelites ;
to whom pertaineth the adoption," etc. Here it is
plainly taught that the adoption belonged at some
period of their life to the Israelites after the flesh —
not merely to Israelites who served God in spirit and
in truth, but to those who were " ignorant of God's
righteousness," and who were filling up the measure
of their iniquities by rejecting Him whom God sent
unto them ; for it is only such as these that would
cause the great and continued sorrow of heart which
the apostle suffered, and which he describes in the
second verse. Now, to such it belonged in infancy.
In consequence of this adoption, manifested by com-
manding their circumcision in infancy, God called
them His sons. His children, etc. SoEx. iv. 22: "Israel
is My son, even My firstborn," and Isaiah i. 2 : "I have
nourished and brought up children, and they have re-
belled against Me."
" What if some did not believe the oracles committed
unto them ? Shall their unbelief make the faith of
God of none efi'ect ? Shall the unbelief of some make
the faith of God, the sincerity of God in His oiFers,
the fidelity of God in His promises, of no effect to
m
III ill
542
BAPTIZING AND TEAOHINO.
ill.;
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others who do believe?" (Burkett.) No; on the con-
trary, " let God," the Maker ot* the Divine covenant,
" be true " (be acknowledc^ed to be faithful to His
covenant proposals), though every man be " a liar " —
though every human maker of a covenant be unfa'
ful to his covenant promises. "The whole histoi^ .
the Israelites goes to prove that God was ivith His
covenant people in a sense and to an extent He was
with no other cotemporary nation or people ; and He
employed on their behalf means of grace more numer-
ous, and to a much greater extent, than was employed
anywhere else upon earth." To preserve His covenant
people from sin, or to reclaim them after falling into sin,
He will do all that He can, " without forcing the will
of man or destroying the conditionality of salvation."
As the covenant with which circumcision was con-
nected was intended to bless Gentiles as well as Jews,
so the covenant rite was to be administered to both
Jews and Gentiles. When Abraham was circumcised
jO were the men of his household, and in every age
proselytes were admitted by circumcision. Those who
had the oracles of God might administer the initiating
rite to all the families on earth. " And when a stran-
ger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover
to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. . . . One
law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the
stranger that sojourneth among you." (Ex. xii. 48, 49.)
So that proselytes vrere constantly admitted by cir-
cumcision to all the privileges of the temple worship
and the synagogue instruction, and their children were
^
THE COVENANT OV CIUCUMCISION.
543
admitted in the same way to all the privileges of
Hebrew children. One of these ordinances, however,
was not intended to qualify for admission to the other*
for circumcision preceded the passover by four hun-
dred years. It is worthy of notice that when God
wished to append a rite to the general covenant. He
chose circumcision, which had been in general use
among other people ; but when it was advisable to
raise a wall of partition as far as marriage relation-
ship was concerned, the Jews were put under the cere-
monial law, which commanded them to refrain from
rites that were practised by other nations. Circum-
cision was not instituted for the purpose of distin-
guishing the natural offspring of the patriarchs, as
has been supposed by some who wish to get rid of
its spiritual import. It was not administered to the
natural offspring of Abraham only ; it was appointed
from the very first to be given to Gentile proselytes.
As it was not intended to mark distinction of race,
so it was not designed to mark distinction of nation.
It was not intended as an initiatory ordinance for
admission into the body politic of Israel of old, for in
point of fact they had no national polity for hundreds
of years after circumcision was instituted. It was
under the civil laws given through Moses that the
"commonwealth of Israel" was formed; but f'^'T
hundred and thirty years previously they had re-
ceived the "covenant of promise," to which circum-
cision was shortly afterwards annexed as an initia-
tory note.
iviU-
III
ilii
544
HAFnZING AND TEACHINCJ.
Circumcision was not the token of a Divine con-
tract to give circumcised persons a temporal possession
of the land of Canaan, because neither Abraham him-
self, nor Isaac, nor Jacob, nor any one of their circum-
cised descendants during the first four hundred years,
ever got such a contract fulfilled. They never owned
more than a field for a burying place, and that was
secured by their own act of purchase, and not by
Divine gift. Besides, Ishmael was circumcised, and
yet never got reason to hope that a temporal posses-
sion of the land would be given to any of his descend-
ants, no matter how remote. We therefore must
conclude that circumcision was not intended as a
guarantee of a temporal inheritance in Canaan. " For
upwards of four hundred years from the institution
of circumcision, Abraham's posterity did not enjoy
Canaan ; and millions of infants died without having
enjoyed it. To these, then, circumcision could not be
a sign of their enjoyment of that land. If it is said
that though they did not possess it they had a right
to it, I reply that they had no right to it more than
possession, for God would not do wrong in depriving ,
them of their right. . . . What sort of a right is a
right to possess what is never designed to be given?"
(Carson, Bap., p. 224.) It is nowhere said that the
neglect of circumcision was the cause why some did
not obtain such inheritance ; or of the repeated banish-
ment into captivity of those who did obtain possession.
As circumcision was not a mark by which the seed of
Abraham may claim a temporal possession of the land,
1 ')! ■
, I
THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION.
545
it furnishefs nj ground for supposing that a claim of
that kind is still in force, if there are st I any unful-
tilled promises of temporal possession.
It is plain, then, that the rite of circumcision had no
relation to a temporal covenant. It was, as already
stated, connected with an everlasting covenant — a
covenant that promised spiritual and everlasting bene-
fits. Hence, when God told Abraham, " He that is
born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy.
money, must needs be circumcised," He added, " And
my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting
covenant." (Gen. xvii. 13.) Circumcision was a sign
that he who had faith in the covenant of grace was
authorized to expect pardon and renewing grace. In
this sense it was applied to Abraham, who relied on the
Abrahamic gospel before the Mosaic law was added.
It demonstrated the righteousness of his faith, i.e.,
that his faith was right in asking and hoping for the
blessings which are offered to the believer. Some
speak of the folly of faith. They say when a man has
incurred punishment he must suffer it; that there is
no such thing as pardon or regeneration. But the
Scripture, on the ccatrary, speaks of the " righteous-
ness of faith," indicating that faith is right in asking
and hoping for pardon and regeneration from a God
who has been propitiated by a mediating High Priest.
As the righteousness here spoken of is a property of
faith in relation to the Gospel method of salvation, it
therefore is not that righteousness which has relation
to the moral preceots, of the law. The circumcision
,f
W. 11 111
Hi
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546
BAI'TIZINC; AND TEACJHING.
of Abraluiin was intended to attest tlie f^eneral truth
that salvation is ^ivon to every one who exercises
faitli, independently of any observance ol" rites and
cennnonies, or of any works or sullerin^s of our own
devising, Jn A})rahani's case it was also a seal of
existin<^ faith in the covenant of <^^race. J>ut lie was
Divinely pointe)
vm^m
lis i
'U '
liii^ ' i
554
BAPTTZING AND TEACHING.
the daughters of Caiiraan." (Gen. xxxvi. 2.) Rebekah
was afraid that her son Jacob might do the same.
She said, " If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of
Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the
land, what good shall my life do me?" (Gen. xxvii.
46.) Jacob was dissuaded from doing so, but his son
Judah took " a daughter of a certain Canaanite." (Gen.
xxxviii. 4.) These statements indicate ^ tendency
that had to be counteracted. To check '^his tendency,
and thus secure the fulfilment of previous promises,
was the object of the added law. This brief state-
ment must be unfolded that it may be properly
apprehended.
The love of God resolved to send a Redeemer to the
world ; " and the faith of Abraham secured to him
the honour of being the progenitor of the human
nature of that Redeemer." (Oshon.) This gave occa-
sion for certain acts of Divine election. Abraham
was first chosen. As only one man in each genera-
tion could be elected for this purpose, Isaac was next
chosen from among his father's children. Of Isaac's
two children, Jacob is chosen to form one of the series
of ancestors of the promised Seed. And these in-
stances of election were distinctly pointed out. But
God did not immediately point out which of Jacob's
sons was to be in tliat distinguished line. To do so
might have interfered with the Divine plan to keep
together all Jacob's descendants. This would help to
keep them distinct from other races. But this alone
was not enough. They were therefore led down to
I
THE ADDED MOSAIC LAW.
555
Egypt, whose inhabitants would make no marriage
alliances with them, and would not even eat with
them; for to eat with the Hebrews is "an abomina-
tion unto the Egyptians." (Gen. xliii. 32.) But as the
Hebrews were oppressed in Egypt, God took them by
the hand to lead them into the land of Canaan, and
make them an independent nation. But after being
for so many years hereditary bondsmen to the Egyp-
tians, they lost the spirit to be free. Hence, having
gone but a little way, they " turned in their hearts
unto Egypt, and said. Make us gods to go before us,"
i.e., into Egypt again. Had they carried out their
purpose they would, in all probability, have relapsed
into Egyptian idolatry (for they had served idols in
Egypt). Not only so, they would have become Egyp-
tian proselytes, and would then be likely to inter-
marry with them, and so cease to be a distinct people.
Hence God was so angry with them as to purpose to
destroy theui, with the exception of Moses and his
descendants. He proposed to spare these and take
them as His people.
But Moses took the position of a mediator between
God and the Hebrews, and secured an alteration of
the proposed change, and a renewal of the purpose to
take them as the subjects of the proposed nation.
Having done so, it became necessary to appoint special
and strong means for keeping them a distinct race.
And for this purpose the ceremonial law was added.
This is Paul's explanation of the case to the Galatians:
" Wherefore then serveth the law ?" (" What then is
w
^« III
•11 •'
l-i
V
r I
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il
i
III
*
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flr
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550
JUPTIZING ANl) TEACHlNO.
the law, i.e., what is the object of the law?" — Elli'
cott.) "It way added because of transgressions, till
the Seed should come" (until the Seed shall have come
— axi)ti or e?.6//) " to whom the promise" of the previous
Abrahamic convenant " was made." " The past is con-
templated by the writer as a present, from which, as it
were, he is taking his survey of what would be their
future, though now past." (EUicott.)
The nature oi' the transgressions that needed to be
checked may be seen from the nature of the law ap-
pointed to check them. It was a law that kept them
from mingling with the rest of mankind. To gain
this object it subjected them to many peculiar usages,
which proved to be the "middle wall of partition"
between them. It enforced the precept, " Neither shalt
thou make marriages with them." (Deut. vii. 3.) " The
laws with regard to food and ceremonial pollution, the
institutions directly opposed to the prevailing customs
of the surrounding nations, and the express prohibi-
tion to form alliances with heathen nations, — all these
formed a more powerful barrier to commixture with
the surrounding nations than any physical separation
of mountains, or seas, or distance could have done."
(Dr. J. Brown on Gal. iii.)
The law said : " Ye shall not walk in the manners
of the nation, which I cast out before you : ... ye
shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and
unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean." (Lev.
XX. 23, 25.) " The wisdom of this provision, consider-
ing the end ia view, is most admirable. 'Intimate
THE ADDKI) MOSAIC LAW.
557
friendships,' observes a sajracious writer (Michelet,
Com., Art. 203), ' arc in most cases formed at table ;
and with the man with whom I can neitlier eat nor
(h'ink, let our intercourse in business be what it may,
I shall seldom become as familiar as I can with him
whose guest 1 am and he mine. If we have besides,
from education, an abhorrence of the food which each
other eats, this forms a new obstacle to closer inti-
macy. Nothing more eti'ectual could possibly be de-
vised to keep one people distinct from another. It
causes the difference between them to be ever present
to the mind, touching, as it does, upon so many points
of social and every-day contact. . . . The effect of it
may be estimated from the fact that no nation in
which a distinction of meats has been enforced as a
part of its religious system, has ever changed its
religion.'" (Wines, 6V?/i. Laivs of Anc. Heh., p. 407.)
To make these differences in social habits still more
effectual other diverse ceremonies were enjoined. In
Leviticus xix. 27 it is said, " Ye shall not round the
corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the
corners of thy beard "; as the Ar. \s cut their hair
round in honour of Bacchus, who is represented as
having worn his in that manner. The Idumeans,
Moabites, Ammonites, etc., are called " circumcised in
the corners," that is, of the head.
Differences in religious rites, too, were enjoined. In
Exodus xxiii. 19 it is said, "Thou shalt not seethe"
(boil) "a kid in his mother's milk," as the ancient
heathen did, that they might sprinkle with it their
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
trees, fields, gardens, and orchards, thinking thereby
to make them more fruitful.
They were forbidden to wear "garments mingled
of linen and woollen," as the priests of the idolatrous
heathen did, that their sheep might produce more
wool, and their fields better harvests.
It was said, " The woman shall not wear that which
pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a
woman's garment " (Deut. xxii. 5) ; in opposition to
" a widely difi'used custom of men and women wearing
a habit different from that of their sex in performing
religious rites." (Wines, Com. Laws of Anc. Heh., pp.
460-463.)
In short, this law contained commandments about
ordinances. It, on the one hand, commanded the
Israelites to refrain from ordinances that were sacredly
kept by heathen nations ; and, on the other hand, it
enjoined them to observe things that the heathen
avoided as profane. For these reasons the added law
served as " a middle wall of partition " between Jew
and Gentile. (Eph. ii. 14.) It was admittedly so re-
garded by the Jews. The Gentiles, too, formed a simi-
lar judgment of its character. This is evident from
what Haman said unto king Ahasuerus : " There is a
certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among
the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom ; and
their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep
they the king's laws : therefore it is not for the king's
profit to suffer them." (Esther iii. 8.) Similar is the
testimony of Tacitus. This celebrated Latin historian
J
!> il
THE ADDED MOSAIC LAW.
559
r thereby
i mingled
idolatrous
luce more
hat which
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;. Heh., pp.
ents about
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nilar is the
iin historian
states that " Moses established religious ordinances
altogether new, and opposite to those of all other men
and countries. Whatever we " (i.e., we citizens of the
Roman empire) " esteem holy is with them profane.
Again, they permit many things as lawful which to us
are forbidden and impure."
The character of the law being now known, it is
easy to see the kind of transgressions it was fitted to
restrain. It was plainly directed, as we have said,
against that proneness to form intermarriages and
other close alliances with the heathen, which the
descendants of Abraham frequently manifested in the
early part of their history. This proneness could not
be allowed to remain unchecked, because such alliances
transgressed the will of God in reference to them.
And it was all-important that they should remain
distinct until there should be raised up that Prophet,
Priest, and King, who, according to the flesh, was to be
"the son of Abraham " (Matt. i. 1) ; while, according to
the Spirit of holiness, " He was the Son of God with
power"; and who, as uniting both in one person, was
to be "God manifest in the flesh "; and whose coming
was necessary in order to bestow the highest blessings
on all nations.
As the added ceremonial law was distinctively Jew-
ish, the Jews soon began to attach to it other mean-
ings and uses. And, on the other hand, as the Abra-
hamic covenant was not distinctively Jewish, but
contemplated benefitting all nations, they or this
account began to undervalue it in that respetfc, and
_,. ■»■
til:: III III
11 i1
560
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
tried to give it a more Jewish aspect by representing
the fulfilment of its promises as dependent on the
observance of the added ceremonial law. Hence they
began in Isaiah's time to refuse fellowship in spirit-
ual privileges to Gentile proselytes. On this account
the latter poured their complaints into the ears of
the Most High. In answer, God told the evangelical
prophet to say to them : " Neither let the son of the
stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak,
saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from His
people. . . . For thus saith the the Lord . . . The
sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord,
to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be
His servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from
polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant; even
them will I bring to My holy mountain, and rnake
them joyful in My house of prayer : their burnt offer-
ings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon Mine
altar ; for Mine house shall be called a house of prayer
for all people." (Isa. Ivi. 8-7.) Thus God tried to
check the exclusive spirit of the Jews. It was prob-
ably for the same end that a new court was added to
the temple — the court of the Gentiles — that Gentile
proselytes were permitted, after the return from
Babylon, to become tenants of the Jewish land (Ezek.
xlvii. 22). But these checks were soon unheeded. The
doctrine that Gentiles should be fellow-heirs of Gospel
blessings was rejected and set aside until it became
hid from ages and generations. When Christ came,
however, it was again * revealed unto His holy apostles
and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should
" m
THE ADDED MOSAIC LAW.
561
:esenting
; on the
mce they
in spirit-
5 account
5 ears of
an^^elical
m of the
rd, speak,
from His
. . The
bhe Lord,
ord, to be
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ant; even
1 make
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tried to
was prob-
added to
it Gentile
arn from
nd (Ezek.
ided. The
of Gospel
it became
rist came,
y apostles
les shouW
>m
be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers
of his promise in Christ by the Gospel," (Eph. iii. 5, 6.)
When Christ did come in the flesh the added law was
no longer needed. Hence the Jews became " dead to
the law by the body of Christ " by the very fact that
Christ had come of the seed of Abraham.
The added law had no connection with the law of
typical sacrifices. This pertained to the Abrahamic
Gospel. When Christ, the true High Priest, had offered
the great antitj^'pical sacrifice, the law of typical sacri-
fices was superseded, and God by His providence put
it out of the power of the Jews to continue offering
them. The typical sacrifices were, by express Divine
appointment, to be offered at a particular place which
the Lord should choose. And the last place which the
Lord chose for this purpose was the temple at Jerusa-
lem. Thenceforth it was only there that typical
sacrifices could be lawfully made. This precautionary
arrangement manifested the depth of the wisdom of
God ; for should the Jews feel unwilling to discontinue
the typical sacrifices, when fulfilled and set aside by
the true Sacrifice, they could be compelled by the
providence of God to discontinue them against their
will. And this has in fact been done. Divine Provi-
dence has scattered the Jews from the only appointed
place of typical sacrifice, and caused Jerusalem to be
trodden down of the Gentiles for about eighteen cen-
turies. " And it is remarkable," says the author of
'■ Lessons on the Truth of Christianity," " that the
religion of the Jews is the only religion that has been,
36
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
or that could be, thus abolished against the will of the
people themselves, and while they resolved firmly to
maintain it." Pagan religions could not be destroyed
by burning any particular temple — pagans would offer
their idolatrous sacrifices elsewhere. Christianity could
not be destroyed by burning its present churches —
Christians would worship God with the same accept-
ance in other houses, or in other countries. Even
Jewish sacrifices could not have been thus prevented
before they were made dependent on the posses-
sion of a particular place. " Hence," says the author
just referred to, " it seems to have been designed and
contrived by Divine Providence that, as their law was
to be brought to an end by the Gospel (for which it
was a preparation), so all men were to perceive that it
did come to an end, notwithstanding the obstinate
rejection of the Gospel by the greater part of the
Jews. It was not left to be a question and a matter
of opinion whether the sacrifices instituted by Moses
were to be continued or not ; but things were so
ordered as to put it out of man's power to continue
them." Alas ! the great majority of them will not
entertain the thought that their sacrifices have been
set aside because the antitypical sacrifice of Christ
has been ofiered. They still hope that a national
restoration will permit them to resume the oflfering of
their sacrifices ; and those who die without witnessing
this, utter the fatally erroneous language of the Jewish
Confession : " My death must be an atonement for my
sins." {Leila Ada, p. 135.)
^^r
AN INNER KINGDOM FORMED.
563
ill of the
firmly to
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3uld offer
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3S. Even
prevented
e posses-
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live that it
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the Jewish
ent for my
CHAPTER XXVIII.
GOD FORMED ALSO AN INNER KINGDOM OF RE(jlENERATE
PERSONS UNDER THE COVENANT OF GRACE MADE
WITH ABRAHAM.
This spiritual kingdom contained those who obeyed
from holy and enlightened love. The circumcision of
the flesh initiated into the outer kingdom. The cir-
cumcision of the heart by the Divine Spirit initiated
into the inner kingdom, the church of the true " Israel,
even such as are of a clean heart." God said, " I will
circumcise thy heart to love the Lord thy God, with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest
live." A human circumciser could not do this. It is
the work of God only. Thousands all through Jewish
history were circumcised in flesh that were not cir-
cumcised in heart. In Jeremiah's time God said, " All
the house o.t Israel are uncircumcised in heart." (Jer.
ix. 26.) The circumcised in heart were not distin-
guished from the uncircumcised in heart by any visible
mark of separation further than " their more reverent
observance of the Sabbath day, their more godly lives,
and their more habitual and sincere ottering of sacrifice
to God." {Brechenridge.) A church could be formed
in a family. There was such a church in the family
of Abraham. "I know him," saith God, " that he will
command his children and his household after him,
564
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
m^
5 n
r"'
and they shall keep the way of the Lord." So said
the Searcher of hearts who requires to be served in
spirit and in truth. So the Israelites " served the Lord
all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders
that outlived Joshua." (Jud. ii. 7.) Such a spiritual
church we find in David's time assembling in the
tabernacle prepared by David as a patriarch. Smith,
in his '•' Harmony of the Divine Dispensations," has a
chapter on this subject which we take to give the
correct interpretation, and a very interesting one.
The following remarks give the substance of his
views : — Here pious worshippers had immediate access
to the ark of God which David set " in the midst of
the tabernacle " which he built on Mount Zion. This
tabernacle had not separate apartments like the Mosaic
one. It had but one large apartment. And we are told
most explicitly and particularly that they ''brought
in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the
midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it."
(2 Sam. vi. 17.) Be it remembered that the ark, when
kept in the Mosaic tabernacle, was placed in a secluded
part called the "most holy place," which no one was
permitted to enter but the high priest, and which he
could enter only once in the year. But the patriarch
David placed the ark in the midst of an undivided
tabernacle, where a large number of persons had ac-
cess to it. And the shechinah glory was still present
between the cherubims that formed part of the golden
lid of the ark. The presence of that miraculous
emblem of the Divine favour is clearly implied in the
language used to describe the aik at the time of its
1 , ■'■
T-TFjr
AN INNER KINGDOM FORMED.
o65
So said
served in
the Lord
ihe elders
spiritual
\g in the
. Smith,
ns," has a
Cfive the
iting one.
ce of his
iate access
e midst of
ion. This
the Mosaic
ve are told
" brought
ace, in the
ed for it."
ark, when
a secluded
[10 one was
which he
e patriarch
undivided
ns had ac-
bill present
the golden
miraculous
lied in the
time of its
I
removal. It is called " the ark of God," which " is
called by the name of the Lord of Hosts that dwelleth
between the cherubims." (2 Sam. vi. 2.)
There were now two tabernacles, with a distinct
service in each. In the Mosaic tabernacle at Gibeon
typical sacrifices were offered by Zadok the priest,
and his brethren the priests. But in the tabernacle of
David on Mount Zion there were no sacrifices after
the opening service. Here they dwelt on the inefhcacy
of mere typical sacrifice. They sang, " Sacrifice and
offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou pre-
pared me : in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
Thou hast had no pleasure," They referred to the
prophetic coming of the antitypical High Priest, " Lo,
I come ... to do Thy will, God " — to ofler the true
and efficacious sacrifice, and to take away the ineffi-
cacious typical ones. Here the Gospel was preached :
"Be ye mindful always of His covenant; the word
which He commanded to a thousand generations ; even
of the covenant which He made with Abraham, and
of His oath unto Isaac; and hath confirmed the same
to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting
covenant." Here the simple Abrahamic Gospel was
preached and the way of salvation by faith shown
forth. Here the patriarch David preached righteous-
ness to a great congregation, and said, " I have not
refrained my lips, Lord, thou knowest." (Psa. xl. 9.)
He was assisted in this ministry by the Levites as his
assistant preachers. Here penitent inquirers came to
seek salvation. For " of Zion it shall be said, This and
that man was born in her." (Psa. Ixxxvii. 5.) Here
5 fir,
HAPTIZlNfi AND TEACHING.
those who obtained salvation said, " Come and hear,
all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath
done for my soul." (Psa. Ixvi. 16.) Here the spiritual
psalms were sung with devoutness and with the aid
of skilfid musicians. The effect was wonderful ; the
report of it reached to heathen nations, who said to
the Jews when taken into captivity, " Sing us one
of the songs of Zion." The Abrahamic Gospel here
preached, the religious experience here related, the de-
vout and skilful singing, made Zion the central point
of attraction on earth for the pious Jews. They said,
" Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the
Lord your God. (Joel ii. 23.) " Cry out and shout,
thou inhabitant of Zion : for great is the Holy One
of Israel in the midst of thee." (Isa. xii. 6.) To be an
attendant at Zion tabernacle was the highest ambition
of the devout Hebrews when in their own land. And
when separated from it by being taken with the
wicked into captivity, they said, " By the rivers of
Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when
we remembered Zion," etc. (Psa. cxxxvii. 1-3.) They
wept that her Sabbaths were forgotten, and that her
foundations were burned down.
It is thus evident that Zion, as placed before us by
the Scripture writers, is associated with their highest
ideal of spiritual religion, and that this was exemplified
in the worshippers who assembled in the tabernacle
on Mount Zion. Here was a spiritual church. Here
was the communion of saints. Here was sacred fellow-
ship with God who dwelleth in Zion. Here was a
ministry who successfully preached the Gospel.
AN INNER KINGDOM FORMED.
567
and hear,
,t He hath
e spiritual
bh the aid
ierful ; the
ho said to
njx us one
[ospel here
ied, the de-
ntral point
They said,
joice in the
and shout,
3 Holy One
I To be an
st ambition
land. And
a. with the
le rivers of
svept, when
-3.) They
nd that her
»efore us by
heir highest
exemplified
tabernacle
urch. Here
cred fellow -
Here was a
Dspel.
This spiritual church met in the tabernacle on
Mount Zion during about thirty years of the reign of
David, and until the third year of the reign of Solo-
mon, the builder of the temple. When the temple
was ready for its reception, the ark was taken from
the tabernacle of David and put in the most holy place
of the temple on Mount Moriah. It was doubtless
prudent to do this. If the Jews continued to have
the privilege of immediate access to the ark and
shechinah, it would probably lead to neglect of the
typical sacrifices that were to be ofiered year by year
continually until the time came for the one ofiering
of the antitypical Sacrifice. But though the ark was
taken, it seems that the tabernacle of David was per-
mitted to remain. The services which were held there
could be continued without the presence of the ark.
It is probable, therefore, that it was still used by the
pious Hebrews after the removal of the ark.
But soon after David's time true piety declined for
a season ; and none but the truly pious could take an
interest in such services as were held on Mount Zion.
Hence the tabernacle was neglected and suffered to
fall into ruin. But God foretold that there would be
a rebuilding of the tabernacle of David, and conse-
quently a revival of its spiritual services, and that this
would be done by the establishment of the Christian
Church. This was not to be a continuation of the
typical services conducted in the temple on Mount
Moriah, but a revival and continuation of the spiritual
services of the tabernacle on Mount Zion. When the
question arose whether members of the Christian
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
Church should be "circumcised after the manner of
Moses " the matter was laid before the Council at Jeru-
salem, because they took special interest in it. They
had forgotten what the Great Teacher stated, that cir-
cumcision was not from Moses but from the fathers ;
that it belonged to the Abraham ic Gospel for about
four hundred and thirty years before it was connected
with the cerem( ial law, and that this law was to
be repealed, while the Gospel was to be perpetuated.
And the question was settled chiefly by appealing to
the prophecy that in establishing Christianity God
was rebuilding the tabernacle of David, in which,
after the opening services, there was no observance of
Mosaic sacrifices or rites, and these, therefore, could
find no place in it when restored. This argument was
so strong that it settled the disputed question.
Again, it was the patriarchal throne of David in the
tabernacle of David, and not the civil throne of David,
that Christ was to ascend. " He shall sit upon it in
truth in the tabernacle of David." And He was to
ascend this for the purpose of regulating the spiritual
services of the Christian Church, which were to be
after the manner of the services in the tabernacle of
David, and not after the manner of the .services of the
typical temple.
When the civil throne of David was tottering to its
fall, and every national institution trembled on the
brink of ruin, there still was hope that David would
have a son to fill his patriarchal throne. " Thus saith
the Lord ; If ye can break My covenant of the day,
and My covenant of the night, and that there should
^^'
AN INNER KINGDOM FORxMED.
569
)
not be day and night in their season ; then may also
My covenant be broken with David My servant, that
he should not ave a son to reign upon his throne ;
and with the Levites the priests, My ministers. As
the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the
sand of the sea measured : so will E multiply the seed
of David My servant, and the Levites that minister
unto Me." (Jer. xxxiii. 20-23.)
As God's covenant to perpetuate day and night is
not broken, the promise to give a Son to fill the throne
of David is true and faithful, and is being fulfilled in
Christ, the Son of David. Here David's throne is
represented as being surrounded with Levites. The
reference, therefore, is to th-. throne of David in the
tabernacle of David, where the Levites acted as minis-
ters of God in that sanctuary. It is also the seed
which David here begot as a preacher of righteous-
ness that were to be multiplied. This seed of David
is the same as the seed of Abraham, the father of all
believers. As Christ comes in the room of David, so
Christ's people come in the room of David's subjects.
The Levites of the tabernacle of David were preachers
of the Gospel. They accordingly have their successors
in the great company of Christian ministers ; and it
was by this great multitude of Christian ministers
that the seed of David were to be multiplied. The
seed of David cannot mean the natural descendants of
David, for these have not been multiplied ; they are
not now known among men.
Observe how different the language applied to the
Levites from that which a previous verse applies to
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670
HAPTIJiING AND TEACHING.
the priests. While it is said that the Levites should
be multiplied, it is only said that the priests should not
want a man. They typified a single person, Christ ;
and Christ was to be a Priest that would perform His
priestly work alone and unassisted, like Melchisedec,
and who would abide a Priest continually. " Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform
that good thing which I have promised unto the house
of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days,
and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteous-
ness to grow up unto David ; and He shall execute
judgment and righteousness in the land. In those
days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell
safely: and this is the name wherewith she" (whereby
He) " shall be called, The Lord our righteousness. For
thus sahih the Lord ; David shall never want a man to
sit upon the throne of the house of Israel ; neither
shall the uicr cs the Levites want a man before Me to
offer bu^m; ferings, and to kindle meat offerings"
(thank off' ags), "and to do sacrifice continually."
(Jer. xxxiii. ,^4-18.) This was fulfilled in Christ, who
was at once the prophetic Son of David and the anti-
typical and continually abiding Priest. His priestly
work was really antitypical work, but is referred to
in typical language, "it being common in the pro-
phetic style to speak of future times in the language
and according to the ideas of the present." (Bishop
Chandler.) In these quotations the Levites are called
priests (v. 31), because in the set'vices of the taber-
nacle of David the Levites had a higher office than
the priests. So it is said "the priests the Levites"
mm
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AN INNER KINGDOM FORMED.
571
because the priests had a lower office than the Levites
in the tabernacle of Davi'l : they acted merely as trum-
peters to summon the congregation to hear the Levites
preach. When God said that He would make the
Jews, if obedient to His will, "a kingdom of priests,
and an holy nation" (Ex. xix. 6), He probably meant
that they would all have been favoured, and always
favoured — as some were in the reiijn of David — with
immediate access to the habitation of God. These
prophecies were to be fulfilled in Christ, who was to
be the Son of David as lie was the Son of God. "And
shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the Highest : and the Lord
God shall give unto Him the throne of His father
David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob
for ever : and of His kini^dom there shall be no end."
(Luke i. 31-33.) Thus the Son of God assumed the
humanity that was to descend from David and sit
upon the throne of David. These prophecies were not
to be fulfilled in reference to the other seed of David,
or to his civil throne. It was, indeed, at one time
thought that prophecy included both ; for the author
of the 89th Psalm, after quoting the words of God,
"Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not
lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and
his throne as the sun before Me," etc., adds: "But
Thou hast cast oft* and abhorred, Thou hast been wroth
with Thine anointed. Thou hast made void the cove-
nant of Thy servant : Thou hast profaned his crown
by casting it to the ground." (Psa. Ixxxix. 35-39.)
David himself knew, at least before his death, that
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
his kingdom that was of this world would cease. This
seems further evident from his last words : " Although
. my house be not so with God " (or, as Julius Bate ren-
dered it, " is not right with God ") ; " yet " (comforting
himself with a sure prospect that from him would
arise another H r, a perfect Ruler over men, that Son
of David whose kingdom should never ^ cease) "He
hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things, and sure : for this is all my salvation,
and all my desire." (2 Sam. xxiii. 5.) When was
Christ to ascend to the throne of His father David ?
A plain answer to this question was given by the
inspired Peter. The apostle teaches us that Christ, im-
mediately after His ascension to heaven, was inaugu-
rated as king on the prophetic throne of David. He
says that David, " knowing that God had sworn with
an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according
to the flesh. He would raise up Christ to sit on his
throne ; he seeing this before spake of the resurrec-
tion oi Christ" (Acts ii. 30, 31) — not of his own resur-
rection, " for David is not ascended into the heavens,"
but of Christ's resurrection, for Christ has been raised,
and has been "by the right hand of God exalted."
And it was respecting this exaltation of Christ by the
right hand of God that David said : " The Lord said
unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, until I
make Thy foes Thy footstool." "Therefore," said
Peter, " let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that
God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye " (Jews)
" have crucified, both Lord and Christ " (vv. 34-36).
PART VI.— APPENDIX.
CHAPTER XXIX.
T-rp
EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS: (a) 1 COR. VII. U.
" Else were your children unclean; but now are they
holy." These worrls have often been quoted in con-
nection with infant baptism To understand whether
they are rightly quoted or not we must examine very
carefully the train of thought with which they are
connected. Some members of the Corinthian church
had written to Paul to make inquiries relating to
Christians who were married to unbelievers. The
apostle replies that this case was not dealt with by
" the Lord " — that is, by Christ — in those discourses
which He delivered, and which have been recorded in
the Gospels : but that it was a case with which he
himself, as an inspired apostle, had authority to deal.
Hence his language: "I say" ("I, not the Lord," as
Alford translates his words). "If any brother hath a
wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell
with him, let him not put her away" (part from her,
n(piETu). "And the woman which hath an husband that
believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her,
let her not leave him " (part from him, rtr/)/^™) ; though
she could do so by the law of the land ; for " by the
Greek as well as by Roman customs the wife had the
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574
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
power of effecting a divorce." {Smitit?. Diet, in Alford.)
It is important to notice that stress is laid on the
circumstance that " the unbelieving one is pleased to
dwell with the believing one." Where this was not
the case, where the unbelieving party was not pleased
to do so, the apostle advised to " let him depart." A
brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases.
" God hath called us to peace," to live in peace. Rather
than endanger this peace let him be separated off.
Let there be separation from a husband rather than
from Christ. But the unbelieving party, when w illing
to remain, should not be put away, as already stated.
He assigns a reason for this. For the unbelieving hus-
band is sanctified" (j^yiaGTai, per. ind. pas., has been sanc-
tified) "by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is" (has
been) "sanctified by the husband." The sanctification
here referred to was effected by man, and did not re-
move unbelief. It accordingly did not make spiritu-
ally holy, as the sanctifying work of the Divine Spirit
does. The meaning, then, must be that the believing
party had in prayer dedicated the unbelieving one to
God, and had resolved to use friendly intercourse for
the purpose of influencing that one to make a personal
consecration : for believing husbands or wives who
act thus have reason to hope that they may be the
means of the conversion of unbelieving partners who
are pleased to dwell with them. For this reason they
should continue to live with them. It is clearly im-
plied that this was the object, for it is expressly stated
on the other hand that the reason why believers should
^^m
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EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
575
allow the separation of those that desired separation,
is, that they had no ground for expecting the conver-
sion of those who are so strongly prejudiced against
Christianity as to desire a dissolution- of the marriage
union. " For what knowest thou, O wife, whether
thou shalt save thy husband ? Or how knowest thou,
man, whether thou shalt save thy wife ? " He does
not say " whether thou shalt not save," but " whether
thou shalt save " {ei auaeig, not El /i7) auaeiq). So that the
meaning is, as Alford says (after Lyra, Meyer, etc.):
Let the unbeliever depart if he is not pleased to dwell
with you ; " hazard not for an uncertainty the peace
in which you ought to be living as Christians ; for what
assurance hast thou, O wife, whether thou shalt be the
means of thy husband's conversion ? Or what assur-
ance hast thou, O husband, whether thou shalt be the
means of thy wife's conversion ? " Now, since he al-
lowed separation where there was no hope of conver-
sion, it is implied, as already said, that there was hope
of conversion wdiere he advised them not to separate ;
and that when the believing ones are said to have
"sanctified" the unbelieving, the meaning is that they
consecrated them to God in prayer, and purposed to
continue to live with them, that by kind and Christian
influence they may become the means of their conver-
sion.
The apostle knew, however, that there were at
Corinth some Christians who condemned the course
taken by such forbearing brethren and sisters; because,
in their opinion, believers should in all cases separate
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570
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
from unbelievers. They knew that the Jews had been
accustomed to regard all Gentiles as too unclean for
fellowship, so they thought all Christian believers
should so regard an unbeliev^ei*, evon if a husband or
a wife. To this objection the apostk makes a reply
to this effect : If you go by that rule, you should go
a good deal farther than you propose to go. If un-
belief renders a husband unclean, in tht sense of being
unfit to keep company with a believing wife, then,
for the same reason, unbelief renders " your children "
unclean, unfit to be admitted into your company.
"If the one follows, the other follows." (Tlteodosia.)
But the objectors were not consistent ; they did not
apply their rule to the case of their children and put
them away. " But now are they hoh^ " — i.e., you have
dedicated them to God, and accordingly admitted to
fellowship. If they carried out their own principle
they would have regarded their own children as
unclean, and " put them away from the very birth
without makin"- any provision for their protection,
support, or religious education." But they did not do
so. They sanctified their children, as the believing
husband had done in the case of the unbelieving wife,
and regarded them as "holy," as dedicated to God,
and to be carefully treated with the hope of their
being converted to Him. The apostle said " your
children," not their children ; because the parties who
wrote to him on the subject were not the parties who
had unbelieving partners that were pleased to dwell
with them ; " for Paul speaks to the former of the
' ifW
I)
EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
577
had been
iclean tor
believers
usband or
es a reply
should go
0. If un-
je of being
Arit'e, then,
• children "
company.
Theodosia.)
ey did not
m and put
g., you have
admitted to
principle
children as
very birth
protection,
did not do
believing
eving wife,
,ed to God,
Ipe of their
,aid "your
arties who
^arties who
led to dwell
Imer of the
e
latter. He had just said, * let him not puc her away ';
'let her not leave him.* And had he intended to refer
only to the children of such cases, he would have said,
' else were t/ieir children unclean.' " (Rev. J. L. Dagg,
D.D.) Hence what the apt :tle wished to show was
this, that the principle which the objectors applied to
the unbelieving husbands and wives spoken of would,
if sound, equally apply to children, and to the children
of the objectors, i.e., to children who had two pious
parents, as well as the children who had only one.
Hence, says the apostle, it would apply to "your chil-
dren " and make them unclean. You therefore do not
apply to your own case the rule which you apply to
the case of others, " else were your children unclean."
But you have treated them very differently, for " now
are they holy"; you have dedicated them to God, and
resolved to train them for Him, and you were right in
doing this, though done inconsistently with your own
reasoning. Those who admit that unbelieving chil-
dren, when dedicated to God, may live with the believ-
ing parents who dedicated them, should admit also
that an unbelievinnr husband who is dedicated to God
may live with the believing wife who has so dedicated
him. Such a dedication is an imperative duty, hence
it is assumed that it has been attended to, and nothing
is said of the case of those who have neglected to do so.
The " holiness " ascribed to children was obviously
the result of such a "sanctifying" act as was previ-
ously spoken of; it was one that was performed by
a fellow-creature in obedience to an appointment of
87
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578
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
God. The parents may have performed it when
handing their children to an administrator of baptism
to be placed in the school of Christ for subsequent
instruction ; for under Christianity this is the author-
ized mode of dedicatin^ij such to God. But this is not
involved in the statement, because this was not done in
the case of the impenitent. It is only adults who are
so far penitent as to be like teachable children, that
may be baptized. But even the impenitent may be
dedicated in prayer on their behalf. But the word
" holy," taken in the sense here used, does not prove
or imply that such children were, or should be, mem-
bers of the inner kingdom or Church of Christ. For,
as Landells says, " If the holiness of the children
proves them to have been in the Church, the holiness
of the unbelieving husbands and wives will prove that
they were in the Church also. If these were not, nei-
ther were those." (Pedobaptist Arg. Exam., p. 9.)
As the holiness here spoken of is the result of a
human act of dedication to God, to aflBrm that children
have such holiness is not inconsistent with the teach-
ing of those other texts which show that children are
individually born in sin, and individually need the
spiritual renewing of the Holy Ghost to fit them for a
spiritual church and for the everlasting inheritance.
The children were holy, not before, but in consequence
of, the sanctifying act referred to. The children were
holy, not because they had believing parents, but
because such parents had dedicated them to God, and
had most probably done so in the ordinance of baptism,
M
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EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
179
CHAPTEll XXX.
EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS: (6) JOHN III. 5 (HORN
OF WATER); (c) TITUS IIL .5 ^WASHING OF REGENERA-
TION).
The meaning and design of baptism, as presented
in the preceding chapters, is manifestly distinct from
the theory of baptismal regeneration. This theory,
however, has widely prevailed, and on this account
is entitled to a careful examination; but no human
interpretation, however widely prevalent, can rightly
demand uninquiring assent.
It is well known that this theory is supposed by
different persons to be fairly deducible from certain
texts of Scripture that we have not yet examined, but
which we now proceed to investigate. The passages
which we shall first place before us for this purpose
are John iii. 5 — " Verily, verily, I say unto thee. Ex-
cept a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can-
not enter into the kingdom of God " — and Titus iii. 5
— " He saved us by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost." We shall afterwards
examine Mark xvi. 16. These texts are in themselves
specially important. They do not contain the term
" baptism," but the opinion was very prevalent among
ancient writers that they refer to Christie baptism, and
that they teach the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
Many moderns have adopted these views in part or in
580
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
M
whole. An opinion so prevalent has a claim to ex-
amination, but cannot claim nnenquiring assent. The
opinion is supported, not by the authority of right in-
terpretation, but by (1) the authority of antiquity ; (2)
the authority of numbers ; (3) the authority of great
names.
1. The authorit}' of antiquity is not a sufficient
guarantee of truth ; because, as Dr. Carson says, " a
thing might be coeval with Christianity, and not be
Christian." When Christianity was introduced, wrong
opinions and practices were already in existence. Of
these many have been perpetuated. Besides, there was
an early falling away from the truth as it is in Jesus,
so that "the apostles saw the apostasy commence."
(Dr. J. BernarJ) "And immediately after the death
of the apostles," says a writer quoted by Eusebius, "the
conspiracy of error began to discover itself with open
face." (Daille in The Fathers, p. 25.) In one respect
it seems surprising that this should have been per-
mitted; yet that a "portion of mankind should have
corrupted the Gospel is not more surprising than that
a much larger portion should have rejected it. The
mystery of this does not date from the origin of the
Gospel, but from the origin of evil." [The teachings of
antiquity are sometimes inconsistent and contradictory.
The opposing parties have antiquity on their side,
but both cannot truly represent primitive interpreta-
tion. Therefore, as did the Irish convert in argument
with a priest, we appeal from " uninspired fathers to
the inspired grandfathers of the Church," — the apos-
EXAMINATION OK MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
581
L to ex-
it. The
right in-
lity ; (2)
of great
sufficient
says, " a
Ld not be
ed, wrong
,ence. Of
there was
i in Jesus,
ommence."
the death
3bius, "the
with open
>ne respect
been per-
^ould have
than that
>d it. The
"igin of the
teachings of
ttradictory.
their side,
interpreta-
argument
fathers to
I— the apos-
tolic men who spoke and wrote " as they were moved
by the Holy Ghost." He who undertakes to show
the truth of his tenets by their antiquity, ought to
make the most ancient writings the most prominent;
and ought, therefore, to prefer the writings of the
apostles to those that came after them, though it may
be at the shortest distance of time ; and much more to
those who followed after two, three, or four centuries.]
Those who quote ancient ecclesiastical writers as
authority for certain opinions are not consistent. They
themselves, whether Protestants or Romanists, very
frequently set aside other statements of equal antiquity
if not suited to their taste. For instance, those who
boast that they follow the ancients in reference to bap-
tismal regeneration, do not imitate all their usages in
administering the ordinance, as for example, their plan
of leading the subject naked into the water, and then
dipping the head three times; nor do they imitate at-
tendant ceremonies, — the clothini^ with white vest-
ments, the feeding with milk and honey, and the cus-
tom of ordinarily administering the rite only on the
eve of Easterday and Whitsunday.
Many do not perceive, and hence do not guard
against, the ambiguity of the word " antiquity." An
old ecclesiastical belief really signifies a belief formed
in the infancy of the Church. "The succession of men
from one period to another," says Pascal, in a passage
which applies as strictly to theology as to philosophy,
" should be considered as one man always subsisting,
and continually learning." "Who does not see that
^
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582
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
the old a 'G of this universal man must be souf^ht, not
in times nearest his birth, but in those at the greatest
distance from it ? They whom we designate old were
really young in every respect, and formed properly the
infancy of mankind; and as we have combined with
their attainments the experience of succeeding ages,
it is in ourselves that we find the antiquity which we
levere in others." (Pancvd, Thoughts.) "Let our ancestors
have all the esteem and gratitude to which they are
entitled ; but that esteem is much misplaced if it leads
us to follow them in anything in which they have not
followed Christ." (Carson, Bap., p. 234.) " You are not
of St. Chrysostom's faith, nor St. Augustine's,'' said Dr.
Smith to Latimer. He replied, " I am of their faith
when they say well, and bring Scripture for what they
declare ; and further than this St. Augustine deserveth
not to be believed." (Taylor, English Martyrs.)
The uninspired understanding of men in ancient
days W£LS just as fallible as the unaided luman under-
standing of the present day. To put the human rea-
son of ancient times in the place of the Bible is a
species of rationalism. Cyprian rightly said, " Tradi
tion without truth is only antiquated error." (F. W.
Farrar, History of Interp., p. 182.) [Hence we con-
clude that "the authority of men, though learned and
pious, is worthless when set against the authority of
God." (J. Stacey, The Sac, p. 17); and that if "Chris-
tians submit their reasonings to influence others, these
reasonings must be tried by the most rigorous test of
truth." (Carson, p. 261.)]
EXAMINATION Ot' MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
583
2. The authority of numbers is pleaded by that
"strange genus of ecclesiastical humanity that virtually
says: All right if we have the majority; but if not,
then all wrong." (Spicer.) "A great part of niankind
move only with a crowd before them. They do not ask
is an opinion right, but is it held by others ; at least
they weigh the arguments for it onl}^ by the numbers
it has already convinced. They act like sheep : if one
jumps over a fence into good pasture they all follow ;
but if one jumps overboard into the sea they follow
likewise. In the world the greatest part has always
been the least reflective." (Daille.) The assertions of
thousands may be merely so many echoes of a single
assertion hastily made by some wrong-headed indi-
vidual. The Romanists plead their majority over the
Protestants, and the Chinese plead their majority
against the Romanists. Others plead their majority
over the Chinese, but they are not therefore right.
No theory is right merely because believers in it are
more numerous than those who hold a different theory.
" The many may be right, but not because they are
the many." (J. R. Pitman, in Ingham's Hand-book on
Bap., p. 540.) "As a rule the history of the world will
show that majorities are in the wrong." (S. Martin, in
Ingham's H. on B., p. 540.) " Thou shalt not follow a
multitude to do evil ; neither shalt thou speak in a,
cause to turn aside after a multitude to wrest judg-
ment." (Ex. xxiii. 2, Rev. Translation.)
In such a world as ours " truth must not be put on
the issue of a popul**" vote. If we cannot acknow^
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
ledge her except in a majority, we must inevitably
have gone with the world of the ungodly, and pro-
nounced Noah a wrong-headed agitator. How could
we have espoused the cause of the Redeemer Him-
self against all the dignitaries of the ancient Church,
or have taken part with early Christianity when the
Jews called it heresy, and the Greeks despised it as
foolishness, and the Romans- denounced and drove out
its professors as atheists and enemies of the human
race, and it was everywhere spoken against." {People's
Friend, Oct. 2, 1858, in Ingham, H. on B., p. 540.)
3. They say men of great names are in favour of
the interpretation referred to. But this is not decisive.
Great names are ranged on opposite sides of many
points at issue. Learned men become opponents. But
learned opponents cannot both be right. Hence the
mere fact that some learned men affirm a certain in-
terpretation of a certain passage is no proof that it is
correct. The fact that some affirm the opposite is no
proof that it is wrong. " What absur.dity is there,"
says Dr. Brown, " which has not had the support of
a learned man?" Learning should be shown, not by
its assertions, but by its arguments. The use, by any
uninspired man, of " any authority but that of argu-
ment, is the essence of popery," says Carson. We
want their arguments if they can present any. And
when given, w^e want to test them. Without these we
cannot know^ whether they gave attention to all the
facts and circumstances of the case under considera-
tion before forming their conclusions. They may not
EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
585
have done so, for " man's power of perception does not
resemble a mirror, which must take up all the rays
that fall on it ; it rather resembles the living eye,
which can open and shut itself, turn itself hither and
thither, and can even render itself incapable of seeing
the light of the sun." (Ehrard.) For this as well as
for other reasons it is harder to estimate the degree of
importance that ought to be attached to the bare as-
sertions of a learned man than to settle the original
question.
Good men, as well as learned men, may make inju-
dicious assertions and injudicious concessions. Accord-
ingly these men, too, are found ranged on opposite
sides. Hence their mere assertions or concessions are
not decisive. " Men of sincerity and men of God,"
says Carson, "may be in error as to the meaning of
Scripture." (In Ingham, Hand-hook on Bap., p. 355.)
"A good conscience is a good thing, but a good con-
science may be married to very bad logic." (Carson on
Bap., p. 380.) " The exercise of free inquiry may be
obstructed by denominational prejudice, even in men
who would not for the world recant a truth or sub-
scribe an acknowledged error." (Robt. Hall.)
It is probably true that the majority of men are less
governed by reason than by the authority of great
names. But it is also true that an advantage has been
taken of this tendency in the human mind. The words
of great men have been wrested into a »desired shape,
and even fabricated statements nave been put into
their books; yea, as Mosheim, the ecclesiastical his-
j^E
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BAPTISING AND TEACHlNa
torian, observes, " a great number of books have been
falsely attributed to certain great men," because it was
observed that to oppose "illustrious namf^s and re-
spectable authorities " to the attack of adversaries was
the most effectual way to defeat them. But he who
demands that I surrender my judgment to authorita-
tive names, " denies to me, and therefore abjures for
himself, the right of private judgment." (Guthrie.)
" The investigation and defence of truth universally
appear to us to demand that mere names and authori-
ties be placed upon their proper level. . . . Far be it
from us to trifle with the rights and immunities of a
well-earned reputation, or in any department — civil,
ecclesiastical or literary — to refuse honour to whom
honour is due ; but when lofty character in +he walks
of authorship, instead of merely commending certain
views to respectful consideration, is employed for the
purpose of laying an arresting hand on the spirit of
free inquiry, it becomes a solemn duty to employ all
legitimate means for breaking the spell of mere au-
thority, and subordinating the influence of names to
the supremacy of truth." (Wilson on Baptism, p. 66.)
Bishop Butler says that in his time it was asserted
that people of discernment regarded Christianity as
no longer *' a subject of inquiry." Had he and^others
yielded to this kind of authority, Christianity itself
might now be a thing of the past. Had such sources
of authority been uniformly heeded, every kind of "epi-
demic nonsense " would have been perpetuated ; but
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EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
587
true Christianity would now be a thing of the past,
having long since ceased to be " a subject of inquiry."
Thus neither the authority of time, or of numbers,
or of great names can set aside the wisdom and duty
of personally investigating the true meaning of the
Word of God. [" The Word of God is ' not yea and
nay.' It does not accommodate its doctrine to suc-
ceeding periods of time, nor to the changing tempers,
humours or fashions of place, but, like its Divine Au-
thor, it is the same yesterday, to-day and forever."
(Archibald Hall, Gospel Church, p. 52, in Ingham,
Ha7td-hook on Bap., p. 481.)]
The age of thorough and fearless sifting has come,
" when ancient traditions, time-honoured observances,
venerated creeds and accredited doctrines must all be
upheld or rejected just so far as they are found to be
in accordance, or otherwise, with the one standard
from which there is no appeal." (H. Craik, in Tes. of
Em. Peed., p. 2, in Ingham, Hand-book on Bap., p. 489.)
Such sifting we do not and need not fear, for it but
"signifieth the removing of the things that may be
shaken, that the things which cannot be shaken may
remain." (Evangel. Repository, 1865 ; T. D. Morrison.)
" Prove all things," or " test all things," as Sir W.
Hamilton translates the original. This is the counsel
of infinite wisdom and the charter of religious liberty.
We protest, therefore, in the name of liberty against
every kind of human authority that aims to restrict
the searching of the Scriptures and to revive the anti-
quated maxim, " Believe, and ask no questions." " The
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liAPTIZlNG AND TEACHING.
im
T
errors of mankind have been the consequence of de-
parting from the ScriMtures. There is no remedy but
in returning to the Scriptures." {Dr. W. H. Stowell.)
"Fallibility and uncertainty are stamped on every
other source of information. We must have the basis
of all that we believe and practice in the Word of God
itself." {Dr. Innsf^.) " The Bible and that only (inter-
preted by our best reason) is the religion of Protes-
tants." (Bishop Hurd on Prophecy, Vol. II., p. 217.)
The inspired writers are more ancient than the so-
called fathers. They are the grandfathers ; let us see
what their views were. The words recorded in John
iii. 5 were uttered before those in Titus were written.
They do not contain the word " baptism." Why should
they be supposed to refer to it ? They were spoken
before Christie baptism was instituted or any notice
given that it would be instituted. Nicodemus, to whom
they were first spoken, for these reasons could not un-
derstand them to refer to baptism. It was not possi-
ble for him to understand it thus, because he had no
means of knowing anything about Christie baptism.
The Great Teacher, however, tells him he ought to
have known what the words did mean. Hence their
meaning was wholly distinct from baptism, and may
have been understood by a Jew still connected with
the Jewish dispensation.
Again, if we suppose that the phrase " born of water"
meant baptized with water, then to be consistent we
should have to suppose that the phrase " born of the
Spirit " would mean baptized with the Spirit. If so, it
EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
589
would follow that this passage does not teach regenera-
tion at all ; for the baptismal work of the Spirit is
wholly diiferent from His regenerative work, and ironi
His entirely sanctifying work. Christ was baptized
with the Spirit, but was never regenerated or entirely
sanctified by the Spirit. The apostles were regener-
ated before they were baptized with the Spirit, as
is evident from their being previously called " true
branches in the true vine."
On the other hand, if this passage does teach the
regenerating work of the Spirit, as it undoubtedly
does, then it does not teach baptism with the Spirit ;
for, as has been shown in the chapter on Baptism with
the Spirit, this is an entirely distinct work. H it does
not refer to baptism with the Spirit it does not refer
to baptism with water either.
The words teach regeneration, but do not assert that
regeneration was effected by any rite administered by
man. It is admitted that there was no regenerating
ceremony under the Jewish dispensation. There was
a rite for ceremonial purification, but it used water
and blood, or water and the ashes of a heifer, and these
were applied by a human sprinkler. But here water
and Spirit are spoken of. The clean water was ap-
plied by a Divine sprinkler. Nicodemus ought to
have known the scripture which says, " I will sprinkle
clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean : from all
your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse
you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new
spirit will I put within you," etc. (Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26.)
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590
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
This promise obviously meant something other than
the old purifying rites, for it makes God the sprinkler,
and hence denoted a spiritual cleansing by a Divine
agency. There was not merely a ceremonial cleans-
ing, but a spiritual cleansing, under that dispensation.
And this spiritual cleansing was effected by a Divine
agency. In the promise just quoted this Divine agency
is represented as doing a twofold work : (I) as cleans-
ing from sinful impurity ; (2) as giving a new heart
and a new spirit. This we understand to be the two-
fold work referred to in John iii. 5 and in Titus iii. 5.
In the former passage the cleansing is done by water
applied by a Divine sprinkler. The new life is im-
parted by the Divine Spirit.
Paul when writing to Titus notices this twofold
work. He calls one the " washinor of refjeneration "
and the other the "renewing of the Holy Gliost " (that
is, the washing which is effected by regeneration, and
which is very different from the erroneous interpreta-
tion which represents regeneration as effected by wash-
ing, and the renewing which is effected by the Holy
Ghost). Therefore this text does not refer to baptism
at all, but to the Holy Spirit, who is the efficient cause
of both the cleansing and the renewing. When He
regenerates He puts them through a twofold process :
(1) a cleansing process, removing impurity ; (2) a re-
newing process, imparting purity ; and Go'^ alone can
remove the one or impart the other.
The children of God are " born, not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh " (whether of Jewish or Gentile de-
mp^
EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
591
scent ; the will cannot, by forming purposes of amend-
ment, renew the heart), "nor of the will of man"
(acting as the administrator of a religious ordinance),
" but of God." God only can forgive sin ; God only
can cleanse away sinfulness ; God only can impart
spiritual purity and life.
We accordingly think that Archbishop Whitgift was
right in maintaining that "in John iii. 5 the word
' water ' does not mean the material water of baptism,
but represents the cleansing efficacy of the Spirit's in-
fluences." (Goode on Bap., p. 238.) Without this a
man cannot enter into the spiritual kingdom of God.
"But if we understand these words of the water of
baptism," says Dr. Robt. Lome, " what shall we say of
the Emperor Valentinian, who went to Ambrose, the
Bishop of Midiolanum, to be baptized, and was slain
in his journey before he came to Ambrose ? Shall we
condemn him for want of baptism because Christ said
to Nicodemus, ' Except a man be born of water,' etc. ? "
{Goode, p. 364.) And shall we condemn all others who
have not been ritually baptized, no matter to what the
omission may be owing ? To our mind, for the rea-
sons which have been presented, the two texts that
are now under consideration do not refer at all to the
ordinance of baptism, but teach regeneration by the
sole agency of God. I had appended to these remarks
a pretty full exposition of the need of regeneration, of
the nature of it, etc., etc., but want of space has com-
pelled me to lay them aside.
m,
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
CHAPTER XXXI.
AN EXAMINATION OF MARK XVI. 16.
We have examined the great commission recorded
in Matt, xxviii. 18-20, and we have interpreted it in-
dependently of the words found in Mark xvi. 16,
because we saw strong reason for doing so.
In the first place, we could not assume without
evidence that they refer to ritual baptism at all. "It
must be universally admitted," says Dr. Dale, "(1) That
the passage does not declare a ritual baptism by ex-
press statement. (2) It contains no statement which
involves a ritual baptism as a necessary inference. As
there is a real baptism with the Spirit as well as a
ritual baptism, we should have some reason for saying
that it is the one and not the other that is referred to
in this * elliptically stated baptism.' " {Christie Bap.,
p. 393.)
If we could find reasons for settling this question,
it would be of no practical importance to do so. The
baptism referred to is made dependent on conditions
which are utterly impracticable in the present age of
the world. It makes baptism and salvation dependent
in every case on the previous exercise of miracle-
working faith, not on justifying faith, as some have
erroneously assumed.
When we examine the 16th verse in the light of
"'-r
w
EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
593
recorded
ited it in-
c xvi. 16,
e without
Ltall. "It
/'(I) That
sm by ex-
lent which
rence. As
well as a
for saying
referred to
is tic Bap.,
the closely related context whicli follows it, we see
plainly that the faith of which it speaks is miracle-
workinj^ faith ; and the miracles are particularly de-
scribed. The proof of this statement is very clear.
The context referred to says : " And these signs shall
follow '■ (TrapaKolovOeiv, shall accompaiiy) " them that be-
lieve : In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall
speak with new tongues " (i.e., languages that had not
previously existed, Kaimig y?,uaaig); "they shall take up
serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall
not hurt them ; they shall lay hands on the sick, and
they shall recover" (vv. 17, 18).
This passage places miracle-working faith before
baptism. If the former is prerequisite to the latter,
the latter is unattainable. If this passage contains
the lavv respecting ritual baptism, no one during the
last seventeen hundred years has exercised this mir-
acle-working faith, hence no one in any denomination
during all that time has been rightly baptized.
If the order of words in this passage makes the faith
spoken of a necessary prerequisite to ritual baptism
in every case, the same order makes the same faith
equally necessary to salvation in every case. " He
that believeth" (with the faith described in the subse-
quent context) . . . "shall be saved." If this is the
Scripture plan of salvation, then no man during the
past seventeen or eighteen centuries has obtained bap-
tismal regeneration, if this is what is referred to. And
if everlasting salvation is what is meant, then not a
single man, woman, or child, in any denomination,
38
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
during all tlmt time, has been made a partaker of
" the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal
glory." And no one in the present generation has
any reason whatever to hope for the salvation spoken
of. To what purpose would it be to preach to every
creature a Gospel whose conditions of salvation are
such as no creature could perform without super-
natural aid of a kind that has been fu'^nished to
no one for centuries ? And according to this pas-
sage, baptism cannot save the unbeliever. For "he
that believeth not," i.e., with miracle-working faith
— "whether he be baptized or unbaptized" (Arch.
Usher) — " shall be damned " (condemned). Besides, to
assert that this passage teaches that ritual baptism is
necessary to salvation, is to overthrov/ the funda-
mental doctrine of salvation by faith only. One fact
will prove by example that ritua! baptism " is not
necessary to salvation. The thief who believed on
the cross was saved without baptism." (Carson, Bap.^
p. 477.)
Again, as the belief spoken of here has reference to
salvation as well as to baptism, it cannot rightly be
supposed to mean a mere profession of faith ; for a
mere profession of faith could not save. This text
does not say, "He that professes to believe, and is
baptized,, shall be saved." But if it .places faith,
and not mere profession of faith, before salvation, it
equally places faith, and not mere profession of
faith, before baptism. So that if these words be
taken as the law of ritual baptism, then the adminis-
EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
595
,rtaker of
)h eternal
ration has
on spoken
h to every
vation are
out super-
i*"nished to
o this pas-
.. For "he
rking faith
zed" {Arch.
Besides, to
il baptism is
the funda-
y. One fact
Asm " is not
believed on
Sarson, Bap.,
, reference to
3t rightly be
faith ; for a
.. This text
Llieve, and is
I .places faith,
Je salvation, it
Iprofession of
lese words he
the adminis-
trator must have evidence, not merely that candidates
profess, but that they really have, miracle-working
faith, before he administers the ordinance to them.
And the evidence of this, which the context requires,
is the working of certain specified miracles. To repre-
sent outward profession of faith and submission to
an outward ceremony as beino- sufficient for salvation,
would expose the candidates to delusion of a most
ensnaring and fatal kind. It would lead them " to
rest satisfied without any further concern, without
faith or piety, to live in the hypocrite's hope, and
perish with a lie in their right hand." (Pengelly, Scrip.
Guide, p. 85.) Such being the circumstances, it is
surely right to point to a fact which may remove the
impediment which these w^ords put in the way of
salvation. The words which raise this difficulty are
part of a series of verses which, in the Revised Version,
are " marked off by a considerable space from the rest
of the Gospel," and made to assume the appearance
of an anonymous appendix. And the following
explanatory note is placed on the margin : " The two
oldest Greek manuscripts, and some other authori-
ties, omit from ver. 9 to the end." Let us look at this
significant fact more fully. Fred. H. Scrivener, M.A.,
in his full collation of the Codex Sinai ticus with the
received text of the New Testament, says : " The whole
paragraph containing the last twelve verses of Mark
is omitted by the united testimony of Codex Sina-
iticus and Codex Vaticanus," Now then, united testi-
mony on any point is regarded to be very valu-
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596
BAI'TIZING AND TEACHING.
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able. In the last mentioned Codex the omission is a
peculiarly marked one. In it the Gospel of Mark
ends with the eighth verse, which is written on the
second colunm of the page. The third column is left
vacant, " being the only perfectly vacant column
throughout the whole volume." {Scrivener.) Tiiis
vacancy seems to indicate that the exemplar before
the copyist ended here ; that he knew, however, that
some other copy did not end here, but had an addition
to it which he regarded as an unauthorized addition,
and hence would not insert. Further, the Syriac
version in the British Museum (" perhaps the oldest
and most important of all the versions," says Alford,)
does not contain the passage. It omits from verse 8
to verse 17. On the other hand, in the Codex Ver-
cellensis, an ancient version made in the fourth
century, the passage is found ; but it appears here as
an addition made by a different hand from that which
wrote the preceding part of the Gospel. About thirty
of the later or cursive manuscripts contain the whole
passage, but mark it with an asterisk, or append
scholia, which throw more or less doubt upon it.
(Scrivener.)
When entering on this line of remark we are, of
course, aware that some good men are greatly dis-
pleased with any writer who calls attention to the
occasional imperfections of the work of the uninspired
transcribers and translators of the Scriptures, lest it
should weaken men's veneration for the Scriptures.
"But surely," says Dr. J. Brown, "he must be very
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EXAMINATFOX OK NflSAPVMED TEXTS.
r»07
r \^
irjnorant who needs to be told that translations " (and
the same is true of transcriptions) " are the work of
uninspired men, and tlierefore must bear the traces of
the imperfections of their authors ; and if any man
among us is so deplorably iii^norant as not to know
this, it is surely desirable that without loss of time he
should be better informed. And I cannot satisfy
myself that a Christian teacher acts an honest part
who, though he is persuaded the translation " (or
version) " he in common with his audience is using,
does not in a particular place accurately express the
mind of the inspiring Spirit, yet conceals this from
them, and leaves them uninformed or misinformed
about the mind or will of God in that particular
passage, for the purpose of preserving unbroken their
undue veneration for the work of great and good,
learned and pious, but still fallible, men." (Exposition
of Hehreius, Vol. II. p. 354.) In taking Holy Scripture
as the rule of faith and practice, we mean Holy Scrip-
ture as it came from the pen of inspiration, not as
modified by improperly inserted or omitted words or
sentences, or by incorrect translation.
We unhesitatingly proceed with our remarks. Some
ancient writers make no reference to it ; for instance,
Clement, Bishop of Rome (A.D. 91-100), and Justin
Martyr (flourished A.D. 194). Others notice it to pro-
test against it. This protest was made by Eusebius,
Bishop of Cesarea (A.D. 315-340). He composed a
harmony of the Gospel narratives. A correspondent,
named Marinus, proposed to him some questions that
i,i
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
*■ :fr f-r.
fi '; :
' ?)
were related to this point. Among them was the
following : " How is it that in Matthew the Saviour
appears as having been raised up late in the Sabbath,
but in Mark early on the first day of the week?"
Eusebius replies : " The solution of this difficult prob-
lem, may be twofold ; for one man, rejecting the pas-
sage itself — the section which makes this statement —
will say that it is not current in all the copies of the
Gospel according to Mark. That is, the accurate copies
determine the end of the narrative at the words of the
young man (v. 8); for at this point the end of the Gos-
pel according to Mark is determined in nearly all the
copies uf the Gospel according to Mark. Whereas
what follows, being but scantily current in some, but
not in all copies, will be redundant (I.e., such as should
be discarded), and especially if it should contain a con-
tradiction to the testimony of the other evangelists."
{Hort.) A man who admitted the weight of such docr-
mentary evidence would see that no contradiction was
proved. He would set aside the section that suggest-
ed it. But another man may not be willing to admit
evidence against anything that is in smy way current
in any of the copies ; hence for such persons Eusebius
tried to reconcile the statements by altering the
punctuation of verse 9. He would put a stop after
" was risen," and then suppose that the resurrection
took place at the time mentioned by Matthew. Whe-
ther this change of punctuation is admissible or not
we shall not now discuss, because it is not the point
Examination of misapplied texts.
599
before us. The first reply which Eusebius gave to the
difficulty was made by others also. This might have
been expected, for as Dr. J. Conant says {Sunday
School Times, Vol. XXIV., No. 49), "The authority of
Eusebius, the historian of the Church, and the most
eminent defender of the faith of the Church, was
predominant in his own time, and long after. It is
but natural that he should be followed by others."
He was thus followed by Jerome (flourished 378-420
A.D.) Jerome wrote an epistle to Hedibia to answer
twelve queries on biblical difficulties (in A.D. 406 or
407). One of his answers to one of these questions
is, " We do not receive the testimony of Mark, which
is contained in very few gospels, r 3arly all the Greek
manuscripts not having it, especially when it (Mark's
testimony) seems to narrate things diverse and con-
trary to the other evangelists." This statement was
apparently a repetition of that made by Eusebius.
Similar repetitions were made by Gregory of Nyssa,
and Severus of Antioch, etc., etc. [Jerome inconsist-
ently admitted the words into the Vulgate, because
they were found in some Latin MSS. ; but twenty-
four years afterwards he admitted they were not to
be " found in nearly all the Greek MSS."] The state
of the case, then, is this : The passage before us is not
found in the two best manuscripts now in existence,
and is absent also from some of the other manuscripts.
In the time of Eusebius, the Church historian (A.D.
270-333), it was absent from the great majority of
manuscripts known, directly or indirectly, to him.
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
And ho expressly says it was absent from " the accu-
rate " manuscripts, and was found only in manuscripts
which were few in number and were regarded as inac-
curate ones. HeMce he concluded and argued that the
testimony of this section should be set aside when it
opposed the other evangelists.
Alford remarks that, "Disputed readings should
be judged with reference (1) to external manuscript
authority, and (2) internal probability combined."
Now, we have shown that external evidence is against
it. Tischendorf accordingly rejects it from his cor-
rected Greek Text. Alford thinks it must be ad
iiii Ki-
ted that it was not written by Mark, but " added by
some other hand"; and that it must remain "wholly
uncertain " whose that hand was. We have also seen
that the his/her criticism of internal evidence is
against it. Its teaching is wholly at variance with
the commission which is recorded in Matthew ; and
it is inconsistent with the analogy of evangelical
truth. It makes miracle-working faith to be pre-
requisite to baptism, and necessary to salvation ; and
thereby represents both as unattainable since the age
of miracles passed away.
It is important to look also at the bad use that has
been made of these words by those w^ho have accepted
them as part of Mark's Gospel, and who undertake to
carry them out to their logical consequences.
1. Some have perceived that this passage makes
faith necessary to salvation. This statement, they
think, was not made respecting adults only, but chil-
EXAMINATION OP MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
601
dren also. If they admitted that children may be saved
without faith, they could not consistently oppose their
being baptized without faith. They seek consistency,
therefore, by denying that the Gospel makes provision
for the salvation of children. They on this account sup-
pose that there may be some other plan of taking chil-
dren to heaven. Dr. Carson takes this position. lie
says, " The Gospel saves none but by faith. The Gos-
pel has nothing to do with infants. By the Gospel
NO INFANT CAN BE SAVED. . . . Were it true that infants
could not be saved but by this ' new ' covenant, none
of them would be saved" (pp. 173, 215, 216). This
statement shows that Dr. Carson grossly mistakes the
terms of the new covenant. This covenant, according
to the Epistle of the Hebrews, has reference to those
who are as yet untaught and unrenewed. Its language
is, "I w411 put My laws into their mind, and into their
hearts luill I write them." Dr. Carson thinks that
children are to be saved by " ANOTHER Gospel." But
what did Paul say upon the subject of "another Gos-
pel"? "Though we, or an angel from heaven," says he,
" preach any other Gospel unto you than that which
we have preached unto you, let fiim be accursed"
(Gal. i. 8, 9.) "Yet, to keep departed babes out of hell"
{Seiss, pp. 315, 316), "the Baptists are driven to con-
jecture that there is 'another Gospel'" But if the
revealed Gospel does not teach the salvation of infants,
there is no Divine authority to hope for the salvation
of a single infant ; nothing but a humanely suggested
conjecture that there may in the Divine bosom be un-
fll^
k
602
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
ft--
covenanted mercies that may rescue them from the
damnation of the unbelieving? Is this fjlimmering
rushlight of human conjecture our only substitute for
the infinite sunshine of a Saviour's promise ? Does
Christ's revealed remedial plan " take in and reach
only one half of humanity in every generation "?
2. Some claim that these words are so thoroughly
precise that interpreters must exclude those who are
not specifically included. They intended by this to
exclude children from baptism; but they did not see
that it equally follows that they must exclude women
as well as children from both baptism and salvation ;
because these words speak only of men — " He that
believeth " (« TnaTevaac). By this method of interpreta-
tion, women, both old and young, are excluded both
from baptism and salvation. [The circumstance that
faith is mentioned before baptism may not have been
intended to indicate the order of thinjis. Romans x.
9 puts confession before faith; yet no one concludes
that we must confess with the mouth before we be-
lieve with the heart, in order to get salvation.]
3. In Mark xvi. IG the participles Kiarevcag and j3aK-
Tiadeig are in the aorist tense, and mean, " he that has
once believed, and been once baptized, shall be saved."
From this it might be inferred that a momentary act
of faith and momentary submission to an outward
ceremony, though followed by long years of apostasy,
would secure future salvation.
4. This passage in Mark xvi. has misled many to
form the opinion that, as Luther expresses it, " No other
!:i
EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
603
Q from the
glimmering
bstitute for
lise ? Does
and reach
tion " ?
thoroughly
)se who are
by this to
did not see
lude women
i salvation ;
— " He that
I interpreta-
cluded both
istance that
t have been
Romans x.
concludes
'ore we be-
ion.]
iffof and jSa Tr-
ie that has
1 be saved."
nentary act
an outward
of apostasy,
ed many to
t, " No other
E
judgment shall pass at the last day than that upon
him who hi*th believed, or who hath not believed."
(In Stier on Mark xvi. 15-18.) That is, that final
judgment is incurred, not by transgressing the law,
but by rejecting the Gospel ; or, as Stier says, " That
he who is doomed receives his sentence only upon
this guilt, that he believed not." (On Mark xvi. 15-18>
p, 362.) This makes void the law.
Again, if " without the preaching of the Gospel
going before, no man can be, or may be, conclusively
condemned, then it follows, by implication, that the
Gospel must be preached to all ; and that if this has
not been done in the present life, it must necessarily
take place after death." (Stier on Mark xvi. 15-18.)
They thus infer that the economy of forbearance
and salvation will extend into the intermediate state;
thus denying that the state of probation is termin-
ated by death, and after this the judgment. But if
the words are spurious this inference is utterly unre-
liable.
This passage has led others to the conclusion that
all who have not heard the Gospel must remain un-
saved ; that the heathen are all lost because left with-
out the means of salvation.
5. Some, accepting these words as part of the Gos-
pel, and therefore as addressed to all n)en and all
Christians, "have asked. If so, where is it said that
the promised signs which should follow those who be-
lieve, referred only to the Christians of the first age?"
(In Stier on Mark xvi. 16, p. 372.) Finding no such
1 1 1
1^
i
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i: .
! i
Iff trill
604
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
limitation, they have aspired to work miracles. After
beinof thus misled some have pretended to work them,
and others seem to have sold themselves to Satan to
obtain power to exhibit " signs and wonders."
6. If these words are to be assumed as genuine, they
make miracle-working to be not merely a privilege
of some believers, but an inseparable accompaniment
of saving faith in all cases. They thus not only deny
the salvation of those who have not such faith, but
give a representation of the design of miracles wholly
different from that of Paul's. They make them a
continual sign for them that believe ; wherean Paul
teaches that they are " not for them that believe, but
for them that believe not." (1 Cor. xiv. 22.) The first
hearers could not try Christianity by its fruits till it
had time to bring forth fruit. It could bring forth fruit
only in believers. To get the first hearers to believe,
therefore, some other evidence had to be presented.
They were accordingly convinced by miracles of the
Divine origin and authority of Christianity. In these
believers were soon seen the fruits of righteousness;
and to such fruits all subsequent hearers were to be
pointed, and it was to be said to them, " If ye know
that God is righteous, ye know that every one that
doeth righteousness is born of Him." Miracles, there-
fore, were soon allowed to pass away, but these fruits
of righteousness were to be for "an everlasting sign
that should not be cut oflf." But the passage in Mark
xvi. 16 makes miracles the everlasting sign. Its teach-
EXAMINATION OF MISAPPLIED TEXTS.
605
;les. After
jvork them,
to Satan to
s.
nuine, they
a privilege
jmpaniment
t only deny
1 faith, but
acles wholly
ike them a
herean Paul
believe, but
;.) The first
fruits till it
g forth fruit
•3 to believe,
e presented,
acles of the
V. In these
•7
o-hteousness ;
were to be
If ye know
!ry one that
racles, there-
these fruits
rlasting sign
age in Mark
Its teach-
ing, therefore, is here again out of harmony with
other scriptures.
To these objections must be added the evil use that
has been made of the doctrine of baptismal regenera-
tion, which some have inferred from this passage.
This will be stated in another chapter. The man who
cannot fairly set aside these objections cannot pru-
dently make this passage the basis of any doctrine,
much less a warrant for despising, repelling, or excom-
municating all who differ about the topic on which it
treats. If anyone should yet succeed in proving that
the words were added by proper authority, he will
only prove that they were to be a rule of faith and
practice as long as the age of miracles lasted. To
suppose they were intended to have force to the pres-
ent would be to suppose, as already stated, that no one
has rightly believed, or been rightly baptized, or saved
baptismally or otherwise, since the apostolic age passed
away. So that whether this passage be genuine or
not genuine, it furnishes no present rule of faith or
practice in reference to ritual baptism or everlasting
salvation. We think these remarks are abundantly
sufficient to sustain the position we have taken re-
specting the Royal commission to make disciples of all
nations, as recorded in St. Matthew's Gospel, namely,
that it must be interpreted independently of the words
so strangely appended to the 16th chapter of Mark.
No part of the latter can be prudently used to change
in any degree the meaning of a sijigle clause or word
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606
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
of the former. We cannot harmonize it with those
parts of Scripture which have admitted authority.
We must therefore learn the meaning and require-
ments of the great commission from the undisputed
words in which Matthew has placed it on record, and
which in a preceding chapter we have examined care-
fully. And the results of that examination we have
tried to present clearly, coherently and impressively.
m
iai
-^
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vith those
authority,
d require-
mdisputed
record, and
[lined care-
m we have
ipressively.
BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
007
CHAPTER XXXII.
EXPOSITION OF JOHN III. 5-7: BORN OF THE WATER WHICH
IS APPLIED BY THE DIVINE SPRINKLER -OR AS STATED
IN TITUS, THE WASHING PERFORMED BY REGENERA-
TION-FOLLOWED BY THE RENEWING WHICH IS EF-
FECTED BY THE HOLY GHOST.
What is the true meaning of this important text ?
A short time before the narrative here referred to,
Christ had addressed the people collectively. He now
shows that He deemed it important to deal with them
individually also. The paschal feast had been held,
and every Israelite when preparing for this feast had to
observe the ceremonial purification of himself and his
house. Besides this, Christ had cleansed the Jewish
temple by driving out the traders, after protesting
against their making His Father's house a house of
merchandise, instead of a place for grateful and rever-
ential worship. Next comes this conversation about
the cleansing of the human soul. The need of this
was not superseded by that formalism and external -
ism which were the most conspicuous features of the
national religion. It was not enough to see the typ-
ical temple and to be ceremonially purified in order
to enter it for prayer and worship. It w^as necessary
to see the kincrdom of God in connection with that
temple, and to have the heart purified and renewed
i
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608
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
into obedience to the will of God, who is t^ie Ruler in
that kingdom.
These words, as we understand them, place before
us the doctrine of regeneration by the sole agency of
the Divine Spirit, as a preparation fur admission into
God's inner spiritual kingdom. We propose to reflect
intelligently upon the words which present it, and
then to present for others the results of such an ex-
amination, as clearly and coherently as we can do
under present circumstances.
Nicodemus was a frequent namo. among the Jews as
well as among the Greeks ; but as Meyer remarks, " We
know nothing certain of the Nicodemus here men-
tioned, beyond what is stated by John in two or three
places of his Gospel. He was a distinguished teacher
and a member of the Sanhedrim." (John vii. 50.)
It providentially happened that Nicodemus wit-
nessed som.e miracles which Christ wrought to con-
vince the Jews that He was a Divinely commissioned
and a Divine teacher. The result was that Nicodemus
became convinced that He who wrought them was so
commissioned. This conviction was strong enough to
overcome his Jewish prejudice against Christ because
of His Galilean origin, and because of His being un-
schooled by Jewish rabbis, and to induce him to seek
a personal interview. The time of his visit is repeat-
edly mentioned ; there must be some special reason for
his choosing it. (John vii. 50 ; xix. 39.) It is possible
that he thus indicated that the prominent men among
the Jews had shown a disposition to stand aloof from
^
BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
609
Jesus. He may have thought it wouhl he humiliating
for him, a teacher (or rather " the teacher," the specially
distinguished and well-known teacher in Israel, and
well advanced in years), to appear as a learner at the
feet of a Teacher who was young, even if Ho was
specially commissioned by God. We have no direct
means of ascertaining the moral character of Xicode-
mus at this time. Christ when conversinjj: with him
mentioned that men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil. But He may not have
said this with reference to Nicodemus, though His
discourses were generally shaped by the person, or
scene, or incident that presented itself to Him at the
time He was speaking. [It was when Nicodemus
came to Jesus by night that it was said, " This is the
condemnation, that light is come into the world, and
men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth
the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds
should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that
they are wrought in God." (John iii. 19-21.) This
may account for the fact that the attention of Nico-
demus was directed to the need of regeneration.]
How did it happen that there was an opportunity to
approach Jesus by night ? It is probable that on that
occasion, as often afterwards, " the Son of Man had
not where to lay His head"; and that on this account
he had retired to the Mount of Olives for rest. Nico-
demus may have noticed or heard that this was the
39
,1
610
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
case, and inferred that it might give an opportunity
for a private interview. To come even privately to a
teacher of truth is better than not to come at all,
and "examples of notable in({uirers are worth record-
ing." We are told that he addresses Christ as "Rab-
bi," though this dignified name wfis not conferred by
Jewish authorities. He alf^o frankly admits his initial
conviction that Jesus had wrought undoubted miracles;
and that such miracles are a proof of a Divine mission ;
and he intimates that similar conclusions had been
formed by some other witnesses of the miracles. " We
know that Thou art a teacher come from God, for no
man can do these miracles which Tliou doest, except
God be with him." " Nicodemus had only uttered the
preface to what he had it in his mind to say; the ques-
tion itself was to have followed ; but Jesus interrupts
him." {Meyer) The Great Teacher anticipated him,
it would seem, by introducing the very subject on
which he was chiefly anxious to make inquiry. " In
St. John's Gospel," as Bishop Ellicott observes, "our
Lord especially appears before us as the reader of the
human heart. He accordingly often answers the
thoughts rather than the words of the inquirer." {Life
of Christ, p. 125.) From the answer of Christ on this
occasion we infer that Nicodemus, being a ruler of the
Jews, was thinking about the Divine kingdom whose
coming was announced to be " at hand." John, the
forerunning herald of Christ, had made announcement
respecting it in the wilderness of Judea, at a few miles
(distance from Jerusalem. He had stated also that
n t mum .
II
BORN OF WATER AND OF THK SPIRIT.
611
oven Jewish hearers needed a preparation for the ap-
proaching kingdom. He told them all that they must
repent — Jewish birth is not enough, Jewish education
is not enough, outward connection with the Jewish
Church is not enough. 'Every distinction was levelled.
Pharisee and Sadducee, outcast, publican and senri-
heathen soldier, were represented as on common
ground." {Edersheirn, i., p. 27o.) NicodeiDus may have
thought — Is John correct in thus placing them ?
Undoubtedly he was ; and the Great Teacher adds,
" They must be put on a level in yet another respect."
They all alike need to be regenerated in order to enter
the kingdom spoken of. Repentance is not enough.
Regeneration is needed indispensably and universally.
Jesus answered and said, " Verily, verily, I say unto
thee. Except a man be born again" {avofkv, from above),
" he cannot see the kini^dom of God." The word
nvioOev is somctimes taken in a temporal reference, and
translated "anew"; and sometimes in a local refer-
ence, and translated " from above." The latter is, per-
haps, most in accordance with the usage (verse 31),
and general teaching of St. John. (Ellicott, Life of
Christ, p. 124.) Edersheim is of opinion that in the
fourth Gospel the word avudev has always the uican-
ing "above" (John iii. 3, 7, 31 ; xix. 11, 23). {Eder-
sheim, i., p. 384.) It means, " a being born of God."
And St. John afterwards speaks of this Divine birth.
(John i. 13; 1 John ii. 29; iii. 9; iv. 7 ; v. 1, 4, 18.)
The meaning is, " Except a man be transformed by
God into a right state of heart so as to lead a right
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612
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
life, he cannot see the kingdom of God, i.e., as a par-
taker of it."
Regeneration is not the production of moral agency.
Man, even in his imrenev/ed state, is a proper subject
of moral government. Man has free-will ; there may
be ^'»'eedom to will where there is not power to do.
Man has intelligence and con.science. He has it in his
power to hear the word which God sent him by His
holy prophets. By attending to that word he can see
that there is a difference between things material and
things spiritual ; that he is related not merely to the
former, but to the latter ; that his conduct in that
relation to other persons should be regulated by
the holy and authoritative law of God. He can see
that he is under the highest obligation to obey this
moral law ; that obligation to obey supposes that
ability to obey is either possessed by nature, as in the
case of angels, or obtained by making application to
the grace of God ; that in these circumstances each
may ask and obtain ability ; that if they have not
ability, it is because they have not asked it; that
they are responsible, therefore, for the present want
of ability. Sinful predispositions are not beyond our
control, since we can ask God to remove them and
give us right predispositions, and since God will do so
if we ask aright.
Regeneration does not consist in the production of
repentance. Repentance precedes regeneration. Let
us look at the reason for making this distinction be-
tween repentance and regeneration. The natural mind
BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
613
is enmity to God. Under the influence of this enmity
man has formed wrong views of God's character, and
of the service which He requires, and the ends He
wishes us to aim at. Now, the misrepresentations of
enmity may be removed by a different process from
that which is necessary to remove the enmity itself.
The misrepresentations of enniity may b6 removed by
the teaching that leads to repentance ; the enmity it-
self is removed by regeneration.
Regeneration does not consist in the production of
faith. Regeneration follows faith, and therefore does
not precede it, or produce it. " Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Repentance
and faith are effected by the truths which give a rijjht
conception of what we are, of what God is, of what
we ought to be. The truth furnishes the materials for
consideration, and when we give that consideration,
the Spirit makes it effectual in persuading us to re-
pent and believe. Repentance and belief are produced
by the influence of truth. But regeneration is effected
by the direct and immediate agency of the Divine
Spirit. A holy character is necessary in order to ad-
mission to heaven. By nature we have not this holy
character, and we are unable to produce it within our-
selves. Hence we must be born from above if we
would enter this kingdom.
Regeneration introduces into a new world — " Old
things are passed away: behold, all things are become
new." The world no longer appears as a place to find
carnal pleasures or to get gain, but as a place in which
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614
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
to love and serve God, and to promote the best inter-
ests of our fellow-beings — a place in which the king-
dom of God has been established, and is to be honoured
and obeyed.
Men need especially two things " light and love."
Light as to the true character and excellency of God ;
light as to the true nature of holiness and sin ; light
as to the use which should be made of this world —
that it is a place to do good in, rather than a place
to get rich in, and find pleasure in ; light as to the
world to come, where the occupations are all holy, and
the treasures sure and unfading. These may be ob-
tained from the Word and convincing Spirit of God.
But we may have light without love, and love is
obtained only from the regenerating agency of the
Divine Spirit.
Regeneration is the production of love — love to our
Creator, Redeemer, and Benefactor ; love to the breth-
ren (1 John iii. 14); a love to obey the law and do
righteousness (1 John ii. 29) ; an aversion to sin, so
that we do n t commit it (1 John v. 4); a zeal for
holy activity. Regeneration is the production of love
as an abiding predisposition, not as a transient act.
This predisposition inclines us to active love when our
thoughts are directed to Him ; but not otherwise, for
we never feel about any thing that we do not think
about. Without some exercise of the intellect there is
no exercise of the affections ; as the one attends, the
other feels. For this reason the first holy exercises
after regeneration are not in all cases the same. The
BORN OF WATER AND OP THE SPIRIT.
615
thoughts of different persons are not immediately
directed to the same objects and truths, but to different
ones. One person thinks of the love of God towards
him, and feels filial gratitude and love to Him. An-
other person thinks of the brethren, and feels fraternal
love to them. Another thinks first of unconverted
friends, and feels compassion for them, and a desire to
win them to Jesus. When our hearts are right, right
thoughts will awaken right feelings.
Again, this predisposition, like other predispositions,
does not manifest itself directly to our consciousness
when we are not giving attention to their related ob-
jects. Hence it could be changed by the regenerat-
ing Spirit without our being conscious of it at the
moment. If regeneration were the production of a
volition, or of a particular feeling, or of an action, we
would be immediately conscious of it. But it is not
such. It is the production of a predisposition to right
thinking, feeling, and acting in reference to spiritual
and Divine things. We get the former before we
exercise the latter. A predisposition of this kind is
something new to man in his natural state, hence its
production is sometimes called a " new creation," or a
" new birth.'' And as it takes place after a natural
birth, it is called a regeneration or second birth.
The Spirit can produce in us good predispositions by
an immediate act. We need not wonder that He can
do this, when we ourselves can form predispositions of
another kind by frequently repeating certain acts.
The good predisposition given by the Spirit may b«
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
confirmed by our acting in accordance with it, thus
" perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord "; and it
may, on the other hand, be weakened by our refusing
or neglecting suitable action.
Regeneration, as we have said, imparts a disposition
to love God ; but that disposition is not at first capable
of love in the highest possible degree. It admits of
growth, and that forever, because there is no perfec-
tion of degrees. To love God is one thing; to love
Him more than we love any or all things else is
another. Regeneration gives the former ; entire sanc-
titication imparts the latter. It enables us to love God
with all the heart, and soul, and mind, and strength ;
and therefore more strongly than we love any or all
things else. Still, regeneration enables us to love God,
and will enable us to render acceptable obedience to a
certain extent. When we rightly estimate the re-
quired change we can then estimate aright the power
requisite to accomplish it. God only could effect such
a change as we have spoken of. Regeneration pre-
cedes obedience to the law of holy commandments:
" I will give them one heart, and I will put a new
Spirit within them ; and I will take the stony heart
out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh ;
that they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine
ordinances, and do them." Thus principle precedes
practice and prepares for it. And here we admire the
plan of the Gospel. "To make the fruit good it makes
the tree good; to cleanse the stream it purifies the
fountain. It renews the nature, and the life becomes
1"!
in
1
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1
BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
617
:h it, thus
d " ; and it
ir refusing
disposition
rst capable
t admits of
no perfec-
12 ; to love
ngs else is
entire sanc-
tolove God
d strength ;
3 any or all
to love God,
Bdience to a
ate the re-
the power
effect such
ration pre-
andments :
pat a new
itony heart
.rt of flesh ;
keep Mine
e precedes
admire the
,d it makes
lurifies the
Ife becomes
holy of course." (Jay.) " The fruit of the Spirit is in
all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
Let us never lose sight of the test that " by their
fruits ye shall know them." It is not that you hear
and are delighted ; it is that you hear and do. " This
is the ground upon which the reality of your religion
is discriminated now ; and on the day of reckoning
this is the ground upon which your religion will be
judged, and that award be passed upon you which
will fix and perpetuate your destiny forever." (Dr. T.
Chalmers.)
The T::oral and spiritual change which is wrought in
man by the Spirit of God is called by Christ a " gener-
ation," because it produces in man a likeness to God's
true, holy, and righteous moral character. Hence men
are said to be " born of God," and are called " the chil-
dren of God."
If this term were used alone, unwarranted infer-
ences might be drawn from it. Hence other terms are
sometimes used, which remind man that he is but a
creature of God. On this account the change referred
to is called a " creation." " If any man be in Christ
he is a new creature." He is said to be " created in
Christ Jesus unto good works." But the use of the
previous term, namely, " generation," confers more
honour upon man. " He begat us that we should be
a kind of first-fruits of His creatures."
These terms, however, were not intended to assert
the production of what had previously no existence of
any kind. To prevent an inference of this kind the
:Mi
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618
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
change wrought is at other times called a "regenera-
tion," and a " renewal " — a restoration of fallen man to
the original image in which he was created, bringing
man back into conformity to the original idea of man
in the Divine mind. Other terms indicate that the
change may not be completed at once. The process
may include two stages T-sanctification and entire
sanctification. And the latter of these still leaves
room for growth, for being " changed into the same
image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of
the Lord."
Christ differed widely from those contemporary teach-
ers who, under the influence of Jewish traditionalism
reduced their dispensation to a system of externalism
which employed outward things that could affect the
outer man only. But Christ knew that as the Divine
law addressed itself to the inner man — to man as a
moral being, to his heart and conscience ; and as the
spring of all moral action is within, so the power that
can renew man must act within. " Not from without
inwards, but from within outwards ; such was the
principle of Christ's teaching. . . . There is nothing
from without the man that, entering into him, can
defile him ; the things which proceed out of the man,
those are they that defile the man." (Edersheim, Life
of Christy ii., p. 22.) And accordingly the agency that
can renew him must act on what is within him, not
on his outward frame. The Jews commonly and
firmly supposed " that all Israel had part in the world
to come, because of their connection with Abraham,"
BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
619
, " re genera-
alien man to
ied, bringing
idea of man
ate that the
The process
and entire
J still leaves
ato the same
the Spirit of
iporaryteach-
iraditionalism
if externalism
)uld affect the
as the Divine
-to man as a
;e ; and as the
e power that
from without
mch was the
re is nothing
nto him, can
of the man,
ersheim, Life
e agency that
,hin him, not
immonly and
in the world
ith Abraham,"
or with the people of God, the Jewish Church. " Juda-
ism had no conception that a spiritual renovation was
necessary to fit them for the duties of God's spiritual
kingdom." {Edersheim.) But Christ affirmed that it
was indispensably necessary — " Verily, verily, I say
unto thee. Except a man be born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God."
"The Holy Spirit is able so to act. He possesses
the attributes of personal existence, intelligence and
agency, and is associated with the Father and the Son
in conferring Divine blessings." (Hamilton, Conipend
of Baptism.) To hope for regeneration by Him is
not to expect an effect without a sufficient cause. It
can effect an inward change, a supernatural change, a
twofold change, removing sinfulness and imparting
holiness. This twofold change is denoted by being
" born of water and Spirit." " The words being with-
out the article are first used generically. But there is
a more definite allusion made in the next verse to the
concrete term, * the Spirit.' " (Meyer.) This twofold
state reappears in the subsequent expressions, " born
of the fiesh " and " born of the Spirit." Those who
have been born of the flesh need the washing to
remove moral impurity. They need to have also the
fife of holiness that is given to those who are born of
the Spirit.
Natural birth, indeed, can introduce us to natural
things, and give us capacity to see them and to have
desires and aversions, hopes and fears, sorrows and
joys, respecting them ; and to engage in corresponding
i^l W:i
620
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
labours and pursuits. But there must be a spiritual
birth to introduce us to spiritual and Divine things,
making us capable of difjcerning their surpassing im-
portance and glory, and making us capable also of
feeling spiritual desires, affections, hopes, joys and
sympathies, and of engaging in spiritual service and
obedience.
Nicodemus seems to have thought that it was, at all
events, unreasonable to demand so great a change in
persons who have become bound by long-standing and
confirmed habits. " How can a man be born when he is
old ?" — when he is an old man, like me ? The require-
ment seemed to be, in his case, utterly perplexing.
Hence he thinks that another meaning of the word
avuffev may be the intended one ; that it may here
mean " again," and not " from above." He replies as
if Christ used this word with reference to time, and
not to place — as if He meant a repetition of natural
birth by Jewish parents. But this, too, seems equally
impossible. " Can he enter the second time into his
mother's womb, and be born ?" He thinks he cannot.
But Jesus did not mean this kind of birth. " Verily,
verily, I say unto thee. Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God."
Christ repeats the assertion that man needs regen-
eration, but states that it includes a twofold opera-
tion. He needs to have impurity cleansed away, and
purity imparted. If a thing that was inwardly pure
was outwardly defiled, by some accident, washing may
BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
621
be sufficient. But man is not only defiled but im-
pure, hence a twofold process is necessary in his case.
As already observed, Paul, when writing to Titus,
^ives a similar twofold view of this subject. He calls
it the " washing of regeneration " and the " renewing
of the Holy Ghost."
" Observe," says Sutcliffe, " that the apostle speaks
of a recjeneration that washes, not of a washinc: that
regenerates." As, from the structure of the following
clause, it is evident that " the renewing of the Holy
Ghost" means the renewing which the Holy Ghost
accomplishes ; so, in the preceding clause, " the wash-
ing of regeneration " means the washing effected by
regeneration. The washing and the renewing are
equally effected by the operation of Divine saving
power — "He saved us." It was God that saved by
the twofold process referred to. A twofold work has
to be done — to cleanse and to renew. (1) He has to
remove the indifference, the ingratitude, the enmity
to God, that is not subject to the law of God, but is
the source of wrong feelings, and hence of wrong
thoughts respecting God, His law, and His people.
(2) He has to impart the disposition to love our
Divine Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer ; to wor-
ship Him, to obey His law, to hold fellowship with
His children, and to co-operate with them in promot-
ing the interests of His kingdom. The washing is
effected by regeneration, and therefore by the God
who saves us. The renewing, too, is effected by the
Holy Ghost. "
h:m
Ifl
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622
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
God had promised : " Then will I sprinkle clean
water upon you, and ye shall be clean : from all your
fjlthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you.
A new heart also will I give you," etc. (Ezek. xxxvi.
25, 2G) ; and Nicodenuis ought to have known the
existence and meaning of this promise.
"There was no regenerating ritual under the old
economy," says Dr. Halley ; " but were no persons
then recjenerated ? Is regeneration a blessing which
no Jew, no patriarch, no prophet, enjoyed ? Is it
more than the righteousness of faith which Abraham
attained ; more than the Divine communion of Moses,
the rapturous devotion of the Psalmist, the evangelical
spirit of Isaiah, and the sanctity of the ancient mar-
tyrs, of whom the world was not worthy, could ever
attain ? If they entered heaven without regenera-
tion, what is the worth of a grace which is not a quali-
fication for entrance into glory ? " But if they re-
ceived regenerating grace immediately and directly
from God Himself, why suppose that under Chris-
tianity God would do — through rites and ceremonies
— what even under Judaism He had done without.
It was " God that saved." It was not the adminis-
trator of a ceremony and God conjointly. When God
said, " Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you," He
did not mean, " I will get men to sprinkle it." When
He added, " A new heart also will I give you, and a
new spirit will I put within you," He did not mean
that He would do it by man, or conjointly with him.
It is not man who saves us by baptizing us. It is God
BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
623
who saves us by a regenerative washing and a Divine
renovation. " We are saved by a washing such as
regeneration effects, and a renovation such as the Holy
Ghost effects — the regeneration being no less the work
of the Holy Ghost than the renovation." (Ghr. Bap.,
p. 380.) The new creation is a more difficult work than
the original creation. " The gift of being to nothing-
ness meets no obstacle. To give new being and life
to that which is corrupt, perverse, reluctant, opposed,
wayward, and wilful, is a work wholly against obsta-
cles." (Hudson, Future Life, p. 402.)
From other passages we learn the " power " (e^ovmav,
privileged permis.sion) "to become the .sons of God" is
given to them that receive Christ, " even to them that
believe on His name." And those who have received
this permission are made the sons of God by the re-
newing agency of the Spirit, and by this only ; for it
is added, " Which were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
(John i. 12, 13.) "We are not born of blood." By
nature none are good, no, not one. Tiiere is even no
germ of holiness that may be developed by natural
means. " We are not born of the will of the flesh."
Regeneration is not effected by volition of the human
will. No man can change his own disposition. No
change of purpose can regenerate the soul. The will
has directive power over the faculties ; taking them
as they are, it cannot change their predispositions or
their nature. The tree must be made good before it
can bring forth good fruit. As sin is something more
£
■! 3;: V
:l I
624
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
than a series of sinful volitions, so holiness is some-
thing more than a series of holy volitions. Regenera-
tion does not consist in being willing to do what God
requires. Paul said, " To will is present with me ;
but how to perform that which is good I find not."
(Romans vii. 18.) There is a wide distinction between
freedom to will and power • to do. The former is pro-
duced by repentance, the latter by regeneration-
Regeneration is preceded by acts of volition or of
purpose, which are connected with the repentance that
precedes regeneration, and by prayer, which is the
natural language of the sense of helplessness.
We are not born "of the will of man." No fellow-man
can regenerate us. He cannot do it by instructing us,
by reasoning with us, nor can he do it by administer-
ing a ceremony and repeating a prescribed or conven-
tional form of words. " But of God," who acts on the
soul that is placed in His hands as the potter acts on
the clay when moulding it into the desired shape, and
fitting it for the intended purpose. Regeneration is
not produced by our own feelings or emotions. It is
not by a moral earthquake, but by the Spirit's gentle
power. Regeneration is never produced in the human
heart by moral suasion — i.e., by the mere influence of
truth and motives, as the Pelagians affirm. If truth
were the medium, dying infants could not be regen-
erated.
It has been well remarked that " it is an instructive
fact that the Great Teacher gave special prominence
to the need of regeneration when addressing those
liOHN OF WATKK AND (>K TIIK Sl'llMT.
(\2r->
jss is some-
Uegenera-
what God
b with me;
1 find not."
Dion between
)riner is pro-
regeneration-
olition or of
)entance that
vhich is the
less.
Jo fellow-man
nstructing us,
w administer-
ed or conven-
10 acts on the
jotter acts on
•ed shape, and
veneration is
riotions. It 1^
[spirit's gentle
in the human
■e influence of
Inn. If truth
not be regen-
I an instructive
i\ prominence
Iressing those
who helonijed to tlie most monil nnd host (Mlucjitcd
classes of men." To Nicodenius, tlie teacher of Israel,
he said most enpliatically, "Marvel not tliat 1 said
unto tkee, Ye must be horn again." He afterwards
said to the young man who kept all tlie cominand-
nients of the second tahle of the law fr(;m his youth
up, " One thing thou lackest," etc.
"Except" (rig) "any one" of the human race. In
the original the word "man" {nvfiiM-in;) is not here
expressed, nor is the idea of adult age implied in the
word employed. " Except any one " — young or old,
though of Jewish parentage and having outward con-
nection with the Jewish religion, even an educated,
cultured Jew, he needs to be born from above. The
Jews helieved that a person might be changed from
the state of a heathen to that of a Jew ; but some of
them could not suffer themselves to think that a Jew
could be changed to a higher state. Nicodemus was
of this class. But Jesus corrects this proud mistake :
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born
a^^ain." Here the emphatic word is " ye " — ye Jews as
well as yonder Gentiles. He does not say "we must
be born again." " Our Lord did not, could not, say
this of Himself." {Alford.) Jesus was not born of the
flesh in the same manner as others, and hence did not
need to be born of the Spirit at all. But He says it
of all the rest of the Jews as well as of all the Gen-
tiles. Without regeneration, birth, privileges, personal
talents or efforts are ciphers. They signify nothing
unless regeneration be the figure put before them,"
40
f
li
''I
i
62G
BAPTIZING AND TEA.CII1XG.
J
■ I!' >^-
Nicodemus may have belonged to that class of per-
sons who do not admit the doctrine of regeneration
because they do not see the need of it. They do
not see the greatness of the chani»;o that is required ;
h ice they do not see the need < f Divine agency to
aci- jnplish it. Some think th"- / do not need so great
a ci.j^ge because they are r. jt inclined to commit
every bin. But no man h no inclined. Some are not
disponed to be misers, because they are spendthrifts ;
others d^ not wish ^o be openly profane, because they
are hypocrii/c , ...uers do not follow certain sins, be-
cause they are too cowardly or too lazy to do so.
That they keep from such sins, from such causes, is no
virtue, no credit. The need of regeneration does not
arise merely from some defect in the conduct of man
towards his fellow-man. Some unrenewed men have
few defects of this kind. Their self-love is not wholly
detached from love to their neighbour. Some un-
renewed men are kind and hospitable, true and just
and honourable in their dealings. Men who pursue
the same calling are so dependent one on another that
they cannot accomplish their purposes without the
observance of common laws. Hence many observe
strictly the laws of honour among themselves and the
laws of honesty, and abhor unfaithfulness in these
matters. Even thieves and pirates have their laws of
honour with respect to each ( ther. But those conven-
tional rules are based on sellish principles and are of
limited range. In matters tl'-.t lie beyond these they
can act dishonourably, meai^-, avariciously, lewdly,
BORN OV WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
627
ass of pev-
weneration
They do
s required ;
5 agency to
ed so great
to commit
ome are not
pendtbrif ts ;
)ecause they
)ain sins, be-
5y to do so.
causes, is no
,ion does not
iduct of man
id men bave
not wholly
Some un-
rue and just
who pursue
another that
without the
lany observe
jlves and the
ess in these
their laws of
,bose conven-
les and are of
id these they
lusly, lewdly,
IS
and violently. They can excuse these inconsistencies,
or vindicate them by calling evil good. (v. Bromley on
Rom. V. 10.) Their self-intvU'ested and partial goodness
is not enough : " For if ye love them which love you,
what thank have ye ? for sinners also love those that
love them. And if ye do good to them which do good
to you, wuat thank have ye ? for sinners also do even
the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope
to receive, what thank have ye ? for sinners also lend
to sinners, to receive as much again." (Luke vi. 32-34.)
So that depraved and selfish sinners may observe some
laws of honour and of commerce, and yet in other
matters manifest selfishness and wickedness, and
therefore need regeneratir •.
They may be even uniformly kind and just to
fellow-beings, and yet not love and obey God. I think
it is Dr. Chalmers who asks, " Might not friendship
perform its services, and patriotism earn the gratitude
of its country, and honour maintain itself entire and
nntainted, and all the softenings of what is amiable,
and all the glories of what is chivalrous and manlj'-,
blend in one etlulgenco of moral accomplishment"
around men w!io are without love to their Creator,
Preserver, and Redeemer ? They may in public occa-
sionally " give God their compliments, but daily and
uniformly they give the world their hearts." It may
be that they treat God with utter inditlerence, and
are fully inclined and contented to remain in this un-
loving and reltellious state.
This sense of guilt and danger can be fully produced
: ■;' •
ir
V
'If ''
1
• ^' ':
'V
! 1
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ii
628
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
only by fully maintaining the holiness and sacredness
of the law. The law being designed to produce con-
viction of sin in the soul, in order to prepare it to re-
ceive the Gospel and love a spiritual Saviour, it could
not answer these ends fully if it were less holy; it
could not answer them at all if it were unholy. The
soul could not feel guilty Or in danger for what the
law does not condemn. But the law, being the will of
a holy and unchangeable God, cannot become unholy
or less holy; it remains perfectly holy, and thus sin by
the commandment becomes exceedingly .sinful, and the
least sin in the soul is discovered. And when the in-
fluence of the justice of God has thus convicted him
of guilt and danger, and of inability to free himself,
he is prepared to feel and respond to the intluence of
the grace of God which proposes to pardon sin and
to renew the heart.
When we speak of the need of regeneration we look
chiefly at the conduct of men in their relation to God.
By examining man on this side we find proof that all
have belonged to one fallen family. There is no un-
renewed man who admiringly, adoringly, obediently
loves the holy and true God. Even those of them
who are studiously friendly to fellow-men do not de-
sire to please God. Of some of these you may perhaps
say that God is the only being they do not care to
please — at least, the only one they treat with cold in-
difference, with studied neglect. They mark Him out
as the only one to be intentionally disregarded. They
forget Him easily and frequently ; they are ready to
I
; ( ■
BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
629
^acreflness
)duce con-
•e it to re-
ir, it coui. ■
1 1
I
Ml
I
;
i
1 ., , Ij
; !
• 1 .('
.i .\
■ :j .;;-■■.
1
• i
i Jii. >^
!■ L
yiHnl
L^
i 1* li
;: 1
630
HAPTIZING AND TEACHING
of the flesh needs to be born again of the Spirit, in
order to be fit for a spiritual kin,f,nloin. " That which
is born of the flesh is flesh, and tliat vvhicli is born of
the Spirit is spirit." The words "' flesh " and " spirit "
are here used in a theolocrical, not in a physiological,
sense. " * Flesh' and ' spirit/ in the physiological sense,
are the prope*. constituents of man. It is no sin in the
good man to have ' flesh' in this sense. It is no virtue
in the bad man to have 'spirit.' " But in the theological
sense "flesh" means that sinful predisposition that is
derived by hereditary descent from fallen Adam — that
aversion to a holy God and to His holy law and His
obedient servants, and that preference for seliish grati-
fications and interests, which characterize man's unre-
newed mind. This is called "flesh," to indicate that,
like the body of flesh, it is the result of hereditary
descent. There is a hereditary predisposition to sinful
thoughts, words and acts. And this predisposition
cannot be changed except by the regenerative power
of the Spirit.
Outside changes may be effected without the two-
fold process connected with regeneration ; but out-
ward reformation does not supersede regeneration.
" When the fault is in the foundation of a house, it
cannot be mended by plastering or roughcast." " If
the works of a watch are out of order, it is of no use
to be continually setting the hands ; they will soon be
wrong again. You must go to the watchmaker and ask
him to repair the interior mechanism. So it is of little
use for a vicious man to be now and then attempting
fiORN OI WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
031
3 Spirifc, in
[hat which
1 is born ot'
nd " spirit "
[lysiological,
otrical sense,
no sin in the
, is no virtue
te theological
sition that is
Adam— that
law and His
sellish grati-
e man's unre-
iudicate that,
of hereditary
ition to sinful
predisposition
jrative power
some little reformation in outward conduct ; he must
pray for the renewal of his heart." (Salter.) Whc^n a
man gets a right view of the greatness of the cliange
to be wrought, he will see the need of coming to the
Divine agency that was appointed to accomplish it.
The doctrine of regeneration by the Spirit aston-
ished the aged Nicodemus. But Christ said, " Marvel
not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
You must be ; and not merely you yourself, but
your Hebrew br::thrcn and your fellow-men, no
matter what their nationality, rank, or office. Some
have denied the need of so ijreat a chani^e as
regeneration, because they think that to admit the
need of this would assume that the essential sub-
stance of the soul is wrong, and that if this were
so, the Divine Creator would be the author of sin.
They contend, therefore, that wrong can be found only
in the conscious acts of the soul, and that a change of
acts is all that is neces ;.iry. Their error arises from
supposing that sinfulnt s.-, can be attributed only to the
substance, or to the rx'K'i of the soul — that there is
nothing else in man to which it could be attributed.
But there is something else in man — there is a pre-
disposition to sinful acts. This predisposition is not
found in his acts merely, for he has it when not acting.
It is not found in the essential substance of the soul,
for it was introduced by means of Adam, who could
not change the essential substance of the soul. Adam,
by one act, induced a predisposition of a sinful kind,
in some such way as we ourselves, by oft-repeated
•I
I'
()82
HAI'TIZINCi AND TKACHINO.
It ■
•J .
m
II
acts, can form preLlispositioiis of another kind — those
predispositions which we call habits. Man cannot
chaiii^e the substance of the soul, but he can form
habits. The man who has formed habits has them
wlien not actino- as well as when he is actinsf. We
find then, in fact, that besides the substance of the
soul and its acts, there are predispositions to act.
Those predispositions whicli we have by hereditary
descent from Adam may be called a disease of the
soul. It does not form part of the essential nature of
the .soul. If it did, God the maker of our spirits
would be the author of sin. It was acquired by the
conduct of Adam and transmitted to his descendants.
Those predispositions which are received in this way
cannot be removed by any personal act of our own.
There are some natural healing processes in our bodily
organization, but there are none in our souls. They,
however, are not beyond control, when we can ask God
to remove them and" to give us right dispositions, and
when God will do so if we ask aright. He can, in
answer to prayer, remove the predisposition to sin, and
give a predisposition to holiness. He can produce this
disposition immediately. We need not wonder at
this when we ourselves can produce other predisposi-
tions of the same kind. The good disposition given by
the Spirit may, however, be confirmed by man's own
acts, thus 'perfecting holin38s in the fear of God," or it
may be wea-vened by neglect.
Some deny that there has been any fall of the race.
Thev take the iji'ound that the moral constitution of
111
BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
638
man is as good as the nature of finite free agency will
allow; and that a process of sinning is indispensable
to a finite free agent. "They forget that if man must
sin because of his finite character, then the idea of
sin and responsibility is destroyed." {E. Beecher.) If
an entrance into sin is necessary in order to give room
for a self-conscious return to good, then, as Ma^hler
observes, " evil itself is exalted into goodness." Evil,
however, is not necessary to develop finite minds.
This is plainly shown by the case of the unfallen
angels.
Some, forgetting or denying the fact that we are
descended from fallen parents, argue on the assump-
tion that we are new-created beings. And then they
proceed thus : " The principles of honour and right
demand that the Creator confer on new-created beings
natures in a normal and well-balanced state, tending
to good, and needing only development in a natural
direction. Since God is honourable and just, it fol-
lows," they say, *' that He does confer on all new-born
minds such natures;" and that they only need devel-
opment and culture, and that teaching and exhorta-
tion are the only aids that are requisite for this end.
Nicodemus may have fallen into this error. Dr. Chal-
mers once based his ministerial efforts on the latter
part of this theory. He held up before his congrega-
tion the meanness, the villainy, the injuriousness of
sin ; the beauty, the excellency, and utility of holiness.
For twelve years he eloquently presented such con-
siderations and motives before one contxrejjation. But
a
I.
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684
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING,
his efforts were an admitted failure. He tells us ho
never ascertained that " all the vehemence with
which he urged the virtues and proprieties of social
life had the weight of a sinii'le feather on the moral
habits of his hearers." He began to reflect that
during that time he omitted to point them to the
atoninij work of Christ, and the renewinfj work of the
Spirit. He apprehended that this omission may ac-
count for his failure, and judged that he had better
try in future the Gospel methods. He did so, and
soon witnessed great success, and came to the ronclu-
sion that "to preach Christ is the way to ]II
r
'i
I
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i' i i !H
lilt I
11 itii
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636
liAI'TIZlNO AND TKACHINO.
as received Him, to them ujave He power" (piivilej^ed
right) ■' to become the son.s of Goi'. even to them that
believe on His name." Those wlio hear the promise
made to the praying penitent i)elieve; those who be-
lieve are re^ nerated by tlie Spirit in answer to pray-
ing faith, ..lie promise is, " Whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." The Holy
Spirit does not force the will to submit the soul to be
regenerated. He does not destro}^ or manacle the
will. There is a scripture which says : " Thy people
shall be willing in the day of Thy power"; but there
is no scripture which says they shall be iiufle willin*,'.
To make willing without motive or reason would be
to produce an anomalous action of the will. The
preparatory willingness may be produced by motive
or reason, but the subsequent regeneration is not
effected by motives, but by the Spirit. " If to save
was to make willinij, what would be the wisdom of
saying 'All men may be saved if they will.' It would
mean all men may be saved if they are saved. And,
on that supposition, the invitation * Whosoever will,
let him come,' would mean * Whosoever is regenerate,
let him come.' "
In the preceding repentance, faith, and prayer, the
soul is active, and beseeches God to do for it what it
cannot do for itself, and what no fellow-being can do
for it. In the duties which follow regeneration, the
soul is again active in all holy exercises ; but at the
instant that regeneration takes place, no will operates
but that of God.
BORN OF WATEIl AND OF THE SPIRIT.
037
" The author or efficient cause of reireneration is
God. The power of God concerned in regeneration is
supeinatural, as compared with the power of any cre-
ated a<^ent ; as above the p'lwer of any law of nature,
or natural efficacy of truth atid motive, in the ordi-
nary operation of cause and efiect, natural or moral ;
as distinguished from the stated operations of Divine
power." (Beecher, ViewH on Theology, pp. 200-202.)
It is an interposition to accomplish a change in the
atiections of men which never takes place without
Divine agency. "The truth is, it is this supernatural
agency promised in the Scriptures which chietiy dis-
tintfuishes the Christian religion from all other reli-
gions. These other systems may be considered under
two general divisions : (1) Paganism, and (2) Natural
Religion (Deism, etc.). Paganism, perceiving the uni-
versal depravity of man, and being ignorant of any
remedy, tolerated what it could not cure, and allowed,
na}', even embodied in its religious services, the vilest
indidgences of passion and appetite." " Natural reli-
gion seeks to remove sinfulness by prescribing obedi-
ence to a holy and perfect rule of life ; but it offers no
supernatural aid to enable man to keep those rules,
and hence requires impossibilities. It is the Egyptian
requiring the full tale of brick without the straw. It
counsels compliance with Divine requirements with-
out the aid of r'^generation ; it offers pardon without
an atonement, and salvation without an adequate
Saviour." Christianity alone offers supernatural aid
to " make the tree good that the fruit may be good
?. '.i
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638
l{APTlZlN(i AND TEACHING.
also." A true form of Christianity shows that this
aid may be obtained by callini,' on tlie name of tlic
Lord, and tells how to call so as to obtain this salva-
tion. God does not regenerate us irrespective of our
concern about it — irrespective of repentance, faith and
prayer.
God deals with man as a free ai^ent in carrvino; out
the plan of salvation. He does so by using Divine
influence only in inclining nian to be willing to be
saved, and to pray for salvation; for influence can
accomplish this consistently with man's free agency :
and God employs Divine power only where there is
willingness to receive and prayer to obtain what that
power confers.
The Divine influence is not suflicient for regenera-
tion, but it is suflficient to incline to prayer for regen-
eration. We do not say that when God gives this
common Divine influence He does no more," but leaves
it entirely to the human will to decide whether re-
generation shall be obtained or not. We say that for
the man who prays He does do more ; for the man
who does not pray He does not do more.
If without any preliminaries God brought out His
supernatural power, and used it to make man " cease
resistance," to force him to be willing to be saved, in-
vincibly to impart faith, and irresistibly dictate prayer
as well as to do what has been so prayed for, "it
would be manifest that such operations would not be
adapted to man's free agency, and that its results
would not be the acts of man's own agency. Enforced
HORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
039
\villin<^ne.ss is not willingness. Forced prayer is not
prayer. It is a contradiction in terms. Why bring
in t 3 semblance of free agency among the results
of a power distinctively Divine ? If we admit that
man is a free agent, and that God deals with him as
such, then we must say, Divine influence inclines man
to pray, and human prayer inclines Divine power to
act in conferring what has been prayed for.
We have seen that man's fallen condition is such as
to require the forth-putting of a power distinctively
Divine, in order to change it from an un regenerate
into a regenerate state ; and that, in putting forth
this renewing power, " God does for the saved man
what He has not done for the man who is not in a
state of salvation."
But this doctrine has been held by both Arminians
and Calvinists. Some Calvinists have thought that
this is peculiar to Calvinism, and "the essential germ
of Calvinism, from which the whole system can be
developed. For instance, they ask : * Why does the
Divine 'power regenerate one man and not another'?
To them it seems that the only reason is, that there
was election in the one case, and that there was not in
the other ; though they are unable even to conjecture
why the one should be elected and the other not."
(See a recent pamphlet by Dr. Middlemiss, called Mis-
representations of Calvinism.) The doctrine of regen-
eration is not peculiar to Calvinism. The Calvinistic
peculiarity is, that regeneration is unconditionally and
irresistibly imparted, and that it is the first thing
MM
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
which God does when undertaking to give personal
salvation. It' these things were so, regeneration by-
Divine power would iniply election by Divine sov-
ereignty. But things are not so.
Regeneration does not come first in the order of
experience. It is, in fact, preceded by repentance,
faith and prayer in the case of adults under the
Gospel dispensation. In man's experience regenera-
tion is preceded by faith and prayer, and these are
preceded by repentance. And, accordingly, the exer-
cise of supernatural power is preceded by that of
supernatural influence on God's part.
1. That faith precedes regeneration is evident.
" But as many as received Him, to them gave He
power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on His name : which were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God." (John i. 12, 18.) The Scripture order is,
"Believe, and thou Hhalt be .saved." And this is recog-
nized in the great Protestant doctrine, that " salva-
tion is by faith " ; and the Scripture plainly says,
" Whosoever shall call on ^he name of the Lord shall
be saved."
But whence comes this prevenient faith. It comes
in part from hearing a Gospel oflfer based on a general
atonement; because this is the only view of the
atonement that can be brought into relation to saving
faith at the time now spoken of. "^he view that the
atonement is not cjeneral, but made for the elect only,
qnQt be used
i
1
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III
i.
BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
641
at all by a person when seeking salvation. At the
time when saving faith is first exercised it is admitted
that no man has any means of knowing that he is one
of the elect. No man, therefore, can believe, at that
time, on that ground, that the death of Christ secured
salvation for him, and that he accordingly is author-
ized to place his reliance on it, and to plead it on his
own behalf. Dr. Middlemiss sees this difliculty in his
theory, and virtually admits it to be an impossible
one ; because he places before the anxious inquirer a
very different theory. He says: "It is needful only
that a man see, or be satisfied, that Christ, in alvinists repeatedly use the word in a wrong
sense, and thus deceive themselves, and mislead others
to think that they believe that there are conditions of
salvation. They do not believe it in any proper sense
to pass," are said
prehensive concat(
are dependent on
Conditions and ir
mr^
h ' f
,' 1 ^
I !
W,l
ii
648
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
of the word. If God has also "decreed all conditions,
all means, and ends," then there are no conditions
dependent on man. There are no probabilities, though
men regard them as "the very guide of life." ' There
are no contingencies, notwithstanding so many appear-
ances to the contrary. There is no room for human
deliberation or human purposes. Their syst' 7)i leaves
no " 'om ivhatever for human free a-jencij. Their
t^^eory of God's purposes, and of the procedure of
.His power in executing those purposes, makes God
the only free agent in the universe. Many Calvinists
admit that this is so. They maintain with Dr.
Emmons, that "as God by His decree determines, and
by His providence effects, everything which comes to
pass, He is actually the only real agent in the uni-
verse." (Dr. Hodge, Outlines of Theology, pp. 210, 211.)
They should consider the logical consequences of
this assumption. From this position reason argues
thus: — "That only Agent, being infiniteh wise, cai:not
err ; being inlinitel}^ good. His acts must all be right ;
hence there is no such thing as sin in any part of the
universe. If no sin, there is nothing to be atoned for.
If nothing to be atoned for, there could have been no
atonement. The Gospel of the atonement must there-
fore be a fable." So one of them did reason, and then
immediately abandoned Christianity. Again, if a
man who holds avowedly, or by plain implication, that
God is the only agent in the universe, should yet say
that there is such a thing as sin, he then makes God
the only sinner in existence !
They do not counteract this when they call the only
BORN OF WATER AND OF THK SPIllIT.
649
sinner holy, just and good. To call a thief an honest
thief would not make him an honest man. Neither
would the Author of sin be made holy by calling
Him a holy being. Nicodemus ought to have known
something of the doctrine of regeneration by the
Spirit. Yet Nicodemus did not know what he should
have known. He said, " How can these things be ? "
He apprehended neither the need nor the mode of the
Spirit's operations. He even questioned the correct-
ness of Christ's statements respecting it. His words
of unbelief were inconsistent with his previous ad-
mission that Christ was "a teacher come from God."
Such words were discouraofinor to the Great Teacher's
desire to make further communications. " If I have
told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall
ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things " — of things
which are seen, felt and done in the invisible and
eternal world. To help him to believe, Christ said,
" Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do
know." He united with preceding prophets in pro-
claiminor the need and nature of rejjeneration bv the
Spirit. We are confident of the fact, though you may
doubt it. "And ye receive not our witness. If I have
told you earthly things " (things w^hich take place on
earth, not in heaven, i.e., about the spiritual renova-
tion of man's natural state), "and ye believe not, how
shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things ?" — if J
tell you about the Divine counsels and plans in regard
to the salvation of the world by a propitiating Media-
tor — counsels which at the time now spoken of were
not as yet accomplished on earth, and were therefore
f
IS
1
650
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
at this time difficult to be understood. It would be in
My power to reveal to you these heavenly things, and
no other person can do so at this moment. " No man
hath ascended up to heaven" to ascertain them, ahd
no one could in any other way get there, exce])t " the
Son of Man who is in heaven," because He unites in
Himself a Divine nature which dwells in heaven and
a human nature which sojourns on earth. • Having
thus exhibited the ground of faith in Himself, He
proceeded to show the great importance and blessed-
ness of believing in Him. For He would be lifted
up on the cross, the propitiatory altar of the world,
that men niay obtain eternal life by lookin ; to Him
and believing in Him ; as men at a former time were
restored to health by looking at the elevated serpent.
(v. Meyer.) He then proceeds to point out the original
source of this plan of salvation — the love of God for
the human world ; love so intense and overflowing as
to give His only begotten Son, to pass through the
sufferings which He endured on the cross, in order to
open the way of salvation by faith. But this great
and glorious topic we have no room here to unfold.
(See The One Mediator, by Rev. J. S. Evans.)
The Great Teacher saw the propriety of introducing
this topic here, for it was only through the promised
priestly mediation of the Son that the Holy Spirit
could approach men under the former dispensation,
for the purpose of regenerating them. And it is only
through the accomplished mediation of the Son that
the Spirit can continue His regenerating work under
the present dispensation,
ki
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THE DOGMA OF HAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 651
CHAPTER XXXIII.
CRITICAL NOTICES OF PROMINENT POINTS IN THE HIS-
TORY OF THE DOGMA OF RAPTISMAL REGENERA-
TION.
"The post-apostolic age from tlie destruction of
Jerusalem to the middle of the second century is the
darkest, that is, the least known, in Church history."
(P. Schaff, Tedcliiny of the Twelve Apostles, p. 12.)
This darkness has been cleared up a little by a book
which has been recently discovered in the Jerusalem
monastery at Stamboul. It is called " The Didache ;
or, The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles," but is with-
out apostolic authority. It shows that at the close of
the first century there was a change made in the
scriptural order of baptizing and teaching: teaching
was now put before baptizing. This book says, as
regards baptism, " Baptize in this manner : having first
Gfiven the preceding instruction " (on the way of life
d the way of death), " baptize into the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," etc.
(p. 30). This change led to another : baptism, which
the apostles used as an initiation of persons into the
outer school of disciples to be taught, was now used as
an initiation into the Church. Being used for this pur-
pose it was easy to suppose that it was a regenerating
instead of a discipling ordinance, and that the re-
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generating power of the ordinance would be more
efficacious if the person was unclothed and then dipped
three times in deep water. Baptists say the ancients
had no Scripture authority for dipping three times.
We say they had no Scripture for dipping once. If
they could administer two parts of the ceremony
without Scripture warrant, they would not shrink
from performing the first dipping without authority.
[Note on the Mode of Baptism as it appears in
THE DiDACHE. — It says : "Baptize into the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit in
living " (running) " water." This plainly means, bap-
tize by immersion. " But if thou hast not living water,
baptize into" (eig) "other water; and if thou hast
not cold," (then) " in warm water. But if thou hast
neither " (neither running nor standing water, neither
cold nor warm water, in sufficient quantity for immer-
sion) " pour " {ekxeov) " water on the head three times
into the name of the Father, and the Son, and Holy
Spirit." Here is the oldest extant testimony respect-
ing the mode of baptism, and it admits the validity
of baptism by pouring. It admits it on the ground
of scarcity of water. This freedom was, however,
restricted in the third century, when pouring was
allowed only on the sick-bed. The Baptists have en-
tirely set aside this freedom ; they will not baptize by
pouring in any circumstance. SchafF says, " We have,
therefore, a right to infer that at the end of the first
century there was no rigid uniformity in regard to the
mode of baptism." It is plain, too, that single immer-
THE DOGMA OF RAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 653
i be more
hen dipped
le ancients
hree times.
(If once. It'
) ceremony
not shrink
t authority.
APPEARS IN
he name of
)ly Spirit in
means, bap-
living water,
i thou hast
if thou hast
ater, neither
y for immer-
three times
»n, and Holy
lony respect-
the validity
the ground
as, however,
pouring was
ists have en-
ot baptize by
s^ " We have,
d of the first
regard to the
inale imrner-
sion has no authority in antiquity, and the same is
true of single pouring upon. To find authority for
one or other of these w^e must go back to the inspired
writers. We have done this, and find abundant au-
thority for pouring upon without indication of any
repetition of the act.]
To justify the theory of baptismal regeneration it
was supposed and assumed that Christ referred to
water-baptism when he said to Nicodemus, " Except a
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot
enter the kingdom of God." (John iii. 5.) These words,
as we have already sliown, do not refer to baptism by
express statement. They were spoken before the
ordinance was instituted, and on this account Nicode-
mus could not know anytliing about it. It, therefore,
was not the thing that Christ spoke of, and which
He said Nicodemus ought to have known. Christ
spoke of regenerating by the Spirit, and Nicodemus,
as a teacher in Israel, should have known this.
About a century after Christ uttered these words
their precise date was overlooked, and thus they were,
by a most lamentable misapplication, understood to
refer to Christie baptism. The result, of course, was
that this rite wa>: then supposed to have some import-
ant relation to spiritual regeneration. It followed, of
course, that the similar words found in Titus iii. 5
were also applied to Christie baptism. An
iii^h
M .
I fi
I
depend less and less on the fathers, and more on the
sufficiency of Scripture. And at length he contended
for '' the supreme and final authority of Scripture
itself, aj;.art from all ecclesiastical authority or inter-
ference." He said, " The Church cannot create articles
of faith ; she can only recognize and confess them as
a slave does the seal of his Lord." He said, " Let us
not heap to ourselves fathers, councils, doctors, decre-
tals, and the slough of human traditions and opinions."
(F. W. Farrar, Hist, of Interp., p. 326.) " I ask for
Scripture," he said, "and Eck oflf'ers me the fathers.
I ask for the sun, and he shows me his lanterns."
Thus the Reformers tried to turn away the attention
of men from regarding the clergy as the source of
inspiration, and pointed them to the Bible as the
supreme and sole rule of faith and worship ; and they
then pointed them to Christ, and taught them that in
matters of conscience they should render allegiance to
God only. This was the great and lasting benefit of
the great Reformation in the sixteenth century. To
give the knowledge of these things was to furnish the
means of regaining light, first on one point and then
on another, until the shining light increases unto the
perfect day.
But this was greatly counteracted by accepting
substantially the Roman dogma of baptismal regenera-
tion, on which, as we have seen, the power of the
Roman clergy was chiefly based. Luther, by searching
the Scriptures, saw that the doctrine of justification
by faith should not have been laid aside by Rome.
THE DOGMA OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 673
He accordingly embraced it, and tried to disseminate
it everywhere. But unhappily he did not uncom-
promisingly oppose the Roman theory of sacramental
justification. The theories are mutually repugnant
The Bible says, " Believe and thou shalt be saved."
Now, a man may believe before he is baptized, and
may therefore be in a state of salvation before bap-
tism. " Of His own will begat He us with the word
of truth," etc. (Jas. i. 18.) " Being born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of
God." (1 Peter i. 23.) In adults regeneration is indis-
solubly connected with faith. " When this is denied
the doctrine of justification by faith is plucked up by
the roots." (Goode on Ba^)., p. 313.) But if the doc-
trine of justification by faith is true, the sacraments
are not necessary for justification. " Being justified
by faith, we have peace with God." (Rom. v. 1.) " It
cannot be answered that faith justifieth but in part, for
that is perfect justification which worketh peace of
conscience in us ; but faith bringeth such justification ;
ergo, it justifieth perfectly." (Dr. Andrew Willett.)
Luther should have said : " We are not saved by the
reception of the sacraments. But if we shall confess
with our mouth the Lord Je«us, and shall believe in
our hearts that God hath raised him from the dead, by
that of itself we shall be saved." (Dr. Walter Haddon
in Goode, p. 359.) He should have said this ; but He
did not. Luther admitted the dogma of baptismal
regeneration, but tried to combine it with the doc-
trine of justification by faith. He supposed that he
43
'i
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674
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
could unite them by holding the baptismal regenera-
tion of believers. He was in some respects strangely
inconsistent. " He made a very energetic use of lib-
erty, and yet revived the Augustinian theory of the
annihilation of liberty." He " denied metaphysical
freedom, and yet claimed ecclesiastical liberty." So
he taught that salvation is by faith, and yet, that
baptism is an efficient means of salvation. He thought
he could remove the inconsistency by holding "that
its efiicacy depends upon the faith of the subject, and
that this efficacy resides, not in the water, but in the
word, and in the Holy Spirit in the word. This is his
view as presented b}^ his followers, (v. Krauth's Con-
servative Rpforination, pp. 545-584, quoted by Dr. A.
A. Hodge, Outlines of . heology, p. 626.)
If baptism spiritually regenerates adults^ it must be
supposed that it spiritually regenerates children also.
Luther accordingly believed that the child was "re-
generated by water and the Holy Ghost, and forgiven
all its sins" (p. 433.) But further, if in the case of
adults it regenerates them only as believers, then it
can regenerate only believing children. " There must
be in children something to correspond with that
which is required in adults for the attainment of that
blessing. The cases must come under one governing
principle." Luther therefore thought " that baptism
itself wrought faith in infants, or that they get from
the Spirit a certain beginning of faith, according to
their measure and proportion, which we are ignorant
of." (Goode, p. 176.) Not only so, that the minister is
THE DOGMA OF BAPl'ISMAL REGENERATION. 675
lal regenera-
cts strangely
c use of lib-
iheory of the
metaphysical
liberty." So
md yet, that
He thought
bolding "that
,e subject, and
3r, but in the
d. This is his
Krauth's Con-
)ted by Dr. A.
ilts» it must be
children also.
ihild was "re-
,, and forgiven
in the case of
lievers, then it
"There must
,nd with that
nment of that
one governing
"that baptism
Ithey get from
1, according to
e are ignorant
the minister is
to entertain " the hope and persuasion that the child
certainly believes." (Goode, p. 482.)
As Luther and others had spoken of an infantine
faith, thus impoverishing the meaning of faith, so
others proceeded to minify the meaning of regenera-
tion. When it is supposeu that the thing signified is
regeneration, and that the recipient must be capable
of the thing signified, the result is that the meaning of
regeneration has dwindled down to an infantine re-
generation corresponding to this infantine faith. They
make it to be a mere ablution of original sin, with-
out spiritual regeneration ; sufficient for salvation if
they die in infancy, but not sufficient if they pass the
infantine state and become adults. But see what
follows : " If baptism be the remedy that takes away
original sin, then children dying without baptism are
damned." (Goode, p. 357.)
After reflection Luther himself was not satisfied
with the form for the baptism of infants which he
first published in 1523. He would have liked to have
made some changes in a subsequent edition ; but he
said, " I leave the most part unchanged, lest weak con-
sciences complain that I have instituted a new bap-
tism, and lest those already baptized complain that
they are not rightly baptized." Influenced by this
charitable regard for the feelings of others, he retained
much of that which had long been in use. Unhappily
Luther thought that Rome had departed little from
the true doctrine of baptism. This was a tremendous
error; and it resulteu in his adopting substantially
676
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
the Roman view of this doctrine. As Luther had
erroneously made faith preliminary to baptism, he of
course awakened objections afjainst infant baptism.
It was said, " If only believers may be baptized, chil-
dren should not be baptized at all, because they have
no faith." Faith "cometh by hearin^^, and hearing by
the word of God." Faith presupposes intellectual
knowledge of God's promises, conlideuce in their truth-
fulness, and expectation of their fulfilment. It is
manifest that children have not this faitli. Tiiey erro-
neously assumed with Luther that faith was requisite
to baptism, and then, to be consistent, rejected infant
baptism. They unwisely adopted the Roman dogma
that baptism is very closely connected with regenera-
tion ; but while the Romanists said, " We are the
children of God, we are baptized," they said, " We are
baptized because we are the children of Go 1." Ro-
manists represented baptism as preliminary and con-
tributory to salvation. They said, " It is confirmatory
of salvation." The Romanists said, '• Baptism as a
means and instrument confers salvation." They said,
" Baptism as a sign and seal attests salvation." But
the latter is as untrue as the former opinion, and is
fitted to produce very injurious effects. If baptism
were intended to be a confirmation that salvation has
been already conferred, it would not be etitrusted to
uninspired a'lministrators. No uninspired man is
qualified or authorized to give visible assurance of
salvation to his fellow-man. Such assurance mav
often be given to false professors, and act most disas-
THE DOGMA OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 677
Luther had
iptisin, he of
int baptism,
aptized, chil-
sc they have
(I hearing by
i intellectual
[1 their truth -
ment. It is
1. They erro-
was requisite
QJected infant
Ionian dogma
nth regenera-
" We are the
Isaid, " We are
of Gol." Ro-
nary and con-
confirmatory
^>aptism as a
," They said,
Ivation." But
•pinion, and is
If baptism
salvation has
entrusted to
ipired man is
assurance of
,ssu ranee may
,ct most disas-
r>
trously in their minds. Baptism alone would be taken
as a sufRcient proof of personal salvation, and a suffi-
cient evidence of a regular, true, and lawful church.
When a seal is used God is the sealer, and the Spirit
is tl ^ seal. (2 Cor. i. 21, 22.) When the Spirit is
grieved away the seal is removed and the mark of
God's acceptance is gone. The proper assurance of the
love of God to sinners, which every sinner may spe-
cifically apply to himself, is the gift of God's own Son,
whom He hath given for the life of the world; and to
this no minor assurance can add any confirmation. "A
ritual ordinance ofiers no assurance, no word of en-
courao'cment to us in our unbelief ; and in our belief
the verbal and express assurance of God in the Bible
is the object, the all-siifiicient object, of our faith."
Calvin unwisely adopted, to a great extent, the
Romish view of baptism. He supposed "that the
thing represented by baptism is regeneration" (Inst.
iv. 16, 4) — i.e., spiritual regeneration as mentioned in
his catechism. He accepted also the further thought
" that the sign and the thing signified must be so con-
nected together as not to make the sign empty or
inefficacious"; that baptism, consequently, is God's ordi-
nary instrument to wash and renew us, and moreover
to communicate salvation to us. (Op., Vol. VIII., p.
258.) But to be consisten' with his other opinions he
inferred that the sacraments are of avail to God's elect
only, and "do not profit all without distinction, but
the elect of God only." (Gootv^, p. 164, 165.) Hence
he attributed to " the efficacy of the Spirit the power
678
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
of baptism to cleanse and regenerate " (p. 166). He
thus avoided " magnifying the sign so as to take
away from the Holy Spirit what belongs to Him."
But he retained the idea that baptism is appointed to
be the ordinary means of regeneration. [Note — We
might here remark that this view of baptism has been
adopted by the Confession of Faith of the Reformed
Churches.] It is affirmed in ch. xxviii., sections 5 and
6 : " That by the right use of this ordinance " (baptism)
" the grace promised is not only offered, but really ex-
hibited and conferred by the Holy Ghost to such
(whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth
unto." Yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably
annexed unto it as that no person can be regenerated
or saved without it, or that all that are baptized are
undoubtedly regenerated. "They think that baptis-
mal grace is not necessarily connected in time with
the administration of the ordinance. And that it
depends upon two things: (1) The right use of the
ordinance; (2) the secret purpose of God." (Dr. Hodge.)
Th's was a modification of the Roman theory, instead
of a rejection of it, as there ought to have been.
There is no foundation whatever in Scripture for the
opinion that baptism confers saving grace in any
case. It has been remarked that "though the word
* grace ' occurs one hundred and twenty-eight times in
the New Testament, there is not one text in which
the word occurs in any connection with either of
the sacraments." (Wilson in McClintock and Strongs
Cyclopedia.)
THE DOGMA OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 679
The Anglican Reformers, too, did their work in a
very defective manner. The greater number of the
Anglican clergy about that time accepted the dogma
of predestination, as taught by Calvin. (See Goode on
Bap., p. 86.) And they presented it so as to leave no
proper perception of a holy moral government of the
world. They by plain implication made God the
author of sin, and freed wicked men from all sense of
responsibility. This furnished Popery with strong
objections against the Reformation theology ; objec-
tions which are repeated to the present day.
They accepted also in great part the Roman dogma
of baptismal regeneration. They did not examine
it, as they would have done if they had noticed the
prominence which the Papacy gives to this doctrine.
" It is placed primarily on the list of Roman Catholic
sacraments, because they regard it as the origin of
spiritual life, as the door of entrance into the Church,
as the qualification for partaking of the other sacra-
ments." (Elliott's Delineation of Romanism, p. 111.)
Bellarmine (Bapt., i. 4) represents the question in
controversy between Catholics and Protestants to be
this, " Whether baptism is necessary as a means of
salvation, so that he who is not baptized perishes," etc.
{Winer.) "The priesthood," says Schlegel, "stands or
falls with faith in the sacraments." Yet the Reform-
ers unwisely thought that the least corrupt part of the
Roman theology was its theory of baptism. They
supposed that this part had least need of a reforming
hand. They accordingly made but little change at
fTT"
n V
m
680
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
this point ; so little that they still " entertained essen-
tially the same view of the nature of baptism as
Rome had done." (Hazenbach, Hist, of Doc, ii., p. 364.)
Being Calvinists they had to make some modification.
It was easy to see that if there was election, as they
supposed, and if baptism is the ordinary instrument
of regeneration, as they unwiselj^ conceded, then it
followed that they should take the position that bap-
tism is an instrument of regeneration in the case of
the elect, and in their case only. They accordingly
denied that part of the Roman doctrine which asserts
that the administrators of baptism can dispense God's
grace to anybody they please in infancy. " No man
holding the doctrine called Calvinistic, on the subject
of election and final perseverance, can consistently
hold that the universal efi'ect of baptism in infants
is to produce spiritual regeneration (in the full and
proper sense of the term)." (Goode, p. 255.) If there
be election in the Calvinistic sense of the word, and if
baptism be intended for the elect, it can be of no
benefit to the non-elect. They therefore said, " There
is no necessity that we should tie the working of God's
Spirit to the sacraments more than to the Word." The
promises of salvation are offered to all by the Word,
and yet are not conveyed to all hearers by the Spirit.
So the Spirit does not convey inward grace to all who
receive the outward elements. They contended, ac-
cordingly, that when a gracious effect is produced, it is
done by the power of the Holy Ghost accompanying
the administration, and not by any virtue infused
THE DOGMA OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 681
I I
lined essen-
baptism as
, ii., p. 364.)
lodification.
ion, as they
instrument
led, then it
)n that bap-
the case of
accordingly
/-hich asserts
spense God's
"No man
(I the subject
consistently
n in infants
the full and
.) If there
word, and if
,n be of no
aid, "There
ing of God's
Word." The
»y the Word,
the Spirit.
:e to all who
tended, ac-
■oduced, it is
Icompanying
tue infused
into the water that is used, or by any power given to
the words that are pronounced.
But after making these distinctions they proceeded
to make them of none effect by acting on what has
been called the hypothetical principle, that all whom
they baptized were elect persons, and therefore that
they may regard all these as baptismally regenerated ;
that on this account they may use, respecting the bap-
tized, the language appropriate to the regenerate,
which is found in the Prayer Book. Dr. Moyer says
also, " Our Church doth not usurp the gift of prophecy,
to take upon her to discern which of her children
belong to God's unsearchable election, but in the judg-
ment of charity embraceth them all as God's inherit-
ance; and hereby teacheth every one of us so to believe
of ourselves by faith, and of others by charity." {Goods,
p. 473.) Archbishop Lawrence went so far as to lay
aside all mental reservations connected with such gen-
eral expressions, and to make " the monstrous state-
ment that all in the visible Church are to be considered
as the elect." (Goode on Baptism, p. 104.)
Baptism was regarded as the external seal of pre-
conferred election. Richard Hooker did not speak so
strongly. He only said baptism is " a seal, perhaps, to
the grace of election before received." {Goode, p. 370.)
But others did not say " perhaps." They used the lan-
guage of presumptive belief ; on this principle of pre-
sumptive belief they acted generally. Not only the
form of infant baptism, but the burial service, and, in
short, every service in the Book of Common Prayer, is
1
ii
■ ■
\\m
^ II
,'i ; ,' ■;■'■,
682
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
drawn up on the supposition or charitable presumption
that the person interested is one of the elect, and as
such is, or will be, saved.
They admitted that the judj^ment of charity is dis-
tinct from the judgment of certainty; yet they used
the language of the latter to express the former, and
even exhorted the baptized to feel assured that they
were made the children and heirs of God.
They justified the use of such language by a misap-
plication of Paul's statement, " Charity believeth all
things." The apostle meant that Christian love in-
clines a person to form favourable opinions and hopes
respecting the conduct of men towards their fellow-
beings, when there is no evidence to the contrary. He
did not mean that a liberal inclination to put the best
possible construction on things may form the measure
and standard of doctrinal truth, and of evangelical
faith. To use the judgment of charity as they did was
an unwise and unsafe expedient. They sometimes,
indeed, admitted that their charitable judgment might
be mistaken. To do so enabled them consistently, as
they thought, to resist the popish view that baptism
always regenerates, and to deny that it is indispen-
sably necessary to salvation. The}'' held that some
persons may be saved without it, because they argued
as Calvinists that, " No elect person can be damned ;
but some elect are unbaptized, therefore some unbap-
tized cannot be damned. Hence salvation is not tied
to baptism." (Bishop Babington in Goode on Bap., p.
322.) But for the same reason they supposed that
THE DOGMA OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 683
resumption
ect, and as
,rity is dis-
b they used
Eornier, and
a that they
by a misap-
)elieveth all
Lan love in-
is and hopes
,heir fellow -
3ntrary. He
put the best
the measure
evangelical
hey did was
Y sometimes,
gment might
nsistently, as
,hat baptism
is indispen-
l that some
they argued
be damned;
some unbap-
n is not tied
le on Ba'p., p.
apposed that
faith is not necessary to salvation. They said, "It is
easy to distinguish between the gift convoyed and the
manner of conveying it. Faith is not of absolute
necessity to all God's elect, but only to those to whom
God affords means of believing. It is the application
of Christ's righteousness that justifieth us, not our ap-
prehending it." (Archbishop Usher in Goode, p. 350.)
They tried to keep themselves l^y such reasonings
from going back fully to the Roman theory. But, un-
happily, they had accepted not only the substance of
the Roman theory, but a good deal of Roman phrase-
ology respecting baptism, when compiling the formu-
laries of the Church of England. In doing so they
yielded to the circumstances in which they were
placed. They prepared a book of prayer in English
to take the place of the old Latin one. The new book,
like the old one, was to be for the whole nation, who
were to consider themselves bound to worship accord-
ing to the prescribed national ritual. To secure this
unity of public worship the compilers were instructed
not to introduce a new form of worship, but to correct
and amend the old one, and yet to make no unneces-
sary alterations. Hence, though they put out some
things, they left in so much that the Book of Common
Prayer, as revised in 1559, was quietly accepted by all
parties in the nation — by those who had not been won
over to the Reformers' opinions, as well as by those
who had been. "All parties attended divine service
in the church without any contradiction or show of
misliking for about eleven or twelve years." (Blunt,
m i !s
■;i «
684
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
Diet, of Sectfi, pp. 490, 493.) Not only so, the Pope
(Pius IV.) offered to regard the new book as authentic,
and not repugnant to truth, though not containing as
much as might conveniently be ; and that he would
allow it, without changing any part, it* Queen Eliza-
beth would acknowledge to receive it from him, and
by his allowance." (Blunt, Diet, of Sects, p. 504.)
The main point of difference between the Church of
England and the Pope, at the period now referred to
originally consisted in the claim made by the Pope, on
the one hand, to exercise jurisdiction over the clergj^
and laity of England ; and the denial of that claim, on
the other, by the clergy in convocation, and the sover-
eign, prelate, and laity in parliament." Henry VIII.
revolted against this claim. And when Queen Eliza-
beth refused to re-acknowledge it, the Pope, by a bull,
excommunicated and deposed her, and cursed those
who would obey her. And it is stated that " he
offered to bestow her kingdom on any prince who
should attempt to conquer it." This led to a separa-
tion. Those who were not won over by the Reformers
now separated themselves from the national worship ;
but they did not form a separate community until the
bull was followed by the Jesuits. These first came to
England in 1581. They proceeded to organize the
Recusants, as they were called, into a Roman cor •
munity, numbering, it is thought by some, not more
than sixty thousand, or about one per cent, of the
whole population.
The Calvinistic party, feeling that the wording of
THE DOGMA OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 685
the Pope
authentic,
taining as
he would
leen Eliza-
n him, and
504.)
s Church of
referred to
he Pope, on
• the clergj^
at claim, on
d the sover-
lenry VIII.
;)ueen Eliza-
e, by a bulh
ursed those
that "he
prince who
to a separa-
e Reformers
lal worship ;
_ty until the
irst came to
rGfanize the
,oman coi ■
e, not more
;ent. of the
wording of
the Prayer Book on the point now before us was
against them, wished to get a review, for the purpose
of putting out or altering what had a popish taint.
But they found a strong party opposed. They took
the Arminian side of what have been called the "five
points," but did not accept Arminius' view of bap-
tism, and were averse to any change in the episcopal
form of church organization. This party had become
influential enough to counteract the efforts of the
Oalvinistic party to get certain changes made in the
Prayer Book. Not only so, they succeeded in making
the book a^ little more popish than it was. A few
words were slipped in in one place and left out in
another, and altered in a third, so as to take off' the
edge of expressions that might tell against their op-
ponents, and to introduce what might serve them."
(Goode on Bap., p. 419, et alibi)
The Arminians continued to increase until they
greatly outnumbered the other party, as we learn from
a statement made by the Earl of Chatham in the
House of Lords. He said, '' We have a Calvinistic
creed, an Arminian clergy, and a popish liturgy." He
might have added, a popish baptismal service. And,
unhappily, the popish view of the ordinances counter-
acted and overlaid both the Calvinistic and the Armin-
ian view of the Gospel. A High Churchman truly
remarks, " Articles of faith are weak compared with
liturgical forms." Liturgical forms, and other forms
of service, have, as a general thing, more influence on
the public mind. In the case before us, the error of
nif!
1
I'li^
\n^
i'li
U-i
686
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
baptismal regeneration embodied in the baptismal
form of service prevailed over the Calvinistic articles
on the one hand, and the Arminian theology on the
other. Those who used baptism to do the Spirit's
work embraced the opinion that the Spirit of God had
virtually departed from the world. " The theory was
that in the first ages of Christianity the Spirit had
gone with the apostles, working miracles, and that in
virtue of these miracles Christianitv was believed.
After a time the Spirit withdrew from the Church,
and miracles ceased. The Bible, or according to
another theory, the Church, took the place of the
Spirit." (Hunt's History of Religious Thought in
England.) " Thus Christianity without the Spirit was
regarded as being simply a republication of natural
religion, accredited by the historic evidence of miracles.
Paley said the only purpose of Christianity was to
afford a more certain assurance of a future life." (D?'.
Crooks.) Lecky says that the theologians who were
contemporary with Wesley, "beyond a belief in the
doctrine of the Trinity, and a general acknowledg-
ment of the Gospel narratives, taught little that might
not have been taught by the disciples of Socrates or
Confucius." (Dr. Crooks.)
These thinsfs need not have been so. A Calvinistic
Whitefield and an Arminian Wesley held to some
extent the traditional dogma of baptismal regenera-
tion ; but they held also the revised Scripture doctrine
of salvation by faith. And they did not magnify the
former so as to set aside the latter. They gave promi-
THE DOGMA OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 087
nence to the Gospel and preached it with great and
glorious efficiency. But other ministers magnified
baptism so as to set aside the Spirit and to set aside
the Gospel.
The prevalent tlieory respecting the Divine Spirit
was not accepted by Wesley. He saw that the Bible
asserted the continual presence and agency of the
Spirit. He accordingly gave special prominence to
this doctrine. Persons in other denominations have
noticed this. Dr. Dale, a distinfjuished Cons-refjational
minister, when making a fraternal address to the
British Conference in 1879, said, " There was one dis-
tinctive thought, as it has always seemed to me, in the
teaching of the illustrious founder of your Society, of
which I venture to remind you. I think I am right
in saying that the doctrine of the Holy Ghost had a
position in John Wesley's teaching more conspicuous
than that which it held in the teaching of any of his
contemporaries. How much John Wesley did for you
and for us by that part of his teaching it is impossible
to assume."
[Note. — The name of Wesley is often thus briefly
given, on the principle implied in the following illus-
tration : An English officer, in conversation with a
Prussian one, heard the latter mention the name of
Wellington, and remarked : " You might have said,
' General Wellington.' " " Oh," replied the Prussian
officer, " We never say ' General Caesar.' " In the case
of very distinguished persons, the idea of their rank
jwj
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688
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
or office is inseparably associated with even their
shortest name.]
Wesley being a minister of the Church of England,
was, as might be expected, influenced to some extent
by its views of baptism, and by its interpretation of
certain texts that were alleged to refer to this ri^e.
He believed that the teaching of the Church of Ene:-
land is, that baptism is the appointed means whereby
God grants remission of sins, and a new and spiritual
birth ; that all who are baptized in their infancy are
at the same time born again. He saw, however, that
many baptized children " became af^-erwards the chil-
dren of the devil, and therefore must be born again."
He believed, too, that in the case of adults a man may
be possibly born of water who is not born of the
Spirit. He concluded that baptism was not the new
birth; they are not one and the same thing.
Wesley asserted " that baptism is not the new
birth." {SevTYion on the Neiv Birth.) He affirmed that
" baptism is not any part of the new birth." When
writing to the Rev. Mr. Potter, in the year 1758, he
said, " It is impossible it should be. The outward
sign is no more a part of the inward grace than the
body is a part of the soul." He says in his notes on
John iii. 3, " No ceremonial ordinances can entitle any
to the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom," and affirms
that " an entire change of heart as well as of life is
necessary for that purpose, and that this can only be
wrought in man by the power of God." He had
learned, however, with special clearness, that salva-
THE DOGMA OF BAPTISMAL JlEGENEilATlON. 689
even
their
>f England,
ome extent
)retation of
bo this r:*-e.
'ch of Enor-
ns whereby
,nd spiritual
infancy are
)wever, that
rds the chil-
born again."
s a man may
born of the
not the new
ot the new
affirmed that
rth." When
3ar 1758, he
'he outward
ice than the
his notes on
entitle any
' and affirms
as of life is
can only be
He had
that salva-
n
>>
tion by faith may be obtained independently of bap-
tism; and was, in fact, so obtained by thousands in his
(lay. He saw that his followers, who for several years
preached salvation by faith, without administering
either of the sacraments, were the means of leading
thousands into the way of salvation. He therefore
saw plainly that many were regenerated independently
of baptism. On the other hand, he saw with equal
clearness that many who were baptized were not re-
generated, even when those who administered the rite
were appointed to do so by those who claim to be in
apostolical succession. He saw that if all baptized
members of the Church of England were Christians,
then there were " drunken Christians," " cursing and
swearing Christians," " lying Christians," " cheating
Christians." He could not accept this. He told such
persons that they must be born again before they
could enter the kingdom of God.
It was thus made manifest that John Wesley had
in a great measure freed himself from the Anglican
opinions respecting baptismal regeneration. But, un-
happily, he did not get wholly away from them. He
still regarded baptism to be related to regeneration.
He thought it was " the outward sign of an inward
and spiritual regeneration"; hence he sometimes used
language which implied that he thought they were
intended to go together, and that they sometimes did
so. But, as already remarked, he knew well they
often did not ; because many baptized persons did not
exhibit the scriptural evideno«s of regeneration! And
44
690
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
he believed that those who had not the marks ot* it
should be ur^ed to seek it ; hence he preached ser-
mons on salvation by faith, but, as one has observed,
" never did he preach one on salvation by baptism."
He and his fellow-labourers revived the doctrine of
justification by faith — the great doctrine of the Lu-
theran era ; and he and they gave special prominence
to the important doctrine of regeneration by the
Spirit, which is the equally characteristic doctrine of
the Methodist era.
The apostolic doctrine of the Spirit's continual pres-
ence, and of regeneration by the Spirit, having been
thus revived, many of the Anglican clergy accepted it,
and preached in some measure as Mr. Wesley did. But
others merely returned to the medieval opinion that
regeneration resulted from a peculiar and supernatural
conjunction of the operation of the Divine Spirit with'
the human application of the baptismal fluid; that these
are not two distinct operations, but two parts of one
operation, or rather, a joint operation of the Divine
Spirit and the human baptizer. This theory is advo-
cated by the High Church party. But they lay special
stress on the outward ordinance and on its efficacy.
They contend that baptism, when administered by those
who have been duly ordained for the purpose, must al-
ways be effectual in the accomplishment of regeneration.
They hold, accordi ^gly, that the Prayer Book teaches
that every child is in baptism born again by a new
and spiritual birth, such as cannot be repeated, and
which makes a man spiritually regenerate for the rest
THE DOCJMA OF liAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 691
in arks of it
i-eachod ser-
aa observed,
)y baptism."
doctrine of
> of the Lu-
prominence
bion by the
J doctrine of
»ntinual pres-
having been
y accepted it,
sleydid. But
opinion that
supernatural
le Spirit with *
lid; that these
parts of one
>f the Divine
eory is advo-
ey lay special
its efficacy.
,ered by those
lose, must al-
regeneration.
iBook teaches
in by a new
■epeated, and
for the rest
of his life. They hold that the spiritual benefits of
baptism are immediately conferred ; that they are not
suspended till the baptized persons attend to certain
conditions, as another party in that Church thinks.
They contend earnestly for immediate results. They
contend that the water and the grace are inseparably
connected, so that spiritual regeneration is always
conferred upon infants in baptism ; that this effect is
universal and unconditional. They are indisposed to
tolerate even an Anglican minister 'vho differs from
them on this point. The Bishop of Exeter, for in-
stance, in 1848, refused to admit an Anglican clergy-
man to a benefice in his diocese unless he could give
an afiiirmative answer to the following questions: —
" Does our Church hold, and do you hold, that every
infant baptized by a lawful minister, with water, in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost, is made by God in such baptism a mem-
ber of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the
kingdom of heaven ? Does our Church hold, and do
you hold, that such children, by the laver of regenera-
tion in baptism, are received into the number of the
children of God, and heirs of everlasting life ? Does
our Church hold, and do you hold, that all infants so
baptized are born again of water and of the Holy
Ghost?" (Blunt's Diet of Sects, p. 198.)
" These advocates of baptismal regeneration, without
committing themselves to the Romish theory of an
opus operatvurri, hold that baptism is God's ordained
instrument of communicating the benefits of redemp-
mi''i
Si:
j..liH
i
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692
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
tion in the first instance ; that whatever gracious ex-
periences may be enjoyed by the unbaptized are un-
covenanted mercies ; that by baptism the seed of ori^^-
inal sin is removed, and the Holy Ghost is given, whose
effects remain like a seed in the soul, to be actualized
by the free will of the subject, or neglected, and hence
rendered abortive : that every infant is regenerated
when baptized. If he dies in infancy the seed is actu-
alized in paradise. If he lives to adult age its result
depends upon his use of it." (Blunts Did. of Tkeol.,
Art. Baptism ; Outlines of TheuL, by A. A. Hodge, p. 627.)
As in the Roman so in the High portion of the
Anglican Church, the dogma of baptismal regenera-
tion has set aside the doctrine of justification by faith.
It was rendered unnecessary, as Gardiner objected, in
a Church which believed that persons were justified
when baptized in infancy, {v. Goode, p. 198.)
The High Church party say it is not an apostolic
doctrine. They say Paul referred to " the un regener-
ate Jew or heathen" when he preached this doctrine
and " promised free and entire pardon through the
atoning blood." But, say ih^y, " there is an essential
difference between their unregenerate state and that
of baptized Christians." Hence they contend that to
be justified means "to be made righteous in the sight
of God by baptism," and that after baptism the only
justification is by faith and works ; that such persons
are justified by " a righteousness which is really in-
herent in them, though wrought by God's grace."
(Blunt's Diet of Doct TheoL, Art. Justification.) They
THE DOGMA OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 693
think, with Rome, that we are justified by a faith that
worketh by charity or love. But as Cranmer said,
" Paul teaches that we are justified by faith without
all the works of the law : charity is a work of the
law : ergo, we are justified without charity." {v. Goode,
p. 197.) They say that "justification by faith, in the
Lutheran sense of the words, is an anti-Christian doc-
trine." {Glossary of Eccles. Terms.) They virtually
hold salvation by sacraments.
They undervalue the preachinf^ of the everlasting
Gospel. " The sacraments," says Bishop Doane, of Al-
bany, "are the life and glory of the EngPsh Church,
and preaching is but an adjunct." (Manual of Chris-
tian Doctrine.)
The holders of this theory do not deny the work of
the Spirit, but they arrogate partnership with Jehovah
in the work of regeneration. Not only so ; they claim
to be the leading, managing partners, having the power
to make God work with them as often as they will to
administer a ceremony. And they think that this
delegated power would not become ineflScacious if they
should fall into any error in doctrine or in life. A dis-
tinguished expounder of the Tractarian creed tells us
that in their opinion " the sacraments are the chief
and central fountain of the vital infiuences of religion
when the Church is in health and vigour ; their never
wholly obstructed source when she is overspread with
the frost of indifference ; their last and innermost fast-
nesses when latent infidelity gnaws and eats away the
heart of her creed, and of all he collateral ordinances."
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694
Baptizing and teaching.
{Church Principles, p. 183, quoted by Stacey in The
Sacraments, p. 292.) So, too, they think that those
who receive baptism at their hands are not only placed
in a state of salvation, but are " sealed with a mark
which subsequent sin cannot efface." {Dr. Pitsey.)
Such teaching is no part of " the truth that is accord-
ing to godliness." It makes void the law. It finds a
substitute for holiness. It implies that men may unite
the practice of sin with the hope of salvation. It thus
prevents that confession and forsaking of sin without
which God will not pardon past transgressions.
Their views of baptism are intimately connected
with their views of the Church. They say the Church
is the company of them that are regenerate. This
would be true if they meant the company of them that
are regenerated by the Divine Spirit. But if they
mean that the Church is the company of them that are
baptized, they sadly err. Baptism does not initiate
into the Church. No company can form the body of
Christ when they do not take Him for their Head.
They do not form the sheepfold of Christ when they
do not " hear His voice and follow Him." They are
not regenerated by the Spirit when they do not ex-
hibit the fruits of the Spirit. These fruits may be
known by man as well as by God.
The doctrine of baptismal regeneration held by the
Church of England is as destitute of the fruits of right-
eousness as is the popish form of the dogma. Some
try to account for this inefficacy by arguing that it is
dependent on conditions which are not fulfilled. Its
THE DOGMA OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 695
efficacy, we are told, is partly or wholly dependent on
some one or more of the following conditions, which
may or may not be present. On condition that it be
administered (a) in a certain prescribed mode, or (b)
to persons that belong to the elect, or (c) to persons
whose faith is foreseen by God, or (d) to persons whose
faith is promised by sponsors, or (e) to persons on whose
behalf the Church exercises faith, or (/) to those who
have believing parents. To the absence of one or other
of these alleged conditions different persons attribute
the failure of baptism to regenerate. But they have
not proved, and cannot prove, that these are Divinely
appointed conditions of regeneration. We regard them
as human devices for avoiding a humiliating objection.
Others hold that the efficacy of baptism to regener-
ate depends on present personal faith. But those who
have personal faith would be regenerated independ-
ently of baptism ; hence the case of those believers
who are regenerated at the time of baptism does not
prove that baptism was the instrumental means of
their regeneration. They were regenerated then be-
cause they then believed, not because they were then
baptized. To make ritual baptism equally necessary
to salvation is to overthrow the fundamental doctrine
of salvation by faith only. One fact will prove by
example that ritual baptism " is not necessary to salva-
tion. The thief who believed on the cross was saved
without baptism." (Carson, Bap., p. 477.)
We are aware that all Anglican ministers have not
supposed that baptism confers immediate regeneration.
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHINO.
Some think tliat it confers it remotely — that it gives
federal regeneration by giving a federal admission
into Christianity. They regard baptism as the act by
which a Gospel covenant between God and man is
signed and sealed, in which therefore the engagement
on God's part is to be met by a corresponding engage-
ment on the part of man, if they would be benefited
by baptism. Adults are to profess true faith and re-
pentance, and vow that they will observe and adhere
to the whole Christian religion. The Church then is
charitably to presume and hope that the profession
and vow are sincere. But if not, baptism is not effica-
cious ; for, " though man may have to treat profession
as a reality, God is not to be thus mocked."
When the persons are too young to exercise this
faith and repentance, a promise is made for them by
sponsors that they will exercise these, which promise
they are bound to perform. This seems to imply that
if the Church could foresee that this promise will never
be fulfilled, she would not give baptism to them ; for
it is given on this condition and understanding, and
it is only when such promise is performed that bap-
tism can be considered to be efficacious. They can
only charitably hope that the covenant may be a valid
one. The full baptismal blessing is therefore not real-
ized in infancy, on this theory, uriless " it is granted on
the ground of foreseen faith and repentance." (v. Goode
on Bap., pp. 409, 402, et alibi.) Some expressions in
the Prayer Book imply that some of the compilers had
this federal view of baptism. Hence the committee
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THE DOGMA OF liAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 697
of the Privy Council that considered the Gorham case,
above referred to, judged that it is not unlawful for an
Anglican minister to hold that the benefits of baptism
are suspended till conditions have been attended to.
This theory, too, involves the popish principle that a
mediating clergy is necessary to salvation ; that with-
out it no covenant could be made between God and
man. This theory of baptism involves still a basis for
sacerdotal mediation and usurpation. The Society of
Friends reject altogether baptism with water, because
they seem to have associated it inseparably with the
dogma of baptismal regeneration. If they saw that it
is associated with teaching, and not with regenerating,
they would probably discontinue their opposition to
the ordinance.
We might here notice the error of the Campbellite
Baptists. They erroneously adopt the opinions of the
Pelagians and Romans, that baptism is the means of
conferring remission of sins. They think it was ap-
pointed to stand in the same relation to remission of
sins as repentance towards God and faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ. Not only so ; they say to all who believe
and repent, " Be immersed, every one of you, in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Bap-
tism is supposed by them to be equally necessary to
salvation, and this supposition completely overthrows
the fundamental doctrine of salvation by faith only.
It is a fundamental principle of this truth as it is in
Jesus, that nothing which one man can give to or take
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iBAPtlZlNG AND TEACHING.
from his fellow-man can convey salvation. " Each soul
by its own act of faith attaches itselfc* directly to Jesus,
without any intervening object, visible or invisible."
And he that believeth obtains salvation immediately
from God himself. " Who can forgive sins but God
only ?" But to believe that baptism is an efficacious
means or channel of salvation is a false and dangerous
doctrine. If life or death, and that forever, depends
on an outward rite, and if the administering of that
rite is the work of a fellow-man, " the intervention of
a human mediator between God and man is estab-
lished" {North British Review, Aug., 1857), and a
foundation is laid on which to build ministerial usur-
pation and tyranny, which in time may rival that of
Popery.
We are surely warranted in concluding that a dogma
which has directly tended to bring in such perilous
errors, such hierarchical arrogancy, such inquisitorial
tyranny ; which has dared to put the Holy Spirit out of
office, and to find a substitute for the Gospel — a dogma
which has done such things for ages, to a fearful ex-
tent, cannot possibly be a right interpretation of the
truth that is in Jesus, and that is according to godli-
ness.
We close our remarks by mentioning one very lam-
entable and dangerous result of the teaching of bap-
tismal regeneration. Those churches, as some have
observed, " have lost hold of great masses of men," and
are doing so more and more. Those masses of men
are the ones who are now plotting to overthrow the
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THE DOGMA OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 699
existence of all rule, authority and order, and seem
ready to commence at any moment the tremendous
upheaval. Those churches had not taui^ht those masses
the Gospel of Christ that is the wisdom of God and
the power of God unto personal salvation, and that
can teach the saved to be benevolent and useful mem-
bers of society. The Church did not teach it to them
when it had a long opportunity. They suppose, there-
fore, the Church knows nothing about such a plan.
They think that if social wrongs and miseries are to
be remedied, they must look for that remedy in the
direction of communism and socialism. Some would
begin by pulling down everything that man has built
up, and would then begin to build on some new plan
of their own, after having deprived all the. rest of their
money and estates. These lawless men are at the bid-
ding of leaders still more lawless and revolutionary,
but seem strangely counteracted by the wonder-work-
ing providence of God. God, however, may be merely
giving those churches who do know the Gospel of God
time to go in among them with the pure Gospel, that
faith may come by hearing ; and faith calling on the
name of the Lord may obtain salvation. This is be-
ing done to some extent, but with perilous slowness.
It should be done with all diligence ; nothing else may
entirely avert the impending overthrow of all that
contributes to public safety and civil and religious
liberty.
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BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE GREAT COMMANDMENT.
"Thou shalfc love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy n»ind.
This is the first and ^reat commandment. And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neif^hbour
as thyself." (Matt. xxii. 37-89.) These words of the
Great Teacher worthily claim our best attention. They
convey instruction of the highest importance to every
person throughout all generations. Preparatory to
their examination we may notice the occasion of their
utterance. The Lord Jesus Christ when tabernacling
among men was approached by some of the Sadducees
who thought they could argue with Him. They were
soon put to silence, however. A listening Pharisee
was doubtless pleased to perceive the force of Christ's
reasonings with His opponents, and that as a Teacher
He raised men's thoughts above the body and its rela-
tion to material forces and to their modes of operation.
He doubtless had his attention drawn to higher themes
respecting the soul and its relation to the spiritual
world, and to the Father of the spirits of all flesh, and
to the commandments which a personal Lawgiver has
proclaimed for the guidance of intelligent free-agents.
He understands that moral law is a Divinely-given
commandment.
THE GREAT COMMANDMENT.
701
1 with all thy
1 all thy n«md.
ent. And the
thy neif^hbour
words of the
ttention. They
'tance to every
^Preparatory to
:casion of their
n tabernacling
the Sadducees
In. They were
nins Pharisee
rce of Christ's
as a Teacher
y and its rela-
s of operation,
higher themes
the spiritual
|f all flesh, and
Lawgiver has
t free-agents,
ivinely-given
The scribe knew that these were commandments,
and thouiiht that some would be greater than others ;
and he wished to know which was the great command-
ment. Some of his companions probably thought that
the law of ceremonies was the greatest ; but he may
not have been satisfied with their opinion. It may
be that he supposed that the precepts of the law were
too many for any one person to observe them all ; that
each person, therefore, should select one or two im-
portant ones and obey these on the assumption that
such obedience would excuse the transgression of the
other precepts.
In the opinion of some of the Jews the law of sacri-
fices was the greatest. But they did not properly
understand that the great object of Christ's sacrifice
was to make an end of sin, and bring in everlasting
righteousness. God's plan of redemption is a most
important one ; but he established also the means of
renewing men unto obedience to His law.
Some of the Jews thought it very important to
have certain chosen texts written on bands, which,
during prayers, were to be worn on the forehead or
on the arm in such a manner that the arm may touch
the flesh, and thus place the writing next to the heart-
Others had difl'erent opinions ; and in this diversity
the Pharisee washes to know which, in Christ's esti-
mation, is the great commandment.
The Great Teacher was fully qualified to answer
this important question, and He did so with remark-
able simplicity and brevity. He replied by quoting
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702
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
Deut. vi. 4 — " Hear, O Israel : The Lord our God is
one Lord." The word translated " Lord " being singu-
lar, and the word translated " God " being plural, it
follows that the words just quoted make reference to
the unity pertaining to the blessed Trinity. The Per-
sons of the Godhead possess the highest possible same-
ness of essential attributes and properties, and yet a
distinction of Persons in a manner unrevealed, perhaps
because incomprehensible by our minds in this early
stage of our career. The heathen believed in one
supreme God and other inferior ones. The Scriptures
teach that there are no inferior gods. " Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy strength," and " love
thy neighbour as thyself."
In Christ's estimation the great commandments are
not those which pertain to mere outward acts and
ceremonies, but those which specially address them-
selves to the inward dispositions, and seek to regulate
the highest affection of which the human soul is
capable — the affection of love. The two great com-
mandments in this respect are alike : they concern
themselves with the inward emotions more than with
the outward actions, and with love as the greatest and
highest principle of action. It is clearly seen that
" the ideal of greatness which Christ presented to us
is of a different character from that which has chiefly
fixed the enthusiastic gaze of man. His ideal of great-
ness is associated with goodness rather than with
power or intellect." (Edinburgh Review on Pascal.)
THE GREAT COMMANDMENT.
703
In His opinion, without love man is not truly great.
" The standard of greatness in His kingdom is not
physical prowess or mental superiority, wealth, or
power," but holy and active love. This is to be the
essential attainment of all true Christians. It is not
restricted to a few favoured individuals. " If I speak
with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not
love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cym-
bal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know
all mysteries and all knowledge ; and if I have all
faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I
am nothing." (1 Cor. xiii. 1-3, Revised Version.) Our
imperfect knowledge shall be done away by that
which is perfect : but " faith, hope and love abide,
and the greatest of these is love." The commandment
which enjoins love is " great."
A command to love presupposes one of two things,
either that we have already the ability to love, or that
we may obtain it. Law can direct love where it is,
but cannot produce it where it is not. *' If man has
duties, he must either have in possession the power of
fulfilling them, or may obtain the power." Kant's
well-known canon, " I ought, therefore I can," may be
accepted if interpreted in this sense. An imperative
thou shalt necessarily implies a corresponding thou
canst. It is not enough to have conviction of right
and wrong, a knowledge of what is commanded or
forbidden, a sense of obligation to do the one and to
leave undone the other, a disposition to attribute
merit or demerit to the doer. There must also be
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JUPTIZINO AND TEACHING.
love to the Lawgiver in order to secure proper, full
and stea'
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714
BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.
but to know God's will and to do it ; to know God's
designs and to co-operate with Him in the fulfilment
of them " as far as they are committed to us. It is
not enough to have reverential contemplations, grate-
ful thanksgivings, and hopeful anticipations. There
must be energetic service. Love is a disposition to
please God by hearkening to His Word and acting
accordingly. Madame Guyon was greatly mistaken
when she supposed that " a continual act of contempla-
tion and love might be substituted for all other acts
of religion." Love is not a mere sentimental emotion,
it is a practical principle.
" There are four kinds of religion upon the earth
assuming the power to eftect great objects : that of
sentiment, that of form, that of feeling, and that of
principle." (Dr. Barnes in The Right Religion.) " The
religion of principle consists in the intelligent adoption
of a rule of right " (the will of God) " and adhering to
it" at all costs. "A simple and entire yielding up- of
the heart and life to the sole direction of God's Word
and Spirit." {Mr. Goodell.)
The law does not require the creature to possess
every possible good quality. All these do not pertain
to human nature. God only possesses these ; and no
created person or thing possesses or needs every good
quality.
The law does not require that oui* love be perfect in
degree. There is no perfection of degrees in the love
of finite beings. There may be eternal progression
in degree, and that progress may be perfect progress.
know God's
he fulfilment
to us. It is
ations, ^rate-
:ions. There
jsposition to
1 an