Page 64 - Pastoral Ministries -Student Textbook

the veins on the arm would stand out, a basin to hold the leeches and catch the drained blood, and lots of
bandages. After the procedure was over, the barber would hang the bandages to dry on a pole outside the shop.

The bloodstained strips of cloth would blow and twist together, spiraling around the pole in red and white
stripes. Soon, the striped pole became recognized as the emblem of the barber’s profession. That striped pole is
the barber’s symbol, just as the entwined serpents of the caduceus symbolize the medical profession.

Jesus gave the church two symbols of His death and resurrection, two symbols that identify believers as
followers of Christ; baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They are not just things that we Christians do occasionally for
the sake of sentiment or tradition. Instead, baptism and the Supper are filled with theological meaning. It is
important that our congregations understand their meanings so that they can participate fully and intelligently
in baptism and the Supper.

Many pastors assume that everyone knows the meaning of these ordinances. This might not be true. Some
Christians might be unclear in their understandings of what the ordinances mean. Those who come from a
sacramental background might have doctrinal confusion and theological misunderstandings about the nature of
baptism and Communion and how they affect the participants. Some adults might wonder how they should
prepare themselves spiritually to receive communion. Parents attending with their children might have
questions about whether their sons and daughters should participate in the Lord’s Supper or whether they
should be baptized first. Each time the ordinances are celebrated, the pastor should consider the questions,
reservations, and confusion, and other issues that can accompany baptism and the Supper and then bring a
biblical sermon that speaks to these concerns.

Origins of the Ordinance

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ancient observances. They have been celebrated in a variety of places,
including the simple house meetings of the early Christians, the secretive assemblies in the catacombs, and
elaborate services in large, modern church buildings. Although the ordinances have been subject to wide
interpretations, theological debates, and no small amount of controversy, Christian churches have observed
them continuously.

Theological Significance of the Ordinances

As elements of Christian worship, the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper have theological significance
in several respects.

They are acts of Obedience

Christ chose these symbols as ordinances for His church. When a church celebrates baptism and the Lord’s
Supper, it does so in submission to the Lordship of Jesus.

They are acts of Identification

Paul writes, “We were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

Jesus’ command to take and eat also point to identification with His death through the Supper. In both
baptism and the Supper, believers show their identification in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

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