Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 13 March, 2022
“… walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself
for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Eph. 5:2)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Solomon: Israel’s Wisest King (27)
The Climax of the Temple’s Dedication [youtube]
Scripture Reading: II Chronicles 6:40-7:11
Text: II Chronicles 7:1-11
I. Fire and Worship
II. Sacrifices and Music
III. Feasts and Gladness
Psalms: 95:1-6; 22:15-21; 132:1-10; 106:1-5, 48
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Christian Sacrament of Baptism [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Matthew 28
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 26
I. Institution
II. Meaning
III. Discipleship
Psalms: 111:1-6; 22:22-26; 51:6-13; 25:4-10
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
Matthew Henry on II Chronicles 7:3: “When the fire of the Lord came down they praised him, saying, He is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. This is a song never out of season, and for which our hearts and tongues should be never out of tune. However it be, yet God is good. When he manifests himself as a consuming fire to sinners, his people can rejoice in him as their light. Nay, they had reason to say that in this God was good. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, but the sacrifice in our stead, for which we are bound to be very thankful.’”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Thank you, William and Alison, for all your work in planning and organizing the congregational dinner. It was an enjoyable night.
Monday catechism classes:
5:00 PM: Jason, Maisie & Sebastian (Juniors NT)
5:45 PM: Eleanora, Felicity, Hannah, Jorja, Penelope, Sammy, Somaya, Sophie, Xander & Yossef (Beginners OT, Book 2)
6:30 PM: Angelica, Bradley, Jack, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Heidelberg, Book 1)
7:15 PM: Alex, Jacob & Nathan (Essentials)
Membership Class: Monday, 8:15 PM with the McCaugherns.
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet to discuss the category of faith.
The Belgic Confession Class will meet on Wednesday at 7:30 PM to begin a discussion of Ezekiel 40-48. You may want to read (some or all of) these chapters beforehand.
Membership Class: Thursday, 11 AM with the Goulds.
Saturday night Bible study was postponed from last week to this week, 19 March, at 8 PM at church and on-line to discuss Malachi 2:1-10.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled, “Joseph Is Sold Into Slavery” (Gen. 37:12-36).
Next Lord’s Day evening will be a preparatory service with a view to partaking of the Lord’s Supper at the morning service on 27 March.
Offerings: General Fund: £2,288.50.
Translation Additions: 4 Afrikaans and 3 Polish.
PRC News: Peace PRC and Edmonton PRC have called Rev. Guichelaar (Randolph, WI). Grace PRC called Rev. Spronk (Faith, MI). Hudsonville PRC will call from a trio of Revs. Laning (Hull PRC), Marcus and D. Kleyn. Doon PRC has formed a new trio of Revs. J. Holstege (Zion PRC), D. Kleyn and Smidstra (Holland, MI).
Are Circumcision and Baptism the Same?
Rev. Ron Hanko (Covenant Reformed News, vol. 6, issue 6)
Our question for this issue concerns a matter raised in previous issues, the whole matter of NT baptism. A reader asks, “Whilst most of the articles seem clear I can’t quite see the connection between the Jewish ‘circumcision’ and New Testament ‘baptism’ which I understand from the Greek means ‘submerse.’ Isn’t believer’s baptism part of the ‘new covenant’?”
Obviously, there are quite a few issues raised here. We will address them one by one, and first the matter of circumcision and baptism. Those who believe in family baptism (preferable to “infant baptism”) say that circumcision and baptism are essentially the same. Those who hold to so-called “believers’” baptism insist that they are very different. Who is right?
Let us notice, first, that baptism is not merely confined to the NT, nor circumcision to the OT. There was baptism in the OT and there is circumcision in the NT! Hebrews 9:10 calls the various washings of the OT “baptisms” using in Greek the ordinary NT word for baptism. Baptism, therefore, was not something new to the Jews when John came baptizing, but something to which they were very much accustomed. Colossians 2:11 and Philippians 3:3 also refer to NT believers as having been circumcised. Both passages are from letters written to churches that were primarily Gentile churches.
Now it might be objected that in the two latter passages the Word of God is referring to inward, not outward, circumcision and that is true. Nevertheless, that only reinforces our point.
Inward circumcision (of the heart and without hands) is the reality of which outward circumcision is only a sign, just as water baptism is only the outward sign of the real baptism that unites us to Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-6). NT believers, those who “worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,” have the reality of circumcision, though they may not have the outward sign.
It is from this perspective, too, that one sees the essential unity of the two. Outwardly, the signs are very different, so different that it is difficult to see that they might be the same. Inwardly and really there is no difference, and to have one is to have the other.
The inward reality of baptism is the washing away or removal of our sins by the blood of Christ (Titus 3:5; Rev 1:5). The inward reality of circumcision is the cutting away or removal of sin through the shedding of the blood of Christ pictured in the blood shed in that rite (Rom. 2:28-29; Col. 2:11). They are the same!
Colossians 2:11-12 confirms this in that it tells us that, when we are circumcised with the baptism made without hands, we are also buried and risen with him in baptism. They are one and the same.
Does “Baptism” mean Submerse?
Rev. Ron Hanko (Covenant Reformed News, vol. 6, issue 7)
We continue in this issue with the questions raised in the last issue concerning baptism. In this article we want to focus on the meaning of the word “baptism.” Baptists, for the most part, insist that the word means “immerse” or “submerse.” It can be easily shown that this is not so.
Hebrews 9:10 refers to the various washing of the OT as baptisms, using the ordinary NT to describe them. These “baptisms” are further described as “sprinklings” in the same passage (vv. 13, 19, 21). There at least the word does not mean “immerse” or “submerse.”
Further, the gift of the Holy Spirit is described as a baptism (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16). In no passage of Scripture is it even suggested that this baptism is by submersion. Rather, believers are always said to have the Holy Spirit poured, sprinkled, shed forth or fallen on them (Acts 2:17-18, 33; 8:16; 10:44, 47; 11:15- 16; cf. also Eze. 36:25-28).
Scripture even speaks of being baptized with fire (Matt. 3:11) or with death (Matt. 20:22-23), neither of which imply submersion at all. Not only that but the OT prophecy that speaks of Christ baptizing speaks of sprinkling (Isa. 52:15).
Some object that the baptisms of Christ (Matt. 3:16) and of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:38-39) were definitely by submersion because the passages speak of going down into and coming up out of the water. We beg to differ.
First, a simple study will show that the words translated “down into” and “up out of” or “up from” could be and often are translated “down to” or “up from.” The words used do not in themselves even imply that Jesus or the eunuch were standing in the water, much less that they were submersed in it.
Second, if these words are describing the actual baptism by submersion of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:38-39, then Philip baptized himself as well as the eunuch. He is described in the passage in exactly the same terms as the eunuch as going down into and up out of the water. Obviously, then, these words refer not to the baptism itself, but to what happened immediately before and after the baptism, and they say nothing about the mode of baptism.
It might also be objected that baptism (real baptism in this case, not water baptism) is described in terms of burial and resurrection with Christ in Romans 6:3-6 and Colossians 2:11-12. In answer, we would point out (1) that Christ was not buried under the ground but in a sepulchre; and (2) that the point in Romans 6 and Colossians 2 is not that we are submersed in death and resurrection with Christ, but rather that we are united to His death and resurrection by baptism.
In reality, the word “baptism” really says nothing by itself about the mode or manner of baptism. That must be learned from other parts of Scripture and they teach baptism by sprinkling or pouring, not by submersion.
