Loveland Protestant Reformed Church

709 East 57th Street; Loveland, CO 80538

Services: 9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. June through August)

Pastor: Rev. Garry Eriks                 Phone: (970) 667-9481

Vol. 7, No. 5        

Homepage on Internet: http://www.prca.org

Contents:
Baptism and Entrance into the Kingdom
Beaten With Many Stripes
Should Women be Priests?

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Baptism and Entrance into the Kingdom

A passage that is often used by paedobaptists in proof of what they believe is Mark 10:13-16.  Those who hold to so-called "believer's baptism" find the use of this passage baffling, since it does not speak of baptism at all.

It is, nevertheless, an important passage and can be used to support the practice of infant baptism.  This is true from several points of view, but it is important in all that is said to remember that these children were in fact infants (Lk.  18:15).

(1) These infants were received by Jesus, who also took them in His arms and blessed them.  To be received into Jesus' arms and blessed is nothing more or less than salvation itself.  However, that these infants were in fact saved by Jesus is clear also from verses 14 and 15 where He speaks of them receiving the kingdom.

Of that salvation and reception of the kingdom baptism is a picture or sign which shows us how we enter the kingdom.  The paedobaptists argument, then, is this: that if these infants can receive the reality to which baptism points, why cannot they receive the sign?  To put it differently, if they can receive the greater thing, why not the lesser?  Indeed, we believe that because they can and do receive the reality, they ought also to receive the sign, since salvation is promised to them no less than to adults in the covenant of grace.

(2) The second argument is a little different.  It is based on what Jesus says in verse 15.  There He tells us that no one receives the kingdom except in the way an infant receives it, that is, passively, without its knowledge, and by the power of grace alone.  To receive the kingdom as a little child, therefore, is to receive it without works - without any effort on our part.  That is the only way an infant can receive the kingdom!

And, indeed, that is the only way we can receive the kingdom.  Initially, when salvation first comes, we are neither seeking it nor desiring it.  We are, after all, dead in trespasses and sins, and it is only when God graciously gives us salvation and the kingdom by regenerating us that we also begin to seek and know what He has done.

Jesus, then, tells us that there is only one way to receive the kingdom, that is, as a little child.  If we have not received it in that way we have not received it at all (vs.  15)!

Therein is another reason we baptise infants.  We do not say that every baptised infant itself is necessarily saved, but we see in the baptism of every infant a picture of how salvation is possible for that infant according to the promise of God's covenant, that is, by the power of sovereign grace.

Not only that, but in every baptised infant we have a picture of how any and everyone of us has been saved - not by our willing or efforts, but by almighty power of sovereign grace, which came to us unlooked for and unsought and gave us new life and birth.

Infant baptism is, therefore, a wonderful testimony to the power and sovereignty of grace!  How sad that many do not have or see that testimony in the baptism of helpless infants!       Rev. Ronald Hanko

And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with double stripes.  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.  For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.  Luke 12:47, 48

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  Rom. 8:1

The reader who sent in this intriguing question only mentioned vs. 47 of Luke 12.  The question is: How do you interpret Luke 12:47 in the light of Romans 8:1?

I think that the reader is implying another question, namely: How can a servant of God for whom there is no condemnation nevertheless be beaten with double stripes?

It is probably best to look at each passage separately and then to put the two passages together so that they harmonize.

It is clear, first of all, that Rom. 8:1 is speaking of perfect justification for the elect.  That is, God cannot condemn His elect, for no guilt attaches to their person.  And, as Paul has explained in previous chapters, no guilt attaches to their person because their guilt has been imputed to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who paid the debt of their guilt by His perfect sacrifice on the cross.  There is no condemnation at all for anyone for whom Christ died.  There is only blessing.

Luke 12, however, is speaking of another matter.  The Lord, in this passage, is really speaking about our calling to live in constant expectation of His return: "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not" (vs. 40).  We are not to live in the expectation of the establishment of a kingdom of Christ here in the world; we are to look for His return.

That kind of expectation requires faithful labor on our part as faithful and wise stewards (vs. 42).  That is, we are to recognize that we are stewards in this earthly creation because it belongs to our Christ and He will redeem it as well when He comes again.  For these faithful stewards Christ has a wonderful reward (vs. 44).

But not all servants in Christ's house are faithful.  The Lord has in mind in this parable the wicked Jews Who claimed to be God's servants, but who rejected Christ and ultimately crucified Him.  But, because the parable has significance for the whole church, these unfaithful servants are those who, while claiming to be Christ's servants and claiming to be members of Christ's church are, in fact, sinful.  Their sin lies in their refusal to be faithful stewards in this creation; and, as unfaithful stewards, they do not live in the expectation of their Lord's coming.  Anyone will know that the church is full of such people today.

The Jews of Jesus' day and the outwardly professing Christians surely know the Lord's will.  They know they must live in expectation of Christ's coming.  But they do not obey their Lord.  And that disobedience becomes manifest especially in this that they refuse to be faithful stewards in Christ's house.

These Jews and hypocrites within the church shall be beaten with double stripes. Here it is necessary to mention why I have quoted also vs. 48.  There are many in the world who lived outside Jewry in Jesus' day, and many in our day who live outside the sphere of the preaching of the gospel.  They do not know the Lord's will.  They know, of course, in general that they must serve God (Rom. 1:18ff.), but they do not have the Scriptures and, therefore, do not know that the Lord is coming back and that they must be stewards in His house.

Their judgment and condemnation shall not be as great as that of the wicked Jews who know the Lord's will.  The principle is that the closer one stands to the light of the gospel, the greater is his responsibility.  And the greater his responsibility, the more severe his punishment for being unfaithful.  It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for Bethsaida and Chorazin.  Tyre and Sidon shall rise upon in judgment against Capernaum, and Nineveh shall condemn the generation which knew Jesus (Mt. 11:21-24).

There is an urgent warning here for us.  Unto whom much is given, of  him shall be much required.  Who has received as much as we have?  I refer not merely to material possessions of which we have an abundance, but I mean especially the revelation of God's truth, the knowledge of the Scriptures, a place in the church of Christ, sound books to read and commentaries to study, a heritage of our fathers which is priceless.  These and more.  Of us shall much be required.  Are we faithful and wise stewards?                         Prof. H.Hanko                                                                                       

One of our readers recently submitted a question of only two words: "Women Priests?"  We understand him to be asking about the ordination of women, as this is now being done in the Anglican Church and in many other Protestant denominations. 

Before we address the matter of women's ordination, we wish to say something about priesthood.  Holding to the great Reformation doctrine of the "priesthood of all believers," we do not hold with a special priesthood of any kind in the NT church.  If there is any priesthood in the NT Church besides that of Christ (Heb. 4:14-16), then it belongs to every believer and not just to a select few (I Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6).

As priests we all have access to God, without any intermediary except Christ (Eph. 2:18; 3:12).  As priests we make intercession for others in Jesus' Name (I Tim. 2:1, 2; I Thess. 5:25), and as priests we all offer to God that only sacrifice that can be offered in the NT, the living sacrifice of our own bodies in thankful worship (Rom. 12:1, 2; Heb. 13:15, I Pet. 2:5).  There is no special priesthood, male or female, in the NT.

As far as the ordination of women is concerned that, too, is clearly unbiblical.  In every passage that speaks of the place of women in the church, the Word of God insists that women are not to be in authority but in subjection.  They are not to rule or teach in the church (I Cor. 14:34, 35; I Tim. 2:11-14).  Indeed, one qualification for elders and deacons is that they be the husband of one wife (I Tim. 3:2, 12).

The verses that speak of women keeping silence do not mean that women are not allowed to say anything at all in the church, but that they may not speak in positions of authority.  They may not teach or rule or lead in worship.  They are to be "under obedience" in those cases, and may not "usurp authority.

The issue, therefore, is not whether God gives spiritual gifts to women.  He does.  The issue is not whether women ought to use their God-given gifts.  They should.  Only, the Holy Spirit who gave them those gifts forbids them to use their gifts in the offices of the church.  That is the issue.

We do not deny that women have a role in the church.  They have a very important place and calling in the church (I Tim. 2:15; 5:9-14; Tit. 2:3-5).  They have responsibilities in the church that belong to them alone and to no one else.

On the subject of women's ordination, however, Scripture is absolutely clear..  The only way to get around the teaching of Scripture is to deny that Scripture is the infallible and inspired Word of God.  That is why those who favor women's ordination say that the passages we have referred to are only Paul's words, reflecting the culture in which he lived and his own low view of women.  If Scripture is the Word of God, then these verses are not Paul's thoughts but the mind of will of God Himself.  He says: "I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man!