Theoretical
Puritan Board Professor
I have a friend who is an unbaptized believer (It's hard for me to classify, but with some things said, I'd stick her in this category - maybe I'm wrong) - she seems to have the most essential doctrines, particularly those about sin and grace through faith (no works period) and basic nature of God questions, down fairly well and desires biblical teaching.
The problem is that, coming from an apathetic religious background, she (this is the person I mentioned in this thread) only has received a shallow, yet apparently fairly sound (given her affirmations and cognition of the beliefs in question) introduction to the faith. She does not understand the need for church membership, and she doesn't understand the need for Baptism. On the former, she doesn't understand how membership differs a lot from active involvement in a church. Her view of the church (mainly because I think this was that of her mentor) is that it is only where one goes to be directly taught about God and that worship is really out of place there - it should be a private matter.
For the latter, I think a few of the stronger texts on Baptism (Some of the WCF's proof texts come to mind, as well as those of Cornelius's household in Acts 10) would probably - given her attitude to other teaching - convince her of that need, as she (a) admits her weak knowledge and (b) has said she's wanting to learn and believe if the Bible says something contrary to her previous knowledge. I think this and the former might be received well if framed as the next major step in a Christian's walk, and that if she believes these things are indeed essentials and a way to validate her faith before God and the world.
My question comes down to this matter: how is adult (aka convert) baptism handled in the PCA churches? Is it directly tied to church membership in that particular congregation as far as a process of baptism being the membership process for that person? Obviously, this element depends on her recognizing the need to be baptized, but I have hope she will, given that she has already received and accepted FAR more spiritual knowledge than I would have expected from someone with that background.
Basically, I guess what I am trying to say is that a lack of baptism seems to be a more fundamental doctrinal matter than the ecclesiology problems in the sense that correcting the baptism (particularly a Covenant understanding of it) will likely make working on the ecclesiology much more easily understood. If, in conversations with her, she agrees that she needs to be baptized, what next? And, am I on the right track on this matter?
The problem is that, coming from an apathetic religious background, she (this is the person I mentioned in this thread) only has received a shallow, yet apparently fairly sound (given her affirmations and cognition of the beliefs in question) introduction to the faith. She does not understand the need for church membership, and she doesn't understand the need for Baptism. On the former, she doesn't understand how membership differs a lot from active involvement in a church. Her view of the church (mainly because I think this was that of her mentor) is that it is only where one goes to be directly taught about God and that worship is really out of place there - it should be a private matter.
For the latter, I think a few of the stronger texts on Baptism (Some of the WCF's proof texts come to mind, as well as those of Cornelius's household in Acts 10) would probably - given her attitude to other teaching - convince her of that need, as she (a) admits her weak knowledge and (b) has said she's wanting to learn and believe if the Bible says something contrary to her previous knowledge. I think this and the former might be received well if framed as the next major step in a Christian's walk, and that if she believes these things are indeed essentials and a way to validate her faith before God and the world.
My question comes down to this matter: how is adult (aka convert) baptism handled in the PCA churches? Is it directly tied to church membership in that particular congregation as far as a process of baptism being the membership process for that person? Obviously, this element depends on her recognizing the need to be baptized, but I have hope she will, given that she has already received and accepted FAR more spiritual knowledge than I would have expected from someone with that background.
Basically, I guess what I am trying to say is that a lack of baptism seems to be a more fundamental doctrinal matter than the ecclesiology problems in the sense that correcting the baptism (particularly a Covenant understanding of it) will likely make working on the ecclesiology much more easily understood. If, in conversations with her, she agrees that she needs to be baptized, what next? And, am I on the right track on this matter?
