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MAT 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
1CO 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. 23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread.
1CO 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
HEB 5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
...So these are the Scripture references I see for WCF 27.4 (or however y'all like to quote confessions). I'm so sorry, but I simply don't understand how these in any way demonstrate that only a minister of the gospel can administer a baptism. Just in reading the context I am left saying "Uhh..." because it appears to me that there would have to at least be a stretch to have this claim substantiated. Would any of you be willing to explain how these verses apply?
And while we are on this topic, would anyone be willing to explain how, if only ministers have authority to perform baptism, a person is still deemed "baptized" if they are "baptized" by someone who doesn't have proper authority?
I am dittoing Andrew's questions. Also, I don't know that the wording of the confessions (particularly the LBF, which is the one to which I essentially ascribe) necessarily requires as strict an application as is being suggested here.
If I believe that any Christian capable of leading someone to the Lord is also authorized to baptize that person, then according to my understanding, that person is "qualified and thereunto called, according to the commission of Christ." So I'm not sure I understand how being confessional nullifies the debate.
I would think that John the Baptist had all the qualifications necessary.
Luke 1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people In the remission of their sins,
just as it does not belong to anyone to preach in the church,
XXVI. 11. Although it be incumbent on the Bishops or Pastors of the Churches to be instant in Preaching the Word, by way of Office; yet the work of Preaching the Word, is not so peculiarly confined to them; but that others also (a) gifted, and fitted by the Holy Spirit for it, and approved, and called by the Church, may and ought to perform it.
Thankfully, at least in the PCA, we are not required to subscribe to the proof-texts. I do think that the principles of that section are more or less sound, however, it should also be noted that outstanding Reformed theologians of the past have not restricted baptism and the supper to the formally ordained ministry only and on every occasion. You can find this opinion among Turretin, Perkins, Owen, and others.
19.XIV.II On the other hand we contend that the baptism by laymen (of whatever sex they may be) is a nullity and think that it cannot be rightly administered by anyone except by a pastor lawfully called, whether in a case of necessity or not.
Q. 2. What is baptism?
A. An holy action, appointed of Christ, whereby being sprinkled with water in the name of the whole Trinity, by a lawful minister of the church, we are admitted into the family of God, and have the benefits of the blood of Christ confirmed unto us.
just as it does not belong to anyone to preach in the church,
The LBF actually disagrees with this, as well. It says that those ordained to do so should preach, but that this does not preclude others in the church from doing so, as well. (Let me see if I can find the reference.)
I'm not sure of the conventional method of citing this, so hopefully this will be understandable.
XXVI. 11. Although it be incumbent on the Bishops or Pastors of the Churches to be instant in Preaching the Word, by way of Office; yet the work of Preaching the Word, is not so peculiarly confined to them; but that others also (a) gifted, and fitted by the Holy Spirit for it, and approved, and called by the Church, may and ought to perform it .
I will get back with you later on Turretin. He has a clear statement in book three that I think you have missed.
MAT 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
1CO 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. 23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread.
1CO 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
HEB 5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
...So these are the Scripture references I see for WCF 27.4 (or however y'all like to quote confessions). I'm so sorry, but I simply don't understand how these in any way demonstrate that only a minister of the gospel can administer a baptism. Just in reading the context I am left saying "Uhh..." because it appears to me that there would have to at least be a stretch to have this claim substantiated. Would any of you be willing to explain how these verses apply?
And while we are on this topic, would anyone be willing to explain how, if only ministers have authority to perform baptism, a person is still deemed "baptized" if they are "baptized" by someone who doesn't have proper authority?
What if a minister delegates someone to perform the actual washing? This seems to be what happens in Acts 10:48.
It should be noted, as Lance suggested above, that drawing "sacraments" out of "mysteries" in 1 Cor. 4:1 is a big assumption. I think that is one of the poorer proof-texts in the WCF, and that what is being spoken of by Paul is not the sacraments at all, but the mystery of the whole of the Gospel and incarnation. I think the context makes that pretty clear (as well as the fact that equating mystery/sacraments comes from a later period in church history, and is therefor an anachronistic application).
Thankfully, at least in the PCA, we are not required to subscribe to the proof-texts. I do think that the principles of that section are more or less sound, however, it should also be noted that outstanding Reformed theologians of the past have not restricted baptism and the supper to the formally ordained ministry only and on every occasion. You can find this opinion among Turretin, Perkins, Owen, and others.
From Calvin's Commentaries on 1 Cor. 4:1 (this text was commonly used by the reformers to limit the adminstration of the sacraments and other pastoral duties to pastors - you see it in confessional proof texts, commentaries, and the like):
1. Let a man so account of us As it was a matter of no little importance to see the Church in this manner torn by corrupt factions, from the likings or dislikings that were entertained towards individuals, he enters into a still more lengthened discussion as to the ministry of the word. Here there are three things to be considered in their order. In the first place, Paul describes the office of a pastor of the Church. . . . Now the medium observed by Paul consists in this, that he calls them ministers of Christ; by which he intimates, that they ought to apply themselves not to their own work but to that of the Lord, who has hired them as his servants, and that they are not appointed to bear rule in an authoritative manner in the Church, but are subject to Christ’s authority
. . .
As to what he adds — stewards of the mysteries of God, he expresses hereby the kind of service. By this he intimates, that their office extends no farther than this, that they are stewards of the mysteries of God In other words, what the Lord has committed to their charge they deliver over to men from hand to hand — as the expression is 210210 Our Author makes use of the same expression when commenting on 1 Corinthians 11:23, and 1 Corinthians 15:3. — Ed. — not what they themselves might choose. “For this purpose has God chosen them as ministers of his Son, that he might through them communicate to men his heavenly wisdom, and hence they ought not to move a step beyond this.” He appears, at the same time, to give a stroke indirectly to the Corinthians, who, leaving in the background the heavenly mysteries, had begun to hunt with excessive eagerness after strange inventions, and hence they valued their teachers for nothing but profane learning. It is an honorable distinction that he confers upon the gospel when he terms its contents the mysteries of God. But as the sacraments are connected with these mysteries as appendages, it follows, that those who have the charge of administering the word are the authorized stewards of them also.