A Practical Example on Baptismal Issues

First, if you haven't done so already, read the posts on baptism below.
Then go read this. It's by a credobaptist, questioning Baptist practice on Church Membership. I'm going to checking back as well to see his follow up posts. Thanks to Dave at Rotundus for sharing it with me.

A Note on the Baptism Posts

Just so nobody gets the wrong idea.

Recently I have posted here on baptism, and left comments on various blogs about baptism. In those comments I have tried to make it clear I consider Baptists my brothers and sisters in the Lord. As far as I can tell we do not teach a different gospel, nor do we worship a different Christ.

What my main concern has been is how we interact with each other in terms of fellowship. This then affects how we view and practice the Lord's Supper and church membership in addition to other areas of Christian life. From my perspective I understand why a Baptist holds to their beliefs and practices. But I see inconsistencies in that. If we are all brothers & sisters--why the barriers?

From their point of view I hold to inconsistencies, and some have pointed out to me we have a "two tiered membership." (For example-elders in a PCA church must hold to Presbyterian distinctives such as paedobaptism, but members do not need to-they only need a credible confession of faith.)

I have explained before that they are adding conditions not found in the Bible, by not admitting all believers into membership. Also a "two tiered membership" is Biblical as the Bible gives extra conditions and accountability to elders. (See
1 Tim 3:1-7 (& verses 8-13 speak of deacons);Titus 1:5-9; and James 3:1

James 3:1, while it doesn't mention elders, does speak about teachers-and in 1 Tim 3:2 elders are to be able to teach. The elders are responsible for the teaching in the church. (Although others may teach in some settings, the elders are still overseers of that teaching.) So when James writes, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" he is showing that those who teach have a higher level of accountability.

I am under no delusion that my posts will be turning all Baptists to my views, nor am I condemning them for holding those views. What I am saying is this: Even though we have some disagreements on important issues, we do agree on the essentials. That is we agree on what is needed for salvation. So let's act like that more often.

John Owen-"Grounds and reasons of nonconformity" and Baptism

There has been a renewed interest on some blogs about how baptism affects fellowship, church membership and communion. Here are some links (which will also link to other comments as well):
John Piper
Wayne Grudem comments posted on another blog (with permission.)
Baptizoblogodebate Roundup
Ligon Duncan joins in

Just do a search for "john piper paedobaptist membership" and you'll get plenty. Now not all the discussion is Piper and Grudem.

A while back Bethlehem Baptist (Where Piper is the pastor) did consider allowing Paedobaptists-This is Worldmagblog's first mention of it. Eventually it was rejected, but it did receive lots of debate. (I searched Bethlehem Baptist's site and Piper's Desiring God for references, but found none.

The Presbyterian Church in America, of which I am a member, teaches and practices paedobaptism. We also allow Baptists who don't hold to it to be members. For the most part I believe a Baptist would be allowed to take communion in a PCA church.

The main reason for this, as far as I understand it, is so that we are not adding conditions to these that Scripture does not add. As baptism does not secure salvation, it is not an essential in that sense. We are not to bind people's consciences with what is not explicitly commanded in Scripture. (Yes, baptism is commanded in the Bible, but it is nowhere said to be necessary for salvation. There are those who hold to baptism being essential, but they do so by inference, and that is a separate issue. Here I am referring to Baptists who do not hold to baptismal regeneration.)

Which brings me to John Owen.
In his work, Discourse concerning Evangelical Love, Church Peace, and Unity he does speak of these things. In fact at the time he was involved in addressing these issues, and he had marvelous insight that I believe we should listen to today. Here's Chapter V, the most relevant chapter in the work. I give you that link for context of this statement by Owen, to which I say, "Amen."

...for in his worship we are forbidden to add to the things that he hath appointed no less than to pretend commands from him which he hath not given. He, therefore, who professeth and pleadeth his willingness to observe and do in church-communion whatever Christ hath instituted and commanded cannot regularly be refused the communion of any church, under any pretence of his refusal to do other things which confessedly are not so required.