8/12/2019 1993 Issue 4 - Cross-Examination: Infant Baptism Part 2 - Counsel of Chalcedon
1/2
Each month the Cross-Examina
tion column presents a summary
statement of a Reformed
and
Reconstructionist conviction
in
theol
ogy or ethics, and then offers brief
answers to common questions, objec
tions or confusions which people have
about that belief. Send issues or ques
tions you would like addressed by Dr.
Bahnsen to the editor.
W BELIEVE
We have seen that the covenant
signs of circumcision
and
baptism
pointed to the cleansed and conse
crated (holy)character
of
God's people,
even though not everyone within the
covenant community (or church) lived
up
to
that signification in the Old
Testament, jus t as not everyone within
the NewTestamentcovenantcommu
nity (or church) lives
up
to it. Nev
ertheless the signs ofcircumcision and
baptism retain their value and impor
tance in the eyes of God, the Lord of
the covenant.
This may seem confusing
to
some
readers. How can a person bear the
token of being clean and holy
--
and
bearitat God's direction --even though
that person is not actually clean and
holy? The answer is that such a person
shares the designation of the wider
religious community of which he or
she is a part (Le., the mixed church is
viewed as clean and holy by her
Redeemer), and that this designation
is meant na ritualor ceremonial sense.
The church on earth as the community
formed
by
God's saving covenant has
been cleansed and consecrated in a
ceremonial or religious fushion, being
looked upon in a special and sacred
way by God. The covenant commu
nity has been set apart as His own
unique people and separated from the
common world ofspiritual defilement
and unbelief.
There is at least three ways in which
the Bible uses the terminology ofholi
ness
and
cleansing. We may think of
holiness and cleanness as concepts
which can be applied in an external
sense (e.g., a clean sheet or pure
gold, e.g. Matt. 27:56; Ex. 30:3). They
may also be applied
to
inward matters
in a moral sense (e.g., a clean heart or
holy living, e.g. Ps. 24:4; 1 Peter
1:15). But there is also a third kind of
way
in
which the Bible speaks ofholi
ness
and
cleanness, a way which can
be designated ceremonial or ritual.
The meats which were called un
clean in the
Old
Testament were not
given that designation because they
were outwardly dirty or inwardly im-
moral. They were rather unclean
in
some ritual sense. They were com
mon meats that the unbelievingworld
might eat, but not God's special or
holy (consecrated) people. (This dis
tinction is maintained even today
amongJews who observe dictates about
kosher eating.) The words
of
Levit
cus 11:44-47 are very insightful here.
God commanded Israel: Be holy ..
neither defile yourselves with any kind
of[unclean meatl ... make a distinction
between the unclean
and
the clean.
Israel was to be holy (set apart , con
secrated) by maintaining a clean diet.
This ritual or ceremonial sense of
cleanness and uncleanness is utilized
throughout the
Old
Testament: e.g.,
Lev. 11:32; 13:58; 14:4; 15:13; 17:15;
20:25; 24:6-7; Deut. 23: 10, etc.
The holiness and cleanness of the
Old Testament Jews as God's chosen
people was
not
always
in
every case
an
internal, moral reality.
Yet
even with
the unregenerate among them they
were nonetheless the special people of
God -- holy and clean
in
the cer
emonial or religious sense that He had
entered into a saving covenant with
them, settingthemapart from the other
nations or unbelieving groups of the
world. That explains, for instance,
why Ezra 6:21 speaks of the children
ofIsrael who hadcome out
of
captivity
and gone back.
to
the holy city of
Jerusalem as all such as have sepa
rated themselves from the filthiness of
the nations. Once again lsrael would
be a holy nation for God's own pos
session d. Ex. 19:5-6).
This concept of ceremonialor ritual
holiness and cleanness is evident
in the New Testament as well. When
May,
993
THE OUNSEL
of halcedon
7
8/12/2019 1993 Issue 4 - Cross-Examination: Infant Baptism Part 2 - Counsel of Chalcedon
2/2
Jesus disputed with the Pharisees over
11)aking the outside of the cup "clean"
(Matt. 23:25-26) or about the "defile
ment
"
of
eating with unwashed hands
(Matt. 15:2,
11,
20), neither party to
the argument was concerned with
physical filth
or
moral virtue. The
controversy was over religious or cer
emonial consecration (what was "ko
sher" or not, if you will). The New
Testament often speaks
of
ceremonial
cleansing or .ritual pUrification (e.g.,
Luke2:22;John2:6; Luke 17:14,etc.).
It is
in
this religious sense,
quite obviously, that blood
is said to
be
used for cleans
ing (e .g., Heb. 9:14, 22-23;
1John 1:7).
It is evident from Peter's
response to
the
sheet
of
meats from heaven thatwhat
is "unclean" was identical to
what is
common: not
ko
sher (Acts 10:14; 11:8).
Whatever
has
been
"cleansed" by God is no
longetin the category of the
"common" (10:15). Those
who are Within the covenant
community, the church, are set apart
from the common world and viewed
by God, therefore, as "clean."
As
Paul
wrote,
in
contrast to "those who are
outside," Godhasnotcalled the church
to be "unclean" but rather
"holy"
and
set apart (1 Thes. 4:
7,
12). Christ's
redemptive work has "purified" (or
"cleansed") unto Himself a special
people for God's own possession (Titus
2:14). They are to be "separate" from
the world -- to "touch no unclean
thing" (2 Cor. 6:1 7). Paul says this
right
in
the context
of
drawing a clear
distinction between the church and
the world, asserting that there is no
"commonality"between them 14-
16). The New Testament places the
church
in
a religiously unique cat
egory, being viewed as "clean"
or
.
"cleansed" from the ordinary world of
spiritual defilement.
Ukewise, "holiness" is repeatedly
used in the
New
Testament
to
speak of
what is religiously or ritually set apart
from the ordinary. Things which are
special - things which are set apart
from common use -- are called "holy"
(e
.
g.,
the unmarried virgin's body, 1
Cor. 7:34). You do not mix the ordi
nary and extraordinary by giving what
is "holy" to dogs, nor pearls to swine,
said Jesus (Matt. 7:6). The temple
precincts were not ordinary ground,
but consecrated -- thus "holy" (e.g.,
Acts 6:13; 21:28; 1 Cor. 3:17; Heb.
8:2; 9:1-3). The place of the burning
bush was "holy" ground as well (Acts
7:33). Every male that is born is said
to
be set apan ("holy") unto the Lord,
even if they 'grow up to be spiritual
rebels (Luke 2:23). Despite the rebel
lion of Old Testament Israel, it was
God's consecrated or "holy nation."
And even though unbelief and mur
derous sinwas found in her, the city of
Jerusalem is called the "holy city" be
cause it was chosen and set apart by
GodCMatt.4:5;Rev.1l:2;21:2,10;22:19).
The Old Testament writings
were
in
a special category
from
other hu
man works, being the "holy scrip
tures" (Rom. 1:2). The men who wrote
them were set apart from others -
were "holy" men or prophets (2 Peter
1:21;
Luke
1:70;
Acts
3:21). Our
brothers within the church are a spe-
8 W E CO{jNSEL
of
Chalcedon
May,
1993
cial kind of
family
relation - a "holy
brotherhood" (Heb. 3:1). Ukewise,
the kiss or greeting which is given
between believers is not an ordinary or
common kiss, but a " ioly kiss" (Rom.
16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20, etc.). Examples
could be multiplied where "holiness"
takes the sense of set apart from com
manuse (consecrated
to
a special pur
pose). But of special interest is the way
in which the New Testament desig
nates God's people as "the holy ones"
or "saints" (Acts 9:13,32,41; 26:10;
Rom.
1:7;
8:27; 1 Cor. 1:2;
2 Cor.
1:1;
Eph. 1:1; Phil.
1:1; Col. l:2 : etc.). Regard
less of their inward imper
fection and daily sin, those
who
are joined to Christ as
members of the church are
called "set apart" or
"holy"
by
God.
Our short examination
of Scripture has made us
aware , now, that the mixed
spiritual community of Old
Testament Israel was
deemed by Godas separated
from the defiled world of
unbelief, being "clean" and "holy"
in
a
ceremonial or ritual
Sense
. Similarly,
the New Testament covenant commu
nity, despite its flaws, is looked upon
by God as consecrated from the world
of unbelief
afld
spiritual defilement,
being "clean" and "holy" in Hissight.n
(To Be Continued)
Further Investigation
Writefor acatalog of Dr. Bahnsen's
tapes and publications from Covenant
Tape MiniStry,24198 Ash Conrt, Au
burn, CA 95603 (and be placed on the
mailing list for
the monthly update
from the Southern California Center
for Christian Studies, where he is the
resident scholar). A popular
album
is
TheDisdncttvesoft.heReformedFaith
(5 tapes). lso get hold ofhis senn,ons
Biblical
Baptism and Babies
and
Baptism: ItslJeaning
and Purpose.