Tommy Mann

Baptism is an important ordinance in the church, but it is often misunderstood. Many people view it as a religious relic or superstition, treating it like a lucky rabbit's foot. I have seen quite a few videos on social media of celebrities getting baptized, including athletes at their team practices. While I hope these are sincere, part of me wonders how many players hope the baptism will help them score touchdowns, and how many celebrities hope the baptism will further their career.  Baptism is not something we do to hedge our bets, like Pascal's wager (if the Christian is wrong, no harm done, but if the atheist is wrong, heaven and hell hang in the balance; therefore, trust in God). Neither is baptism something we do in hopes that God will bless us. Baptism is a picture of what a person professes to believe. When the Ethiopian eunuch believed, he was baptized on the spot. Baptism publicly proclaims the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as the candidate goes under the w...

Q. Who are the sacraments for? A. The sacraments are for all who are trusting in Christ for their eternal salvation . The last two questions have demonstrated that we are not saved by the sacraments, and that we observe the sacraments because we have been saved. Therefore, baptism and The Lord’s Supper are reserved for all who have been saved through Jesus. Baptism should be a personal choice. We do not sprinkle babies or baptize young children who do not understand the significance of what they are doing. The same is true of communion. If a young child does not take the elements observing the Lord’s death and resurrection, he should not be taking it. But if any person, regardless of age, wishes to partake in the sacraments for the right reasons, they should not be refused. The only condition is a clean heart. That’s why Paul instructed to first let each person examine himself to make sure he took the sacraments in a “worthy manner,” for the right reason, refle...

Q. What is the first sacrament? A. The first sacrament is baptism , the way we identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. A sacrament is an outward sign that represents an inward expression. The Church recognizes two sacraments—baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism, then, is a symbol. It is not something done in order to be saved, but something done because we have been saved. Baptism was modeled by Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17), mandated by Paul (Romans 6:3-4), and was the mission of the early church (Matthew 28:19). Peter referred to baptism as an antitype, meaning it is the completion of an earlier idea. Jesus’ burial and resurrection (the type) is what allows us to be saved, and baptism (the antitype) is a picture of what Jesus did. When the one being baptized goes under water and emerges again, he is identifying with Jesus being buried and rising again. “There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of...