p. 136 | BAPTISM AS THE MEMORIAL OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, February 26, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 9

BAPTISM AS THE MEMORIAL OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

By John Nevins Andrews

We have spoken of baptism in its relation to the sinner who repents. We have shown that it represents an important fact with respect to the relation which the person who is baptized sustains to the law of God; and that the law counts the person as having suffered because Christ, his substitute, has died in his behalf. So the gospel, that it may honor the law of God, and acknowledge the justice of the sentence of death against the sinner, bears testimony to his death by his public burial in the ordinance of baptism; then by a resurrection from that burial, it bids him walk in newness of life.

Now, we speak of baptism with reference to the resurrection of Christ. Baptism commemorates the burial and resurrection of our Lord. It is itself a burial and a resurrection. Col. 2:12; 3:1. It is fitting that it should be such with respect to the man who repents of his sin; and it is also most appropriate in its relation to our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are buried in baptism are said to be buried with Christ. Rom. 6:4. They are said to be baptized into his death. Verse 3. Baptism brings to view the death of Christ by commemorating his burial. Christ was buried in the tomb; we are buried in the water. Christ was buried after dying as our sacrifice for sin; we are buried in the water after the Spirit of God has enabled us to see our just condemnation by the law of God, and after the sentence of death inflicted upon Christ has been accepted in our behalf as though it had been inflicted upon us. Rom. 6:6–11.

But the burial of Christ is not the only thing commemorated

by baptism. His burial was to attest the fact of his death. His resurrection is brought to view as distinctly in baptism as is his burial. If the sinner is buried in the water because the law counts him as dead, he is immediately raised from it, as though endowed with new life. Rom. 6:5. The sentence of death no longer stands against him; and now, having died in the sight of the law of God, he can rise from his burial to live for God, with the sentence of death no longer standing against him. So Paul speaks of the resurrection of Christ as set forth in our baptism: “That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Thus the resurrection of Christ from the dead is represented by our resurrection in baptism. Our burial is in the likeness of his burial when he had tasted death for us; our resurrection from this burial represents his resurrection from the dead. So Paul writes to the Colossians that we are buried with Christ in baptism, and raised with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Col. 2:12. Thus our faith in the burial and resurrection of Christ is expressed in our obedience to the ordinance of baptism.

And Paul continues this subject by saying, “If ye then be risen with Christ,” by which he sets forth the fact that our baptism represents Christ’s act of rising from the dead. Col. 3:1. Peter connects baptism and the resurrection of Christ in the same manner. He says that “baptism doth also now save us, . . . by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” from the dead. 1 Pet. 3:21. That is to say, baptism brings to view the great facts on which our salvation depends. It brings to view Christ’s death by commemorating his burial; and it sets forth his resurrection, which is the great fact by which God bears testimony that he accepts the offering of Christ. “He was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.” Rom. 4:25. His resurrection was a testimony that the Father accepted his death as the sacrifice for our sins.

These facts show beyond all controversy that baptism commemorates the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But when sprinkling is substituted for baptism, the memorial of Christ’s burial and resurrection ceases to exist. There is nothing in the act of sprinkling water upon the face that in any way commemorates the burial and resurrection of Christ. But when men go down into the water, as did the Eunuch when Philip baptized him (Acts 8:38), and are there buried with Christ in baptism, the commemoration of Christ’s resurrection is not only such as is expressed in the Bible, but is something evident to all who behold it.

Those who practice sprinkling are conscious that they do not by that act commemorate the resurrection of Christ. They have therefore established a memorial of Christ’s resurrection out of their own hearts, by ordaining the festival of Sunday for that purpose. But they could not establish the festival of Sunday without some pretense to divine authority; so they take the commandment, which guards the memorial of the creation of the heavens and the earth, and apply it to the first day of the week as the memorial of Christ’s resurrection.

But God gave the fourth commandment to enforce the observance of the day on which the Creator rested. Ex. 20:8–11; Gen. 2:1–3. He has never given any commandment to enforce the observance of the day of Christ’s resurrection, but has ordained baptism to commemorate the resurrection itself. He has acted in this precisely as he has in the case of the crucifixion. He has not commanded us to observe the day of the crucifixion, but has commanded us to commemorate the crucifixion itself by the Lord’s supper. 1 Cor. 11:23–26.

Though we are baptized but once, yet if we continue faithful to God, we participate in the commemoration of Christ’s resurrection as often as any person is baptized in the place where we reside; for whenever any person is baptized, the entire church participates in that baptism. They decide, on examination, that he is a fit person to be baptized. The pastor, as the representative of the church, baptizes him; and all the church assemble to assist by their presence, their influence, their prayers and songs of praise to God.

But see how men show themselves wiser than God. He sanctified the day on which he rested, that he might make it the memorial of the creation. And when he gave the moral law, he devoted one commandment expressly to enforce the observance of this memorial. He instituted baptism to commemorate the burial and resurrection of Christ. But men have rejected both of these divine memorials, and have made one of their own to take the place of the two. Thus they have sanctified the first day of the week, and stolen the fourth commandment to give authority to the day which they have ordained. So the divine memorial of the creation, and the divine memorial of the resurrection, are both rejected, and a human memorial is ordained to take their place; and God is told on each first-day morning that this day is his holy day of rest, which he has ordained in memory of Christ’s resurrection. No doubt many who say this suppose that they speak the truth; but how must this appear in the sight of God, to whom it is addressed as worship!

J. N. A.