To Be Observed
The observance of ordinances in the New Testament church rests upon the last commission Christ gave to His apostles: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:19-20) In this text we find ordinances expressly commanded, and their observance is to be perpetuated “unto the end of the world.”
Some religious teachers oppose the observance of all ordinances, claiming, through a misapplication of Colossians 2:14, that these were abolished at the death of Christ. But the text thus misapplied clearly shows that the abolished ordinances were those which belonged to the Mosaic law, and they are stated to be meats, drinks, holidays, new moons, and sabbaths (verses 16-17). These were the “carnal ordinances, imposed upon them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come,” (Hebrews 9:10-11) the reformation was brought in; the Mosaic institutions were antityped and thus abolished, through His death; and the New Testament house, or church, of God, with its ordinances and institutions, succeeded.
This commission authorizing ministers to go and baptize was given after the death of Christ, and was consistently obeyed by the apostles afterwards, as the book of Acts abundantly shows. Some have foolishly affirmed that Paul did not believe in the ordinances, and therefore was quite indifferent to the subject at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:13-17); and that he baptized Crispus and Gaius and the household of Stephanus merely because they required it of him. But the inspired record shows that when Paul raised up this congregation “many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.” (Acts 18:8) Now, if Paul himself did not do much of this baptizing, he had others do it, which shows his attitude toward the subject. Furthermore, he wrote to this same congregation, “I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread…” (1 Corinthians 11:23) referring to the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, as the context shows. Paul was not an anti-ordinance preacher.
It must also be borne in mind that Paul did not receive the gospel from those who were apostles before him, but received it by direct revelation from God, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Here are his own words: “I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galations 1:11-12) When God “called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me.” (Galation 1:15-17) Where, then, did Paul get his authority to baptize, institute the Lord’s Supper, etc.? Not from the apostles, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ—“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.” (1 Corinthians 11:23) This proves positively that these ordinances were not abolished at the cross, for the apostle was not even converted at the time of the crucifixion. Furthermore, the ordinances were not intended only for the Jews, because they loved ordinances so well, for the special commission of Paul was to preach among the Gentiles (Acts 26:15-18).