Aug 20 • Faith⚔️
The Heart of the Matter: Why Baptism and Communion Are More Than Mere Symbols — Part 1
I want to speak plainly and lovingly about something that strikes at the very foundation of Christian life: the meaning and power of the two sacraments Jesus gave his Church — baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Too many Christians have been taught that these are nothing more than public ceremonies or reminders. That view treats them like museum pieces: beautiful to look at, but with no real power. I believe that is neither the teaching of Scripture nor the practice of the historic Church.
Two short claims I will defend:
1. From the New Testament onward, baptism is presented as a means of regeneration — a real washing, burial with Christ, and rising to new life. It “does” something God promised to do.
2. From the earliest Christian writers, the bread and cup are spoken of as really participating in Christ’s body and blood — not merely as a symbol to stir memory.
These realities are not “works‑righteousness.” They are promises from God, received by faith. The sacraments are God’s ordained means for conveying the blessings of Christ — applied to us by the Spirit as we trust God’s Word.
Scripture foundations — baptism
• “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) — Jesus links water and Spirit with entrance into God’s kingdom. Many of the earliest Christians read this as baptismal language.
• “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? … we were buried therefore with him by baptism… that we might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3–4) — Baptism = participation in Christ’s death and resurrection. That is not mere symbolism; it is union with Christ.
• “Baptism… now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 3:21) — Peter plainly says baptism “saves,” though he clarifies it is connected to God’s action and our conscience/faith, not mere external washing.
• “He saved us… by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5) — Again, baptismal imagery tied to regeneration.
Scripture foundations — the Lord’s Supper
• Jesus’ own words: “This is my body… This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” (1 Cor 11:24–25 // Mark 14:22–24) — the institution language is straightforward. The early Church heard it literally.
• John 6:51, 53–56: “I am the living bread… Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you… Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” — This difficult, literal language shaped how the first Christians understood the Eucharist.
What the early Church actually said:
• Didache (late 1st c.): “Let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist, unless he has been baptized into the name of the Lord.” — Baptism and Eucharist belong to Church membership and life.
• Ignatius of Antioch (early 2nd c.): “They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (To the Smyrnaeans 7) — Ignatius insists the Eucharist is the flesh of Christ.
• Justin Martyr (mid 2nd c.): “We are taught that the food which is blessed… is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.” (First Apology 66)
• Irenaeus (late 2nd c.): Just as the earthly bread, when blessed, becomes Eucharist, “so also our bodies, receiving the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible.” (Against Heresies IV)
• Tertullian (late 2nd–early 3rd c.): speaks of baptism as “the laver of regeneration” (De Baptismo).
• Cyril of Jerusalem (4th c.): “Do not therefore regard the bread and the cup as ordinary; for … they are His body and His blood. The holy Gifts become, by the invocation of the Holy Spirit, the very body and blood of Christ.” (Catechetical Lectures)
Two contrasting understandings — plain language
• Symbol/Memorial view (what many now assume): The elements and the baptismal water are visible signs that point to an inward reality. They do not effectuate grace; they only signify and remind. They are important testimonies, not means of grace.
• Efficacious/sacramental view (Scripture + historic Church): The sacraments are visible signs and instruments through which God truly gives what he promises. Baptism is a means of rebirth; the Eucharist is a real participation in Christ (the exact language differs across traditions — “real presence,” “spiritual presence,” “mystical participation,” “transubstantiation” — but all affirm more than mere symbolism).
Addressing the “works” objection
Some worry: “If baptism does something, aren’t we trusting a work instead of faith?” No. The sacraments do not merit God’s favor; they are God’s ordained means by which he gives his grace. They operate by virtue of Christ’s finished work and God’s promise. Consider Peter’s command in Acts 2:38: “Repent and be baptized… and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The promise is received by faith through the means God commands — not by human merit.
Why this matters
If the sacraments truly convey what Christ promised, then treating them as mere symbols impoverishes Christian life. Baptism becomes only a public announcement rather than the washing of regeneration; the Lord’s Supper becomes only a memorial rather than communion with the living Savior. Both Scripture and the early Fathers urge us to take these means seriously, humbly, and in faith.
Eric T Williams
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The Heart of the Matter: Why Baptism and Communion Are More Than Mere Symbols — Part 1
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