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Glory · The Church
Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two ordinances Jesus gave His church, and each is rooted in His command. Baptism happens once, at the beginning, and pictures entering into union with Christ in His death and resurrection. The Lord's Supper is repeated, and keeps the church returning to remember the body and blood of Christ until He comes. One marks the start of the Christian walk; the other sustains it along the way.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/what-is-the-difference-between-baptism-and-the-lords-supper · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
Matthew 28:16-20
As you read: Jesus commissions the church and joins baptism to making disciples.
16But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them.
17When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted.
18Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
19Go,and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Luke 22:14-20
As you read: Jesus takes bread and cup and gives them to the disciples to remember Him.
14When the hour had come, he sat down with the twelve apostles.
15He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
16for I tell you, I will no longer by any means eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
17He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, and share it among yourselves,
18for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.”
19He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.”
20Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Acts 2:38-47
As you read: The response on Pentecost: those who received the word were baptized, then continued in the breaking of bread.
38Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”
40With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
42They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.
43Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44All who believed were together, and had all things in common.
45They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need.
46Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,
47praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.
Romans 6:1-11
As you read: Baptized into Christ, buried with Him, raised to walk in newness of life.
1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer?
3Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection;
6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.
7For he who has died has been freed from sin.
8But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him;
9knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him!
10For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God.
11Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus commanded baptism as part of making disciples: 'Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.' He commanded the Supper in the same way: 'Do this in memory of me,' and 'as often as you drink, in memory of me.' Neither is an optional decoration of the church; both come from the Lord's own word and have been kept by the church from the beginning.
“Go,and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”Matthew 28:19
“He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.””Luke 22:19
“When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.””1 Corinthians 11:24-25
“teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”Matthew 28:20
Baptism is a one-time act of initiation, showing our once-for-all union with Christ: 'all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.' The Supper, by contrast, is for a lifetime: Jesus says, 'as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.' Baptism points to the doorway into the Christian life; the Supper is the repeated meal that sustains us on the way.
“Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”Romans 6:3
“In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”1 Corinthians 11:25-26
“Go,and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”Matthew 28:19
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”1 Corinthians 11:26
Baptism pictures death and resurrection with Christ: 'We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death... so we also might walk in newness of life,' and Paul says we were 'buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith.' The Supper pictures our sharing, or communion, in Christ: 'The cup of blessing which we bless, isn't it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn't it a sharing of the body of Christ?' Entry into the risen life, and ongoing fellowship with the crucified Lord.
“We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.”Romans 6:4
“having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.”Colossians 2:12
“The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ?”1 Corinthians 10:16
“Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.”1 Corinthians 10:17
In Scripture the order is clear: those who received the word 'were baptized,' and then 'they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.' Baptism is the public beginning of following Christ; the Supper is the regular remembrance of Christ by the gathered church. The one is administered to the new believer once, in the presence of the church; the other is shared repeatedly, as the church is built up and remembers together.
“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.”Acts 2:41
“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.”Acts 2:42
“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.”Acts 2:41-42
“As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.”Matthew 26:26-28
Both ordinances are visible words that point beyond themselves to Christ. Peter is careful about baptism, that it saves 'not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God' through the resurrection of Jesus. And Paul warns that the Supper must be taken with self-examination 'if he doesn't discern the Lord's body.' Whether we are baptized once or take the bread repeatedly, the power is never in the rite but in the Christ they proclaim, and in the faith that lays hold of Him.
“This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,”1 Peter 3:21
“Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.”1 Corinthians 11:27-29
“We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.”Romans 6:4
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.”1 Corinthians 11:28