ARBCA Update Spring 2011 pdf
Dr. Richard Barcellos of Heritage Baptist Church, Owensboro, Ky., spoke on
“The Lord’s Supper as Means of Grace,” focusing on the benefits that communion conveys to believers –
it’s not just a memorial meal. Those benefits include sanctifying grace indued to the soul, the benefits of Christ’s body and blood nourishes believers’ souls, the frequency of the supper, and its links with the past, “do this in remembrance of Me”, present “the cup of blessing which we drink,” and future “do this till I come,” as recorded by Christ’s directives.
He noted that “baptism is a sacrament of spiritual birth;
the Lord’s Supper is a sacrament of spiritual feeding.”
reformedbaptistfellowship.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/practical-thoughts-on-the-lords-supper-as-a-means-of-grace/
"Though it is a reminder of a past event, it is more than that. Through
the Supper, because it is a means of grace, purchased grace, redemptive grace, sanctifying grace is ushered into souls, special delivery, from our exalted Redeemer by the power of the Holy Spirit." —Richard Barcellos, Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Palmdale, CA
Richard Barcellos is a very orthodox Reformed Baptist who adheres to the 1689 Baptist Confession of faith, and when he talks about 'means of grace' and 'sacraments' he means something very different to that which Roman Catholics mean.
Having said that, I wish with all my heart that Baptists would find other words to use instead of those terms, to avoid confusion as on this thread. Here is the 1689 Confession on the Lord's Supper, and you will note that it uses neither of those words:
Chapter 30: Of the Lord's Supper
1._____ The supper of the Lord Jesus was instituted by him the same night wherein he was betrayed, to be observed in his churches, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance, and shewing forth the sacrifice of himself in his death, confirmation of the faith of believers in all the benefits thereof, their spiritual nourishment, and growth in him, their further engagement in, and to all duties which they owe to him; and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him, and with each other.
(
1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17,21 )
2._____ In this ordinance Christ is not offered up to his Father, nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sin of the quick or dead, but only a memorial of that one offering up of himself by himself upon the cross, once for all; and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same. So that the popish sacrifice of the mass, as they call it, is most abominable, injurious to Christ's own sacrifice the alone propitiation for all the sins of the elect.
(
Hebrews 9:25, 26, 28; 1 Corinthians 11:24; Matthew 26:26, 27 )
3._____ The Lord Jesus hath, in this ordinance, appointed his ministers to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common to a holy use, and to take and break the bread; to take the cup, and, they communicating also themselves, to give both to the communicants.
(
1 Corinthians 11:23-26, etc. )
4._____ The denial of the cup to the people, worshipping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying them about for adoration, and reserving them for any pretended religious use, are all contrary to the nature of this ordinance, and to the institution of Christ.
(
Matthew 26:26-28; Matthew 15:9; Exodus 20:4, 5 )
5._____ The outward elements in this ordinance, duly set apart to the use ordained by Christ, have such relation to him crucified, as that truly, although in terms used figuratively, they are sometimes called by the names of the things they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ, albeit, in substance and nature, they still remain truly and only bread and wine, as they were before.
(
1 Corinthians 11:27; 1 Corinthians 11:26-28 )
6._____ That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine, into the substance of Christ's body and blood, commonly called transubstantiation, by consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense and reason, overthroweth the nature of the ordinance, and hath been, and is, the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries.
(
Acts 3:21; Luke 14:6, 39; 1 Corinthians 11:24, 25 )
7._____ Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this ordinance, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually receive, and feed upon Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death; the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally, but spiritually present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.
(
1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 )
8._____ All ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with Christ, so are they unworthy of the Lord's table, and cannot, without great sin against him, while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries, or be admitted thereunto; yea, whosoever shall receive unworthily, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, eating and drinking judgment to themselves.
(
2 Corinthians 6:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 11:29; Matthew 7:6 )
Article 7 is controversial, but the early Particular Baptists followed Calvin's view of the Supper rather than Zwingli's. Barcellos' book explains that.
