THE PRACTICE HANDBOOK FOR THE DISTRICT SERVING ONES
SERIES THREE
PRACTICAL SERVICES
Message Seven
Services Relating to Baptism
Matt. 8:12 Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Rom. 6:3 Or are you ignorant that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
Gal. 3:27 For as many as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
THE MEANING OF BAPTISM
Concerning baptism, the New Testament reveals that we have been baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19), into Christ (Gal. 3:27), into the death of Christ (Rom. 6:3), and into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). We need to exercise our entire being in order to have a proper understanding of such a wonderful baptism. Regrettably, many Christians today do not have an adequate view of baptism. Some Christians argue about the method of baptism or about the kind of water used. Some reduce baptism to a dead ritual. Other Christians go to another extreme and associate baptism with speaking in tongues. Rarely among today’s Christians do we see baptism practiced in a proper, genuine, and living way, with the believers baptized into the name of the Triune God, into Christ, into the death of Christ, and into the Body of Christ. Such a baptism, a baptism into the divine name, a living Person, an effective death, and a living organism, puts the believers into a position where they can experience an organic union with Christ.
BAPTISM BRINGING REPENTANT PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR OLD STATE
INTO A NEW ONE
According to the Gospel of Matthew, baptism brings repentant people out of their old state into a new one, by terminating their old life and germinating them with the new life of Christ that they may become the kingdom people. John the Baptist’s recommending ministry began with a preliminary baptism by water only. Now, after the heavenly King accomplished His ministry on earth, passed through the process of death and resurrection, and became the life-giving Spirit, He charged His disciples to baptize the ones they discipled into the Triune God. This baptism has two aspects: the visible aspect by water, and the invisible aspect by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, 41; 10:44-48). The visible aspect is the expression, the testimony, of the invisible aspect; whereas the invisible aspect is the reality of the visible aspect. Without the invisible aspect by the Spirit, the visible aspect by water is vain; and without the visible aspect by water, the invisible aspect by the Spirit is abstract and impractical. Both are needed. Not long after the Lord charged the disciples with this baptism, He baptized them and the entire church in the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:5; 2:4) and in the house of Cornelius (Acts 11:15-17). Then, based upon this, the disciples baptized the new converts (Acts 2:38), not only visibly into water, but also invisibly into the death of Christ (Rom. 6:3-4), into Christ Himself (Gal. 3:27), into the Triune God (Matt. 28:19), and into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). The water, signifying the death of Christ with His burial, may be considered a tomb to terminate the old history of the one being baptized. Since the death of Christ is included in Christ, and since Christ is the very embodiment of the Triune God, and the Triune God is eventually one with the Body of Christ, so to baptize new believers into the death of Christ, into Christ Himself, into the Triune God, and into the Body of Christ is to terminate their old life, on the negative side, and, on the positive side, to germinate them with new life, the eternal life of the Triune God, for the Body of Christ. Hence, the baptism ordained by the Lord in Matthew 28:19 is one that baptizes people out of their life into the Body life for the kingdom of the heavens.
We have pointed out that the Greek word rendered “into” indicates union, as in Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27; and 1 Corinthians 12:13. The same Greek word is used in Acts 8:16; 19:3, 5; and 1 Corinthians 1:13, 15. To baptize people into the name of the Triune God is to bring them into spiritual and mystical union with Him.
Whenever we are about to baptize people, we should give them a rich, living message on the meaning of baptism. By hearing such a message, their faith will be stirred up, and they will have a proper appreciation of baptism. We should never baptize believers in a ritualistic way, regarding baptism as a mere act of putting people into the water according to the Bible. Such a baptism is void of the reality of the organic union. But if people hear a rich word on the meaning of baptism and have the hearing of faith, they will earnestly desire to be baptized. Then, as we baptize them, we should exercise our faith to realize that we are not only baptizing them into the water, but baptizing them into a spiritual reality. As we immerse them into the water, we immerse them into the Triune God as the all-inclusive Spirit. When a person is baptized into the Triune God, he enters into an organic union, which is able to transform his whole being. By means of our organic union with the Triune God, we are one with the Triune God, and the Triune God is one with us. ( Life-study of Galations., msg. 21)
BAPTIZING PEOPLE IN A SERIOUS WAY
According to our observation, there is the danger that when we go door-knocking to lead people to salvation and baptize them, what we do may become “mechanical.” This may be due to the fact that our spirit is not strong enough and that we do not want to exercise our spirit. Due to the training that we have received in the past, we have become very experienced in door-knocking and baptizing people, even to the extent that our wealth of experience has become a mechanical method. The result is that there is not much life and spirit in what we do.
Consider our practice of baptism. I believe that many of us have the feeling that when we go door-knocking and baptize people, our way is sometimes too careless. We do not take this matter seriously, nor do we impress people deeply with baptism. Baptism is a matter that concerns man’s coming out of death and entering into life, coming out of the world and entering into God’s kingdom, and coming out of the self and entering into the Triune God. Hence, it is a very serious matter.
Giving the Baptized Ones a Serious Feeling toward Baptism
We need to see that going out to baptize people is a great matter. If we had other options, we would prefer not to baptize anyone in a bathtub but in a pool or a stream. Nevertheless, we must still take it seriously and give the baptized ones the feeling that this is a very important matter, a matter that concerns their being delivered from perdition to salvation and their coming out of death and entering into life. This is a life-changing matter—they are coming out of themselves and entering into the Triune God—and we should give people this feeling. If we baptize them in a loose manner, giving them a poor feeling, they will avoid us on our next visit.
I hope that from now on we will be particularly alert when we go out to baptize people. We must never be careless or casual. Instead, we must be very serious. We should never act rashly in order to save time. We should rather spend a little more time and baptize them in a respectable and serious manner. Even though a person may be baptized in a bathtub, our attitude must still be serious. We should fill the tub in a proper manner, accompany him to prepare and change clothes in a proper manner, and have clear fellowship with him to help him to realize that he has been saved. If we do this in a serious manner, the newly saved one will have a deep impression about his baptism. He too will respect it and be serious about it.
Letting the Baptized Ones Understand the Significance of Baptism
We should tell those who are being baptized that baptism is a very significant matter. It is the reality of coming out of death into life, coming out of darkness into light, and being saved from Satan’s hand and entering into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love. From then on they will be in the grace of God, enjoying God’s full salvation. This kind of speaking will edify them and give them a serious feeling toward baptism. At the same time we need to explain to them the significance of water in baptism so that they can understand its meaning. We should believe that when we are serious, our words will certainly be of the spirit, having reality and power to impress people. When people are baptized in this way, they will have this impression: “I am a different person now. I have come out of death and entered into life, and I have been delivered from Satan and entered into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love.” In this way it will not be easy for other people to damage them. Parents may obstruct and husbands may restrict, but within the ones whom we contact there will be a clear realization that they have been baptized and that a reality has entered into them. This is something that they will never be able to forget for the rest of their lives.
We must pay special attention to a particular matter. If there is no bathtub in a person’s home, we should never simply sprinkle him with water. This way is too careless and casual. We would rather not baptize him at that moment but make an appointment with him for another time at another place in order to baptize him in a serious manner. We should never be careless about baptism, lest people have a dubious impression of us. These are areas in which we should be careful and cautious.
Regardless of whether we knock on doors to baptize people or go to perfect a home meeting, we should act and move in the principle of death and resurrection, living in the spirit and following the spirit. We need to leave people with the impression that these matters are very significant and serious.
In Baptizing People, Sometimes Needing to Have Fellowship
If there are any special needs that arise from our door-knocking, we should have fellowship right away so that the situation can be studied without delay. For example, some young people accepted the gospel and were baptized while their parents were not at home. Then their parents returned home, and they were forced to give up the gospel. When we next visited them, their parents refused to let them open the door. This is understandable, and we were forced to accept their decision. Another situation arose when a husband was not home during our visit. The wife believed in the Lord and was baptized, but when her husband returned home, he annulled her faith. When we visited them again, she kept the door shut. This also is understandable, and we were forced to accept it. In a third kind of situation, we baptized certain ones, but afterward some from Christianity contacted them and led them away before our next visit. This situation is also understandable, although not entirely acceptable, because it shows that we did not adequately protect and care for the new ones. A newborn baby needs to be protected the moment he comes out of his mother’s womb. If we protect him, he will survive; if we do not protect him, he will die. What happened with these new ones is yet another kind of situation in which people do not like to see us, lose confidence in us and respect for us, and reject us due to our improper approach. We need to be greatly adjusted in these matters.
Because we have never taken the new way before, we need to study it as we go on. We can compare this to following a car. If the car in front comes across a problem on the road, it can report the road conditions to the cars behind. Then they can consider what to do. In the same way, when we go to knock on doors, baptize others, or perfect the home meetings, we should follow the principle that we fellowship immediately whenever we discover a difficulty. Then we can discuss the way to deal with the problem in a proper manner. If we do not have fellowship when we discover difficulties, but instead discuss them in private, we are simply gossiping, which is neither appropriate nor proper. (CWWL, 1987, vol. 1, “Bearing Remaining Fruit,” msg. 9)
Developing the Appropriate Method according to the Situation
At that time in Taipei, we had gospel marches every Lord’s Day afternoon. After a march we brought people to the amphitheater at the New Park. The three thousand seats there would be filled each time. After the meeting we would bring back four or five hundred names. The next night we would ask the saints to come together and then distribute the names to them according to districts for follow-up visits one by one. This kind of action proved to be very effective. People believed in the Lord in groups and companies, and they were caught in “net after net.”
Due to the large number of people who received the Lord, I worked out a way to baptize three people in one minute. The plan included seat arrangements, changing into baptismal robes, coming down into the baptistery, being baptized, and changing back into street clothes. I supervised the entire process and especially made sure that each one was baptized in less than twenty seconds. I still remember one baptismal meeting on a Saturday that lasted from 6 P.M. to 9 P.M. Because there were only three hundred eighty baptismal robes, we had to wait until the morning of the following day, which was the Lord’s Day, to finish baptizing everyone. That time we baptized more than seven hundred. The saints served by groups in shifts. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, “Rising Up to Preach the Gospel,” msg. 1)
Corporation in the Services Relating to Baptism
At the beginning of our training, we knew this in principle. We arranged for every team to have an older one. Eventually, we discovered that the older ones are welcomed everywhere. The older one should knock on the door while the younger ones stand back. Once inside a house, it is best if the young sister speaks. We have found on many occasions that the most prevailing ones to bring people into the faith were the young sisters. The brothers are mostly good for putting people into the water of baptism. When the young or middle-aged brother would go to baptize people, either the young sister or the older brother or sister should help to prepare the water. (CWWL, 1988, vol. 1, “Speaking Christ for the Building Up of the Body of Christ,” ch. 6)
SERVICE AFTER A NEW ONE BEEN APTIZED
The First and Main Thing after Baptism Being to Make the New One Happy
After a new one has been saved and baptized, we should begin to meet with him in his home. The best way to carry out the home meeting is simply to cause this new one to feel happy. The first and main thing we must do is to make this one happy. Someone may ask, “After baptizing someone and after he has changed his clothes, what is the first thing I should cover with him: the first lesson of Life Lessons or the first lesson of Truth Lessons?” To use these materials at this time may be a kind of “spanking” to that newborn babe. After the baptized one has changed clothes and comes to us, we must have a kind of attitude, appearance, and gesture that is so pleasant to make this dear one also feel pleasant. If we are not gentle but are so dignified or strict in our gesture toward the new believers, they may be offended by us and may not want us to visit them again. While the newly baptized one is changing, we must learn how to exercise in such a way that our whole being would express a contagious joy. Then when he comes to join you, you might stand up and greet him, “Hallelujah! It is so good that you have been saved! Congratulations!” This will warm his heart and make him pleasant and happy.
Whatever We Say, Saying Pleasantly
We must cherish the new ones to make them happy. We have to learn how to speak to them in the best way. Whatever we say must be said so pleasantly. We may begin, “This Bible is really good. Look how it is bound and printed. It is really beautiful.” This kind of speaking will cause this one to feel quite pleasant. He would be happy for us to talk with him further.
How many of us have gone to a home to have a home meeting in the way of making people feel pleasant? To nourish and cherish the new ones, we have to be fine and gentle. Some brothers are very eager and intense. Their way of speaking may be too strong or rough. This may intimidate or somewhat frighten the young ones. Others are like preachers, theological school graduates, always presenting one portion from the Bible after another to instruct them. Their gesture would give people the feeling that they are proud. This kind of talk, this kind of attitude, this kind of gesture, will always cool down the new ones.
If you were in a home talking with a man and his young, four-year-old son came into the room, what would you do? This is an opportunity. You might simply reach out and touch this boy’s head softly and speak to him. This is the best way to warm up the father’s heart. You could stop talking to his father and just speak to this child for a few minutes. Then the father would be so pleased that he might tell you some things concerning his son. To care for people in this kind of gentle way is not so easy to learn.
Singing a Song Concerning the Joy of Salvation
Suppose three saints have brought an old man to the Lord and have baptized him. How should they meet with this old man? While this one is still changing clothes, perhaps one of the three, a young sister, would begin to sing a song concerning the joy of salvation. To sing a hymn or a song is often the best way to begin, but you have to sing the right song, and you have to sing it with the right voice. You have to be pleasant and natural in your singing. It is hard for me to teach you this. This is something you must learn by practicing. You can practice by speaking and singing to yourselves at home, and you can also practice every time you are with the new ones.
To preach the gospel and to gain people by contacting them in a way that will make them happy require much learning. Actually, this kind of learning is endless. For me to teach you these things is not easy. You have to pick up the principles and learn through your practice. Do not take this matter lightly. It is not enough to have some knowledge of the Bible. You also must know how to take care of people in a way that their hearts would be open to you. (CWWL, 1989, vol. 3, “The Exercise and Practice of the God-Ordained Way,” msg. 13)
Edifying New Believers Immediately after Their Salvation
We should not leave immediately after leading someone to salvation. We need to sit down with him and his household for one hour to edify him. First, we should lead him to sing a hymn concerning the assurance and joy of salvation. Then we should ask him to pray and teach him to call on the Lord’s name. We may say, “Our Lord Jesus is the eternal God, but in order to save us, He became flesh and died on the cross for our sins. Then He was resurrected to become the life-giving Spirit. Today He entered into you as the Spirit. We thank the Lord that He created you with a human spirit. When you repented and confessed your sins, your conscience was enlivened, and you were washed by the Lord’s precious blood. As a result, the life-giving Spirit entered into your spirit and is mingled with you as one spirit. Our pneumatic Lord has a name. Whenever we call on His name, we will enjoy and experience Him. The way to call on His name is to use our spirit and call from deep within, ‘O Lord Jesus!’ This is like taking a deep breath. Then you will feel comfortable, at ease, peaceful, and joyful.” After leading someone to be baptized, we must stay for an hour to teach him basic truths and help him to exercise his spirit. This will make him stable. (CWWL, 1988, vol. 1, “The Proper Way for Believers to Meet and to Serve,” msg. 5)
Besides this, after every baptism we should immediately arrange a new believers’ edification meeting for the newly baptized ones. A newly baptized believer does not know a great deal of truth. In this kind of meeting, which is best to hold on the Lord’s Day, we should teach them the truths related to new believers, such as what to do after being baptized, knowing the church, reading the Bible, and prayer. We need to teach them these things topic by topic. The church ought to release a great deal of truths on the Lord’s Day so that the saints can learn the truths on their days off and in their spare time. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “Speaking for God,” msg. 5)
Teaching Him Concerning the Lord as the Life-Giving Spirit
Indwelling His Regenerated Spirit
After baptizing a new one, immediately have the first home meeting with him for one hour, teaching him concerning the Lord as the life-giving Spirit indwelling his regenerated spirit and leading him to pray by calling on the name of the Lord. You should stay there for at least one hour; the longer you can stay with him, the better. Do not be greedy for numbers. You have one person already, and you should be satisfied. You have one treasure; do not let it go. Stay with this person to give him his first lesson, taking as much time as the situation allows.
The first lesson is to tell this new one that the very Savior in whom he has believed and whom he has received, Jesus Christ, today is the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b). Do not consider this as a deeper teaching. This is not a deeper teaching. Charge him to learn the “alphabet.” Of the ABCs, this is A. Do not be afraid to spend too much time. The longer the time is, the better. Tell him that the Lord Jesus today is the life-giving Spirit. As the Spirit, He is just like the air. He is everywhere; He is omnipresent. Tell him that the Lord as the Spirit is now within him. Then tell him that he also has a human spirit and that this is the right organ for him to contact God. Most people do not know that each human being has a spirit as a particular organ for him to contact God. Illustrate to him that if he did not have two eyes, he could not realize color, and if he did not have two ears, he could not realize sound. If he does not exercise his spirit, there will be no way for him to realize that God is Spirit. Tell him that the Lord Jesus today is the life-giving Spirit, that he has a spirit, and that this divine Spirit abides in his spirit.
Leading Him to Pray by Calling on the Lord’s Name
After this, tell him that to pray is simply to call on the Lord Jesus who is now the Spirit within him. Then lead him to pray by calling on His name. Tell him that from that day he is a person who has Christ the Lord within him. He is not a non-Christian, who does not have the Lord Jesus within him. Rather, the Lord Jesus is in him. Bring him into such knowledge and lead him to pray. Tell him that in any problem he might face, he should call on the Lord and pray. This must be included in the first lesson.
When you speak with a new one on each point, you have to open a proper verse to him. Concerning the Lord being the life-giving Spirit, you must open to 1 Corinthians 15:45b, point it out to him, and help him to read that portion: “The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.” Ask him to read it, once, twice, and a third time. Also, ask him to read loudly, not merely shouting but as a calling. Lead him to say, “How good, Lord! Now You are a life-giving Spirit!” You may also choose a verse concerning the human spirit. You can use John 4:24: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truthfulness.” Tell him that this spirit is his human spirit. Give him verses in this way, but do not give him too many—at the most three or four. Read these verses and help him to become familiar with them. We must do this one thing immediately. Do not wait until the next day to do it. Even if he would say that he does not have much time, still beg him to do it. Tell him that you want to spend this golden time with him for his sake and his benefit. We have found that this will render much help. Immediately after his baptism, in the first meeting, build up such a practice. This is what will help him to lay a very good foundation. Many times in the past, we gave this first lesson too late. (CWWL, 1988, vol. 1, “Speaking Christ for the Building Up of the Body of Christ,” ch. 6)
Guiding the New Ones according to Their Inner Need
In the home meetings the leading ones should not do too much for the new ones. They should simply lead the new ones to function. After a person is saved, he has an inward need and an aspiration. The leading ones should learn to guide the new ones according to their inner need. For example, after baptism, many new ones ask, “What happens next?” This speaks of an inner need. After a Christian is baptized, he needs to begin meeting. The more a new one meets, the more his inner need grows. Some may ask whether meetings are only for pursuing the truth. We should say that Christians also need to break bread. If a new one wants to sing a hymn, we should sing together with him. If he wants to preach the gospel to his friends and relatives, we can help him according to his actual situation. We should do our best not to initiate anything, but let the new one ask questions. We only need to guide him, lead him, and let him function. (CWWL, 1987, vol. 1, “Practicing the New Way Universally to Arrive at the Whole Body Serving,” ch. 3)
Discussion:
1. What do we need to prepare before the baptism (clothes, baptistery, towels, etc.)?
2. How to baptize people in coordination?
3. How to serve in coordination after the baptism (taking care of the newly baptized ones, tidying up things)?
