Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 5/24/2007

Question
Recently I have been having discussions with my friend (he's church of christ) about weather God requires us to perform the Lord's supper every sunday.  Do you believe God will hinder us if we do not participate in that act every week?  Is there a right and wrong way to do the Lord's supper? What's a baptist point of view on the Lord's supper? Also, what is your opinion on the believer's baptism...are we all required to be baptised in order to go to heaven?  What will happen if we are not baptised?

Answer
Hi Kelsey,

I am so sorry for this late response to your great questions.  The Bible does not give us a requirement of how often we should observe communion, it only tells us that when we do, it is to be a memorial of Christ's death.

1 Corinthians 11:26
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.  

Salvation comes when you trust in what Jesus did on the cross to save you.  You are saved by faith not works.

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Since this is the case, baptism by water is not required in order to save someone.  The only thing that washes away sin is the Blood of Jesus.  Paul even drew a line of distinction between the Gospel (good news about salvation) and Baptism.

1 Corinthians 1:17
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.  

Baptism then is a symbol of Christ’s death burial and resurrection.  One gets baptized to publicly identify with that message.  It does nothing to save you.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don