Bulletin for February 1, 2026

Matthew 3 and the Mode of Baptism

In this week’s sermon, we’re looking at the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3:13-17, and I wanted to briefly address a question that often comes up in discussions of this passage. On a popular level, it’s very common to hear an argument for baptism by immersion from this passage. The reason is that when you get to verse 16, Matthew describes Jesus as coming up out of the water. And on a popular level, that’s often understood as Jesus coming up out of the water after he had been immersed The thinking is that he had perhaps been dunked down into the water and is rising back up out of the water. In fact, if you see artistic depictions of this scene, they will have Jesus standing in the river while the dove descends on his head. But if we take a closer look at this passage, it is pretty clear that Matthew is not describing the mode of Jesus’ baptism.

Verse 16 begins by saying, “When Jesus was baptized, immediately we went up from the water,” implying that the baptism had already occurred, and his coming out of the water is a separate action. Most likely, this refers to Jesus walking up onto the bank of the river. The vast majority of commentators (even Baptist commentators!) agree with this interpretation.

We see more evidence of this if we look at Acts 8, where Luke is using the same language Matthew uses to describe the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch. There Luke says that both the eunuch and Philip went down into the water, and both came back up. It’s the same language being used to describe entering into a body of water and exiting a body of water. And of course, in Acts 8 we know that Philip did not dunk himself alongside the eunuch. In other words, neither passage describes the baptism itself, only what happened before and after.

Part of the reason for this is that baptism was something that would have been very familiar to a first-century audience. The ritual comes from the Mosaic Law, where we have various forms of baptism, and also later Jewish tradition, which developed something called proselyte baptism, an initiatory rite used when Gentiles converted to Judaism. Therefore, Matthew’s readers (and Luke’s) know what baptism is, so the New Testament authors don’t feel the need to describe what’s happening. In fact, there is no description of the mode of baptism in any narrative part of the New Testament, that is, the Gospels and Acts. Based on those various examples, there is no clear evidence for one mode or another, whether immersion or sprinkling/pouring.

The reason that Presbyterians believe that the proper mode of baptism is pouring or sprinkling is that when we look at other texts, we do see a pattern that perhaps is a model for us. For example, we know that the word “baptism” does not always mean immersion, because in Mark 7, the Pharisees are described as baptizing their dining couches before they eat. It’s perhaps possible, but highly unlikely that the Pharisees took their whole dining couches down to the river and dunked them in the water before each meal. Most likely it’s describing a sprinkling or pouring.

There are also two key examples where the New Testament writers refer to Old Testament types of baptism.

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul says that all of Israel was baptized in the Red Sea, in the cloud. If you look back at that story, the Israelites were not immersed in that baptism. Instead, if anything, they were sprinkled. They were walking through on dry ground, and it was Pharaoh and the Egyptians who were immersed. In 1 Peter 3, Peter talks about Noah’s flood as a type of baptism. Of course, in Noah’s flood, Noah and his family were not immersed. The water rained on them, it sprinkled them, but they were afloat on top of the waters while the wicked were immersed.

And so throughout the New Testament we have this pattern: in the narrative portions, there is no description of the baptism, but in the didactic, doctrinal portions of Scripture, all of the descriptions of baptism are described as sprinkling or pouring.

In the Presbyterian tradition, there have been people who have preferred immersion, and of course, we will do immersions for those people who have strong convictions about mode. But the Reformed tradition, in accord with the historic church throughout ages, has long held that immersion is not necessary. And in fact, the preferred mode is pouring or sprinkling.

So when you come to Matthew 3, don’t be fooled by the images you’ve seen or the stories you’ve heard. Pay attention to what the text says. And then we can come to a clearer conclusion about what John’s meaning is and what Matthew’s meaning is also.

Updates

1. The Lord’s Supper will be served this Lord’s Day. Please prepare your hearts.
2. Next week after worship, we will have our annual Souperbowl Fellowship Lunch. Bring enough of your favorite soup for your family.
3. Wednesday evening activities have started for both youth & children and adults. Be sure to join us at 5:30!

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for January 25, 2026

Bulletin for January 18, 2026

Updates

1. Backpack Buddies has started back. There are lots of weeks open still, so be sure to sign up!
2. Wednesday night activities for youth and children will start on January 28th.
3. Souperbowl Sunday is February 8th. Immediately following the worship, we’ll have a fellowship meal. Bring enough soup for your family, plus a little extra to share.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for January 11, 2026

Bulletin for January 4, 2026

Bible Reading Plans

Happy New Year!

I’m sure many of you are planning on picking up a new Bible reading plan this week (and some of you have been doing the same plan faithfully for years). If you’re looking for one, here are several good options. Reading the Bible at least once annually is always a good practice; however, I do want to give you a few pieces of advice as you get started.

1. Don’t worry about the dates. There are very few people who are able to follow a reading plan perfectly for a whole year. But there’s nothing magic about the annual calendar. No one is checking to make sure you read the right passages on the right days.

2. Relatedly, if you fall behind, just pick up where you left off, or just do the readings for the day. Many people quit their reading plans because they try to catch up to the calendar. But again, the calendar isn’t magic. It’s better to finish your plan late or skip some sections than to not read at all.

3. If you’re struggling with a section of Scripture, don’t be afraid to jump to something else. If you find yourself bogged down in Leviticus, there’s nothing wrong with jumping over in the Gospels for a few days before coming back to it.

4. Remember the point of reading the Bible in the first place. Bible reading is not about learning facts or checking a box; it’s about communion with God. In the Word, God reveals himself to us. So don’t get caught up in trying to understand every little detail of the text. If you have a question, write it down to find an answer later. The Bible is not a puzzle to be solved; it’s not something you work on. Instead, the Spirit uses the Bible to work on you. So come to your Bible praying for and expecting an encounter with God.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb 4:12)

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for December 28, 2025

Bulletin for December 21, 2025

The Genealogy of Jesus

This Lord’s Day, we’re starting a new series on the Gospel of Matthew, and the very first text is the genealogy of Jesus. Of course, I’ll talk about Matthew’s genealogy in detail on Sunday, but as you may know, there’s actually another genealogy of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. This is commonly raised as an objection to the trustworthiness of Scripture since these genealogies are different. Below is a video from Dr. Bill Mounce giving various explanations for the differences. There are several options, but I believe the last view he gives is the correct one–that Matthew is giving Jesus’ legal genealogy and Luke is giving his natural genealogy. (I believe in the past, I’ve given a different explanation, but after spending a lot of time studying the issue the past couple of weeks, this is where I’ve landed.)

Now, Dr. Mounce rightly points out that there’s no perfect explanation. This is a really complicated issue. But at the end of day, I think all Bible-believing Christians can agree that both genealogies are truthful because they are Spirit-inspired Scripture; we just don’t know exactly how. So it’s worth thinking about, but don’t get too worked up about it. Remember what the Apostle Paul says:

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Tim 1:3-5)

Updates

1. The Christmas program is this Sunday at 5. We’ll have a light fellowship meal afterward. If you’re participating in the program, be sure to be at the church by 4:15 to get ready.
2. We’re taking a break from midweek activities for Christmas and New Year’s. Choir and Bible study will resume on the week of January 4th.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for December 14, 2025

Bulletin for December 7, 2025

Bulletin for Novemeber 30, 2025

Updates

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, but now Christmas is on its way! This week begins the Advent season. Advent simply means “coming,” and this season focuses on both Christ’s first and second comings. Over the next few weeks, we’ll finish up Zechariah, focusing on the prophecies of Christ’s return. Then, we’ll begin a new sermon series on Matthew, starting with the birth narratives. Don’t miss out!

1. For the month of December, choir will continue to meet Thursday at 4 PM. Bible study will not meet for the month of December.
2. The annual Christmas program will be Sunday, December 21st, at 5 PM. Rehearsal begins this Sunday night at 6 PM.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

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