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FOUNDATIONS*41**this*way*they*are*more*than*happy*to*work*alongside*them*in*mission*and*in*para:church*organisations.***Whilst*it*is*natural*for*those*who*hold*to*a*credobaptist*position*not*to*wish* to* undertake* infant* baptisms,* since* this* would* be* counter* to* their*conscience,* there* is* no* reason* why* disagreement* over* baptism* should*necessitate* exclusion* from* church* membership,* sharing* the* Lord’s* Supper*together,*and*even*service*in*church*leadership.*The*baptism*which*matters*to*God,*and*is*spiritually*effective,*is*baptism*by*the*Holy*Spirit*into*the*body*of*Christ.*Our*fundamental*obligation*as*Christians*is*to*accept*and*welcome*those* who* have* been* accepted* and* welcomed* by* the* Lord* Jesus* (Rom*15:7). 35 *To*refuse*to*welcome*a*person*into*the*membership*of*the*church,*still*worse*to*refuse*to*welcome*them*to*share*the*Lord’s*Supper,*is*in*effect*an* act* of* church* discipline* which* calls* into* question* the* fact* of* their*salvation.**To*refuse*to*share*the*Lord’s*Supper*with*other*believers*on*the*grounds*that*they*have*not*been*baptised*in*a*particular*manner*comes*dangerously*close*to*Peter’s*withdrawal*from*eating*with*the*Gentile*believers*in*Antioch,*which*led*to*a*public*rebuke*by*Paul*(Gal*2:11:21).*Peter*did*not*believe*that*circumcision*was*required*for*salvation,*so*he*was*not*himself*committing*the*Galatian*heresy,*but*his*behaviour*in*breaking*fellowship*had*the*effect*of* excluding* Gentile* believers* from* the* church* unless* they* chose* to* be*circumcised.* The* issue* of* eating* together* was* no* trivial* matter,* since* the*main*meeting*of*the*early*church*was*clearly*a*gathering*to*share*the*Lord’s*Supper*(1*Cor*11:17:35;*Acts*2:46;*20:7),*which*was*an*act*of*fellowship*and*mutual*acceptance.*The*insistence*of*a*particular*mode*of*baptism*for*church*membership,*and*especially*for*participation*in*the*Lord’s*Supper,*falls*into*the* same* category.* It* forces* justified* and* regenerate* believers* to* form*schismatic*separate*fellowships,*or*to*comply*with*a*requirement*that*goes*against* their* conscience.* The* unity* established* by* the* Spirit,* in* whom* all*believers*have*been*baptised,*ought*to*be*expressed*in*willingness*to*share*the* Lord’s* Supper* with* all* those* who* have* been* accepted* by* Christ* and*baptised* into* his* body.* It* is* tragically* sad* if* we* refuse* to* share* the* Lord’s*Supper* on* earth* with* those* with* whom* we* will* be* sharing* the* messianic*banquet*prefigured*by*it*in*glory.*********It* is* of* course* natural* that* individual* churches* wish* to* protect* and*maintain*their*convictions*regarding*baptism,*but*there*are*effective*ways*of*achieving* this* without* excluding* paedobaptists* from* membership* or* the*Lord’s* Supper.* In* many* communities* in* the* UK* it* is* no* longer* viable* to*maintain*multiple*conservative*evangelical*churches*divided*only*by*reason*of*their*baptismal*convictions.*If*credobaptists*are*to*share*a*gospel*vision*for*the*nation*as*a*whole*they*need*to*recognise,*and*face*up*to*the*reality*********************************************************************35*Concluding*the*argument*of*14:1:15:6.*!

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