JP Wallace
Puritan Board Sophomore
To whom was the Great Commission given?
To the Apostles first and all ministers who follow.
The 1689 allows for others besides merely ministers to baptize; therefore, Reformed Baptists must believe the Great Commission may be fulfilled by those other than mere ministers of the Gospel.
It is given to the Church through those it appoints.
The 1689 most certainly does not allow for others beside minister to baptize, I'll admit it is not without some ambiguity on this matter, but I think the most harmonious reading of paragraph 28:2not only shows that they believed baptism was to be administered by ordained men but also that the Great Commission in some sense is primarily spear-headed by ordained men.
28:2. These holy appointments are to be administred by those only, who are qualified and thereunto called according to the commission of Christ.
The proof text for 'commission of Christ' is Matthew 28:19, and the reference to qualification and calling in connection with same is surely clear evidence that they believed (rightly or wrongly) that the commission and authorisation to baptise was for ordained and called pastors/elders/ministers.