“I am under obligation both to Greek and to Barbarian” Romans 1:14
When we hear the word “barbarian” we immediately think of someone who is crude, rude and probably violent. When the ancients used the word barbarian it did not immediately have that connotation.
It is true that by the time of the fall of the Roman Empire there was extreme violence by the barbarian hordes, however, this was not the violence of terrorist mobs- rather it was outright invasion by neighboring states that were sick and tired of Roman expansion and were set on ending it.

The word “barbarian” comes from the Greek word “barbarous”. Barbarous is what we call an onomatopoeia- a word that sounds like what it means. Another onomatopoeia would be the word “buzz”- it sounds like what it means. Essentially the word means “to babel”. Thus the concept behind barbarous is someone who speaks a language I can’t understand.
This is evident by Paul’s use of the word in I Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 14:11 Paul says: “but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner (barbarous) to the speaker and the speaker will be a foreigner to me.”

The entire Roman Empire was united by its use of the Koine (common) Greek language as the trade language of the empire. Every people group maintained its ethnic dialects for interaction in everyday life. However, everyone learned Greek from childhood.
From the gospels, it is clear that Jesus, and most of his contemporaries, were fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. This was common practice all over the empire.

Paul’s statement in Romans 1:14 implies that it is right and proper for Christians to translate Scripture into various languages so that each people group can read Scripture for themselves. It also implies that as language evolves and changes it is proper to contemporize its message into language that is understandable by that generation.

In the last decades there has been a lot of well-meaning push back by conservative Christians against new translations of Scripture. They argue for the use of the old KJV as a matter of conviction fearing that God’s Word is being changed in these new translations.
Now, to be sure, there are many new translations that are sloppy at the least and downright deceptive at the worst. These need to be rejected by serious Bible believers. However, translations produced by solid Biblical Scholarship that upholds a belief in inerrancy are not to be feared, rather they should be embraced as helpful to the growth of God’s kingdom.

We have an obligation to make God’s Word understandable to all- Greek and barbarian.
Because of grace,
Tim

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“Going into all the nations, make disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…” Matthew 28:19

Today we have a baby dedication and a baptism. Some may ask: “why does EBC dedicate babies and not baptize them?” I’m glad you asked- here’s the short answer.

It is clear from the Commission that Christ gave His disciples shortly before His ascension back to the Father, that baptism is a pivotal part of how the church “makes disciples.” Christ pronounces the formula under which His followers are to be baptized: “the Name” (singular) of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (plural persons).
This of course reveals the Trinitarian nature of the Godhead. However, it does more than that. It also teaches us that each member of the Trinity is active in our salvation.

The Father elects and instituted the plan, the Son condescends and dies for sin and sinners, and the Holy Spirit convicts and applies the redemption Christ provided.
Having said this we still haven’t addressed the who. Christ makes this clear as well: disciples are to be baptized.

A person is not made a disciple by baptizing them- no, a person becomes a disciple by personal faith and then is baptized as testimony to that fact.
To baptize someone who is not a disciple (a believer) is to get the cart before the horse. This is why all through the book of Acts as the Apostles carried out this commission the pattern consistently held true. “Those who received the word were baptized” (Acts 2:41).

Christ was preached crucified, The Holy Spirit worked conviction of sin and faith in Christ, the person was baptized. Read the book of Acts- this is the pattern and it consistently was practiced.
So EBC baptizes believers. End of story.

Because of grace,
Tim

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