Pastor Terrie Beede's "Studies in Theology" series, anchored in 1 Timothy 4:16, continued with The Doctrine of The Church Part 6: The Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Beede reiterated the minister's charge to "take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine" and "continue in them" to ensure both personal salvation and that of their hearers, emphasizing that doctrine is a "living and vibrant" truth. This session specifically focused on the church's ordinances, which are covered under the heading of ecclesiology in systematic theologies. The session defined an ordinance as an institution that the Lord Jesus Christ himself directly commanded the church to observe during his lifetime, and which is symbolic. The term "sacrament" is sometimes avoided by Protestants because it can convey the idea that "some form of grace or power... is distributed in the act itself," rather than being a visible representation of a spiritual truth. While practices like marriage and the laying on of hands are considered closely related to ordinances, the two ordinances universally accepted by Protestant denominations are full immersion water baptism and the Lord's Supper. Full immersion water baptism was discussed as one of these ordinances. Jesus' own baptism, though not for the remission of sins, was an act of submission that fulfilled "all righteousness" and marked an appropriate beginning to his ministry. The Old Testament priesthood, who were Jehovah's peculiar possession and consecrated for service with a one-time complete body washing followed by many hand and foot washings, serves as a type of the New Testament believer. This symbolizes the initial cleansing from sin and the ongoing purification, reflecting Jesus' words to Peter: "He that is clean need not to be washed except for his feet". Peter describes the church as a "royal priesthood" and "holy nation" called to "show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light," connecting this to the believer's consecrated status. Baptism is presented as a visible form of preaching, symbolizing being "buried with him by baptism into death" and rising to "newness of life" (Romans 6:4). The Lord's Supper was explored as the second ordinance. This practice "shows the Lord's death till he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26) and is understood as a memorial supper. Beede detailed the Passover meal from Jesus' day, which included four cups of wine symbolizing God's promises to Israel in Exodus 6:6-7: "I will bring you out," "I will rid you of their bondage," "I will redeem you," and "I will take you to me for a people". The third cup, known as the "cup of redemption" or "cup of blessing," was particularly significant. The Lutheran view of "consubstantiation"—where Christ's body and blood are present in, with, and under the bread and cup, but do not become the elements—was mentioned as a deeply reverent, non-heretical understanding of partaking in Christ, distinct from the idea of an actual sacrifice. The observance of these ordinances is significant for the church because: • Any group of believers observing them announces their intention to function as a church. • They serve as the only signs of membership in the local body at Calvary Chapel Milwaukee, as the church does not use membership classes or signed covenants for this purpose, though such classes can be edifying. • Their practice implies the existence of fellowship, as baptism and the Lord's Supper are observed within the community of believers. Beede noted that marriage and the laying on of hands are closely related practices and would be discussed in subsequent sessions. The overarching purpose of studying these doctrines is to understand that they are "absolutely consistent with God's nature, with his character, with the nature and the essence of the trinity and with the purpose for which man was created". The series was scheduled to transition into the book of Acts after concluding the doctrine of the church.