What is a Baptist?
Have you ever wondered, What is a Baptist? Have you ever wondered, Why do they call themselves Baptists?
There are two main reasons. The first reason is of historical importance. Much like the term "Christians" (Acts 11:26) in the Scriptures, the name was given to us by our enemies. And they meant it as an insult.
Our forefathers held strongly to the Biblical teachings that baptisms needed to meet three main criteria.
The first criteria was that you needed a proper candidate: a saved individual. Baptism does not save. It comes after salvation. Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls. Babies cannot gladly receive his word. They do not even know what you are saying.
The second criteria for scriptural baptism is that you have a proper mode: immersion. Baptism is a symbolic ordinance that shows forth the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You cannot show forth the picture of a death, burial and resurrection by sprinkling or pouring. The only way to do it was by immersion.
The third criteria for scriptural baptism is that you must have a proper authority:
Only a gospel preaching and Bible believing New Testament church has the authority to baptize.
If a person did not meet these three criteria, our forefathers would say that their baptisms were unbiblical and would therefore require that they be re-baptized before they could become a member of the church. Consequently, around 900 A.D., other religious groups began to label our forefathers ana-baptists which meant re-baptizers. Eventually the ana was dropped and they just started calling us Baptists. And that is how we got our name. We did not name ourselves. Our enemies named us.
So the first reason that we call ourselves Baptists is of historical importance.
The second reason is a practical one. Baptists have generally been a people who have held to the literal teachings of the Bible. Unlike other religious denominations, the Baptists have not believed that you can add to or take away from Scriptures, or spiritualize their meaning. God authored the Bible and He had it penned in a language in which we can understand. We wear the label "Baptists" because it has almost always been associated with the fundamental teachings of the Word of God. As long as the term "Baptists" is associated with a fundamental view of the Scriptures, we should wear the label.
Labels are important for it has been said, "That labels tell the difference between medicine and poison."
When I go to the refrigerator and I grab a grape soda, when I open it and put that can to my mouth I expect grape soda. The label is there to tell you what you are getting.
Labels are important. I remember when some of my sister’s friends got married. And as a joke some of their friends went into their home while they were on their honeymoon and took all of the labels off all of the can goods in the cupboard. A few of the labels that were the same size they switched and glued back on other cans. If you don’t think that labels are important just ask someone who has had that pulled on them.
They will tell you that without labels there is confusion. Without labels you cannot tell what is what. And therefore you cannot make proper decisions.
So all the Churches will wear different labels to distinguish them from all the other Churches. Say the label and you know what they stand for.
For example what do you know about the label Catholic? Traditions above the Word of God, Pray to Mary, Mary was without sin, The Pope is without sin and is infallible, You must work to be saved, a man has the power to forgive sins, you can pay money to get someone out of purgatory. All of those teachings are attached to that one label Catholic. And none of what I just mentioned is in the Bible. It is all their tradition that they put above the Word of God.
What about the label Mormon? Jesus is the brother of Lucifer, There is no literal hell, Only if you are married in the temple do you have a chance to get to be a god someday yourself and rule your own planet. You only get to go to the second heaven if you do all that you can do. If your old dead aunt Suzy was not a Mormon, then you can get baptized for her. That way she still can have a chance to make it to the second heaven. God was a man who attained godhood. All of those teachings and much more craziness are attached to that one label Mormon.
The same principal is true for the Lutherans, Pentecostals, Church of Christ, Assembly of God, ect… ect… Every Church label carries with it what they believe and stand for.
So what about the label Baptists? What does it stand for?
Over the years, there have been several biblical teachings that have divided Baptist
from other groups. These are often called Baptist distinctives and they are often taught
through an acrostic (B-A-P-T-I-S-T-S) format.
B-iblical Authority
Baptists believe the Bible to be God's revelation of Himself to mankind. God had various men record this revelation through a process of inspiration. The inspiration was then divinely preserved for all generations.
There are two aspects involved in inspiration. The first was human penmanship guided by divine direction.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.
The second aspect is preservation.
The inspiration was then divinely preserved for all generations. God went to the
trouble of inspiring the Scriptures and He has gone to the trouble of preserving
them for our benefit.
Psa 12:6 The words of the LORD [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Psa 12:7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
Psa 100:5 For the LORD [is] good; his mercy [is] everlasting; and his truth [endureth] to all generations.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Saying that God’s word is only inspired in the original autographs goes against what the Bible says.
If God could overcome time and the sin of man to give us the originals, then God could overcome time and the sin of man to preserve them. God promised that He would preserve them and God cannot lie. I believe that God did preserve His Word.
The Baptist label has stood for a people who believe that God’s Word is our sole authority in all maters of faith and practice.
A-utonomy of the Local Church
With all the confusion surrounding what different groups teach about the Church, Baptists have always stood for the local institution of the New Testament Church to be independent and self-governing.
1. The Greek word for church is ekklesia which means "a called out assembly."
2. Out of the 117 times the word ekklesia is used in the New Testament, 112
times it is referring to a local, visible church. The other 5 times it is
talking about churches in general, or assemblies in general.
P-riesthood of all Believers
We believe that every believer has access to the throne of grace. At the death of
Christ, the veil in the temple was rent in twain showing that God had opened up the door for believers to have access directly to Him.
The Old Testament Levitical priesthood was just a shadow of what every New
Testament believer should be.
1. We are called a holy priesthood 1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
2. We are able to serve within the temple. 1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
3. Like the Levites, we have no inheritance upon the earth. 2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,
4. Our primary task is to seek reconciliation between men and God. 2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
5. All Christians have Christ as their mediator who allows us to go directly to
God for forgiveness of sins and the obtainment of mercy and grace.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Baptists believe that you do not need a man with a backwards collar to get forgiveness. You can go straight to the throne yourself.
T-wo Ordinances
We believe the local church was given only two Scriptural ordinances.
1. Baptism - The Bible clearly teaches that baptism is to be the first step of obedience for any believer. It is to be an outward picture of what Christ has done for us.
2. Lord's Supper - The Lord's Supper is to be observed by the local church as a memorial of Christ's body and blood that was sacrificed for us (I Cor. 11:24-25).
The Scriptures teach no saving value with either ordinance.
We recognize only two ordinances based upon three logical arguments.
1. An ordinance must be instituted in the gospels.
2. An ordinance must be practiced in the book of Acts (2:41).
3. An ordinance must be instructed in the epistles.
Foot washing does not meet those criteria. If foot washing was an ordinance, we would see the model church in Acts doing it, and we would see instructions for it in the epistles.
I-ndividual Soul Liberty
This distinctive is that anyone has the right to worship according to the dictates of one's own conscience.
Rom 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Rom 14:6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth [it] unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard [it]. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
Rom 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Rom 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
Rom 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
Rom 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Rom 14:11 For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
1. The principle is that a man's heart must change before his beliefs will change. You cannot change a man's heart by imposing or forcing a set of religious beliefs. We are to persuade men by the Holy Ghost (II Cor. 5:11).
2. This has been a distinctive that has set apart Baptists from all other groups. Dr. John Clarke, a Baptist, after persecution from the Puritans, settled in Rhode Island to establish a state of religious freedom.
History has shown that Baptists have NEVER persecuted any other religious group to enforce a belief system upon them.
When we say "Individual Soul Liberty," we must understand that there are some things that this is not. We are not saying that we can live in disobedience to God's Word.
S-aved, Baptized, Church Membership
The Biblical pattern seen throughout the New Testament is that anyone who was a member of a church was first Scripturally saved, then Scripturally baptized. (Acts 2, 8, 9, 10, 16; Mt. 28:18-20).
This pattern has many benefits for the church.
1. The church follows the biblical pattern.
2. It helps protect the church's purity and unity.
This pattern has many benefits to the believer.
1. The believer will begin their fellowship in church as a child of God.
2. The believer will begin in obedience to the Scriptures.
3. The believer will share common ground with the rest of the church body. They will recognize the sense of belonging and commitment by uniting with the church.
4. They will find an extended family within the church to help in times of need and to rejoice with in times of victory.
T-wo Offices
The New Testament gives us two offices though they are mentioned by several names.
1. Pastor
a. He is to execute the office of bishop or overseer of the church.
b. He is to be an elder, which comes from the word presbuteros, meaning ruler.
c. He is to act as a shepherd by feeding and protecting the flock.
d. He is to be qualified for the position (I Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9). You read those verses and you will find that a woman is not to hold the office of a Pastor. It is God's plan and it is God's system. If you get mad at that you are just getting mad at God.
The church is to submit to his authority as he is accountable to Christ. The church is to pray for him, provide for him and his family's needs, and honor and respect him.
2. Deacon
a. The title means "servant" or "minister."
b. He is elected by the church from their own membership.
c. He is to be qualified for the position (I Tim. 3:8-13).
d. He is to help the pastor(s) not get bogged down in the ministry where they have no time for the study and preaching of God's Word.
S-eparation of Church and State
Baptists have always held to a Biblical view of this issue.
1. Saul violated this principle. He was a king but he tried to take on the function of the priest (I Sam. 13).
2. We see that Christ recognized the two different realms, each having their own authority but separate from one another (Jn. 18:33-36).
Joh 18:33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
Joh 18:34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
Joh 18:35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
We find this distinction in our Constitution. There are no restrictions on the church.
To remember what a Baptist is:
B - Biblical Authority - don't add to or take away from the Bible.
A - Autonomous Local Church - self governing local churches
P - Priesthood of the believer - every believer can approach God.
T - Two ordinances - and they are symbolic. They have no saving merit.
I - Individual Soul Liberty - every man must give his own account and can't be forced.
S - Saved Baptized Membership - Salvation comes before baptism.
T - Two offices - as defined by the Bible
S - Seperation of Church and State