toldailytopic: The Baptists: what did they get right, and what did they get wrong?

Nathon Detroit

Nathon Detroit

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The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for August 19th, 2011 09:40 AM


toldailytopic: The Baptists: what did they get right, and what did they get wrong?






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some other dude

some other dude

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Since there is no hierarchical authority and each Baptist church is autonomous, there is no official set of Baptist theological beliefs.[41]
Baptists, like other Christians, are defined by doctrine—some of it common to all orthodox and evangelical groups and a portion of it importantly distinctive.[36] Through the years, different Baptist groups have issued confessions of faith—without considering them to be creeds—to express their particular doctrinal distinctions in comparison to other Christians as well as in comparison to other Baptists.[37] Most Baptists are evangelical in doctrine, but Baptist beliefs can vary due to the congregational governance system that gives autonomy to individual local Baptist churches. Historically, Baptists have played a key role in encouraging religious freedom and separation of church and state.[38]

Shared doctrines would include beliefs about one God; the virgin birth; miracles; atonement for sins through the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus; the Trinity; the need for salvation (through belief in Jesus Christ as the son of God, his death and resurrection, and confession of Christ as Lord); grace; the Kingdom of God; last things (Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth, the dead will be raised, and Christ will judge everyone in righteousness); and evangelism and missions. Some historically significant Baptist doctrinal documents include the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, 1742 Philadelphia Baptist Confession, the 1833 New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith, the Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Faith and Message, and written church covenants which some individual Baptist churches adopt as a statement of their faith and beliefs.

Most Baptists hold that no church or ecclesiastical organization has inherent authority over a Baptist church. Churches can properly relate to each other under this polity only through voluntary cooperation, never by any sort of coercion. Furthermore, this Baptist polity calls for freedom from governmental control.[39]

Exceptions to this local form of local governance include a few churches that submit to the leadership of a body of elders, as well as the Episcopal Baptists that have an Episcopal system.

Baptists generally believe in the literal Second Coming of Christ. Beliefs among Baptists regarding the "end times" include amillennialism, dispensationalism, and historic premillennialism, with views such as postmillennialism and preterism receiving some support.

Some additional distinctive Baptist principles held by many Baptists:[40]:2

The supremacy of the canonical Scriptures as a norm of faith and practice. For something to become a matter of faith and practice, it is not sufficient for it to be merely consistent with and not contrary to scriptural principles. It must be something explicitly ordained through command or example in the Bible. For instance, this is why Baptists do not practice infant baptism—they say the Bible neither commands nor exemplifies infant baptism as a Christian practice, even though nowhere does the Bible forbid it. More than any other Baptist principle, this one when applied to infant baptism is said to separate Baptists from other evangelical Christians.
Baptists believe that faith is a matter between God and the individual (religious freedom). To them it means the advocacy of absolute liberty of conscience.
Insistence on immersion as the only mode of baptism. Baptists do not believe that baptism is necessary for salvation. Therefore, they do not consider it to be a sacrament, since it imparts no saving grace.[40]
Further information: List of Baptist confessions
Most Baptist traditions believe in the "Four Freedoms" articulated by Baptist historian Walter B. Shurden:[37]

Soul freedom: the soul is competent before God, and capable of making decisions in matters of faith without coercion or compulsion by any larger religious or civil body
Church freedom: freedom of the local church from outside interference, whether government or civilian (subject only to the law where it does not interfere with the religious teachings and practices of the church)
Bible freedom: the individual is free to interpret the Bible for himself or herself, using the best tools of scholarship and biblical study available to the individual
Religious freedom: the individual is free to choose whether to practice their religion, another religion, or no religion; Separation of church and state is often called the "civil corollary" of religious freedom
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Town Heretic

Town Heretic

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The Baptists: what did they get right?

:think: They aren't Methodists? :eek:

What did they get wrong?

Couldn't say. They burned books where I lived and I was Episcopal anyway, so we didn't mix... Some of the First Baptist churches in my area are so large even the Catholics are offended. When I was younger we called the one in Mobile, just off I-65, Fort God, or Six Flags Over Jesus.
 
TomO

TomO

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assuranceagent said:
...Missouri Baptists, Anabaptists, Missionary Baptists, Covenanted Baptists, Canadian Baptists, General Baptists...


...why am I starting to feel like Forrest Gump? :eek:
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Obvously they are confused.....the're probably just "wannabes". :plain:
 
TomO

TomO

Get used to it.
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Town Heretic said:
The Baptists: what did they get right?

:think: They aren't Methodists? :eek:

What did they get wrong?

Couldn't say. They burned books where I lived
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Nobody wanted to read those books anyway. :plain:

and I was Episcopal anyway, so we didn't mix...
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That's 'cuz Episcopalians are so oily. :eek:

Some of the First Baptist churches in my area are so large even the Catholics are offended. When I was younger we called the one in Mobile, just off I-65, Fort God, or Six Flags Over Jesus.
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It's the casseroles man....the casseroles. :plain:
 
Nick M

Nick M

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TomO said:
You live in Missouri? :confused:
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For some time. I haven't lived in Colorado since....a while.

What did they get wrong? I would have to go more often. At the larger church down the street that drew me in for a reason they didn't want (Joel Osteen), at the end of his largely meaningless service (trying to decontruct one sentence :dizzy:) he said "Won't you be obediant and come down to be baptised". In the dunk tank. :kookoo:
 
TomO

TomO

Get used to it.
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Nick M said:
For some time. I haven't lived in Colorado since....a while.

What did they get wrong? I would have to go more often. At the larger church down the street that drew me in for a reason they didn't want (Joel Osteen), at the end of his largely meaningless service (trying to decontruct one sentence :dizzy:) he said "Won't you be obediant and come down to be baptised". In the dunk tank. :kookoo:
Click to expand...

We haven't claimed him in thirty years. :plain:
 
Sherman

Sherman

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I am going to take the information from SOD's Box and break it down.

Congregation autonomy :up:
Liberal interpretations of separation of church and state. :down: Yes I have observed these.
One God :up:
The virgin birth :up:
Miracles : ? All the Baptists I have met do not believe in miracles.
Atonement for sins through the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus. :up:
The Trinity. :up:
The need for salvation (through belief in Jesus Christ as the son of God, his death and resurrection, and confession of Christ as Lord). :up:
Grace. :up:
The Kingdom of God. Their definition is a bit skewed. They have the Body and Bride mixed up.
Last things (Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth, the dead will be raised, and Christ will judge everyone in righteousness):down: They believe in the white throne judgement for everyone.
Evangelism and missions.:up:

The supremacy of the canonical Scriptures as a norm of faith and practice. (conservative baptists):up:
Baptists do not believe that baptism is necessary for salvation. Therefore, they do not consider it to be a sacrament, since it imparts no saving grace.:up:

The "four freedoms" :down: Why do we need dogma like this when we have the Bible?
Soul freedom: the soul is competent before God, and capable of making decisions in matters of faith without coercion or compulsion by any larger religious or civil body
Church freedom: freedom of the local church from outside interference, whether government or civilian (subject only to the law where it does not interfere with the religious teachings and practices of the church)
Bible freedom: the individual is free to interpret the Bible for himself or herself, using the best tools of scholarship and biblical study available to the individual
Religious freedom: the individual is free to choose whether to practice their religion, another religion, or no religion; Separation of church and state is often called the "civil corollary" of religious freedom
Yap yap. The Baptists have their little pet Dogma nipping at their ankles.
 
Poly

Poly

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Right? Potluck dinners

Wrong? Baptism
 
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