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Featured What = Baptist

Discussion in 'Other Christian Denominations' started by fortytworc, Mar 29, 2012.

  1. fortytworc

    fortytworc Member

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    What makes a Baptist (church or individual) a Baptist?
    If one can honestly set aside the differences in doctrines that aren't really important enough to argued about, then can be truthful enough about those issues on which intelligent and Godly people disagree and say "maybe we can't be 100% sure on these", what is there that is distinctly Baptist? Among the "Heinz 57" varieties how can one finally decide "If I want to be a Baptist, this is the place to be."?
     
  2. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    You know you are in a Baptist church if pot luck is served weekly and the Pastor looks like a beach ball. LOL
    No, the things I think that unite the vast majority of Baptists are
    Baptism by emersion as a public sign of faith in Jesus Christ, not a mode of salvation
    Eternal security
    Autonomous local churches
    Local covenants
    In most cases, congregational government with deacons that act as servants
    Telling a lost world about Jesus Christ and the Gospel

    Of course, Jesus Christ is Lord, God and Savior, the Bible is inspired and without error, God is the Creator, omnipresent, omnicient, etc, The Trinity, are common to all Christian faiths, or should be.
     
  3. fortytworc

    fortytworc Member

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    Are there then major differences in American, Southern, Fundamental Baptists?
    Are there churches which don't call themselves Baptist but believe the same as most Baptist churches?
     
  4. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    When my son moved from Kentucky to Wisconsin after graduating from college, he initially went to an American Baptist church. They seemed to have a lot more liberal policies than the SBC, in the areas of same sex relationships, women deacons, inerrency of the Bible, and seven day Creation. They were just more liberal in general. A big divide around here is the difference between the SBC and Primitive Baptists in the subject of missions. We are on opposite end of the spectrum, from world wide evanglisim and missions to none. I know very little of FBC, as I have no desire to be rigid in areas just for the sake of being rigid when they have nothing to do with the Bible.

    Yes, I agree. There are some Protestant denominations, such as conservative Presbyterian and Reformed Baptist, or even SBC,that are closer despite mode of baptism than Reformed Baptist is to General. I am sure there are many examples of denominations coming closer to each other than different types of Baptists.

    Baptists have no unity in the areas of Calvinism vs free will, KJVO, open or closed communion, and other areas. Locally, there are some SBCs in neighboring counties that accept alien Baptisms. It makes the issue of transfering letters more difficult in a church like ours that requires immersion. Some Baptists embrace Calvinism with the name and ignore his doctrine on infant baptism, and the concept of theocracy, which he practiced. While I agree with doctrines of sovereignty and grace, I refuse to refer to it by the name Calvin, for the reasons listed above, and his involvement in the death of Michael Servetus. Another area where Baptists have no unity is end times doctrine. Pre trib, mid trib, post trib, pre mil, amil, they are all over the map.

    You will notice on this board a huge disagreement on drinking alcohol in moderation. That is another thread that has shown the tendency to hurl back and forth mean names. What surprises me is that I can expect that out of me, a retired Postal electronics technician and substitute teacher, but to imagine two Pastors going back and forth really gives one a reason to ponder things.

    Personally, I think the denominations I want to stay away from, (and I thank the Lord I am in the SBC I serve in with Tom Butler on this board), are Church of Christ, any Pentecostal type, charasmatic, Catholic, and Greek Orthodox. Next to the SBC church, I would cast my lot with a conservative Presbyterian church. I do not consider Mormons or JW to be Christian, in fact cults, and an enemy of the Christian faith.
     
    #4 saturneptune, Mar 29, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 29, 2012
  5. DHK

    DHK <b>Moderator</b>

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    Everyone knows that the First Baptist Church of Jerusalem (Acts 2) was an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. :smilewinkgrin:
     
  6. Michael Wrenn

    Michael Wrenn New Member

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    I was a full-time public school teacher for 14 years; maybe that's what wrong with me. :)

    I couldn't be a member of any mainline paedobaptist denomination. Also, anything Calvinist I'd have to stay away from, and the Church of Christ, as well. I'm not Pentecostal, but I agree with some charismatics -- the Wimber groups, for example. I agree with the EOC on man, sin, atonement, and a few other things, but not ministry, polity, or sacraments.
     
  7. ktn4eg

    ktn4eg New Member

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    Of course they were also KJVO! :thumbsup:
     
  8. fortytworc

    fortytworc Member

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    ROFL! Good ole humor. If more of us could only take ourselves just a little less seriously.
    DHK Not good enough. Sorry, gotta break off fellowship. You've got to go back to John "The Baptist" as the first true Baptist and beginner of 'The Trail of Blood'.
    ktn4eg: If the KJV was good enough for Paul....
     
  9. Michael Wrenn

    Michael Wrenn New Member

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    Of course you are correct. After all, he wasn't "John the Methodist". ;)
     
  10. FriendofSpurgeon

    FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known Member
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  11. Michael Wrenn

    Michael Wrenn New Member

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    I hold to all of those.
     
  12. FriendofSpurgeon

    FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known Member
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    Here's a short (and incomplete) lists of Baptist denominations/sub-denominations/fellowships ---

    American Baptists
    7th Day Baptists
    Regular Baptists
    Old Regular Baptists
    Primitive Baptists
    Southern Baptists
    Independent Baptists (somewhat redundant)

    Even if a local Baptist church agrees on the Baptist distinctives, there are still plenty of variances. Personally, I've gone to churches where:

    * Music is always very traditional - hymns only. Music is blended with orchestra. Music is very contemporary with worship band (and lights).

    * Dress is very conservative (coats/ties for men; dresses for women). Dress is "dress casual" (slacks/shirts/no ties for men; dresses/slacks for women); Dress is very casual (jeans/t-shirts, shoes, etc.).

    * Preacher is a man. Preacher is a woman.

    * Service is traditional. Service is modern. Service is liturgical.

    * Translation used is KJV only. Translation used is KJV preferred. Translation used is NIV. Translation used is other than KJV and NIV.

    * Preacher wears coat & tie. Preacher wears slacks & shirt. Preacher wears shorts & flip flops.

    All have one thing is common. They are all Baptist churches.
     
  13. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Faith:
    Baptist
    Would say the essential ones would be believers baptism, and the right to interprete the Bible and apply it on an individual basis, with autonomy of each
    local church!
     
  14. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    According to a good number on this board, he was John the Republican.
     
  15. Michael Wrenn

    Michael Wrenn New Member

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    :smilewinkgrin: :smilewinkgrin:
     
  16. David Lamb

    David Lamb Active Member

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    Not here! Most, if not all, baptists do not believe in "luck", and as for pastors' shapes, they seem to vary as much as the rest of the population! :laugh:
    I'd agree with all those, except (possibly) "Local covenants", because I'm not sure what that means. If it means something such as: "Each local baptist church has its own statement of faith and church constitution", I would agree.
     
  17. seekingthetruth

    seekingthetruth New Member

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    The term "Reformed Baptist" seems to me to be an oxymoron. Reformed theology runs so contrary to all that I was taught in the SBC church I was raised in.

    I know alot of you are not going to like my post here, but I really don't consider Calvinists as Baptists at all. Calvinism is a whole other religion to itself and has nothing in common with tradtional Baptists.

    John
     
  18. seekingthetruth

    seekingthetruth New Member

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    Of course he was a Republican...what is your point?

    John
     
  19. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    Which point to you mean, the one on the top of your head? Yes indeedy, John the Republican foretold the coming of John Smith, the angel Macaroni, and the gold leafs. Of course, all of this foreshadows the advent of Mitt.
     
  20. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    That is exactly what I meant. Your wording ability is much better than mine.
     
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