CHANGES IN BAPTIST (SBC) DOCTRINE.

Take a look at some of the early Baptists and you will see all kinds of things. Some of their sermons are rather strange. Later came landmarkism. If you take a look at the same part of each century almost the same things are issues. History continues to repeat itself. Of course dispensationalism was not around until Darby which was about the same time of so many such as Mormons and JW's and many others.

 

Southern Baptists have changed dramatically since the mid 19th Century. Many have embraced dispensationalism, particularly dispensational eschatology, and Arminianism except for the Security of the Believer. Southern Baptists need to return to the Second London Confession of Faith.

 

Unfortunately, too many Southern Baptist ministers are poorly grounded in theology and couldn't care less. Most are concerned about pragmatic issues: how to get more decisions and baptisms, how to grow numerically the membership, how to increase giving, etc. Whatever works is what matters, not what does the Bible say. Such a mindset has been growing since the late 19th century and is seen most vividly in the publication of Gaines Dobbins' The Efficient Church in 1923. Dobbins taught at SBTS for decades and had, in my opinion, a detrimental effect upon ministers' perception of the church and the ministry.

Of course, the SBC did not exist during the mid-17th century, but Particular and General Baptists in Britain did. Our heritage primarily finds itself in the Particular Baptist camp, but we've long since departed from that. Most SBC pastors would reject the notion of individual election out of God's good pleasure and especially the doctrine of particular redemption.

Interestingly, the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary still holds to the Abstract of Principles and requires its faculty to subscribe to it with no reservation. Fortunately, today's SBTS is no longer the SBTS of the 1960's through the early 1990's. The number of Southern Baptists holding to a Calvinistic soteriology is increasing but remains a small minority. Founders Ministries, www.founders.org , is comprised primarily of Southern Baptists who are very much in line with both London Baptist Confessions of Faith. My own Ph.D. supervisor at SBTS, Dr. Tom Nettles, wrote the wonderful book By His Grace and for His Glory which chronicles the story of Baptists and the doctrine of election.

Bill

 

Why not the FIRST London confession, which is strong on "particular churches" rather than the
"universal" Presbyterianism of the Second?

Best - R. Charles Blair - Ro. 8:28

 

Almost 100% of all Southern Baptist Churches over 150 years old have Original Articles of Faith reflecting a Calvinistic theology.

The First Baptist Church west of the Mississippi River, Bethel Baptist Church in Missouri, was formed in 1806 and was definitely Calvinistic.

Many factors led to the change of SBC Theology over the years.

Dr. Paul Basden addresses this in a book entitled Has Our Theology Changed? : Southern Baptist Thought since 1845, published in 1994 by Broadman/Holman.

 

And we haven't changed.

 

I agree with Hardsheller; a great book on this subject is Has Our Theology Changed? Southern Baptist Thought Since 1845, Paul A. Basden, Editor.

 

Changing doctrine--

The Faith once for all delivered unto the Saints has not changed since it was given to the First Assembly.

The Truth is not affected by "every wind of doctrine" towards those who have "itching ears".

Selah,

Bro. James

 

Bro. James,

We acknowledge that FACT. What we're discussing is the reality that not all Baptists believe it!

 

Missing the point:

Sorry, I got on the wrong page.

True, all those called "Baptist" do not believe that "The Faith" was "once for all" delivered unto the saints.

The answer to this question is: ecumenism--the daughters going back to their mother. If one does not understand this allegory, one is probably a daughter or grand daughter.(Of course, mother has not a clue.)

"Come out from among them, and touch not the unclean thing."

Beware: the ecumenical "smoke screen". The Bride of Christ is still out there--still undefiled--just like Jesus promised.

She is still Baptistic--always has been always will be--the blood of millions of our spiritual forefathers cries out as testimony to this fact. The gates of hell have not prevailed. There is only one kind of true assembly--the one being assembled by Jesus--not by men/women. He has never appointed an earthly vicar--He is the vicar--through The Spirit The Holy--another comforter.

It is way past time to stand up and be a witness of these truths. The word translated "witness" is: martus--the English: martyr.

Are we ready to die for The Faith?

The time of the martyrs includes even our day--even though it has been clouded by ecumenism.


Selah,

Bro. James

 

Pitipat

I am intrigued ... What SBC church expressed its doctrinal stance in a BFM, Articles of Confession, or Abstract of Principles in the 17th century?

Or did you originally intend to ask why the SBC did not agree with a particular 17th century article of confession?

I must also admit that the changes in SBC doctrine over the last 50 years is scary. Most of the newcomers that I have met bring in narrow veiws like not supporting missionary work ... Or, they join an SBC church because "they have God's money and I want some".