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passing on an evaporated heritage

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by nodak, Feb 19, 2011.

  1. nodak

    nodak Active Member
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    I want to pass on my heritage of faith to my grandkids.

    The problem is, my heritage seems to have evaporated.

    Bear with me a minute. I like to set myself courses of study and work my way through them. My background is SBC, so I decided this year to deeply inform myself of my convention's teachings through time.

    I'm currently reading some things by E. Y. Mullins. I read some by Hershel Hobbs and hope to read more by him soon.

    In doing so, I feel almost as if I have stepped through the door to a "real" Baptist church. And I am reminded anew of the fact that church is gone.

    I'm going to try to put together a little library on the Baptist Distinctives and use them to try to help me teach the grandkids.

    I want them to know the joy of believing no one has the right to interject themself between them and God. I want them to know they have no right to interject themselves between others and the Lord.

    I want them to know enough to reject episcopacy, whether the sign over the door says Roman Catholic or Southern Baptist.

    Mods, if I picked the wrong forum please move this.

    And everyone, if you have suggestions for that little library please post them. If you know of any Baptist group still holding to the Baptist Distinctives please tell me.

    Thanks in advance for the help I know you all can give.
     
  2. glfredrick

    glfredrick New Member

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    I like your idea. I don't think that our heritage is gone, but I do think that it is changing with our culture. That is not a bad thing -- the heritage we pass on was also changed by its culture, and culture is not gospel!

    I am not convinced that either Mullins or Hobbs would be the best resources for your search, however. Both were rather "moderate" even in their day and they tended to revise history a bit to suit their purposes. Of course, what you may have discovered is that "moderates" of a former era were far more "conservative" than many a conservative today!

    I'd recommend these:

    The Baptist Heritage, McBeth -- a good overview
    Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wills -- more than just the seminary!
    The 3-volume set: Baptists, Tom Nettles (most detailed and scholarly view)
    Baptist Theology, Garrett (the history of theology is as much a history of Baptists as anything else!
     
  3. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    I tend to think that all the churches Paul planted do not exist. We are to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven.
     
  4. nodak

    nodak Active Member
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    glfredrick--thank you!

    I had to laugh when I read what you posted about moderates and conservatives! Yes, I think many today think Mullins and Hobbs were liberals, but when I found and pulled out my old "What Baptists Believe" by Hobbs I came to a similar conclusion....more conservative than my fellow conservatives today by a long shot.

    I have to admit I had to purchase an updated "What Baptists Believe" (not Hobbs) for a Baptist doctrine diploma back in the 90's. I got part way into it, took it to my mentor who then read both editions and he told me to stick to the old one.

    I'm also looking for books that detail how the Baptist insistence on the priesthood of THE believer, or soul freedom, influenced the US constitution and the culture of the US around the time of the revolutionary war.

    gb93433--of course the earliest churches are gone, and of course we are to lay up treasures in heaven. That is all based on a one on one relationship with Jesus Christ.

    I want to put together something for the grands that shows how the Baptists historically held to soul competency, and show them when and how we walked away from the priesthood of THE believer to the priesthood of believerS, effectively interjecting persons and creeds between the individual soul and Christ.

    And I must say, I am very thankful that my brothers and sisters in Christ on these boards that see things differently are not jumping down my throat about this.

    And I want to state I know when I say Baptists or we that not all good Baptists are SBC and not all SBC are good Baptists. Just an old habit born of geography.
     
  5. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    I thank the Lord for leading me to the Baptist church I serve in. It is the first time I ever felt I had a heritage. It is a church solid on the Word of God, a united, loving church, and has a set of ideals I am proud to have taught my children. Good thread.
     
  6. Amy.G

    Amy.G New Member

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    Nodak, I think what you're doing is wonderful. I was not raised in a Christian home so I don't have a heritage. Sometimes it makes me very sad that I missed out on so much, but then I'm reminded that God can save even the ones left out! Praise Him!
     
  7. quantumfaith

    quantumfaith Active Member

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    :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
     
  8. BobinKy

    BobinKy New Member

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    nodak...

    Thank you for starting a valuable thread.

    ...Bob
     
  9. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    In my experience, Mullins and Hobbs were thoroughly in the mainstream of Baptist thought and life. There were certainly more rightward leaning Baptists around, although in my region, they were generally associated with a reactionary approach to the culture of the 1960s/1970s -- that is, embrace of anti-civil rights legislation and extreme aversion toward anything that might be considered "charismatic" including clapping in rhythm or being too enthusiastic (looking like you were enjoying it) in worship. My home church had some of the same tendencies, but we were not quite as extreme as our neighbors. I doubt we were morally-superior to them, but we just didn't make as much of a public issue about them,

    (Please note, I am speaking of my experience in Southeast Texas and I know it is not necessarily normative for the SBC.)

    That was true then, and to some degree, is still true today.

    This is a pretty good list. I'm not terribly familiar with the Wills or Nettles works, but I know McBeth and Garrett are solid.
     
  10. glfredrick

    glfredrick New Member

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    Nettles is probably the best historical scholar in the SBC today. His 3-volume work is very detailed and very well sourced. Wills likewise!
     
  11. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    I am intrigued by Nettles because of this controversy. I've been reading Nettles' controversial review and I'm impressed (so far) by his analysis and his willingness to take an unpopular position.

    I'm hoping to spend some time with his work later this year when I complete some material I am writing for our church's discipleship-training program.
     
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