Please raise my understanding of Baptists a notch

Good questions Abiyah!

I have considered myself baptist since the day I was saved. I won't attempt to answer your questions because there will probably be as many answers as there are baptists!

I am sorry about your experience with the young lady. What a shame about her testimony.

When indivuality is stressed as it is in most Baptist churches it surely leads to a wide variety of fellowships.

 

Isn't it odd that before the deformation (reformation) there was the Catholic Church, the Orthodox (which split off from the Catholic Church in about 1350) and an odd come and go sect or three for 1500 years? Then the reformation comes along and Martin Luther himself complains of the cancerous dividing of Christianity. There aren't any Protestant denominations that can trace themselves back before 1500 or so though I have seen a couple of the ridiculous attempts. I recall reading an essay by a Kim Franklin who went to Brazil to convert the "pagan" Catholics. When she got down there there were all these comercials of the Lutherans badmouthing the Baptists and the Baptists decrying the presbyterians and telling people coming to there Church. She was also struck when on one city block she found 3 pentecostal Churches practically right next door to eachother. This is what the deformation has given us. I have to ask one question of those who read this thread. When these divisions occur even among Baptists who supposedly agree on core doctrine of some kind, do you suppose the conversation goes "Oh well your starting a new Church down the street and taking half my congregation. Great. God bless I will pray for you success" or "don't let the door hit you in the blankety blank blank on the way out.". I have seen one of these divisions take place between two pastors in a non-denom church my wife used to go to. I know where I would lay my money.

Blessings

 

Sorry for any offense but I just ask you to think a bit. I have no ill will toward the Baptist sect per say and know many good baptists who may well end up in heaven. But let's step back for a moment and look at this rationally. Futher this is an open forum and so I beg you indulgence in my posting what I feel is pertinent.

God bless

 

Actually many Protestant demominations can't really trace their roots back the the 1500s. Classical Protestanism is virtually extinct in many ways, even Lutherans reject and have "reformed" many of Luther's beliefs. Protestanism has taken on some many forms and faces over the centuries, it is difficult to tell what it is.

And Thess, the Eastern Schism was in 1054, but it is amazing and can be confusing how many times the Eastern Church has re-submitted to the primacy of the pope and the Catholic Church only to break away again.

 

Yes, I am aware of that. I am speaking of the final break. In 1054 there is no substantial evidence that any real excommunications took place though they are alleged to have.

It is interesting that the Great Schism was actually precipitated under pressure from the Muslims occupying I believe it was Constantinople. They would only allow the Orthodox to co-exist if they denied the papacy.


Thanks for the support.

Blessings

 

Scripture says "The gates of hell shall not prevail" Abiyah. Doesn't say they won't try. The devil is "like a roaring lion" seeking the ruin of souls. He hits hardest where the truth is. It also says "there will be wolves within". Your looking for that perfect Church with perfect people. But you won't find that Church because that is not the Church that he set up. You will find him in the Eucharist if you open your heart and mind. Once again sorry for the offense. It is not likely they will delete the thread. Sorry to mess it up for you. Truly I am.

Blessings

 

You may well be comfortable where you are at that is until the first scandal comes along or you find some doctrine that doesn't match your own personal interprutatoin. Then you will be forced to move on and find another. We all assume all Abiyah.

God bless you in your journey.

 

thessalonian -

As Abiyah has specifically asked for a Baptist perspective and requested that you not derail her thread, I would ask that you honor her request.

Please refrain from further comment. Just as you have been allowed the opportunity to question Baptists on their faith and practice without hindrance in this forum in the past, you should allow the same luxury to others.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Clint Kritzer
Moderator

 

All answers are indicative of my area and MO.

Question: Why do you suppose she was upset
that there were so many? Is such a number of
Baptist churches in one area necessarily
indicative of church splits?

Answer: It would APPEAR to indicate that even the Baptist churches cannot agree among themselves, or 14 churches wouldn't be needed to cover 15 blocks. It would probably help contribute to church splits, and it would make it simple to find another church of the same denom right around the corner. Why work out a simple problem if you can just go around the corner and it's all gone?
Regarding application, there does seem to be far too many churches that teach right and wrong, but do not work toward discipling the members and teaching them how to apply biblical teachings to their personal lives. This isn't just the job of the pastors, it's the job of every member to build and uplift other members. Too many attitudes are "I tithe, I help pay the salaries of the pastor and deacons, it's their job and not mine".

Question: How would such a one be accepted
within Baptist circles: as a fellow-believer because
she said she was, as a hypocrite, as one not yet
spiritually mature enough to really know the Lord,
or as a hopeless cause for now?

Answer: Unfortunately, very well accepted from what I've seen in churches. Say this, say that, you're in good standing. This member needs guidance from others in her church. Either she's been unwilling to accept it or it hasn't been offered.

Question: Approximately what percentage of
Baptist churches are Calvinistic as compared to
Arminian?

Answer: We're known as the town with a church on every corner. The closest Calvinistic one is over an hour away, and isn't baptist.

Question: Do all Baptists normally accept all
other Baptists as true believers? Which Baptist
groups are most likely not to accept all other
Baptist groups as true believers?

Answer: In my experience, yes for the most part. I've seen two radical IFB churches who believed in separation from the other baptists. One based it on the other churches not being KJVO enough, and the other based it them being horrid because women were allowed to wear pants and the preacher didn't preach against drums. I'd laugh if it wasn't so sad...

Question: Do most Baptists accept that there
are others who are also believers? Among
those who are not accepting of others, what is
their main separation issue?

Answer: That all depends. I've not seen very many baptist churches IN OUR AREA that believe there are other denoms that are true believers. It's pretty sad, but I've seen that changing a bit lately, which I consider good.

 

"Question: How would such a one be accepted
within Baptist circles: as a fellow-believer because
she said she was, as a hypocrite, as one not yet
spiritually mature enough to really know the Lord,
or as a hopeless cause for now?"
All of them at once, depending on the individuals involved on both sides.
No universal answer is possible in this case.

"Question: Approximately what percentage of
Baptist churches are Calvinistic as compared to
Arminian?"
I doubt that truly reliable worldwide figures are available on this issue. But someone with to much time on it's hand will post something eventually.
My own church is Arminian, but to be honest that has more to do with longstanding rivalries with a certain (hypercalvinistic) Dutch Reformed denominations present in the same area than with any deeprooted convictions one way or the other.

"Question: Do all Baptists normally accept all
other Baptists as true believers?"
In theory most do.

"Which Baptist groups are most likely not to accept all other
Baptist groups as true believers?"
Landmark baptists, followers of the Trail of Blood ideology.

"Question: Do most Baptists accept that there
are others who are also believers?"
Yes. Those other get tons of important stuff wrong ofcourse, but that doesn't mean they can't be true believers.

"Among those who are not accepting of others, what is
their main separation issue?"
In theory it ought to be practicing infant baptism instead of adult baptism, in practice it is probably the Landmarkism/Trail of Blood stuff.

 

Nice of you to step in. I find it interesting that when people ask the same of non-catholics with regard to a Catholic question, you stand on the sidelines. I will refrain however. Perhaps it is okay to start my own thread with my comments. I do appreciate your letting me post on this board however. Your indulgence is greatly appreciated.

Blessings

 

Thessalonian: "Isn't it odd that before the deformation (reformation)
there was the Catholic Church, the Orthodox (which split
off from the Catholic Church in about 1350) and an odd
come and go sect or three for 1500 years?"

Actually that is revisionist history.

In the year 1001 there were numerous pilgrimages to the
Holy Land from Europe, Africa, and India to
celbrate the start of the second Millinnium.
That year the largest Christian Church was the
East Syrian (Nestorian).
This church, the Catholic Apostolic Church of the East,
had over 250 dioceses across Asia and
12 million adhernets. More saints were commanded by this
chruch than the Bishop of Rome (Pope, the Roman
Catholic CHurch or the
Bishop of Conistanople/Patriarch of Antioch (Orthodox
Catholic Apostolic Church, AKA: Easter Orthodox). By 1051 the
Patriarch of Antioch and the Bishop of Rome excommunicated
the bishops, priests, and members each of the group.

During the next 200 years the Catholic Apostolic Church
of the East was crushed between the Mongols of the
East and the Muslim from the Southwest.

Needless to say, it is NOT in the best interests of
the Papists to have that information be of general knowledge.