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Priesthood of the believer or magisterum?

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by nodak, Jun 20, 2014.

  1. nodak

    nodak Active Member
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    I don't want to derail the thread on where you worship and what is a deal breaker, but I have some questions.

    When did the priesthood of the believer get exchanged for a pope and his magisterium in the Baptist world?

    Seriously.

    Where I grew up we had only one SBC church close by and it didn't always have a preacher. Often we were pleased if we got a supply preacher.

    But the nearest town of size, 25 miles away, had a plethora of Baptist churches. Most were SBC, but not all. Some were Primitive. Some were Calvinist, some were Dispensationalist, and some more free will but with OSAS.

    Some, like 1st Baptist, were quiet and formal and did the old true hymns. Some were more revivalistic and did mostly gospel songs. Some were very western music (Sons of the Pioneers type) and the folks dressed like cowboys. Even the preacher wore a dress western suit.

    Here's the kicker: none of us would EVER have suggested those in the "other" churches from what we chose were lesser Christians, or implied they were unsaved, or that if they didn't do "our" music they didn't care about the lost. Folks sorted themselves out into these groups based on personal understanding of the Bible plus personal preference in style. Preachers were hired to come in a serve THAT church. They did NOT come in and rant about their supposed authority to turn it into a clone of some church down the street.

    Fast forward to today. Now, in our general larger region, there are only a few Baptists. Even fewer SBC churches.

    But let one get going that is not cloning Saddleback or New Life, not doing loud rock and roll contemporary, and if we old time SBC folks were into gambling I would bet you dollars to donuts that they either have or in 5 years time will have some preacher come in promising to "do church" the way those folks that founded the church believe it should be done until he is hired and then he will rant on how unless they do contemporary they "don't care about winning the lost to Christ." He will, I can pretty much guarantee you, teach basically that it is his job to follow God and "cast the vision" and their job to follow him. He will do a lot of complaining that folks don't respect "his authority" or "his leadership." If he succeeds, the folks that founded the church will be out the door. He will have successfully stolen the building. If he fails, he will go around bad mouthing the church for being "rebellious" and "ingrown" and with a pack of "unsaved" people.

    He'll say this is to get the younger folks saved. Of course, the greatest die off of the number of younger folks getting saved has happened since the late 80's, when all the churches jumped on this bandwagon. And of course, at least in our general region, the young people find contemporary worship manipulative and "unauthentic." They like more formal worship, even liturgical. (See article in Texas Baptist Standard.)

    So when and how did we go from a grassroots led church to being under a magisterium? Just how much are we into episcopal polity now?

    And, given how UNSUCCESSFUL this whole movement and strategy has been at winning people, how long can the SBC survive?
     
  2. Zenas

    Zenas Active Member

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    " Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you." Hebrews 13:17. Frankly I find that pesky little verse a little inconvenient but I don't see how we can ignore it.
     
  3. DHK

    DHK <b>Moderator</b>

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    The priesthood the believer in its broader sense is closely related to soul liberty. Each individual is a priest before God, and may go straight before the throne of grace. He needs not that any person intervene for him, such as is practiced either in the Old Testament Levitical system or in the RCC. There is no man on earth that can forgive my sins. Only Christ can do that. Therefore I go straight to him. He alone is my Intercessor.

    Disagreement with the statement of faith in a local church or in their constitution or polity has nothing to do with the priesthood of the believer. Neither does it have anything to do with the soul liberty. If you don't like the way the church leadership is doing things you should find another church.
     
  4. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    It doesn't except in the minds of liberals who are rebellious to the local church authority.
     
  5. clark thompson

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    My church still runs as Baptist church.
     
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