Baptist Distinctives
You walk into a mall and
are met by numerous clothing stores. Their windows are
attractively dressed, the salespeople are ready to greet you, and
the clothing looks appealing.
You wonder, "Out of all the
available stores"--many of which carry similar
products--"which shall I shop?" You have to make an
immediate choice. You stop to consider the possibilities. What
sets one store apart from the others? They all have a
similar appearance, but a closer look at each one reveals an
individuality marked by distinctives:
- the quality of the product line,
- the service extended to customers,
- the atmosphere or environment created
for shoppers, the price range of products.
You choose the best store
and you're on your way. As you leave, purchases in hand, you
make a mental note of the name for future reference, you'll shop
that store again.
Now you're looking for a
church, but where do you begin? What sets one church apart
from the others? A local Yellow Pages will quickly tell you
that most communities have a variety of churches. You wonder,
"Out of all the available options, which church should I
attend? People often choose based on:
- the appearance of the building,
- the friendliness of the people,
- the programs that are offered.
As important as these qualities are, other
qualities surpass them all. . .First and foremost, the church you
choose should hold to the fundamentals of the Christian faith: the
inspiration and authority of the Bible and Jesus' virgin birth,
eternal diety, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection and
literal return. Bible-teaching churches of all varieties hold
these primary beliefs as essential truths.
But beyond these
fundamentals, there are specific teachings that set one church apart
from the others.
Baptists are distinguished
from other Christian groups by specific Biblical distinctives.
These Baptist distinctives
relate to questions of vital interest today. For example, Does
absolute truth exist, or are all belief systems relative? Who
controls the program, property, finances, staffing and doctrinal
position of a local church? How does being a representative of
God on earth affect the believer's marriage, work or relationship to
government and society? Does God dispense His grace through
religious rituals? Should a free society"legislate
righteousness"? Is it right to "judge" anything
about another person? Is there a Biblical model for church
leadership? What is the proper relationship between church and
state?
WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES?
- They are Biblical! They are part
of God's truth as revealed in His Word.
The knowledge of these facts provides
practical benefits relevant to today.
1. Such knowledge enables
one to select a church that is faithful to these Biblical truths.
2. Demonstrates the
meaning, worth and significance of the name "Baptist."
General titles that lack identification,
such as "Christian" or "Christ" and churches
labeled "community" and "nondenominational,"
leave much room for ambiguities and misunderstandings. The
name "Baptist is understood through its distinctives.
Baptists should be confident that when their name is heard, no
ambiguities are left in defining what they stand for.
Certain Biblical distinctives have distinguished their doctrinal
position.
3. It helps members
maintain the Baptist position of their church, preventing
digression into unscriptural positions.
Each member of a Baptist
church needs to know what a Biblical Baptist individual and a
Biblical Baptist church does and then do these things faithfully.
HOW
DID THESE DISTINCTIVES ORIGINATE?
Baptists arrived at these distinctives through
careful study of the Bible. That is why these teachings are more
precisely called the Biblical distinctives of Baptists rather than
Baptist distinctives.
These teachings emerged as Baptist
distinctives because individual Baptist churches have consistantly
and independently held to them, not because some group of Baptist
leaders composed the list and then imposed the distinctives on local
churches.
Church groups other than
Baptists have held some of the Baptist distinctives, and one may
even find churches that hold all of the distinctives but do not call
themselves Baptist. Such groups are "baptistic," but
for some reason they choose not to be identified as Baptists.
On the other hand, some churches naming themselves
"Baptist" are not truly Baptist because they no longer
hold the historic Baptist beliefs or even the fundamentals of the
Christian faith.
Baptists are people of the
Book above all else. Baptists enjoy a priceless heritage of
generations who have exalted God's Son, our Savior and have
proclaimed God's inspired Word.
WHAT
ARE THE EIGHT BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES?
These teachings may be remembered by
associating them with the letters that form the word
"BAPTISTS."
B = Biblical Authority
A = Autonomy of the local
church
P = Priesthood of the Believer
T = Two Ordinances
I = Individual Soul
Liberty
S = Saved, Baptized Church
Membership
T = Two Offices
S = Separation of Church
and state
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY
The Bible is the final authority in all
matters of belief and practice because the Bible is inspired by God
and bears the absolute authority of God Himself. Whatever the
Bible affirms, Baptists accept as true. No human opinion or
decree of any church group can override the Bible. Even creeds
and confessions of faith, which attempt to articulate the theology
of Scripture, do not carry Scripture's inherent authority. 2Timothy
3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians2:13; 2 Peter 1:20,21
AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
The local church is an independent body
accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church.
All human authority for governing the local church resides within
the local church itself. Thus the church is autonomous, or
self-governing. No religious hierarchy outside the local
church may dictate a church's beliefs or practices. Autonomy
does not mean isolation. A Baptist church may fellowship with
other churches around mutual interests and in an associational tie,
but a Baptist church cannot be a "member" of any other
body. Colossians 1:18; 2
Corinthians 8:1-5,19,23
PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER
"Priest" is defined as "one
authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as
a mediatory agent between humans and God." Every believer
today is a priest of God and may enter into His presence in prayer
directly through our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. No other
mediator is needed between God and people. As priests, we can
study God's Word, pray for others and offer spiritual worship to
God. We all have equal access to God--whether we are a
preacher or not. 1Peter 2:5,9;
Revelation 5:9,10
TWO ORDINANCES
The local church should practice two
ordinances: (1)baptism of believers by immersion in water,
identifying the individual with Christ in His death, burial and
resurrection, and (2) the Lord's Supper or communion, commemorating
His death for our sins. Matthew
28:19,20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
INDIVIDUAL SOUL LIBERTY
Every individual, whether a believer or an
unbeliever, has the liberty to choose what he believes is right in
the religious realm. No one should be forced to assent to any
belief against his will. Baptists have always opposed
religious persecution. However this liberty does not exempt
one from responsibility to the Word of God or from accountability to
God Himself. Romans
14:5, 12:2; 2Corinthians 4:2; Titus 1:9
SAVED, BAPTIZED CHURCH
MEMBERSHIP
Local church membership is restricted to
individuals who give a believable testimony of personal faith in
Christ and have publicly identified themselves with Him in
believer's baptism. When the members of a local church are
believers, a oneness in Christ exists, and the members can endeavor
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Acts
2:41-47; 1Corinthians 12:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 4:3
TWO OFFICES
The Bible mandates only two offices in the
church--pastor and deacon. The three
terms--"pastor", "elder" and "bishop"
or overseer"--all refer to the same office. The two
offices of pastor and deacon exist within the local church, not as a
hierarchy outside or over the local church. 1
Timothy 3:1-13; Acts 20:17-38; Philippians 1:1
SEPARATION OF CHURCH
AND STATE
God established both the church and the civil
government, and He gave each its own distinct sphere of operation.
The government's purposes are outlined in Romans 13:1-7 and the
churches purposes in Matthew 28:19 and 20. Neither should
control the other, nor should there be an alliance between the two.
Christians in a free society can properly influence government and
righteousness, which is not the same as a denomination or group of
churches controlling the government. Matthew
22:15-22; Acts 15:17-29.
What sets one church apart from all the
others? We have seen that it is the churches distinctive
beliefs that set it apart from all others and that Baptists in
general hold to some convictions that make them different from all
other groups. Regular Baptist churches will continue to hold
to the Baptist distinctives because these distinctives are
historically Biblical. They are relevant to the issues facing
contemporary society and the church. So when
"shopping" for a church, look for the name
"Baptist" and then take a closer look to make sure that
church is upholding the Biblical Baptist distinctives.
The General Association
of Regular Baptist Churches
1300 North Meacham Road
Schaumburg,IL 60173-4806
Phone: 888-588-1600
Fax:
847-841-3757
E-mail: garbc@garbc.org
Web site:
www.garbc.org
|
