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My Friend: I am asking you the most important question of life.

Your joy or your sorrow for all eternity depends upon your answer.

The question is: Are you saved?

It is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die?

God says in order to go to Heaven, you must be born again. In John 3:7, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.”

In the Bible God gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. His plan is simple! You can be saved today. How?

First, my friend, you must realize you are a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to death. “For the wages [payment] of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This includes eternal separation from God in Hell.

“ . . . it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

But God loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. “ . . . He hath made Him [Jesus, Who knew no sin] to be sin for us . . . that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus had to shed His blood and die. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11). “ . . . without shedding of blood is no remission [pardon]” (Hebrews 9:22).

“ . . . God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie.

My friend, “God . . . commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that one is a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas: “ . . . ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved . . . .’ ”

Simply believe on Him as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior.

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but shall be saved.

Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now, wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer.

In Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Just pray: “Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the Cross. I believe His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my Savior. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen.”

Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you.

Remember, God does the saving. All of it!

God’s simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.
You say, “Surely, it cannot be that simple.” Yes, that simple! It is scriptural. It is God’s plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today.

If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this tract over and over, without laying it down, until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than all the world.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Please! Let God save you this very moment.

God’s power will save you, keep you saved, and enable you to live a victorious Christian life. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Do not trust your feelings. They change. Stand on God’s promises. They never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth:

Pray -- you talk to God.
Read your Bible -- God talks to you.
Witness -- you talk for God.

You should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing church without delay. “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord . . . .” (2 Timothy 1:8)

“Whosoever therefore shall confess [testify of] Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).

Copyright: Robert Ford Porter, 1991

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GOD

ISRAEL

TRUE CHRISTIANS
THE UNITED NATIONS
THE GOOD GOVERMENT

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My "World" survey and their contribution to us [100% fair percentage](People Choice, Life Mystery and Through History).

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Christianity- 70%

KJV 1611 Bible- 30%

Baptist- 25%

Fundamentalism- 15%

Great Britain- 45%

America- 55%

Federalism- 15%

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Good People- 80%

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My Personal Contact

James307 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:07:28 CDT

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My last and personal Message for you:

["1. We are sinners and going to hell 2. God Love us and He Sent His Son to Pay for our Sins 3. Believe on Him and Thou Shalt be Saved with Faith and Repentance 4. He Promise us Eternal Life and He will not Lie... Think of it before it's too late. J.M.G"]

My Life Verses:

John 3:16 (King James Version)

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (King James Version)

8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 1:2 (King James Version)

2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

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Helpful Links For You

James307 — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:06:25 CDT

Helpful Links:

(These are the supported sites.)

For Christian Studies:

www.christianstudy.wetpaint.com

Yahoo Chatters Organization:

www.internationclan.wetpaint.com

The Life Purpose Study:

www.whatisthepurpose.wetpaint.com

My Official Site:

www.pinoysite.wetpaint.com

Links and Fast Search Gateway:

www.christianster.com

www.cbapyouth.org/

www.christiandl.com

www.friendster.com

www.youtube.com

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www.myspace.com

www.imeem.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/

Let us share the Gospel on this sites.
You can add your own here.

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The Holy Ghost

James307 — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:30:07 CST

The Personality of the Holy Spirit

With this lesson we begin our study of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead.

The Holy Spirit has been sent by the father and Son to indwell and guide believers.

Many people profess to believe in God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the servant or errand boy.

This false, for the Holy Spirit is equal to and in no way inferior to other two.

Others reduce the Holy Spirit to an inanimate force such as electricity which is very powerful but completely devoid of any sort of life, certainly not Divine life!

In this lesson we attempt to prove His personality and His deity in next lesson.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a living Person for He can be approached or shunned, trusted or doubted, love or hated, adored or insulted.

The Important of this Doctrine

A. If He is a living person, the Holy God, equall to Father and Son, then He ought to be worshipped as they are. Theoretically this is done in the Doxology and Gloria Patri.
His Name is link with the Father and Son in the Benediction and baptismal formula, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Matthew 28:19.

B. If He is merely an influence power we would refer to Him as "It" Which is a heathenish conception which leads to the error, "I want to get more of 'It'."
If He is a Person then we must address Him with proper pronouns.

C. If He is a Person then we must get know Him more intimately and personally.

The Holy Spirit has been Assigned to a Definite Office

He is the Official Comforter. John 14:16 "He shall give you another Comforter."

The Greek word here, Parakletos, means "one alongside." He is a personal companion.

As a Person He becomes our best friend to guide us and comfort us.
I strongly recommend that you read The Holy Spirit, R. A. Torrey, pages 28 to 40.

He suggest that the application of this doctrine is most practical.

1. It is cure for an abnormal fear of the dark. The Holy Spirit is with me.

2. It is cure for insomnia. Try communicating with the Spirit and you fall asleep.
2 Corinthians 13:14 "...and the communion [talking together] of the Holy Ghost..."

3. It is cure for loneliness. Develop this friendship with the Holy Spirit.

4. It is cure for a broken heart. Let the Spirit occupy the aching void of the heart.

5. It is the greatest encouragement for power and a cure for helplessness.

6. It is an incentive in teaching and preaching. The Spirit is with me to guide me.

7. His presence is our authority in personal work- the living Spirit has directed me thus.

The Holy Spirit is a Person

We believe that He is a person because He possesses all the necessary qualities of intellect, emotion, will knowledgeand actions.
Let us never insult Him by calling the Spirit "It" but always honor Him properly.

Conclusion

May we make much of the companionship of the living Person, the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: "Lord teach me more of the communion of the Holy Spirit."
Let the Holy Spirit be our companion, our partner and comrade with whom we have intimate fellowship moment by moment.

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

About Jesus Christ

James307 — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:28:59 CST

Prophecies and Life of Christ

Long before Jesus was born it was prophecies that He would come, Genesis 3:15.

Jesus did not come to earth unannounced. He came in the "fullness of time", Galatians 4:4

A study of the fulfillment of minute details encourages our faith in a God that not only draws up master plans but the intricate details of the blueprints.

Also, to see that these details are fulfilled exactly as prophesied strengthens our faith in the inspiration of the Scriptures, and shows that the Bible is not an assortment of books by various authors but one Book with one author- God.

To assume that these things just accidentally happened is an accident too great even for the imagination of an evolutionist!

The child of God prompted by the Holy Spirit gladly accepts their testimony with joy and cries out with Thomas, "My Lord and my God."

Our faith undergirded by the witness of fulfilled prophecy stands firm and unmovable.

The Life of Christ

1. His pre- incarnate state, as God, Jesus has always existed. He was before all things.

2. The birth of Jesus of the Virgin Mary is recorded in Matthew and Luke.

3. Jesus was circumcised at the age of eight days, Luke 2:21.

4. Jesus was taken to the Temple at Jerusalem when He was 12 years of age, Luke 2:41- 48.

5. Jesus spent the early years of His life as a carpenter in Nazareth, Mark 6:3.

6. Jesus began to His ministry in Judea, Samaria and Galilee. This period lasted six months.

7. Jesus' first miracle was performed at Cana of Galilee, John 2:1; and His second miracle, the healing of the Nobleman's son, in Capernaum, John 4:46, 54.

8. The second stage of Jesus' ministry covered a period of 6 to 8 months in the Capernaum and Galilee. He performed miracles, healed sick and preach the Gospel.

9. The third stage was the later Galilean ministry lasting about a year in and about Galilee. Crowds followed Him. He preached the Sermon on the Mount, etc,. Matthew 5, 6 and 7.

10. In the next stage the pharisees sought to kill Him. Jesus travels to Capernaum, Phoenicia, Bethsaida, Caesarea, Philippi and finally re- enters Galilee.

11. The last six months were spent teaching, preaching and travelling.
12. The Last week, Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the trials and death by the cross.

13. Three days later, according to prophecy, Jesus rose again from the dead.

14. Forty days after the resurrection He ascended visibly and bodily into heaven, Acts 1:10, 11.

Conclusion

The life of Jesus Christ on earth can be summarized in the words of Acts 10:38, "Who went about going good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil."

The Lord Jesus left us an example that we should follow. 1 Peter 2:21 "For even hereunto were ye called: because of Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps."

We are to walk as He walked. 1 John 8:29; Hebrews 10:27.

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

Assurance of Salvation

James307 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:50:27 CST

Assurance of salvation

Introduction

Assurance of Salvation is necessary if a believer is to help others spiritually.

"In my church some think that they are Christians, most of them hope so, some say so, and a few know that they are saved." Rev. H. Hildelbrand

Are you married? Are you sure? You either married or not. There is no half place. A person is either saved or lost. Either "in Christ" or outside.

Salvation is a miracle change. Has the miracle taken place? Yes, or no?
If we are "in Christ"then we ought to have assurance of salvation. Many church people do not believe that is it possible to be sure salvation now they feel it is sacrilegious to make such a statement. Faith believes God.

If we are saved by works then they would be correct, for one would keep working and furthermore, the quality of the works would need to meet standard.

But salvation is a gift (Ephesians 2:8:) which we receive and then we posses salvation.

Definition of "Assurance of Salvation"

To have assurance of salvation is to be absolutely confident that we are saved and that if we die suddenly, we would go immediately to heaven.

Assurance of Salvation is possessing salvation- possessing the Lord Jesus Christ.
Salvation is eternal life, it is the life of God; it is Divine life.
If I possess eternal life, then I am saved- saved for the time and eternity.
John 10:28, 29 "And i gave unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall pluck them out of my hand."

Who May Have Assurance of Salvation?

1. Those received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
John 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power (authority) to become sons of God."

2. Those who believe in Jesus Christ. John 3:16 "... whosoever (ex. Alban Douglas) believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life..."

John 3: 36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."

Conclusion

Lord, search my heart and see if i possess salvation- if Jesus truly lives within.
If I am truly saved, help me never doubt the plain statement of the Bible.
If I am not saved, O Lord, take away false security, I want to know the Truth.
Caution: Be careful in persuading people that they are saved. This is the work of the Holy Spirit and He is the one that knows and searches the heart.
Assurance of Salvation made me a much stronger Christian. Assurance is not Presumption or pride, it is simple trust in God's Word.
To say "I know I'm saved" requires humility, for it can only be done by His grace and mercy; He saves me; He keeps me; He will bring me to heaven.

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

The Holy Bible

James307 — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:25:50 CST

The Inspiration of the Bible

Introduction

The author of the Bible is the Holy Spirit; the pages of the Bible are authoritative revelation in written form of God's nature and purposes.

The Bible is the source book of our Knowledge of God; it is the textbook of divine truth; the guide book to everlasting life.

the word "Bible" is derived from the Greek word "biblos" meaning "a book. " The volume is known is known by other title such as "the Scriptures"; "the Writings"; The Word of God; Luke 4:17; 2 Corinthians 3:14; Mark 12:10; Matthew 22:29; Hebrews 4:12.

The Bible is a library of 66 books, divided into two main sections; the Old Testament containing 39 books and the New Testament containing 27 books.

The Bible was written by 36- 40 authors over a period of 1600 years and by different types of people in different parts of the world.

The unique design of the Bible is one of the best proof of its divine inspiration. For so many different men to write a book without contradictions is a miracle.

The miracle can be explained by the Master Author's guiding hand.

The cardinal theme of the Bible is Christ who becomes the key to understanding it.

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, with parts of Daniel and Ezra being written in Aramaic; New Testament was written in Greek.

The True Explanation- Plenary or Full Inspiration

We believe that all Scriptures is equally inspired basing it's claim on.
2 Timothy 3:16

(The Revised Version of 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture that is divinely inspired is also profitable, "This is incorrect, for is teaches partial inspiration.)

We do not actually know the "how" of inspiration but we believe that each writer had liberty to use his own personality, education, experience with certain limits.

The Holy Spirit guarded each thought, each phrase, each word to preserve accuracy.

Conclusion

(We accept the scripture as the infallible Word of God, the canon of 66 books as complete: we do not recognize the Apocrypha or any other books to be inspired.)

Make the Bible constant guide and companion in life.
The Word of God; it is worthy of being believed.
Breathe a prayer for the Holy Spirit to help you understand the sacred
pages.
The Word of God, if neglected, will be our Judge at the last day, John 12:48.
Lord teach me to treasure this volume highly; to defend it when necessary and make me bold to proclaim the whole counsel of God

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

Existence of God

James307 — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:05:53 CST

The Existence of God

Introduction

To begin our study in the bible doctrine, we ought to begin with God.
We are constantly challenged by atheist, skeptics and hecklers to prove there is a God.

It is difficult for natural man to believe in something he cannot see, touch or feel, 1 Corinthians 2:14.

The problem for the Christian is solved in the first verse of the Bible, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," Genesis 1:1.

The Bible is not a textbook that attempts to prove the existence of God
- The Bible opens with a positive fact that God does exist. It did not occur to any writer of the Bible to prove this fact.
The Bible plainly states that it is the fool who denies the existence of God.

Psalms 14:1 "The fool hath saith to his heart, There is no God."
Anyone with any intelligence would acknowledge the evident fact of a living God.
The greatest proof apart from the Scripture of the existence of God is our daily fellowship with Him in prayer.
I know that there is a God because I talked to Him today and He heard and answered the prayer of my heart though it was only whispered silently.

Proof from the Scripture

Psalms 19:1 "The Heaven declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. "The beauty and glory of the heavens speak loudly saying, "God exist."

Romans 1:20 goes farther and suggests that creation even teaches about the eternal power of the Godhead, "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuses."
The man who accept Scripture will readily acknowledge the existence of God.

Proof from the Conscience

Man is born with a universal belief in a supreme being; no tribe has yet been discovered that lacks this. They know that some Being create and controls

Romans 2:15 "Who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them. "The existence of God is written in the human conscience.

Acts 17:23 "For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the Unknown God." Conscience told them that there was a God even they did not know him personally.

Some atheist may claim that their conscience does not tell them about God.

It is doubtful if genuine atheist can be found, for at best they are men who have silenced their conscience by blatant unbelief.

Some men are so blind that they may deny the existence of the sun in the sky, but that does not alter the fact that the sun exists, rises and sets each day.

None are so blind as those who refuse to see. The honest man will find that the inner still small voice says that God exist and is alive today.

Men deny the existence of God not because they cannot find Him, but because they are afraid to face the responsibility of being accountable to Him after death.

Atheism is one of the devil's tools to put men to sleep without accepting salvation.

If there is no God then I am not responsible to anyone and I can live and die as i please.

But in the quieter moments of reflection the conscience of every man whisper, "There is a God," and only fools deny it. To look up into the heavens and say that there is no God, simply because we cannot see Him, is as ridiculous as seeing a plane and saying that the plane is pilotless because we cannot see the pilot.

Few of us have ever seen our brains, yet we believe that we posses them because of centralized control systems in the body. Because we see creation, we believe in God.

Conclusion

Atheism, which is only giant doubt and unbelief, can only lead to darkness and despair for the one accepting it.
Acceptance of the Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God," leads a sincere seeker into the path of a fuller revelation of God Himself.
Hebrew 11:6 "He that cometh to God must believe that He is [exist]."
Let us comes as children in simple faith, based on the revelation of God in Scripture and nature, believing and trusting Him completely.

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

About The Mission

James307 — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:19:25 CST

Missionary Motives

Introduction

2 Corinthians 5:14 "For the love of Christ constraineth us..."
All believer's are, or ought to be, constraineth by the love of Jesus Christ.
to serve Him from conversion to death or rapture. Unfortunately, many Christians vague ideas as to why they should serve Christ, but no definite, concrete thinking on this very important matter.
Meaning of "constrained": It means compelled, impelled, driven forward.
In the Old Testament men were compelled by the law and in the New Testament were compelled by love. Which is the greater power? I believe Love is.

Many believers would be willing to serve Jesus if He called them to Bible School and full time service, but while waiting for this special call they do not feel any particular need or urge to serve the Master, Jesus Christ the Savior!
To understand a text one must study the context. The context of 2 Corinthians 5:14 give us several incentives for service:

Missionary Challenge

Introduction

Refer also to Operation World P.J. Johnstone. 1986 edition, and Ten Sending Churches, MARC Europe.

There are more people alive today than the total number of people ever live on the planet earth .
There are 5 billion people in the world today. At least one half of these have never once heard the Gospel. It is estimated that 80, 000 unsaved people die every day, approximately 55 people every single minute.
More that one third of the world's population is communistic (1, 558, 430, 000).
Moslems are advancing rapidly, with the new confidence that oil wealth has given Muslim nations.
There are only 85, 000 active Protestant Missionaries in the world today.
The Philippines is a great mission field, with unreached islands, barrios and tribes.
Of the 50 million people in the Philippines, probably 36 million are Roman Catholic; 4.2 million Aglipayan, 4 million muslims, 1 million pagans, with only 6 million protestants- and many of these only nominal professing believers.
Surely this present a tremendous challenge spread the pure Gospel.
There are at least 87 languages spoken in the Philippines, so it is impossible to reach everyone by radio or foreign missionaries.
Foreign missionaries are hindered by the heat of the tropics, and language barriers.
Filipinos are born linguistic and find it comparatively easily to live on the meager diet of rice, fish, and bananas of the remote islands and forest.

Conclusion

The Challenge is to wait upon the Lord for the revelation of His will for your life and then obey it regardless of the price, Luke 9:62.

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

About Believer's Baptism

James307 — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:00:18 CST

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Outline on the Baptism of the Holy Ghost

(Mrs. E. W. Weller)

It is an initial work taking place at the salvation.

"All are baptized into one body," 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Peter 3:20b, 21
Titus 3:5.

Romans 6:3-11 is the only definition of baptism of the Spirit given in Scripture.

In the one act of living faith in Christ, believers are:

1. Born of the Spirit (the initiation into eternal life), John 3:3- 8.
2. Receive the earnest of the Spirit (pledge of it culmination), Ephesians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 55.
3. Sealed with the Spirit (insurance of its continuance), Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:30.
4. Indwelt by the Spirit (maintenance of eternal life in the soul), Romans 8:9.
5. Baptized into one body (a relational activity joining Christ and believers), 1 Corinthians 12:13.

Definition of Baptism

1. Baptized into His death. Romans 6:3 "I am crucified with Christ," Galatians 2:20.

2. Baptized into His burial. Romans 6:4, complete identification into His body.

3. Baptized into His resurrection. Romans 6:5, complete entering into His new body.

4. Baptized into His resurrected life. Romans 6:8 "live with Him," live in His body.

The experience of 1 Corinthians 12:13 implies a complete identification with the Savior.

Conclusion

Colossians 2:10, by Spirit baptism we are complete in the new resurrected body.

At Pentecost, was the day that the Holy Spirit came to abide, the disciples were filled, baptized and anointed with the Holy Spirit.
Pentecost was a definite historical event never to be repeated. It was the day of enthronement of the Spirit, when He assumed all His various offices.

We are baptized by the Spirit conversion. We need the anointing with power of Acts 1:8 for service and we need to be constantly filled with the Spirit.

Water Baptism

The Meaning of Baptism

Baptism does not regeneration or forgiveness of sins.

Baptism states the fact of an event that has already transpired beforehand.
Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward reality- a genuine conversion.

1. It means obedience to the command of Christ, Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Note that believing comes before baptism.
2. Means following Christ's example. 1 Peter 2:21 "...because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps." See also John 13:15.
3. It means fulfilling all righteousness. Matthew 3:15 "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." If Jesus needed it, I certainly do, too.
4. It means separation by death from sin.
Colossians 3:3 "For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God." See also Galatian 6:14.
5. It means identification with Christ, Romans 6:4- 13.
a. Identification in His death. Romans 6:5 "...planted together in the likeness of His death."
b. Identification in His burial. Romans 6:4 "...buried with Him by baptism into death."
c. Identification in His resurrection. Romans 6:4 "...like as Christ we are raise up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
6. It means association with Christ's body. 1 Corinthians 12:13 "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." One body, the church, visible and invisible.

Who may be Baptized?

1. Those who have heard the Gospel and believed it, Mark 16:16, quoted above.
2. Those whose eyes are opened. Acts 9:18 "And immediately there fell from eyes as it had been scales: and he receive sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized."
3. Those who have repented. Acts 2:38 "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus." Repentance is twofold:
Turning from sin and turning to serve God.
4. Those who bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. Luke 3:8 and Matthew 3:8.
5. Those who have received the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:47 "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have receive the Holy Ghost as well as we?"
6. Those who have been taught the Word of God. Matthew 28:19, 20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them... teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. "This would involve teaching the New Testament.
7. Those who have died, and who now live a new spiritual life in Christ. This is the basic teaching of Romans 6:1- 13, that every believer ought to understand well.

Conclusion

In Baptism I take a public stand with God and righteousness against the devil and sin.
Baptism is a challenge to the powers of darkness. I'm living for the Lord Jesus.
Baptism is an act of faith calling on the grace of God for strength to overcome.
Baptism is a command. It is not optional. It is for me to obey and submit.
If Jesus needed to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness, I surely need to be also.
Let us prayfully and perseveringly press on to baptism and the overcoming life.

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

Second Coming of Christ

James307 — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:02:44 CST

The Second Coming of Christ

Introduction

There are three Greek words used to reveal this fact: 1.) Parousia- Personal presence 2.) Apokalupsis- Revelation and 3.) Epiphaneia- appearing. These three words signify that there will come a time when Christ will return in public, personal revelation of Himself to the world.
Some teach that the Second Coming of Christ is when death "Jesus comes to receive the soul," but that would not be a public revelation but visible to all the world.
Acts 1:10, 11 describes the ascension which we studied in a previous lesson and described as being 1.) personal 2.) bodily 3.) visible and 4.) with power.
The Savior first coming was in humiliation but the Second Advent will be glorious.
Actually there are three major viewpoints respecting His Second Coming:
1. Post millennial view: It teaches that the Second Coming will follow rather than precede the millennial age.
2. The A- millennial view: Supporters do not believe in a literal period of a thousand years but believe that when Christ comes everything ends quickly.
3. The pre- millennial view: The Lord comes and then the Millennium follows.

Another complication is that the Second Coming is in two stages:
1. The rapture which is secret (1 Thessalonians 4:15- 7) when the Lord comes for His saints and we meet Him in th air.
2. The revelation which is public (Revelation 1:7), when the Lord comes with His saints to set up the Millennium, 1 Thessalonians 3:13.

An unsolved problems of pre- millennialists is whether the Church will go through the tribulation so there are the "pre- tribulation and mid- tribulation" debates.

Time of Christ Second Coming

This is a secret that only the Lord knows. Matthew 24: 36 "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but My Father only."

Jesus Christ as man did not know that date but Jesus Christ as God is omniscient and certainly knows the exact moment when it will occur.
I believe it is a movable date (2 Peter 3:12, R.V.) that can be advanced or retarded depending on the speed or slowness of taking the Gospel to every tribe, Matthew 24:14.

Where is Christ Coming to?
A. At the Rapture we will meet Him in the air, 1 Thessalonians 4:17
B. At the Revelation we will descend with Him to the earth. Probably He will land on the Mount of Olives, Zechariah 14:4.

Sign of Christ Second Coming

2 Timothy 3:1- 7 list 23 signs of His coming, most of which are very evident today.

1. Perilous times
2. Men loving themselves
3. Covetousness
4. Boasting
5. Proud
6. Blasphemy
7. Disobedient to parents
8. Unthankful
9. Unholy
10. Without natural affection
11. Trucebreakers (unforgiving)
12. False accusers
13. Incontinent (without self- control)
14. Fierce (brutal)
15. Despising good
16. Traitors
17. heady (harsh)
18. Highminded (conceited)
19. Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God
20. Having a form of ungodliness
21. Silly women laden with sins
22. Divers lusts (all kinds of evil desires)
23. Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth

Matthew 24:5- 7, 12-38 list ten signs:

1. False Christs
2. Wars and war rumors
3. Famines
4. Pestilences
5. Earthquakes
6. Iniquity to abound
7. Love of many waxes cold
8. eating
9. Drinking
10. Marrying

Other signs include:

1. The destruction of Jerusalem, Luke 21:20, 24
2. The completion of the Church, Romans 11:25
3. Gospel preached everywhere, Matthew 24:14
4. the coming of the antichrist, 2 Thessalonians 2:3- 8.

Conclusion

Be not scoffer like those in 2 Peter 3:3, for His coming is sure and certain.
Is it right to sell everything and sit on a hilltop waiting for Him? Definitely not.
We ought to plan and work as if He were to return today. 1 3:12, 13.
This doctrine must affect our lives. It ought to keep us busy and watching.

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

Church Discipline

James307 — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:36:38 CST

Church Discipline

Introduction

Church Discipline is like weather. We talk a great deal about it but seldom do anything about it. Paul expected Christians to use church courts, not government courts.

1 Corinthians 6:1-3 "Dare any of you, having matter against one another, go to law before the unjust, not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judge by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Know ye not that we shall judges the angels? How much more things pertain to this life?" See also verse 12.

Discipline means taking corrective measures as punishment in order to maintain the good conduct or church members.

This is a practice seldom made effective in our churches today. Why? It is because we have grown weak and cold, and fear to act on our principles?
It is because we have all attained a state of perfection and no longer require it?
It is because our churches are afraid of losing church members?

Are we afraid that the church income will be reduced if we punish sin?

Do we love popularity, money, large churches, easy times, more than holiness?

Are we afraid of calling "sin" sin, thus condoning evil in their lives of fellow believers?

The Apostolic Church was strong because it was pure, Our modern church is weak because we have compromised our position and condoned sin in the members.

Conclusion

May God give us the courage of our convictions to exercise discipline.
Acts 20:28 "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers."

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

The True Church

James307 — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:40:43 CST

The Church

Introduction

The Bible does not recognize any visible church on earth as "the Church."

The Church which is the body consist of all regenerated souls, each one redeemed by the Blood of Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit.
Only a small part of the Church is on earth for a great part have already gone to be with the Lord.
The Church has no visible head on earth but an unseen Head (Christ) in heaven.
Christ gave His life that He might found the Church. Ephesians 5:25
"...as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it."
The supreme work of God in this age is gathering of the Church.
Acts 15:14 "...God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name." These chosen people are baptized into Christ's body (Church).

Conditions of Membership in the Church

1. Repentance, Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent," at Pentecost.
2. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and Son of God, Matthew 16:16- 18.
3. Salvation, regeneration, the new birth, Acts 2:47, the saved added to the Church. They were not added to the Church in order to be saved but added to the church because they were saved already. (A member of the invisible Church becoming a member of the earthly visible Church.)
4. Baptism in the name of Trinity, Acts 2:38, "...repent and be baptized..." Matthew 28:19: Acts 10:47, 48; Acts 22:16.
5. Continuance in the Apostles' doctrine. Acts 2:42 "And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine." They lived according to the Scripture.

The Purpose of the Church

1. To worship God and to glorify Him on the earth.
Ephesians 1:4-6 "...to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved."
2. To evangelize the world with the Gospel. Matthew 28:19, 20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations." Mark 16:15. See also Ephesians 3:8.
3. To teach and instruct Christians. Ephesians 4:11- 15 "...for the perfecting of the saints..." 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 12:1- 31.
4. To witness constantly. Acts 1:8 "...witness in Jerusalem... Judea... Samaria..."

Conclusion

Why there so many denominations? Each is probably like a variety of fruit and it takes many varieties to make an orchard. (Many spokes to make a wheel). Christ's desire is that the Church on earth should be clean, glorious and holy, Ephesians 5:27 "That He might present it (the Church) to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it (you and I) should be holy and without blemish."

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

Heaven and Hell

James307 — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:59:59 CST

Heaven

What is Heaven?

Heaven is the home of the Lord God. Matthew 6:9 "Our Father which art in Heaven...

2 Corinthians 12:2 speaks of a man caught up to the third heaven.
The first heaven is the are where birds fly. The second heaven is where spacecraft go. The third heaven is the home or throne of Lord God.
Heaven is a building 2 Corinthians 5:1 "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
Heaven is a building of God. It is not man- made, 2 Corinthians 5:1.
Heaven is called a garner. Matthew 3:12 "...gather His wheat into garner." This occurs at the division of the wheat (good going to heaven and the chaff being burned).
Heaven is called the Kingdom of God and of Christ. Ephesians 5:5
"...hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
Heaven is called the Father's House. John 14:2 "In My Father's house..."
Heaven is called a place of rest. Hebrews 4:9 "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."
Heaven is called paradise. 2 Corinthians 12:4. "And I knew such man ...caught up into paradise."

Conclusion

Do you want to go to Heaven? Are you prepared? Heaven is for prepared people.

An unbeliever would find it very uncomfortable in heaven because of its holiness.

Story: A king gave to his clown a walking stick in honour of his being the best clown, the biggest fool. It was only to be given to one who was greater fool. One day the king is dying and the clown came to visit him. the clown asked him what preparations he had made for going to heaven. "None." Then solemnly the clown gave the king and walking stick remarking, "you are the greatest fool."

Hell

Definition

What is Hell? Hell is banishment from the presence of God. 2 Thessalonians 1:9 "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power."

Hell is a place of torment and punishment. Luke 16:23 "And in hell he lift us his eyes, being in torments."

Some scoff and say, "Where is Hell?" The Bible says it is "down," Isaiah 14:9.

Ezekiel 32:27 "...which are gone down to hell..."

Numbers 16:30- 33, the earth opened and they went down alive into the pit (Sheol).

One of the problems in the study of hell is the various terms that are used.

In the original languages three terms are used:
1.) Sheol 2.)Hades 3.) Gehenna
Unfortunately in English these have been translated: hell, pit, grave.
These translations lose something of the force of the original, and give Jehovah's Witnesses and others a loophole to say that hell is only the grave.

Degrees of Punishment in Hell

Deuteronomy 32:22 "For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase..."

Matthew 10:15; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:12 "More tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for..."

The justice of God demands degrees of punishment. Perhaps those who will suffer the hottest flames of hell are those who reject Him the most times.

Conclusion

How does one get to hell? by neglect. Hebrews 2:3 "How shall we escape, if we neglect..."
How does one avoid hell? by receiving Jesus as His personal Savior, Proverbs 15:24.

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

The Lord Supper

James307 — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:59:38 CST

Purpose of Communion

We do not partake Communion to receive forgiveness of sins.
There is no power in the sacrament to give the recipient forgiveness.
We partake of Communion in obedience to the command of Christ, 1 Corinthians 11:24.
We partake in anticipation of His soon return, 1 Corinthians 11:26.
We partake to show forth the Lord's death, 1 Corinthians 11:26.
No one partakes of this meal because he is worthy. It is all of His grace that we have been born in the family of God. No one sits in pride at this table.
Our coming merges two things, our unworthiness and our confidence. If we are true children of God we come boldly for fellowship and strength.
Let us not draw back in fear from loving Heavenly Father's table.
He bids us to come and we ought not to deny Him the pleasure of our fellowship.
At the Communion He would draw near to commune with us as on the Emmaus Road.

Who may Partake of Communion?

Only those who have been born into the family of God have the right to sit at His table in fellowship with the Lord.

The unbeliever and natural man belong at the "table of devils" 1 Corinthians 10:21.

Some churches make the rule that only baptized believers may partake.

Most evangelical churches welcome members in good standing in other evangelical churches to partake of the Communion with them.

Some strict churches will give Communion only to members of their assembly.

Members that are being disciplined and barred from the Lord's Table should refrain from partaking in that or any other church until the proper time.

Requirements for a Communion Service.

Bread and wine are the two substances used as symbols of the Body and Blood.

We teach neither transubstantiation nor consubstantiation, but believe that the elements continue to remain merely elements, symbols or pictures.

We flatly deny the mystical power and change in the elements.
The bread is unleavened, signifying that sin is put away. From this we infer that after Communion we ought to live clean, holy lives.

Conclusion

Where do we go from the Communion Table?
Some go to market, to cockpit or gambling table. This is entirely Wong.
The disciples went out and denied the forsook the Savior after the first Communion.
We ought to go from Communion to the place of prayer. Let the blessing go deeper.
We ought to advance in our Christians lives to a place of daily victory in Christ.
Every believer ought to come humbly, yet boldly and often to the Communion table.
Let us partake of this Supper with an air of expectancy, "Till he come."
Remember Jesus' words, "This do in remembrance of Me." As we partake, let us think of His incarnation, birth, baptism, ministry, tansfiguration, temptation, miracles, teaching, hardships, Gethsemane, trials, mockings, scourgings, death, resurrection, ascension and second coming. Fill your mind at the Communion with Him.

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

About us FBC

James307 — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 05:37:53 CST

WHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT FUNDAMENTAL BAPTIST CHURCH?

The name Independent Fundamental Baptist Church is used traditionally by churches which pattern themselves strictly after the example of the early church, as found in the New Testament. Today the name Baptist is used by many churches that are not following the teachings of the New Testament. Thus the words "Independent" and "Fundamental" have been added by many Baptist churches to further identify themselves as true Bible believing churches and to show a distinction between themselves and Baptist churches that were not following God's word. Most Baptist churches were in the past founded on the sound doctrinal teachings of the New Testament; however, many of them have in varying degrees drifted away from many of the teachings of the scriptures. Some of these churches have gone so far to even deny the fundamental teachings of the Bible, such as the deity of Christ, the virgin birth and salvation by the Grace of God, through faith. Others have to a lesser degree compromised the Word of God by their teaching, practices and church polity trying to confront to popular religious tends. These worldly churches still call themselves "Baptists," but in fact they do not believe or practice what true Baptists have historically believed and more importantly what the Word of God says. The true Independent Fundamental Baptists have no association or fellowship with these churches because they teach or practice things contrary to the New Testament.

The name Independent Fundamental Baptist is of recent origin and came into being because many modern day Baptist churches have compromised the Word of God and are teaching and practicing false doctrines. There were however, many Baptists who have loved and held true to the Word of God. They have refused to abandon the teaching the New Testament. These Baptist churches found it necessary, to distinguish themselves from the doctrinally unsound churches. To make this distinction, true Baptists added the adjectives Independent and Fundamental their name. This name change identified them as separate and distinct from unsound groups.

The word "Independent" means the church is not a member of any council, convention or is a part of any hierarchy outside the local congregation. An Independent Baptist church governs itself apart from any outside agency. An Independent Baptist Church would not be apart of a national or international denomination that would exercise authority over the local church. Thus, the name "independent" means the church patterns itself after the New Testament example and stands alone under the authority of the scriptures. Independent churches autonomous assemblies having no organization over them in authority. Free from outside interference, they direct their own affairs under the authority of the New Testament scriptures.

The organization of a New Testament church is simple. Christ is the head of the church, (Eph. 5:23) and its Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). The local pastor is the shepherd (bishop), overseer, or leader of the congregation. (Heb. 13:17, Acts 20:28, Eph. 4:11) The Independent Baptist church has a congregational form of government with each member equally having the right of to vote on all the affairs of the church. The pastor and members of the New Testament church directs and rules its actions following the guidelines of the New Testament.

Independent Fundamental Baptist churches have fellowship one with the other and often cooperate in such endeavors as evangelism. However, practicing biblical separation they will only fellowship or cooperate in joint meetings with churches of like faith. They will not participate, as a church in any outside function with churches which do not also strictly base their faith and practice on the New Testament. They will not engage in joint meetings, or evangelistic endeavors, with Protestants, Catholics, or other doctrinally unsound church groups, who do not hold to the fundamental teachings of the New Testament. Fundamental Independent Baptists churches will remain separate from unsound churches, as well as other Baptists groups who join in with the unscriptural churches. They practice the biblical teachings of separation as taught in Ephesians 5:11, which state, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." Independent Baptists believe that to join with churches that teach and practice false doctrine is to tolerate and approve of errors. True, New Testament churches strongly believe that all doctrinal error is sin as the New Testament teaches.

The church government of many Independent Baptist churches is to have pastors and deacons as officers of the local church. (1 Tim. 3:1-16) However, some Independent Baptist churches do not accept the word "officer" as the proper biblical term to be applied to deacons.

The pastor of the church is called by majority vote of the congregation. Men meeting the biblical qualification of deacons (servants) are appointed from the local congregation and approved by the majority vote (1 Tim. 3:8-13). Many Baptist churches have Trustees, but their position was established in order to have legal "signatories" to sign legal documents of the church. Biblically neither deacons nor trustees are a governing body, or a "board," but titles of special appointed servants who serve at the will of the pastor and congregation. In a biblical church the pastor(s) is the "overseers" or leaders of the congregation. (See Acts 20:28, Hebrews 13:7)

The word "Fundamental" means the Baptist church uses the New Testament strictly as its authority for faith (doctrine) and practice. In recent years the news media has called doctrinally unsound churches such as the Charismatics and Pentecostals "fundamentalists." Even some TV evangelists have referred to themselves as being "fundamentalist." But they should not be confused with Fundamental Baptists. They are worlds apart. Many of the TV evangelists and all the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches promote teachings which are not biblical. Fundamental Baptists use the name in its strictest sense as meaning to hold soundly the fundamentals of the New Testament teachings without error. True Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches uphold the purest teachings of the early church as revealed in the New Testament.

BAPTISTS ARE NOT PROTESTANTS

Baptists are not Protestants! The name Protestant was given to those churches which came out of Roman Catholicism during the Reformation which began in the 1500s. It originally applied in the 1700's to Lutherans in Germany, the Presbyterians in Switzerland, and Anglicans or Church of England. Later such as Congregationalists, Episcopalians and Methodists were added to the lists of Protestants denominations. Though many people including Webster's Dictionary refer to Baptists as being Protestants, it is not historically correct to refer to them as such or to lump all nonCatholic denominations in one group and label them Protestant. Historically, Baptists were never a part of the Roman Catholic Church or the Protestant Reformation. They cannot be correctly called "protesters" or Protestants who left the Roman Church.

It is true that many who became Baptists left the ranks of apostate and doctrinally unsound Protestant churches. They left these churches because of their strong conviction that the Word of God should not be compromised. Some formed new churches and called themselves Baptists to make it clear that they believed and followed the New Testament. They used the name Baptists because of they followed the New Testament teaching of immersion as the correct mode of baptism. A good example of this was reported by Benedict in which an elder named Cornell, in the early 1800's was establishing a former Protestant church on Baptist principles. He left for a short time on a trip to his farm and when he return found the church had put a new minister. He with the others in the church that rejected Pedobaptism left and formed a new congregation of Baptists on Pine Street, in Providence, RI.

The Protestant churches following the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church practiced infant baptism, sprinkling instead of immersion and they baptized people into their church who had not made public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Although these issues were in the forefront, there were many other matters as well that caused true believers to separate themselves from these unscriptural churches.

In recorded church history there is not one recorded incident of a Baptist church being founded out of Roman Catholicism. Protestants for centuries saw the Baptists as their "enemies" and murdered them by the thousands in the name of Protestantism. It is surely an affront to any historically informed Baptist identify to himself by the name of a group that has so hated and persecuted Baptists down throughout history.

There have always existed congregations, from the time of Christ, New Testament, that were not a part of the Roman Church. In fact the Roman Catholic Church can only historically trace its history back to 313 AD when the Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity a legal religion. In 395 AD, Emperor Contantius "Christianized" Rome and made the worship of idols punishable by death. By 400 AD, the Emperor Theodosius had declared Christianity the only state religion of the Roman Empire. Many churches by this time had come under the domination of the Rome government and had ceased from being New Testament churches. When the Roman Emperor declared Christianity the religion of Rome, "converted" hordes of pagans which made up the Empire. Pagan temples became the meetinghouses for "Christians." Rome, then hired unregenerate pagan priests as "Christian" ministers. The influx of these falsely converted pagans is one reason Roman Catholicism came to have so many idolatrous and pagan beliefs.

However, amid all this apostasy associated with the Roman Catholic Church, there were groups of Christians who were never a part of the "Christianization" of the Roman Empire. These New Testament believers rejected every attempt to include them in with the other churches that compromised and accepted the Roman government's money, rule and authority. Over the years the growth of so many false and idolatrous practices caused some within the Catholic Church such as Martin Luther to rebel, and to try to "reform" the Catholic Church. This was the birth of Protestant Reformation. Although, many Protestants returned in part to a belief in the Bible as their authority for their faith and practice, yet not one of them EVER completely left all the doctrinal errors and false teachings of the apostate Roman Catholic Church. There has never been even one Protestant church that is doctrinally pure following the example and polity of the New Testament.

Protestants have never accepted the principle of separation of church and state. In Europe, Protestant churches are "state" churches and supported to some degree by government imposed taxes. For example, in Germany, the state church is Lutheran. In England, the Anglican or Church of England is the state church. France, Spain, and Italy, all have the Roman Catholic Church as their state church.

The idea the bread and wine (grape juice) in the Lord's Supper being a sacrament and becoming the literal physical body of Christ which takes away sin, is a false Roman Catholic teaching. Protestants, although becoming separate from the Roman Church, only changed slightly this false practice. Martin Luther until his death held to this false sentiment and disputed with the Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), over the matter. Still today, many Protestants see the Lord's Supper as a sacrament, having to some degree saving properties or giving some spiritual benefit. True New Testament Christians have always rejected such unbiblical ideas. New Testament churches follow the teaching of the New Testament that the Lord' s Supper is a memorial or ordinance given to the local church to remember and show the Lord' s death till he returns.(1 Cor. 11:23-26)

Protestants still practice some form of infant or Pedobaptism. Many Protestant denominations still hold to the writings of their church fathers and their traditions as their source of church doctrine and polity. They follow their Roman Catholic roots, and have never accepted the Bible as their sole source of teachings for their faith and practice, which is a foundational teaching of a New Testament congregation. All Protestants hold to a system of hierarchy in church government and do not accept the autonomy the local church. The New Testament teaches the absolute autonomy of each individual local church and Baptists have never established a church hierarchy. Baptist follow the New Testament example that each church is to govern itself as the Word of God teaches free from outside authority and control.

Baptists, basing their beliefs solely on the Bible, and the New Testament, have never held to these teachings and correctly identify them as false doctrine. Thus, history and the doctrines of Protestantism clearly show that Baptists are not Protestants. The Baptist churches which identify themselves as Protestants are sadly misinformed. Both the Roman Catholic and Protestants churches for centuries persecuted individuals and congregations what held to Baptist principles. Although the Baptist have never persecuted anyone, they were fair game for other unscript'ural churches.

WHO WERE THE FIRST BAPTISTS?

In discovering who the first Baptists were, you must first identify to whom you are referring. You could mean those people or churches which held to the Baptists beliefs although they may not have called themselves Baptists. Or second, you could be referring to those who held to Baptist beliefs and were called by the name Baptist.

It is difficult to trace Baptist churches down through history. Some Baptist historians have made attempts at doing this, but in many cases refer to groups as early Baptists, who did not hold to pure Baptist beliefs as held today. Some have tried to establish that "according to history, Baptists have an unbroken line of churches since Christ." These historians, in a try to show an unbroken line of Baptists in history, have embraced groups which were clearly not doctrinally sound.

In the simplest of terms a true Baptist assembly is one which follows the New Testament as his sole authority for his faith and practice. Whether these groups of believers called themselves Baptists or not, if they were doctrinally pure, following the New Testament for their faith and practice they were New Testament churches and thus they can be called Baptistic. The point is the name Baptist in the beginning was used to designate a true New Testament assembly that was biblically sound. Historically, many of these biblically sound churches were called by various names before the name Baptist became popular. The crucial point is not that they called themselves Baptists, but they followed the Bible as their sole authority for faith and practice. The connection with churches back in history is not the name they used, but was rather their doctrine and practice.

Some Baptists such as the Landmark Baptist and those often referred to as ABaptists Briders," claim they can trace their history back to John the Baptist who was the first Baptist. The modern Landmark churches purport that no church which is not in their line of succession back to the early church has any true authority and is not part of the Bride of Christ. However, John the Baptist was an Old Testament saint and the last Old Testament prophet (Matt. 3:3). He did not belong to, nor was part of the any "ecclesia" or New Testament church. Yes, he baptized, but His baptism was the baptism of repentance (Matt. 3:2) for Jews who were preparing for coming Messiah and Kingdom God had promised them. He was the forerunner, called by God to announce that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah. John was beheaded by Herod (Matt. 14) before the Lord Jesus announced the coming establishment of the "ecclesia." (Matt 16:18). John was God's true prophet and the forerunner of the Messiah Jesus Christ, but he was not a part of the dispensation of the institution of the local church. John the Baptist did not found any churches and was never a member of one.

In examining many so-called early "Baptist" churches you find many doctrinal errors and false teaching. Surely, no church that practiced false doctrine, as many of these groups did, is a true Baptist church. It is my conviction from years of research, that it is not possible to "trace" an unbroken line of Baptist churches from Christ until today. However, let me strongly say there has always been an unbroken line of churches that have not erred from the faith, and been true to the Bible, God's Word. In fact Jesus emphatically stated in Matthew 16:18, concerning the perpetuity the institution of the local church that even "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Doctrinally sound New Testament churches have always existed from the time of Christ and the Apostles until today. To call these people Baptists or Baptistic, in the sense they believed the Bible and followed it as their sole authority for faith and practice is acceptable, although it serves no purpose. To say there is an unbroken line or succession of Baptist churches from the time of Christ until today cannot be shown from history.

It cannot be stated too often that the importance of these churches was not in their name, or their succession, but in what they believed and practiced. These churches patterned themselves strictly after the New Testament example, and this made them valid churches approved of God. This is the true heritage the Fundamental Baptists holds dear, that is there have always been assemblies which submitted themselves only to the sole authority of the Word of God. It is difficult to document these congregations because they were rarely in the spot light of history.

For an example there is Patrick of Ireland. Patrick was born in Scotland in 360 AD and sold into slavery at age sixteen and carried to Ireland. Later, he escaped and became a Christian missionary. Although the Roman Catholic Church claims him as one of their "saints," there is no evidence he even knew the Catholic Church existed. In his writings he appears ignorant of the practices of the Roman Church and never refers to church councils, creeds, traditions or even to the existence of a pope. There was no hierarchy in the churches he founded, which were patterned after the simple New Testament example. These churches were missions minded and formed schools to train preachers and missionaries. Later in history, around 600 AD, Austin, a Catholic monk, was sent to Britain by Pope Gregory the Great. King Ethelbert and his court, and many Britains were won over by the successful monk. Under the Roman Catholic influence these missionary centers diverged into monasticism. However, history is clear that in the beginning and into the 9th Century there were churches in Britain that rejected Pedobaptism, popery and other false doctrines of the Catholics. These churches remained sound in doctrine and practicing the faith of the New Testament. These churches are good examples of Bible believing churches that existed independent of the Roman Catholic Church, and were for some time not corrupted by its influences. They were in fact churches founded on the same New Testament principles that modern day Baptists traditionally founded their churches.

Some have pointed to the Anabaptists as the examples of early Baptist churches. This again cannot be proven from history. The Anabaptists were mostly a God-fearing group of people. They loved the Lord and many of them gave their lives and fortunes for the sake of Christ. In their beginnings most were doctrinally sound. However, history does not record even one Anabaptist group or church becoming or founding a Baptist church. Most of the Anabaptists successors became the Mennonites, Amish and Quakers. The historical record shows not one Baptist church can trace its history as coming from the Anabaptists. Many Anabaptists churches were strong New Testament churches believing and following the Word of God. Other Anabaptists groups were in gross error and corrupted. As with any true New Testament church, its validity as a true church approved of God, does not, nor or has ever rested on its name or on a succession of churches. A true New Testament church must be solely discerned based on its adherence to the principles of God's Word.

Some Baptist churches believe in a succession of Baptist churches that passed down the authority to baptize and give the Lord's Supper. It is my conviction that this is contrary to the very foundation of what is a true New Testament church. A true New Testament church bases its faith, practice and authority solely in the Word of God. To hold to the "secessionist" position takes the authority away from the New Testament and places it in the hands of man.

Secessionism is the gross error of Catholicism. God said He would preserve His church and that task was not left in the hands of fallible men or groups. God, I believe deliberately used isolated groups in many different places during time to preserve His church and did not chose to use a line or chain of churches to past His Word and authority on to the next generation. He preserved His word and the Word preserved a true Gospel witness during every moment of history since Pentecost. What possible value is there in appealing to a supposed unbroken line of Baptist churches as a church's authority? There is every value in appealing only to present adherence to the New Testament as one's sole authority for faith and practice.

The best illustration of this point can be made this way. Suppose an airplane flew over some isolated country that had no past or present contact with anyone else in the world. Further, suppose that a Bible somehow was to fall from the plane and the inhabitants of this isolated land were to be able to pick up that Bible and read the text for themselves. Suppose too that some of them on reading that Bible were to believe and repent of their sins and place their trust in God's Son and His redemption for personal sin. These new believers would then, following the New Testament example, submit to believer's baptism and organize a local church. That local body of baptized believers would be as valid a true New Testament church as any church Christ ever founded. Why, because it was founded on God's Word and there is no necessity that it have contact with some other church which belongs to a succession of churches. It is a historical fact the first Baptist church in America was founded by another Baptist congregation. It was founded by Roger Williams, according to the teachings and example of the New Testament. The Gospel is to be preached throughout the world by believers empowered by the Holy Spirit as Acts 1:8 plainly states. When a congregation results from the preaching of the Gospel, authenticating that congregation as a New Testament church rests solely on its doctrine and practice....not in its affiliation or succession.

WHEN AND WHERE WAS THE FIRST RECORDED BAPTIST CHURCH IN HISTORY

The historian David Benedict states the Gospel was preached in Britain within sixty years of the Lord's return to heaven. These churches appear to have been Baptistic and remained sound until Austin, the Catholic monk brought Catholicism to the Isles in 597 A.D. He states there were Baptists in England 1400 A.D., and mentions William Sawtre, who was identified as a Lollard and Baptist. He was the first person burned at the stake after Henry IV's 1400 A.D. decree to burn heretics. Benedict states that the English Roman Catholics in 1535 put to death twenty two Baptists for heresies. In 1539 thirty one more that had fled to Holland were apprehended and martyred there. He records that five hundred others who were identified as Anabaptists were also killed in England during this period. After Henry VII separated England from the Roman Catholic Church the Baptist faired no better. Many Baptists were executed by the newly formed Church of England during what is called the "Protestant inquisition."

The line of English churches that can be traced, who called themselves Baptists, began in 1610 in Holland. This is not to say there were no Baptists in Britain earlier, but that this began a line of churches whose history can be traced. It began with a man named John Smyth who was an ordained bishop in the Church of England. In 1606, after nine months of soul-searching and study of the New Testament he was convinced the doctrines and practices of the Church of England were not biblical, and thus he resigned as priest and left the church.

Because of prosecution by the Anglican Church of all who disagreed with it and who refused to agree to its authority, John Smyth had to flee England. In Amsterdam, he with Thomas Helwys and thirty six others formed the first Baptist church of English people known to have stood for baptism of believers only.

Smyth believed the only real apostolic succession is a succession of biblical New Testament truth, and not of outward ordinances and visible organization such as the Church of England or the Roman Church. He believed the only way to recover was to form a new church based on the Bible. He then baptized himself (which is not biblical) and then the others of his congregation. In only a few years however, the church had lost all but ten members to the Mennonites and other groups in Holland. Smyth died in 1612, and the church ended in Holland shortly after that with Helwys, Thomas and John Murton returned to England as persecution there lessened. History records the members of this Baptist church went back to England. Those who remained in Holland joined the Mennonites. Therefore the Baptist church in Holland did not produce a succession of other churches, but those who founded it went on to set up other Baptist churches in England.

Back in England these men, formed the first recorded Baptist church on English soil. By 1626, the churches had grown from one, to five churches and by 1644 there were forty congregations. Through preaching the New Testament, the Gospel went forth in power and the Baptist movement grew rapidly.

These first Baptist churches formed in England were Armenian in theology, which taught that all men could be saved. Another group of Baptists were the Calvinistic or Particular Baptists and they believed in limited atonement in which only the elect could be saved. Particular Baptist had their beginnings around 1616, when some "dissenters" left the Church of England and were lead by the Rev. Henry Jacob. By 1644, these congregations grew to seven churches.

About this time the Puritans were also becoming strong in England. The Puritans were dissenters from the Church of England. They wanted to bring reform to the Church of England. Although they were a great deal more pious than the Church of England, they still practiced most of its beliefs including infant baptism. Anyone who differed from the practices of the State church was subject to great persecution. Puritans and Baptists alike, to escape persecution, migrated to the New World.

One man Hanserd Knolleys is an example of dissenter of the Church of England who had to flee to America. He was a presbyter and former deacon in the Anglican Church. Knolleys was under deep conviction of the need to preach the New Testament and follow its example as one's rule of faith. He refused to wear the robes of his church office, and refused to let unsaved people take the Lord's Supper. Further, he ignored the reading of the "order of service" and simply preached instead the scriptures. To preach the Bible without the rituals of the Church of England was against the civil law. Knolleys joined with other dissenters and left England. In 1638, he landed in Boston and settled for a short time in Piscataway (now Dover) in New Hampshire. There he became the pastor of the Puritan church there. The Puritans were in control of the colonies and in fact had set up a theocracy in which the Puritan church governed both secular and religious affairs. Because Knolleys refused to baptize infants and preached against it he was banned from the colony by the famous Puritan governor Cotton Mather. Knolleys after two years returned to England at the request of his father. He became an outspoken "Separatist" or dissenter of the Anglican or state church. In 1645, he formed a Baptist church in London. Shortly after, the Church of England fell from grace when the English monarch was overthrown and the Presbyterians became the favored church of the state. The Presbyterians then took over the job of the persecution of biblical believers and forbade Knolleys from preaching in parish churches. He, however, continued to preach by holding services in his own home. One of the last acts of the Presbyterians, before the Long Parliament in England fell, was to past a law passing the death penalty on anyone who was caught holding to what they called "Eight Errors in Doctrine." These "doctrines" included infant baptism. Knolleys was imprisoned many times and suffered at the hands of the "State Church." He is only one of many such godly men who would not compromise the truth. The "crime" of these men was that they believed the Bible was God's Truth, and rejected dictates of false churches and men. It is revealing that the Protestant Presbyterians persecuted those who followed the Bible and rejected their hierarchy and false teachings which included Calvinism.

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE BAPTISTS IN AMERICA.

It is well to note the Pilgrims were also Puritans, and Puritans were dissenting Protestants who had left the Church of England. These people were called "Separatists." They were not seeking doctrinal purity, but rather wanted to "reform" the English church. They were never the friends of Baptists. The Puritans should not be confused with true Bible believing churches, because their beliefs and practices were much like the Church of England. Although, they were not as corrupt as the Church of England, they still practiced a strict ritual of church service, a state church, sprinkling, and among other things, infant baptism. They were intolerant to anyone who did not agree to the authority of the Puritan church, which was supported by a governmental church tax of all the people. One may admire their piety, but a true believer in the New Testament would have a great problem with many of their doctrines, church polity, and especially their persecution of Baptists and droving them from their colonies. The Puritans practiced a grace plus works salvation. When they preached piety, they were preaching salvation by works. Everyone in the colony was automatically a member of the state church and was taxed to support it. Failure to pay the tax brought the wrath of the civic and church leaders. People were publicly beaten, placed in stocks, fined, imprisoned, and banished from the colony by the civil authorities under the direction of the Puritan church officials. Puritan churches persecuted the Baptists in America until the U. S. Constitution was made law 1787. The first Baptist church on American soil was a direct result of the Puritan persecution of true New Testament believers.

Roger Williams is credited with founding the first Baptist church on American soil. Williams graduated from Cambridge University in 1627, and was apparently ordained in the Church of England. He soon embraced "Separatists" ideas and decided to leave England. In 1631, he arrived in Boston. He was much displeased with the Puritan theocracy. He strongly believed in separation of church and state and upheld the principles of soul liberty. "Soul liberty" is a belief that everyone is responsible to God individually. It bases its belief in the New Testament teaching that every believer is a priest to himself, having full excess to God without the need to go through a church, church leader or priest. (Hebrews 4:15-16; 10:19-22) Despite his views he was made the pastor of the church in Salem. Shortly after that, because of his doctrinal preaching, he was forced to leave Salem and went for a short time to Plymouth. He returned to Salem where he was summoned before the court in Boston because of his outspoken beliefs and was banished from the colony. The charge recorded against him was that "he broached and divulged new and dangerous opinions against the authority of the magistrates." Clearly, he was banished because he believed in religious freedom and believed and taught the New Testament was a believer's sole source for his faith and practice. His "crime" was that he rejected the unbiblical ideas of the state church such as infant baptism and other false teachings of the Puritans. The Puritans drove him from their colony in the dead of winter.

In 1638, Williams made his way to what is now Providence, Rhode Island, and there bought some land from the Indians. Some of his former congregation in Salem joined him and they set up a colony. Its beginning charter reads as follows:

"We whose names are hereunder written, being desirous to inhabit ourselves in active and passive obedience to all such orders or agencies as shall be made for the public good of the body in an orderly way, by the major consent of the present inhabitants, masters of families, incorporated together into the same, only in civil things."

In 1663, Charles II gave the colony a royal charter and it read:

"Our royal will and pleasure is, that no person within the said colony, at any time hereafter, shall be in any wise molested, punished disquieted, or called in question, for any differences of opinion in matters of religion, and do not actually disturb the civil peace of the said colony."

This was the first time in the history of the world that a government was established which granted religious freedom! This charter was the very cornerstone of American religious freedom and that it was Baptists who first established religious and civil freedom in America! At first Williams did not identify himself as a Baptist. However, he continued to read the New Testament, and became fully aware that infant baptism, sprinkling for baptism, and allowing unsaved people to be members of the church was not scriptural. Thus, resolving to follow the Lord's commands in truth, in March, 1639 he formed the first Baptist church on American soil. He began by baptizing himself and then baptizing ten other members.

Shortly afterward, Williams withdrew from the church and became what he called a "seeker." History does not record why he would not identify himself as a Baptist although he set up a Baptist church. Please note that this presented no problem for this first Baptist church in America. This church was not founded on a man, but on the Bible. It was not founded on a line of Baptist churches down through history. It was founded because saved men believed the Bible and wanted to follow the New Testament's teachings and the example of what a true church should be. Even after Williams left, this Baptist church continued to follow the New Testament and was not adversely affected. It was not the man who founded the church that was important, but the New Testament principles on which he founded this church. They called themselves Baptists because that was the best name they could choose to describe what they believed and a name that identified them as Bible believing people. This church had no ties to anyone or any other church, yet this was a Baptist church as much as any Baptist church ever was. They were a New Testament church, not because of a succession of churches or men, but because they formed their assembly on the principles of the New Testament. That made them in the eyes of God as legitimate a church as any Paul founded. The sole authority for any true church is God's Word and not its human founder, or its heritage. Not once in the New Testament do you find even a hint that a church was legitimate because it was founded by Paul or called itself by a particular name.

However, no one should think little of the name of Baptist for it is the name that most has identified those individuals and churches that have uncompromisingly stood on the Word of God. They are the only group into modern times whose churches were founded on the scriptures alone and not on the traditions or works of some man. Baptists have always been the champions of the Word of God and preaching of the Gospel. History is clear there is no other denomination that has so loved and been faithful to God's Word as has the Baptists. Even the enemies of the Baptists openly recognize their zeal for the Word of God.

After Roger Williams stepped down, Thomas Olney took over as the pastor of the church in Rhode Island. Although, this was the first Baptist church to be founded on American soil there is no recorded offspring from this church and modern American Baptist churches cannot trace their history directly to it. Other churches founded in New England and in the Middle colonies were the actual mother churches of modern Baptist churches as these churches were responsible for starting other churches.

On May 28, 1665, a Baptist church was founded in Boston, by Thomas Gould, who refused to accept infant baptism. There were nine original members of the church which included two women. A storm of persecution broke out because these Baptists preached what the Puritans called "damnable errors." Most of the members of this Baptist church were fined or imprisoned or both, at one time or another. Thomas Gould died in 1675 an untimely death, partly because of his having his health broken by Puritans persecutions which included several long imprisonments.

In 1678, shortly after the church erected a new building and the Puritan controlled government nailed its doors shut and forbade anyone under penalty of the law to enter or worship there. This lasted only one Sunday however, and the following Sunday the doors were opened and services held in defiance of the order. The magistrates found their order was becoming unpopular and impossible to enforce so the church in the future was left unmolested. In 1684, a Baptist church in Maine seeking greater religious liberty was relocated to Charleston, South Carolina.

The Dutch colony of New York for a time persecuted Baptists within its territories. The first Baptist church in New York was started by William Winchendon, in 1656. He was heavily fined and then imprisoned. Being to poor to pay the fines he was banished from the colony. Later, the Dutch issued new orders and allowed religious liberty.

In 1700, a Baptist minister, William Rhodes began to hold meetings on Long Island and in 1724 organized the first Baptist church there. The most important center of early Baptist churches was around Philadelphia, "the city of brotherly love." In 1684, Thomas Dungan started a church at Cold Springs, New York which lasted until 1702. In 1688 a Baptist church was organized at Pennepeck, Pennsylvania with twelve members. It helped start the first Baptist church in Philadelphia the following year. It became an independent church in 1746. Offers of religious liberty drew many Baptists to settle in New Jersey. The first church was founded there in 1688, in Middletown and was made up of many who had fled persecution in the other colonies. Many churches were organized in the following years.

In other areas Baptist churches were being formed about this same time. In North Carolina the first Baptist church was started in the northeastern coastal region at Perquimans, in Chowan County in 1727.

In Virginia, Baptists were not welcome. Before the America won its independence and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights became law, the Episcopal Church, which was the American branch of the Church of England, was the only legal church in Virginia. There was a fine of 2000 pounds of tobacco for failure to have one's infant children baptized. One Baptist church, however, did begin after 1714, in Surry Country, and another at Burleigh, Virginia. Virginia was especially harsh in religious persecutions and anyone not holding Episcopal ordination was forbidden to preach or hold services. Baptists with other citizens were taxed to support the Episcopal Church. It is well to note that not all Virginians felt this way. Two champions of religious liberty were the Virginians Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. Thomas Jefferson is believed to have been deeply influenced to press for religious freedom in American, by the plight of several Baptist preachers he knew. For example in Isle of Wight county in southeastern Virginia, Baptist preachers were taken to Nansamond River, nearly drowned by Episcopalians to show their contempt for Baptist's beliefs in immersion and their rejection of infant Baptism. They were then tarred and feathered and ran out of the county.

The center of Baptist activity in the colonies was in the Philadelphia area, and Baptists held regular "general meetings" of the churches for devotional and evangelistic purposes there. It can be historically determined that forty seven Baptist churches were in existence before the Great Awakening. All but seven were above the Mason-Dixon Line. Baptist continued to grow in numbers through the period of the Great Awakening and up to the time of the Revolutionary War. Baptists as a whole were patriots and many Baptist pastors served as chaplains in the Revolutionary Army. Baptist churches and pastors contributed large sums of money to support George Washington and the army. The Great Awakening stirred religious interests in the colonies and a reported great revival took place. The Revolutionary War for some time slowed the growth of Baptist churches. However, after independence was won and the Constitutional and Bill of Rights was written which gave all Americans religious freedom, the Baptist again began to grow until today they are the largest denominational group in the United States.

WHAT MAKES A TRUE BAPTIST?

Today there are at least a hundred different groups which all themselves "Baptist." Many of these churches have conflicting beliefs and practices. The natural question then to ask is, "What makes a person a true Baptist?" In examining the history of Baptists and determining what makes a genuine Baptist, five distinctives should be noted. These five distinctive beliefs separate the true Baptists from other groups who have mistakenly taken the name Baptist, and from all Protestants. Examine any church in light of these five distinctive it will be shown if they are true historic Baptist congregation which is synonymous with what is a true biblical New Testament church.

It is well also to note that these five distinctives are traits also of the true New Testament church! These distinctives are the distinctives taught in Bible which form a true New Testament church. The one thing that makes one a Baptist is that historically they have followed the New Testament alone as their sole rule for faith and practice. Baptists strongly insist that God's Word is not up for arbitration or subject to the individual's, group's, denomination's or church's "private interpretation." (2 Peter 1:20) Baptists believe you do not have to be a Baptist in order to be saved and have eternal life, but a person must believe the Gospel as revealed in the New Testament. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) Further, if a person is truly saved and strictly follows the principles of the New Testament he will in a true sense be a Baptist whether he uses the name or not. Baptists interpret the Bible literally within its historic, cultural and grammatical context. Baptists believe as the New Testament teaches that Christ is the only head of the church.

Fundamental Baptists are strict in interpreting the Bible in a "literal" sense. In other words, when the Bible speaks, the words have a literal meaning and that it the meaning God intended. To interpret God' s word one must apply sound hermeneutical principles of interpretation which considers the grammatical use of the words, the culture and historical situation in which they were written.

Baptists reject the apocryphal books as being inspired of God and use them only for historical reference. Further, they reject the efforts of the many who "spiritually" interpret the scriptures, using allegory and placing hidden or specially revealed meanings to the words of the Bible. Baptists refuse to accept the so-called "scriptures" or revelation of modern day Aso called as prophets. They believe that when the Book of Revelation was completed by the Apostle John about 90-95 AD, the Word of God was complete and He has given no further revelation. It is believed that God meant what he said in Revelation 22:18, the scriptures were not to add to or taken from. (See also Gal. 1:6-10, 1 Tim. 6:30, Titus 1:9-11, 2 Tim. 4:1-5, 1 Cor. 13:8-10)

Ask these five questions of any church, and if they can answer all five in truth with a yes, then you will have a true Baptist church. All others misuse the name.

THE FIVE BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES

1. WE ACCEPT ONLY THE NEW TESTAMENT AS OUR AUTHORITY IN ALL MATTERS OF FAITH AND PRACTICE.
This means that Baptists do not accept any authority except the New Testament scriptures. Christ is head of the Church, and it is His bride. We believe the Word of God, the Bible is complete and it solely, ". . . Is given of by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God many be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) We reject that God is giving supposed "new" Revelation, believing that God forbids any adding to or taking away of the canon of scriptures. (Rev. 22:18-19) We do not accept any authority over the New Testament Church, but Christ Himself, including any hierarchy to include popes, modern day prophets, or councils of churches.

2. WE BELIEVE THE CHURCH IS TO BE MADE UP OF SAVED BAPTIZED BELIEVERS.

Baptists reject the baptism of infants (Pedobaptism) flatly! The church is made up of only Baptized believers. (Acts 2:41-42) An infant is not capable of believing, and is protected by the Grace of God until the age of accountability. Further, only those who have believed and trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior are a member of the body of Christ. Only the saved who have publicly professed salvation can be a member of a local New Testament Baptist church. (Acts 2:41)

3. WE BELIEVE IN STRICT SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
Jesus said to ""render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's." (Mark 12:17) Further the scripture says "what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion that light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14) No power on earth is higher than God's Word, and a church should not be in any way yoked or controlled by the state, or and civil authority in religious matters. We support the rightly appointed civil authority of government over us and pray for them that we live our lives in peace. (2 Peter 2:13-15)

4. WE BELIEVE IN THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER.

The scripture teaches that every believer can without the aid of priests or churchmen go, "boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in the time of need". (Hebrews 4:16) The scripture states further in Hebrews 10:19, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus." The believer does not need a priest or a church to intercede on their behalf to God. The believer can boldly, by the fact of being washed in the blood of Christ, instantly be in contact with God by simple prayer, and further can bring his petitions or requests for forgiveness of sins directly to God himself. (1 John 1:9) No church has the authority to forgive sins or grant intercession to God.

5. WE BELIEVE IN THE AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH.

Simply stated, the scriptures gives no higher authority than the local congregation of born again, baptized believers. We believe the local church is to be governed by the Word of God, and the local church does not need, or does the scripture teach that the local body rests under the authority of any earthy group. It is a group unto itself, under the authority of God, and solely responsible unto Him for its conduct, direction and affairs. Jesus in Revelation 2:6, 15, stated that He "hated" the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. This group of heretics in the early church with other doctrinal errors promoted a clerical hierarchy in the church.

Though, not a historic distinctive of a Baptist church, one other characteristic is necessary for an assembly to call its self a true New Testament church. This distinctive is based on the truth that God will not, nor can He bless or be a party to doctrinal error. A true New Testament church will believe and follow the correct and proper instructions of God's word. There are many churches that believe and practice false doctrines such as tongue speaking, do not practice biblical separation from worldliness and hold to other views. A true New Testament Churches doctrine and practice will correctly follow the word of God, thus churches that put themselves at odds with the Lord. The New Testament stresses purity in faith and practice as Revelation 2-3 clearly teach. To five of the seven churches of Asia Jesus said He has things against them. He warned them strongly to correct their failures or He would take action against them. A true church that has the blessings of the Lord will diligently seek purity in faith and practice. Those who refuse to repent of their errors will not have the approval or the blessings of God.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

A church which cannot answer yes to all of these questions cannot historically call itself a Baptist church, nor can it illegitimately call itself a New Testament church. These are the distinctives that separate true Baptists from all Protestants, any organized church, doctrinally unsound church, or "Christian" cults.

A person can rightly take godly pride in truthfully bearing the name Baptist. Many men have suffered and given their fortunes and their lives to hold the name in truth. It stands for devotion and a strict obedience to God and his commandments. It holds high the saving Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, as revealed in the New Testament and an unwavering commitment to carrying out the Great Commission, that is, to teach everywhere the truth of God's Word.

The validity of a church as being a true biblical New Testament church does not rest in its ability to show an unbroken line of succession from the time of Christ. In fact, no church on earth can make that claim. Even the Roman Catholic Church which boasts of his unbroken history cannot prove an unbroken line of churches no earlier than the Third Century, and what Catholicism teaches today in no way resembles what New Testament faith or practice, or what the early churches believed and practiced.

We must agree with John Smyth, the true New Testament church is founded on its belief and practice of the scriptures, and not on any outward succession of a visible or invisible organization. In this sense, any church which bases it faith and practice strictly on the teaching of the New Testament is a true and Biblical church, even if it existed in time, only yesterday. It is not the name or the organization that makes a biblical church, but its practice of the faith as revealed in the New Testament.

It is the Word of God, the Bible, and in particular the New Testament that tells us what is a real and true church! The Bible and only the Bible reveals to men how to have their sins forgiven and have everlasting life and heaven. That is what saved believers have always believed, because that is what the New Testament, which is what God's Word says.

The Baptist bases his authority solely on the Bible itself. They do not accept that authority was given to any particular man, pope, prophet, group, or church on earth to be the means of the salvation of men. A church is not God' s instrument of salvation, but an institution of believers joined together to preach and teach God' s word and present the Gospel to a lost and dying world. God has not entrusted that authority to impart salvation to any man or church. God alone has that authority and He, in the person of the Holy Spirit, brings conviction and salvation to those who in simple faith believe.

A church that is a true biblical assembly, patterns its self-after the example in the New Testament. It is one made up of baptized believers organized in a local congregation for fellowship, teaching and evangelism. All systems of hierarchy set up by man over the authority of the local church has lead to doctrinal errors and corruption without exception and God has no party with them.

Bibliography

1. Baker, Robert A. The Baptist March in History. Nashville: Convention Press.
2. Benedict, David. A General History of the Baptist Denomination in American, and Other Parts of the World. London: Lincoln and Edmands, Nr. 53, Cornhill, 1813, Fundamental Baptist CD ROM Library, 1701 Harns Rd. , Oak Harbor, Washington 98277, 2001.
3. Bettenson, Henry. Documents of the Christian Church. London:Oxford University Press, 1973.
4. Cairns, Earle E. Christianity Through the Centuries. GrandRapids:Zondervan Press, 1978.
5. Carroll, J.M. The Trail of Blood . Ashland Avenue Baptist Church, 1967.
6. Christian, John T. A History of the Baptists. Richmond:Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1922.
7. Estep, William R. The Anabaptist Story. Grand Rapids:Eerdmans, 1920.
8. Goadby, J.J. Bye Paths in Baptist History. London:Elloit Stock, 1871.
9. Harrison, John B. and Richard E. Sullivan. A Short History of Western Civilization . Michigan State University.
10. Holliday, J.M. The Baptist Heritage. Texarkansas:Bogard Press, 1974.
11. King, Marie Gentert. Foxe's Book of Martyrs, Spire Books.
12. McBeth, Leon H. The Baptist Heritage, Four Centuries of Baptist Witness. Nashville:Broadman Press, 1987.
13. McBeth, Leon H. A Source Book for Baptist Heritage. Nashville:Broadman Press, 1990. 14. Miller, Andrew. Miller's Church History. Grand Rapids:Zondervan Publishing House, 1964.
15. Newman, Albert. A Manual of Church History Vol. I and II. Chicago:The American Baptist Publication Society, 1899.
16. Torbet, Robert G. A History of the Baptists. Valley Forge:Judson Press, 1987.
17. Vedder, Henry, A Short History of the Baptists . Valley Forge:Judson Press, 1978.

©Cooper P. Abrams, III - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This article may be copied and used freely, but must not be sold in whole or in part. It is requested that if you make multiple copies of the material and distribute it that you contact the author as an encouragement to him. Revised September, 2007.

Grace of God

James307 — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 05:31:51 CST

Law and Grace

Introduction

There are many Christians who are saved by grace but try to keep saved by obeying the law of or keeping the commandments.
This was the error of the Galatian church which Paul seeks to correct in his Epistle to the Galatians.

Galatians 3:3 "Are you foolish? having begun in the Spirit (saved by grace), are ye now made perfect in the flesh? (keeping of the law)?"

Paul answers this provocative questions in Galatians 3:11 "The just shall live by faith": We are saved by faith; We live by faith.

But does this allow us to become law unto ourselves and break the law of God and sin wilfully? Paul answers this question in Romans 6: 1, 2 "God forbid..."

It is sometimes heard to keep a balance between the teaching of Paul and James. James says 2: 14, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man may say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith saved him?"

James2:20 "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"

Paul answers this Philippians 2:12, 13 "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you in both to will and to do of His good pleasure. "by faith we yield to the indwelling Christ and uses out bodies to good works. The Savior work through us.

Our work is to yield. He is the one who performs the works of righteousness.

After conversion we do good works because we are saved already, not in order to be saved. A dog barks because he is a dog, not order to become a dog.

Conclusion

Is Christianity a mixed system of law and grace? No, it must be all of faith.
Romans 4: 4, 5 "Now to him that worketh is reward not reckoned of grace, but debt. But to him that worketh not, believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

Is the believer under law after conversion? No. Romans 6:14 "For ye are not under the law, but under grace." Scripture could not be plainer.

How ought to a true believer to walk before his fellowmen? As Jesus walked. 1 John 2:6 "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked."

1 Peter 2:21, following in His steps.

Those who are in Christ while not saved or kept by the law, nevertheless love the will of God and do from the heart those things which pleased him, not for salvation nor by constraint, but for love's sake, as they walk in the Spirit. (Goodman)

Galatians 5:18 "But if ye led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law,"
Romans 8:4, 5.

To be saved by faith and then to return to works is to fall from grace,
Galatians 5:4.

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

The Trinity

James307 — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 05:31:04 CST

The Trinity

Introduction

So far we have learned that there is one God- The Creator of the World.

Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: the Lord God is one Lord."
There is only one God.

but a careful study of the scriptures will show that God exists in three Persons, that is, a Godhead manifested in three Persons"
Colossians 2:9 "For Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

Objection: How can God be three Persons and one God at the same time? Would that make three Gods, resembling pagan philosophy and contradicting Deuteronomy 6:4?

Is the doctrine of Trinity not incomprehensible? and contrary to reason?

Isaiah 55:8, 9 teaches us that human reasons has no bearing in the study of God, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, and thoughts than your thoughts."

Neither words "Trinity" not Triune God" can be found in the Scriptures.

Basis of the Doctrine of the Trinity

1. In the Baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3:13- 17 we see the trinity at work: God the Father spoke from heaven, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." God the Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, was being baptized, God the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and alighted on the Savior.

2. The baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost."

3. The Benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14: "The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."

4. The creation of man uses as plural terms: Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let Us make man in Our Image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion."

In subsequent lessons we will show that the Son Jesus Christ was true God and that the Holy Spirit is God.

The Trinity and the Attributes of God

Attribute

1. Eternal
2. Omnipotent
3. Omniscient
4. Omnipresent
5. Holiness
6. Truth
7. Benevolent
8. Communion

God the Father

1. Psalm 90:2
2. 1 Peter 1:5
3. Jeremiah 17:10
4. Jeremiah 23:24
5. Revelation 15:4
6. John 7:28
7. Romans 2:4
8. 1 John 1:3

God the Son

1. Revelation 1:8, 17
2. 2 Corinthians 12:9
3. Revelation 2:23
4. Matthew 18:20
5. Acts 3:14
6. Revelation 3:7
7. Ephesians 5:25
8. 1 John 1:3

God the Holy Spirit

1. Hebrews 9:14
2. Romans 15:19
3. 1 Corinthians 2:11
4. Psalms 139:7
5. Luke 1:15
6. 1 John 5:6
7. Nehemiah 9:20
8. 2 Corinthians 13:14

Conclusion

Do not be trouble if you cannot understand this perplexing doctrine.
"He who would try deny try to understand the Trinity fully will lose his mind.
But He would deny the Trinity will lose his soul." Lindsell and Woodbridge.

It is mystery and will remain mystery until we meet our Lord in glory.

However this does not mean that we cannot believe it. We must believe it.

God is so different from us; He is Spirit and we are human beings.
I believe that God is honored and happy by our believing in this doctrine.
Man, too, is a tripartite being- body, soul and Spirit- for we were made in the image and likeness of the Lord.
Let us worship this great God- this One who is superior to us.
Let us thank each member of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, for that which they have personally done for us.

Source: One hundred Bible Lessons
By: Alban Douglas

Evangelical Christians (Christian Evengelism)

James307 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 19:01:06 CST

What is an Evangelical Christian? Question: "What is an Evangelical Christian?"

Answer: To begin, lets break down the two words. The term "Christian" essentially means "little Christ." Christian is the term given to followers of Jesus Christ in the first century A.D. (Acts 11:26). The term "evangelical" comes from the Greek word that means "good news." Evangelism is sharing the good news of the salvation that is available through Jesus Christ. An Evangelical, then, is a person dedicating to promoting the good news about Jesus Christ. Combined, the description "Evangelical Christian" is intended to indicate a believer in Jesus Christ who is faithful in sharing and promoting the good news.

In our culture today, there are many other caricatures of Evangelical Christians. For some, the term Evangelical Christian is equivalent to right-wing, fundamentalist Republican. For others, Evangelical Christian is a title to differentiate an individual from Catholic Christians and Orthodox Christians. Others use the term to indicate adherence to the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. In this sense, an Evangelical Christian is a believer who holds to the inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and salvation by grace through faith alone. However, none of these are inherent in the description "Evangelical Christian."

All Christians should be Evangelical Christians. The Bible is consistent in instructing us to be witnesses of the good news (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 1 Peter 3:15). There is no better news than Jesus! There is no higher calling than to be an evangelist. It is our contention that holding to the fundamentals of the Bible will result in certain worldview, and yes, political beliefs. However, there is nothing about being an Evangelical that demands a certain political party or affiliation. An Evangelical Christian is called to share the good news, to preach God's Word, and to set an example of purity and integrity. If these callings require political action, so be it. At the same time, Evangelical Christians should not be side-tracked into abandoning our highest calling.

Recommended Resource: Who am I in Christ by Neil Anderson.

Who are the Baptist? are they Christians?

James307 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:58:36 CST

Baptist

Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. The name "Baptist" was not a self-chosen one. In the early Protestant Reformation time this particular group of Christians made baptism on a profession of faith a condition of church membership. This rejection of infant baptism and this insistence on believers' baptism were so distinctive of these Christians that they were stigmatized with the pejorative "Baptists." The denomination itself is historically linked to the English Separatist movement of the 16th century.

The polity of autonomy is closely related to the polity of congregational governance. Just as each Baptist believer priest with soul competency is equal to all other Baptists in a church, so each church is equal to every other church. No church or ecclesiastical organization has authority over a Baptist church. Churches can properly relate to each other under this polity only through voluntary cooperation, never by any sort of coercion. Furthermore, this Baptist polity calls for freedom from governmental control.

Baptists usually are considered Protestants. Some Baptists reject that association (see Origins and Questions of labeling subsections below). Most Baptist churches choose to associate with denominational groups that provide support without control. Examples of such denominations are the Southern Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention USA, Conservative Baptist Association of America, American Baptist Churches USA, American Baptist Association (Landmark Baptists), among others.
Both Roger Williams and his compatriot in working for religious freedom, Dr. John Clarke, are variously credited as founding the earliest Baptist church in America.[3] In 1639, Williams established a Baptist church in Providence, Rhode Island, and Clarke began a Baptist church in Newport, Rhode Island. According to a Baptist historian who has researched the matter extensively, "There is much debate over the centuries as to whether the Providence or Newport church deserved the place of 'first' Baptist congregation in America. Exact records for both congregations are lacking."

Membership

Statistics

The Baptists number over 110 million worldwide in nearly 300,000 congregations, and considered the largest world communion of evangelical Protestants, with an estimated 38.8 million members in the United States.[5] Other large populations of Baptists also exist in Asia, Africa and Latin America, notably in India (2.4 million), Nigeria (10 million), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (1.9 million) and Brazil (1.7 million).

According to a poll in the 1990s, about one in five in the U.S. claims to be a Baptist. U.S. Baptists are represented in more than fifty separate groups. Ninety-two percent of Baptists are found in five of those bodies—the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC); National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. (NBC); National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.; (NBCA); American Baptist Churches in the USA (ABC); and Baptist Bible Fellowship International (BBFI).

Qualifications

Only those people who are baptized members of a local Baptist church are included in the total number of Baptists. Most Baptist churches do not have an age restriction on membership, but will not accept as a member a child that is considered too young to fully understand and make a profession of faith of their own volition and comprehension. In such cases, the pastor and parents usually meet together with the child to verify the child's comprehension of the decision to follow Jesus. There are instances where a person makes a profession of faith but fails to follow through with believers' baptism. In such case they are considered "saved" but not a church member until baptized. If children and unbaptized congregants were counted, world Baptists may number over 150 million.

Some churches, especially in the UK, do not require a member to have been baptised as a believer, as long as they have made an adult declaration of faith - for example, been confirmed in the Anglican church, or become a communicant member as a Presbyterian. In these cases, believers would usually transfer their membership from their previous church. This allows people who have grown up in one tradition, but now feel settled in their local Baptist church, to fully take part in the day to day life of the church, voting at meetings, etc. It is also possible, but unusual, to be baptised without becoming a church member immediately.

Baptist beliefs and principles

Baptist churches do not have a central governing authority. Therefore, beliefs are not totally consistent from one Baptist church to another, especially beliefs that may be considered minor. However, on major theological issues, Baptist distinctive beliefs are held in common among almost all Baptist churches.

Baptists share so-called "orthodox" Christian beliefs with most other moderate or conservative Christian denominations. These would include beliefs about one God, virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, vicarious atoning death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Christ, the Trinity (the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, together with God the Father), the need for salvation (though the understanding of means for achieving it may differ at times), grace, the church, the Kingdom of God, last things (Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge everyone in righteousness), evangelism and missions. Some historically significant Baptist doctrinal documents include the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, 1742 Philadelphia Baptist Confession, the 1833 New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith, the Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Faith and Message, and written church "covenants" which some individual Baptist churches adopt as a statement of their faith and beliefs.

Baptists generally believe in the literal Second Coming of Christ at which time God will sit in judgment and divide humanity between the saved and the lost (the Great White Throne judgment Revelation 20:11) and Christ will sit in judgment of the believers (the Judgment Seat of Christ 2 Corinthians), rewarding them for things done while alive. Beliefs among Baptists regarding the "end times" include amillennialism, dispensationalism, and historic premillennialism, with views such as postmillennialism and preterism receiving some support.

The following acrostic backronym, spelling BAPTIST, represents a useful summary of Baptists' distinguishing beliefs:

Biblical authority (Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Autonomy of the local church (Matt. 18:15–17; 1 Cor. 6:1-3)
Priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:5-9; 1 Timothy 5)
Two ordinances (believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper) (Acts 2:41–47; 1 Cor. 11:23-32)
Individual soul liberty (Romans 14:5–12)
Separation of Church and State (Matthew 22:15–22)
Two offices of the church (pastor and deacon) (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1–2)
Saved church membership (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 5:23–32; Colossians 1:18)

Most Baptist traditions believe in the "Four Freedoms" articulated by Baptist historian Walter B. Shurden:

Soul freedom: the soul is competent before God, and capable of making decisions in matters of faith without coercion or compulsion by any larger religious or civil body
Church freedom: freedom of the local church from outside interference, whether government or civilian (subject only to the law where it does not interfere with the religious teachings and practices of the church)
Bible freedom: the individual is free to interpret the Bible for himself or herself, using the best tools of scholarship and biblical study available to the individual
Religious freedom: the individual is free to choose whether to practice their religion, another religion, or no religion; Separation of church and state is often called the "civil corollary" of religious freedom

Beliefs that vary among Baptists

Because of the importance of the priesthood of every believer, the centrality of the freedom of conscience and thought in Baptist theology, and due to the congregational style of church governance, doctrine varies greatly between one Baptist church and another (and among individual Baptists) especially on the following issues:

Calvinism/Arminianism
Doctrine of separation
Eschatology
Hermeneutical method
Homosexuality (See Baptist views of homosexuality)
Ordination of women as pastor or deacon
The extent to which missionary boards should be used to support missionaries
The extent to which non-members may participate in communion services
The nature of Law and Gospel

Theological, cultural and political controversies

As with all major denominational groups, Baptists have not escaped theological, cultural and political controversy. Baptists have historically been sensitive to the introduction of theological error (from their perspective) into their groups.

The older Baptist associations of Europe, Canada, Australia and the northern United States have assimilated influences of different schools of thought, but not without major debate and schisms.

In England, Charles Haddon Spurgeon fought against what he saw as challenges to his strongly conservative point of view in the Downgrade Controversy.

As part of the continuing fundamentalist/liberal controversy within the Northern Baptist Convention, two new associations of conservative Baptists were formed—the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches in 1932 and the Conservative Baptist Association of America in 1947.
Landmarkism, with its emphasis on ecclesiastical separation and doctrinal rigidity and its cultural foundation in the South, deterred Southern Baptists from being influenced as strongly by aberrant points of view as were the Baptists in the northern United States and other countries. Old Landmarkism held to the traditional Baptist historical consciousness that traced Baptists through dissenters—Donatists, Cathari—back to Jesus, Jordan and the "First Baptist Church" of Jerusalem. Popular Landmarkism contributed to a historical consciousness implicit in the idea that Baptists were an extension of the New Testament community, perpetuating the true church in every age.

Beginning in the 1980s, there was a concerted effort among a determined group of theologically orthodox Southern Baptists to purge modernist theological influence from its seminaries. This highly publicized SBC Conservative Resurgence/Fundamentalist Takeover occasioned two schisms of theologically modernist Baptist churches: the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists.

Worship style

Rural Baptist church in Port O'Connor, Texas

The focus of Baptist church worship services is the proclamation of the Word of God through the weekly sermon. Printed Orders of Service often are distributed to worshipers at Sunday morning services, especially in larger congregations. Contemporary services are less likely to have printed bulletins that outline the service.

The worship service generally consists of a sermon preceded by a time of worship through singing. Prayers are offered intermittently throughout the service and an offering is usually taken sometime during the service. An "invitation" is usually offered after the sermon to allow public response to the message by confession of faith, request for baptism or church membership, or the expression of an intention to walk more closely with the Lord.

The music in Baptist churches varies from traditional hymns, to southern gospel, to the more contemporary rock music styles.

Baptist churches are careful to emphasize that worship is not limited to the Sunday gathering, but is a lifestyle of love and service to Christ and dedication to God's truth as revealed in the Scriptures. Most Baptist churches expect the members to carry the message of the gospel into the world among their family and friends.

Origins

There are two main views about the origins of the Baptists: Baptist Perpetuity and Baptist Origins in the 17th century.

Viewpoint: Baptist origins in the 17th century

According to Baptist historian H. Leon McBeth, Baptists, as a distinct denomination, originated in England in a time of intense religious reform. McBeth writes, “Our best historical evidence says that Baptists came into existence in England in the early seventeenth century. They apparently emerged out of the Puritan-Separatist movement in the Church of England.”

Some see the Baptists as the descendants of the 16th century Anabaptists (which some view as a product of the Protestant Reformation and others view as a continuation of the older pre-Reformation non-Catholic churches) and others see them as a separation from the Church of England in the 1600s

Viewpoint: Baptist perpetuity

The Baptist perpetuity view (also known as Baptist succession) holds that the church founded by Christ in Jerusalem was Baptist in character and that like churches have had perpetual existence from the days of Christ to the present. This view is theologically based on Matthew 16:18 "…and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," as well as Jesus' commission and promise to be with His followers as they carried on his ministry, "even unto the end of the world."

The Baptist perpetuity view sees Baptists as separate from Catholicism and other religious denominations and considers, that since the Baptist movement predates the Catholic church, it is not part of the Protestant Reformation.

Baptist historian John T. Christian states the Baptist perpetuity view in the introduction to his "History of the Baptists": "I have throughout pursued the scientific method of investigation, and I have let the facts speak for themselves. I have no question in my own mind that there has been a historical succession of Baptists from the days of Christ to the present time."

Those holding the perpetuity view of Baptist history can be basically divided into two categories: those who hold that there is a direct succession from one church to the next (most commonly identified with Landmarkism), and those who hold that while the Baptist practices and churches continued, they may have originated independently of any previously existing church.
J. M. Carroll's The Trail of Blood booklet, written in 1931, has been a popular writing presenting the successionist view, pointing to groups such as the Montanists, Novatianists, Donatists, Paulicians, Albigensians, Catharists, Waldenses, and Anabaptists, as predecessors to contemporary Baptists.[15] John T. Christian published a more scholarly history of the Baptists from a perpetuity perspective[16] Other Baptist historians holding the perpetuity view are Thomas Armitage, G.H. Orchard, and David Benedict.

The American Baptist Association, the Baptist Missionary Association of America, and the Baptist Bible Fellowship are the groups most commonly identified with the perpetuity view today, though large numbers may be found in many Baptist groups who hold to this view of Baptist origins.

Etymology of "Baptist"

Part of the 6th century Madaba Map showing Aenon and Bethabara, places of baptism of St. John (Βέθαβαρά το τού άγίου Ιωάννου τού βαπτίσματος)

Baptist comes from the Greek word βαπτιστής (baptistés, "baptist," also used to describe John the Baptist), which is related to the verb βαπτίζω (baptízo, "to baptize, wash, dip, immerse"), and the Latin baptista, and is in direct connection to "the baptizer," John the Baptist.
As a first name it has been used in Europe from the twelfth century also as Baptiste, Jan-Baptiste, Jean-Baptiste, John-Baptist; and in the Netherlands at least since the seventeenth century, often in combinations like Jan Baptist or Johannes Baptist. As a last name it has been used since the thirteenth century. Other variations also commonly used are Baptiste, Baptista, Battiste, Battista.
The Anabaptists in England were called Baptists as early as 1569.[17]

Questions of labeling

Some Baptists object to the application of the labels Protestant, denomination, Evangelical and even Baptist to themselves or their churches, while others accept those labels.

Some who reject the label Baptist prefer to be labeled as Christians who attend Baptist churches. Also, a recent trend (most common among megachurches and those embracing the "seeker movement") is to eliminate "Baptist" from the church name, as it is perceived to be a "barrier" to reaching persons who have negative views of Baptists, whether they be of a different church background or none. These churches typically include the word Community or other non-religious or denominational term in their church name.

Conversely, others accept the label Baptist because they identify with the distinctives they consider to be uniquely Baptist. They believe those who are removing the name "Baptist" from their churches are "compromising with the world" to attract more members. However, there are other church groups that hold to the beliefs listed above, that have never been known by the label Baptist, and also believe that these beliefs are not exclusive to the Baptist denomination.

The label Protestant is rejected by some Baptists (primarily those in the Landmark movement) because in their view Baptists have existed separately since the early church days. Those holding this view maintain that Baptists have never been a part of the Roman Catholic Church, and as such are not "protesting" against Catholicism. Further, they point out that Baptists have no direct connection to any of the Reformationists like Luther, Calvin, or Zwingli.

Other Baptists accept the Protestant label as a demographic concept that describes churches who share similar theologies of sola scriptura, sola fide, the priesthood of all believers and other positions that Luther, Calvin and other traditional reformers held in contrast to the Roman Catholic Church in the 1500s.

The label denomination is rejected by some because of the local autonomous governance system used by Baptist churches. Being a denomination is viewed by them as having a hierarchy that substitutes for the Roman Catholic Church.

Another reason for the rejection of the label is the influence of the Restoration period on Baptist churches, which emphasized a tearing down of denominational barriers. Other Baptists accept the label, feeling that it does not carry a negative connotation but rather is merely a synonym for a Christian or religious group with common beliefs, organized in a cooperative manner to spread its beliefs worldwide.

The label Evangelical is rejected by some fundamentalist Baptists who consider the term to describe a theological position that in their view is not fundamentalist enough, and conversely is also rejected by some liberal Baptists who consider the term to describe a theological position that in their view is too conservative. It is accepted by moderate Baptists who identify with the revival in the United States in the 1700s known as the First Great Awakening. Conversely, some Evangelicals reject the label fundamentalist, believing it to describe a theological position that they consider too extreme and legalistic.

Baptist image in United States
According to surveys, at least half of Americans have a negative view of the Baptist faith.

Many independent Baptist congregations are staunch fundamentalists, regarding all Baptist associations as too liberal for them to join. Many of these congregations have a history of employing evangelism techniques that critics consider too extreme and abrasive for modern American culture. Independent Baptist author and publisher Jack T. Chick, for example, distributes cartoon tracts that depict teenagers being attacked by a chainsaw-wielding Satan, the Catholic Church as an Egyptian/Babylonian inspired cult, and moderate evangelical churches that use modern Bible translations rather than the King James Version as being duped by the Catholic Church's plot to bring about the one-world religion of the Anti-Christ.

To avoid being mistakenly associated with fundamentalist groups, many moderate evangelical Baptist churches have adopted names such as "Community Church" or "Community Chapel" that leave out the denomination's name. This fits into a general trend by church planters from many denominations to de-accentuate their denomination's name.