Reformed Baptists

Ascetic X said:

They believe the person has no responsibility, God does everything, including putting repentance into them.

Click to expand...

That is consistent with the teaching of most Reformed Baptist churches.

Chapter 3, Paragraph 1 of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith states that God has eternally and unchangeably decreed "whatsoever comes to pass".

Many RBs want to avoid calling this what it actually is—fatalism.

Ascetic X said:

How can a statement of faith be “legally binding”?

Click to expand...

Because a member can be dismissed for violating his or her commitment to the church's statement of faith.

Zenas said:

Because a member can be dismissed for violating his or her commitment to the church's statement of faith.

Click to expand...

You mean ex-communicated, kicked out, removed from official membership, banned from the church?

Ascetic X said:

We are not responsible for another person’s eternal destiny, but we are responsible for trying to persuade men to be reconciled to God.


2 Corinthians 5

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Click to expand...

That is what I said, but you seem to have missed it.

kyredneck said:

Wow Silv! That’s kinda what those mean ol’ Calvinists believe!

Click to expand...

KY why do you call Calvinists mean? Misinformed but not mean.

Actually if you go by Calvinist theology they think they were elect/saved before creation so do they really believe the gospel message is necessary?

Zenas said:

How do Reformed Baptist churches differ from the SBC?

Click to expand...

Reformed Baptist churches do not differ from the SBC. Many churches that are members of the SBC are Reformed churches (and many are not).

The SBC is a convention. Churches become members of the SBC by giving to SBC missions (to the cooperative program) and holding doctrine consistent with the SBC faith and message.

About 30% of SBC pastors are Reformed (Calvinists). As far as how many of the churches are Reformed Baptist churches, the SBC does not track this (the 30% of pastors being Reformed was from a SBC poll to pastors).

60% of SBC pastors are concerned about Reformed theology in the SBC.

What this means is the SBC has more Reformed pastors than do non-SBC Reformed Baptist churches.


Paul Enns, Albert Mohler, Mark Dever, David Platt are a few well known Reformed pastors in the SBC.

Ascetic X said:

How can a statement of faith be “legally binding”?

Click to expand...

It is not.

With the SBC, if a church adopts doctrine that contradicts the SBC faith and message then the SBC will remove that congregation from the SBC.

A SBC church is not legally or otherwise bound to abide by the statement of faith, but if it does not then it is removed from the convention.

But the SBC statement of faith has nothing to do with Calvinism. Most SBC pastors (60%) view Calvinism negatively while 30% are Reformed.

Here is the SBC Faith and Nessage: