Anyone here observe Lent, etc?

No. I do not. The sole authority for all matters of faith and practice is the word of God - the Bible.

 

So what exactly is this "Reformed" faith tradition? Are you not just a regular Baptist but a "Reformed" Baptist? Is there a difference?

 

"Reformed Baptist" is the American equivalent of English Particular Baptists. The main difference between Reformed/Particular Baptists and most other Baptists is the issue of predestination and election. Reformed/Particular Baptists state their beliefs quite clearly in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith. John Bunyan (Pilgrim's Progress) and Benjamin Keach were notable Particular Baptists. So was the great English preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

 

Ah hah! A true rebel, I like that! (LOL). I will say at the outset here, and in all seriousness, that I do indeed respect your belief's concerning your Christian faith journey.

And who came up with those sacraments, those holy things designed to help us live a holy and pleasing life for God? Why no one other than God Himself!

Amen to that brother!

Yes, that is true and the Catholic Church teaches that. But you also have your clergy, an ordained person who exists to lead you in your walk with God and you call him your "Pastor". We also have our ordained person and call him a "Priest". They are both shepherds of their flock here on earth, no?

Well, we Catholics and our Eastern Orthodox brothers beg to differ with you here and we do not run afoul of the scriptures you cited earlier.

I'm not seeing any unnecessary baggage. There is a lot of liberty in the Catholic faith tradition and other than the core beliefs that must be adhered to, the individual is free to not believe or participate in many other things that exist within it's walls.

 

Well thank you, I will read what you have outlined and I have heard of Mr. Spurgeon before. An interesting tidbit for you is that I just read a book concerning the years when ships of sail roamed the oceans and the person (the Captain) who wrote it made a reference to hearing Mr. Spurgeon preach and that he was pretty impressed at what he had to say.

 

I see 32 titles, but nothing on "pre-destination". Is it listed within one of the titles?

 

What rites are you talking about? I asked specifically what parts of Lent are not found within regular worship in Scripture. So far, neither you nor @Reformed has shown any.

 

But we Baptists don't do sola scriptura, no matter what we say. We use commentaries, Sunday school literature, and books from the local Christian bookstore.
Some Baptists use Calvin's Institutes like it's Watchtower literature.
Sola scriptura? Zondervan would go bankrupt.

 

The Church wrote the NT, not the NT wrote the Church. You Calvinists are practicing Chrislam.
Stop worshipping the Bible.

 

In fact, the Triune God wrote the Bible. Exodus 20:1; Leviticus 1:1 etc., John 8:51; Hebrews 10:5; John 16:13-15; Hebrews 10:15 etc.

 

Read chapter 3 and 10. I do not want this to turn into a discussion on predestination and election because it will completely derail the thread. If you want to discuss it further it deserves its own thread.

 

Then leave .... go away.

 

You keep missing the point. You are not tired of that yet? I said Lent is not found in scripture, not its parts. If the whole is not there, why are you looking for its crumbs? I put the onus on you to show me the positive command in scripture to observe Lent. Where is it?

 

Squeaky clean more like an abomination

 

And Jesus said we are to observe the Lord's Supper in a particular manner and to use the correct elements, and if we don't it is false (as you so clearly wrote earlier in response #8 with your words: "If it's not in Scripture, it's man-made and false"). So much for you folks and following the Scriptures as written. I guess that plank in your own eye is way too big to remove as you see the speck of wood in mine.

 

That's right! Fasting and almsgiving are in the Scriptures and if people want to do those things during a special 40 day period that coincides with the centuries old practice of recognizing the death and resurrection of the Savior, there is not one iota of such a thing being anti-biblical.

What they are trying to peddle is something akin to saying that it would be somehow anti-biblical to have a worship service outside instead of inside a church. There is no specific command for worship to happen out of doors, so according to them that would be wrong too.

 

I'll stay. You leave.

 

Dont accuse me of not being a Baptist again. It's not a Christian of you. And it's incorrect.