• Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Denominations

heisrisen

heisrisen

Active Member
It is my understanding that God didn't ordain a single denomination. Why do Baptists call themselves Baptists then? Because of John the Baptist or because Jesus told people to baptize in his name? I really am curious, not trying to offend. I go to an IFB church because I find they preach the most biblical truth, but this curiosity has been on my mind. When someone asks me my denomination, I say none. I'm just a born again Christian. I don't get why churches go under a denomination.
 
Last edited:
D

Darrell C

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
heisrisen said:
It is my understanding that God didn't ordain a single denomination. Why do Baptists call themselves Baptists then? Because of John the Baptist or because Jesus told people to baptize in his name? I really am curious, not trying to offend. I go to an IFB church because I find they preach the most biblical truth, but this curiosity has been on my mind. When someone asks me my denomination, I say none. I'm just a born again Christian. I don't get why churches go under a denomination.
Click to expand...

From one "just a born again Christian" to another, welcome to the forum. I hope your time here will be blessed and that you in turn will be a blessing to those here.

I am not a church history buff, but I believe it derives from the Anna-Baptists (re-Baptizers).

But as far as there being only one denomination, there is: Christian. Paul rebukes the Corinthians in the first chapter of 1 Corinthians for their sectarian division, and encourages the same doctrine in all of his teachings. We have to consider that there are going to be cultural differences but when it comes to Doctrine the Bible should be the only source of Doctrine and Practice.


God bless.
 
InTheLight

InTheLight

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
heisrisen said:
It is my understanding that God didn't ordain a single denomination. Why do Baptists call themselves Baptists then? Because of John the Baptist or because Jesus told people to baptize in his name?
When someone asks me my denomination, I say none. I'm just a born again Christian. I don't get why churches go under a denomination.
Click to expand...

It's an easy, shorthand way of summarizing your main beliefs. "Baptist", at it's core, means people are baptized by immersion after a profession of faith. Most people equate Baptists with believers baptism by immersion.

When people ask me about my denomination I too, say I'm a "born again Christian" and then I'll say, I attend a Baptist church because it's closest to the majority of my beliefs.(Actually, my church removed "Baptist" from their title a while back, but their website says they have a "Baptist tradition".)
 
TCassidy

TCassidy

Late-Administator Emeritus
Administrator
"Baptist" is not a denominational name so much as a doctrinal identity. As InTheLight said, it is "shorthand" for what we believe and practice.

There are a lot of churches that say "Baptist" on the sign that aren't and a lot of churches that don't say "Baptist" on the sign that are. :)

Christian by conversion. Baptist by conviction. :)
 
heisrisen

heisrisen

Active Member
Darrell C said:
From one "just a born again Christian" to another, welcome to the forum. I hope your time here will be blessed and that you in turn will be a blessing to those here.

I am not a church history buff, but I believe it derives from the Anna-Baptists (re-Baptizers).

But as far as there being only one denomination, there is: Christian. Paul rebukes the Corinthians in the first chapter of 1 Corinthians for their sectarian division, and encourages the same doctrine in all of his teachings. We have to consider that there are going to be cultural differences but when it comes to Doctrine the Bible should be the only source of Doctrine and Practice.


God bless.
Click to expand...
Awesome thank you!
 
heisrisen

heisrisen

Active Member
InTheLight said:
It's an easy, shorthand way of summarizing your main beliefs. "Baptist", at it's core, means people are baptized by immersion after a profession of faith. Most people equate Baptists with believers baptism by immersion.

When people ask me about my denomination I too, say I'm a "born again Christian" and then I'll say, I attend a Baptist church because it's closest to the majority of my beliefs.(Actually, my church removed "Baptist" from their title a while back, but their website says they have a "Baptist tradition".)
Click to expand...

I see! Thanks!
 
Baptist Believer

Baptist Believer

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
heisrisen said:
Why do Baptists call themselves Baptists then?
Click to expand...
As others have pointed out, "Baptist" is the name of a theological movement, not a strict denominational identity. Moreover, Baptists didn't name themselves "Baptists," their enemies did that. One of the earliest Baptist distinctives was the rejection of infant baptism, what had profound theological and political implications. People who oppose you like to have labels to use, so the name "rebaptizers" or "Baptists" began to take hold. Baptists eventually embraced the description.
 
M

Marooncat79

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Deniminations exist due to how the different ones understand certain doctrines ie the Doctrine of God, Christ, the Church etc.

The term Baptist was at first used as a derogatory term to those who only believed in the baptism of believers. When people converted from Cathoicism they were rebaptized as believers hence the term
 
B

BrandonA

New Member
Denominations exist for a lot of different reasons. I doubt any one individual anywhere on earth has correct theology on every point. Therefore, we're inevitably going to disagree on some things. Sometimes it's just the "birds of a feather" phenomenon; a denomination carries a certain culture or demeanor that appeals to us. The only question is whether we can reach across the aisle when the need arises. If not, that is true division.

I'm a Southern Baptist because I like our focus on repentance, missions, and conservative habits. But that doesn't mean I don't respect, even desire, certain beliefs from other denominations. We're probably missing out on a few Holy Spirit truths from the charismatic side, for example. And many Baptists I know don't seem to understand prayer particularly well.
 
salzer mtn

salzer mtn

Well-Known Member
I think Denominational names help to identify partially what one believes to someone else. If I ask a person what he believes and that person say's, the bible I still don't have a clue to what he believes. If I ask a person what church he belongs to and he say's, I'm a Christian that still don't tell me much either.
 
TCassidy

TCassidy

Late-Administator Emeritus
Administrator
salzer mtn said:
I think Denominational names help to identify partially what one believes to someone else. If I ask a person what he believes and that person say's, the bible I still don't have a clue to what he believes. If I ask a person what church he belongs to and he say's, I'm a Christian that still don't tell me much either.
Click to expand...
Denominational names are like the "truth in labeling" of Christendom. :)
 
M

Marooncat79

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
BrandonA said:
Denominations exist for a lot of different reasons. I doubt any one individual anywhere on earth has correct theology on every point. Therefore, we're inevitably going to disagree on some things. Sometimes it's just the "birds of a feather" phenomenon; a denomination carries a certain culture or demeanor that appeals to us. The only question is whether we can reach across the aisle when the need arises. If not, that is true division.

I'm a Southern Baptist because I like our focus on repentance, missions, and conservative habits. But that doesn't mean I don't respect, even desire, certain beliefs from other denominations. We're probably missing out on a few Holy Spirit truths from the charismatic side, for example. And many Baptists I know don't seem to understand prayer particularly well.
Click to expand...
My experience has been very few Christians understand prayer
 
TCassidy

TCassidy

Late-Administator Emeritus
Administrator
Marooncat79 said:
My experience has been very few Christians understand prayer
Click to expand...
My experience has been that those who criticize the understanding of others regarding prayer usually mean their type of prayer is the only type prayer that God hears.

Some of the most fervent prayer I have ever seen was an old woman kneeling at the front of the church auditorium not saying a word, but in communion with the Creator. When asked, she also said she was not saying a single word silently. Just basking in the Presence of the Almighty.

We all pray differently. There is no "right" way. :)
 
M

Marooncat79

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
TCassidy said:
My experience has been that those who criticize the understanding of others regarding prayer usually mean their type of prayer is the only type prayer that God hears.

Some of the most fervent prayer I have ever seen was an old woman kneeling at the front of the church auditorium not saying a word, but in communion with the Creator. When asked, she also said she was not saying a single word silently. Just basking in the Presence of the Almighty.

We all pray differently. There is no "right" way. :)
Click to expand...

Interestingly, Jesus disagrees w you in Matthew when the disciples ask him to teach them to pray
 
A

acmoore423

New Member
Baptists are a denomination in the same sense that a Methodist is. The Baptists have a certain book of discipline like every other denomination has. Sadly these books of discipline have divided the church more than brought us together. Even the non-denominational churches each have a different code they govern by. When the code each and every church should govern by is based on the bible. If the church can not come together on one way to look at the doctrine, how can we ask those of the world to follow our lead?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top