Is the Altar Call Scriptural

[Tom Butler]

I used to tease a (former) pastor of mine. I asked him where the altar was in a Baptist church. Well, uh, it's symbolic, he said.

Well, I said, why can't it be symbolic where I'm sitting instead of down there where you're standing? That way, I don't have to come to the altar. I'm already there.

 

[Tom Butler]

Some of our posters have posted quotes from Spurgeon as support for altar calls/invitations.

Fair enough. As you read them, compare them to the invitations you have heard. I submit that they are different from a lot of modern-day exhortations.

Now, that's not to say that some of your pastors, and some of you preachers don't give Spurgeon-like invitations. But in my experience, they are few and far between.

 

[nodak]

Gonna date myself here, I know.

Altar calls are not Biblical in Baptist churches because a Baptist church will have no altar. Jesus was the perfect, once for all sacrifice and now we do not sacrifice at an altar at all.

Now, if you said altar call but meant invitation, there are grounds for inviting people to consider the claims of Christ. Others have pointed them out.

"Altar call" for some of us old fogeys is jumping right into the Wesleyan Arminian ship.

"Invitations" is the Baptist term.

OK, feel free to ignore this pet peeve of a golden oldie.

 

[preachinjesus]

The church where I serve does provide an opportunity at the end of every service to come forward. We have staff standing down front and counselors available to talk to those who come forward. We don't wear them out and do our best not to make them emotionally driven.

We also provide a room outside the worship center that all of our guests and attenders pass by as they leave if they are more comfortable talking to someone that way.

We have about 50/50 every Sunday on those who come forward and those who drop by our connection center.

Altar calls are fine but not biblically mandated. There is no model of them in the New Testament.

 

[Iconoclast]

Even over at the Reformed Baptist Seminary Blog, they find biblical support for what they call the "family altar".

Remember those?
I suppose that is verboten now too?

"If there is no altar in the house, is it right to call it God's house at all?" —Charles Spurgeon, "Bringing Sinners to the Saviour"

This is an excellent article....did you take time to read it?

It is not speaking of the same altar this thread is about. As a matter of fact you posting this shows you do not understand the discussion at this point.

 

[Jerome]

Yes, your "flirty fishing" is much more relevant to our altar discussion.:thumbs:

Just inquiring whether your pronouncement "NO ALTAR ON EARTH!" applies to the family altar as well. I guess not.

 

[Tom Butler]

Gonna date myself here, I know.

Altar calls are not Biblical in Baptist churches because a Baptist church will have no altar. Jesus was the perfect, once for all sacrifice and now we do not sacrifice at an altar at all.

Now, if you said altar call but meant invitation, there are grounds for inviting people to consider the claims of Christ. Others have pointed them out.

"Altar call" for some of us old fogeys is jumping right into the Wesleyan Arminian ship.

"Invitations" is the Baptist term.

OK, feel free to ignore this pet peeve of a golden oldie.

I'm with you. We geezers have to stick together.

Sorta reinforces my concern that the call to Christ be clear. When we can't even agree on what to call that exhortation, maybe we ought to examine the other terminology we use.

 

[gb93433]

I see two things in scripture. God has called us to know Him and make disciples. What else is there.

 

[Old Union Brother]

The main problem is that the"repeat after me" alter calls lead sinners astray so that they will have to "rededicate" themselves at some time in the future because that did not achieve true repentance. I am afraid that many of these will be as Our Lord said:

(Mat 7:21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

(Mat 7:22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

(Mat 7:23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 

[calvin]

I got this quote from a poster in another altar call thread.

The op is not about whether or not you like an alter call. It is about how the gospel is presented in it.

He has a good point, so here is a new thread. We have Scriptural basis for sermons, singing, praise, worship, prayer, the Lord's Supper, Scripture reading, and Baptism. Where in the Bible is the basis for the altar call or invitation? If there is none, why is it in our worship services?

altar calls are not biblical, they are man made tradition....:laugh:

 

[gb93433]

Jesus said, "Come follow Me."

 

[calvin]

Jesus said, "Come follow Me."

yes, but i never heard him say this when he was teaching at the synogouge...only when he was out among the populace. dont think this is biblical grounds for an altar call. inceidentally, why do we have church buildings? the Amish still hold to the biblical principal of house churches...:smilewinkgrin: are we really as "biblical" as we say we are? or have we added our own traditions? interesting.:godisgood:

 

[gb93433]

yes, but i never heard him say this when he was teaching at the synogouge...only when he was out among the populace. dont think this is biblical grounds for an altar call. inceidentally, why do we have church buildings? the Amish still hold to the biblical principal of house churches...:smilewinkgrin: are we really as "biblical" as we say we are? or have we added our own traditions? interesting.

What is biblical? How many wear what they did? How many walk with God rather than drive with God? How many churches have house church leaders?

 

[gb93433]

yes, but i never heard him say this when he was teaching at the synogouge...only when he was out among the populace.

I have never heard Jesus say anything.

 

[calvin]

What is biblical? How many wear what they did? How many walk with God rather than drive with God? How many churches have house church leaders?

all good questions. :thumbsup:

 

[calvin]

I have never heard Jesus say anything.

then you need to listen harder......just kidding:smilewinkgrin: just using a manner of speech. ill clarify, ive never read in the gospels of Jesus stating this in the synogouges. :laugh:

 

[HankD]

This, as many other items which come up on the BB are IMO much ado about nothing (well almost).

I am surprised at the calvinists since they know nothing can frustrate the will/call of God.

"Altar call" in my book is a verbal metaphor for the following verse:

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.​

OK so the phrase might not be literally correct but at least metaphorically acceptable (imo) presuming of course that the metaphor points to the REALITY of the Blood Atonement of the "altar" of the cross. Hopefully the preacher has made that clear as someone pointed out (Hebrews 13:10).​

Secondly and IMO, an "invitation" is valuble in that what do we know but that the Lord is dealing with an individual and has (humanly speaking) led him to your local church for food for his hungering and thirsting soul?​

OK, so we should try to be correct considering what we are inviting the individual(s) to do.​

In by-gone days the altar call/invitation was to a mourner's bench for those under conviction of sin or inquiry rooms to determine if the "religious" desire was from God or the flesh.​

Personally I don't see a problem unless a church is prmarily interested with a head count and not the gathering and/or the feeding of the newly found sheep of His pasture.​

Nonetheless, its a worthy debate because it seems some local churches have lost sight of the purpose of the "altar call" or "invitation" which no doubt has led to an abundance of tares in the kingdom of God.

HankD​

 

[Salty]

Personally I don't see a problem unless a church is prmarily interested with a head count and not the gathering and/or the feeding of the newly found sheep of His pasture.​

Nonetheless, its a worthy debate because it seems some local churches have lost sight of the purpose of the "altar call" or "invitation" which no doubt has led to an abundance of tares in the kingdom of God.

HankD
Two excellent point! :thumbsup: (I am not discounting the rest of your post - but these two spoke to me the loudest.)

Salty

 

[luke1616]

"Is the Altar Call Scriptural?"
No. It says nowhere to say a prayer to get a ticket to heaven. The sinners prayer is not very old, and is not found in the bible.Heaven is the final destination, but the call is to bring us back to the Father, to know Him. Being "saved" is somewhat misleading. From the Greek, sozo sode'-zo:to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively):--heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole. The translators had to choose one word, and they chose "save" or "saved", which was a logical choice, but there is more to it. Churches and preachers who use the sinners prayer and altar calls are clearly misguided and are trying to increase membership to fill the coffers and brag numbers.

 

[pinoybaptist]

"Is the Altar Call Scriptural?"
...........Churches and preachers who use the sinners prayer and altar calls are clearly misguided and are trying to increase membership to fill the coffers and brag numbers.

well, I wouldn't make a blanket statement about the above. But, for the most part, whether that is the motivation or not, it's where it ends up.

I've pastored under the Bible Baptist fellowship in the Philippines, and I can say in print, that whenever many of those pastors fellowship, it's about numbers.
Numbers of professions of faith, numbers of baptism, numbers of requests for baptism, growth of tithes and offerings, marketing strategies on how to "market" Jesus (now, don't jump out of your skins, y'all...that's just how I describe it), numbers of twenty percenters, and on and on and on, so much so that we poor, struggling preachers (some of us have to go home to mountain villages and use buffaloes or horses for visitations), feel so woefully inadequate and wonder if we were called into the ministry at all.