Was Swedish Baptists reformed 1861

[Psalm 95]

Hi

When reading the Swedish Baptist Confession 1861 I get a cleat impression that it is reformed. Or is it arminan? Or 4-point Calvinism? Or is it a real 5-pointer?

http://www.reformedreader.org/ccc/cofswedish.htm

 

[Brandon C. Jones]

Hi Psalm 95,

It's hard to say whether or not it is Reformed, but I do think one can be Reformed without being a "5 point" Calvinist. The Canons of Dort and the WCF both allow for "4 point Calvinism," and they both were constructed to be broad enough to meet various views of the atonement.

That being said, this is another confession that doesn't address the atonement debate regarding four or five points. However, it does mention Christ's active obedience, following the law, and the three uses of the law, which are both typically marks of Reformed teaching. One can interpret what it says about election to be Reformed too, but it is worded vaguely, perhaps by design. Confessions often present a broad view of things in order for many people to agree to them.

Brandon

 

[Psalm 95]

Hi Brandon

I guess this confession should have been really useful for the Swedish Baptists. They experienced high growth the decades after this confession was written. I might be that the flexibility that both those reformed and those not so reformed could follow the confession together was very good.

It would be quite interesting to see what a confession written Baptist Union today would look like.