Reformed Theology is Biblical Theology. It is central to the christian faith and has never departed from it as you say
-
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!
What are the distinctives of "Reformed Baptist"?
- Thread starter Wesley Briggman
- Start date
I just finished reading this. Excellent! A very good summary of what a Biblical church should be. Thanks for linking it
That depends on how you define "biblical".
JW, SDS, the prosperity gospel.....they all believe their theology is biblical. And by the standard Reformed theology is "biblical", they meet that definition.
By "biblical" I mean actually in the Word of God (not ideas "based on" the Bible.....Christian fiction is based on Scripture).
It departs from Scripture and the Christian faith. I do not mean it "departed from" as it was never there.
Think about it. Reformed theology holds that the New Covenant is the manifestation of God's righteousness through the Law (specifically the moral aspects of the Law).
But the Bible says that it is "the manifestation of God's righteousness apart from the Law:.
Reformed theology is "easy believism". That is perhaps why people find it attractive at first.
But because it is so superficial and shallow it keeps building on its philosophy to create a more complex myth.
Making the myth more detailed and complex does nothing to eliminate its shalliwness.
Reformed Theology is like playing Dungeons & Dragons to study reality. The mythology can be highly developed, mut the more one is drawn into the myth the farther one is drawn from truth.
I can show you what I believe in God's own words.
You and @Martin Marprelate have to go to your "Dungeon master" to tell you what is "really" going on because you believe it simply cannot be what God has actually said.
You will never be able to show @Zaatar71 or @Martin Marprelate their error. They have a different authority.
"What is written", God's own words, does not matter to them. What matters to them is what their tradition tells them the Bible "realky" teaches. They hold a type of Gnosticism in that the Bible is inferior to a "secret knowledge" revealed through "God-given" teachers.
They cannot find their faith in God's Word, only in their understanding of what is "realky" taught by the Bible.
The distinctives as stated in the above link concerning "Reformed Baptists:"
1) The Bible alone is the final authority for faith and practice. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists
2) The church exists for the glory of God, 1 Peter 2:9-10. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists. But the church is not a place, but the assembly of born anew believers, wherever they gather for God's purpose. And yes, we are to appeal to the lost using things in common so that we might win some.
3) The church should not seek to please attendees, as ear ticklers do, but to preach Christ crucified for their wretched sinfulness. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists.
4) The church is not led by leaders selected by the church members, This is NOT consistent with Traditional Baptists.
5) Salvation is not attained by "easy believism" but is indicated by a changed life. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists.
6) The ten commandments of the Old Testament as still in effect to regulate the life of a born anew believer. This is NOT consistent with Transitional Baptists. We are under the Law of Liberty which of course includes, you shall love your God with all your heart, mind and soul, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Traditional Baptists recognize Christ overwrote the 10 commandments.
7) Leadership of the church is restricted to males only. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists.
8) Church members are responsible to take seriously their duties to attend, serve, be served, and support their local church. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists.
The above list does not cite their denial that Christ died as a ransom for all, or the Reformed Baptist claim that the lost have no opportunity to change the foreordained outcome of their life or the lives of their loved ones.
1) The Bible alone is the final authority for faith and practice. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists
2) The church exists for the glory of God, 1 Peter 2:9-10. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists. But the church is not a place, but the assembly of born anew believers, wherever they gather for God's purpose. And yes, we are to appeal to the lost using things in common so that we might win some.
3) The church should not seek to please attendees, as ear ticklers do, but to preach Christ crucified for their wretched sinfulness. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists.
4) The church is not led by leaders selected by the church members, This is NOT consistent with Traditional Baptists.
5) Salvation is not attained by "easy believism" but is indicated by a changed life. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists.
6) The ten commandments of the Old Testament as still in effect to regulate the life of a born anew believer. This is NOT consistent with Transitional Baptists. We are under the Law of Liberty which of course includes, you shall love your God with all your heart, mind and soul, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Traditional Baptists recognize Christ overwrote the 10 commandments.
7) Leadership of the church is restricted to males only. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists.
8) Church members are responsible to take seriously their duties to attend, serve, be served, and support their local church. This is consistent with Traditional Baptists.
The above list does not cite their denial that Christ died as a ransom for all, or the Reformed Baptist claim that the lost have no opportunity to change the foreordained outcome of their life or the lives of their loved ones.
Last edited:
We do. We use the God given means of scripture, preaching , and teaching. Following The apostolic example laid out in scripture, unlike you, Van, and Silverhair, who despise God's means, and God's men...and go about to invent your own theology, based on your own understanding. You false ideas will not get off the ground to be able to fly.
All you have is demeaning accusations, and no substance whatsoever. This is shameful on your part. Martin is a pastor somewhere oversea, and you attempt to demean him nonstop! This is not godly conduct is it? We both would say that what is written is God's own words. Where we differ from you is, we believe it needs to be understood, unlike what you suggest.
Another accusation with no substance. We can explain what matters to us, and we can identify a false teacher like you, when we read your posts
Another ungodly accusation, that neither of us hold, in fact that is more what you offer.
neither one of us has said such nonsense, only you three men suggest this.
There are God given teachers, which evidently God has not allowed you to discover yet.
All we believe is derived from the word of God. Your accusations identify you as an accuser of the brethren.
You need much help,
The link also does not point out differences in terms ("double-speak").
As @Martin Marprelate and @Marooncat79 have demonstrated, when the Regirmed say "the Bible is the final authority" they mean "what we believe the Bible teaches", NOT God's Word itself.
Reformed Theology depends on many philosophical ideas developed through the RCC through time about God, about redemotion, being correct enough to adopt and others correct enough to revise.
The problem is less these philosophies and more how Reformed Thrology hold these theories. They hold them on the level of God's words and they build on them.
The bottom line is either "what is written", "every word that comes forth from God", is what God's Word teaches or one of many "theologies" men say is taught by the Bible is what God's Word teaches.
Both cannot be true.
We can choose not to lean on our understanding but on every word that comes forth from God OR we can choose among the various understandings that men think is really taught by the Bible.
We cannot do both.
Both cannot be true.
We can choose not to lean on our understanding but on every word that comes forth from God OR we can choose among the various understandings that men think is really taught by the Bible.
We cannot do both.
Did you ever wonder why God sent Philip in Acts 8, and not john C ?
Well it was a different time frame, but let's consider if there was a similar person to The Eunuch and see how JohnC would "help" him!
Then JohnC said...What is your problem? ...Look at me, I am not like other men....I only go by "what is Written"! Do you not go by what is written like I do.
Why are you asking a man to help you?
You understand me! I am JohnC .... I go by what is written" so should you! No need to ask a godly teacher. In fact even though the bible declares God has given Pastors and teachers to the church,,,we really do not need to listen to these men. Are you trying to base what you believe on men?
Until you can find your beluef in God's Word (not just what you understand is being "taught") I see absolutely no reason to consider it valid.
We are commanded not to lean on our own understanding but on every word that comes from God. Why on earth would I lean on somebody else's understanding?
They offer theory, and philosophy, and Gnostic, and Roman Catholic thought anyway.
Watch me, I believe what is written. Even though you are wondering about Isaiah 53...I will quote yousome verses from scripture, not related to that passage, just to show you, I believe only what is written! Look;
Gen4b-5
Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
See here is a verse and a half, from "what is written",,,no need to talk about it, just read it~!
Hey Eunuch , Do you not know that God is able to make His word known? Do you think it is not clear? Why are you asking me
Silverhair
Well-Known Member
What is surprising is that you say others that do not follow your man-made views do not follow scripture and you actually accuse us of hating it.
What you continue to miss is that we love the word of God but we do not like the way the calvinist's abuse and twist His word.
But, speaking for myself, I trusted in God because I trusted His word not what some man told me His word meant.
There are many people that call themselves pastors that do not preach the word of God.
If a person, including pastors, think they are above correction then they are in serious trouble. That is how false teachings creep into the church.
The word of God has to be understood but not modified to fit a man-made philosophy.
This does not make sence. I am not tired and I do not feel bad.
I was talking about "what is written" in the biblical text vs what various people think the Bible teaches.
When we look at the multitude of understandings men have about what the Bible teaches we have a broad range of theories from which to choose, but it is all subjective.
If, however, we believe that the Bible teaches "what is written" in the text we remove most of the subjectivity. Interpretations may vary, but the standard remains the objective Word of God.
Now, if your post was simply a childish attempt at ad hominem, I get that as well. It is the fallacy of men who cannot defend their position and you cannot defend your faith outside of an echo chamber.
What is surprising is they (@Zaatar71 and @Martin Marprelate ) claim those who dismiss their man-made philosophy (what one sect says the Bible "really" teaches) cannot provide any oassages that actually state what they believe AND they are blinded to this fact.
God warns us not to lean on our understanding but to lean on every word from God. God telks is to text doctrine against "what is written". God warns if about grieving the Spirit. God warns that there is a form of godliness that lacks power. God warns that many who call Jesus "Lord" will hear "I never knew you". God warns us that men can be carried away by philosophy. God warns against straying from the faith delivered to us.
We all have subjective understanding in this life. As Chriatians we hold this at length and lean on every word from God.
It is sad, but I believe there comes a point where men can be carried away from the faith by human philosophy. God leaves them in their blindness. Their heart is hardened against God's Word, znd they lack understanding. Professing themselves wise they become fools. They have a form of godliness, but will hear "I never knew you". Ultimately their faith is based on their choice of men to follow, of theologies they choose to believe the Bible "realky" teaches. They are worse than those who have never heard the gospel as they have been brought to the door and turned their backs.
I hope this applies to nobody here. Only God knows.