What is "Baptist Theology" and how does it differ from other denominational theology?

I am still having difficulty with the "Baptist Belief"--the scripture is the only rule of faith and practice. That is a basic belief which has created a sizeable gap among those called Christian--most heresy has come from a departure from scripture to the commandments of men. Where does it say the Truth will be with the majority in this age?

The outreach has not changed nor has the methodology. The Holy Spirit still bears witness to The Word preached where ever it is preached. (not social gospel) The Holy Spirit still convicts of sin, righteousness and judgement to come.

Is the Gospel getting received at a "Christian Rock Concert"? I doubt it. The Holy Spirit will not show up "in the flesh"--regardless of how "mesmerized" we may become.

Selah,

Bro. James

 

God does not change to reflect these modern times; Scripture does not change, though some modern versions have taken great liberty in its translation; the need of mankind for salvation has not changed; so how would one justify any need to change the Church to affect the outreach in these modern times?

 

1. I agree with your statement: There is no such entity as The Baptist Church.

There are Baptist churches, each one answering to no earthly authority but hopefully to the authority of Jesus Christ and Scripture

2.I agree with your statement: True Baptists are not part of the Protestant Reformation.

There are no holdovers from the RCC in Baptist churches as there are in Protestant churches [infant baptism, baptismal regeneration, denominational heirarchy, etc].

However, every Christian is a theologian. He may not admit it, he may be unaware of it, nevertheless he is a theologian for the simple reason that he has thought about and developed some concept of the nature of God, hopefully based on careful study of the Bible. His theology may not be systematic or very sophisticated, in fact it may be very poor theology, but it exists.

It is for this reason that Baptists, especially since the Reformation, have found it necessary from time to time to develop Confessions if Faith that syatematically set down Baptist distinctives. Unfortunately many Baptists and Baptist churches have, in recent years, grossly departed from these Baptist distinctives. True, we Southern Baptists have the Baptist Faith and Message, but it is a poor excuse for a Confession of Faith such as the Philadelphia Confession or the 1689 London Confession.

 

One would hope that the traditions of the Baptist churches are based on Scripture!

 

I agree with your statement above, yet I have heard numerous Baptists justify not only "Christian" Rock Concerts but polluting the worship service with all manner of practices of "the world" because it packs people in.

Often when considering some of the "so-called worship services" I am reminded of the continual pollution of the Temple as recorded in Kings and Chronicles.

 

Limiting the Holy Spirit?

I do not intentionally drink poison nor handle poisonous snakes in a worship service either.

Most of us have a religion which conforms to our lifestyle rather than our lifestyles conforming to our religion--myself included.

I am convicted daily about my carnality. Some seem to revel in carnality and even call it spiritual. That which is spirit is spirit. That which is flesh is flesh. They do not mix. Read I Corinthians 3 and see what the carnal Christian reaps.

We are so bombarded with lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life on a daily basis, that we are now asking: What is wrong with it?--instead of: What is Right with it?

Selah,

Bro. James

[ March 28, 2005, 09:35 PM: Message edited by: Bro. James ]

 

Just how does it appear that Bro.James and I are limiting the Holy Spirit? Since when can man limit the Holy Spirit? Scripture states that we can grieve the Holy Spirit [Ephesians 4:30] but I find nowhere in Scripture that man can limit God: Father, Son, or Holy Spirit!

 

God may have used the stoning of Steven to help lead Saul of Tarsus to Jesus, but that does not justify "stoning".

God is able to "call" whom-ever, when-ever, where-ever and how-ever--according to His own good pleasure. However, He tells us: "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word of God"--"Preach the Word, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine."

God is faithful--even when we are not.

Selah,

Bro. James

 

cubex

So now if someone wants to wear their sunday best, is that WRONG? Do you want them to stay home so that YOU can make the t-shirt crowd comfortable?

All right, change the music! Drive off the old timers! Then when our new crowd doesn't "give enough" we will institute visitation and tell the old-timers that they have the money NOW GIVE IT UP ...

Reach the lost ... but, don't close your mind ...

I am tired of traditional churches dying because a leader decides to reach the "new group" and forget the old group ...

 

Your comparison of so-called "Christian" Rock concerts with Balaam is very appropriate considering what Scripture concludes about Balaam:

2Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

 

There is a reason why the old group has not been reaching people anyway. The old group ought to rejoice and get rid of their selfishness and reach people. Compared to the number of people going to hell and the number in church is very small.

I have been in churches when some of the old group is reaching people and others of the old group are complaining about it and are stagnant. It all in their attitude and focus.

I was one of those pastors that started pastoring a church that had the same numbers for years and seldom baptized anyone. When I showed up, there were more who came to Christ in a month than they had seen in a year in many years. In fact more were baptized than they had ever seen in the sixty year history of the church. The youth group doubled in no time. There were old people coming to Christ too. But the "old group" started complaining about the new people they didn't know. The "old group" were most of the deacons. One of them stood up at a deacon's meeting started yelling at me and asked me, "What are you here for?" Are you here to stir up our community?" I told him "Yes."

It is not the old group or the new group who reaches people. People do.

The Kingdom of God is not about possessing buildings and me. It is about God's kingdom not ours. We will die HE won't.

Mark 2:22-26, "No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins." And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. The Pharisees were saying to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" And He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?"

 

So now if someone wants to wear their sunday best, is that WRONG? Do you want them to stay home so that YOU can make the t-shirt crowd comfortable?

All right, change the music! Drive off the old timers! Then when our new crowd doesn't "give enough" we will institute visitation and tell the old-timers that they have the money NOW GIVE IT UP ...

Reach the lost ... but, don't close your mind ...

I am tired of traditional churches dying because a leader decides to reach the "new group" and forget the old group ... </font>[/QUOTE]El_Guero

You make an excellent point. The only reason old people are tolerated in some congregations is because they are the largest contributors. I know of at least one congregation [I hesitate to use the word church] where old folks are disinvited.

 

How are they disinvited? They ought to be told about so they can be rebuked.

 

How are they disinvited? They ought to be told about so they can be rebuked. </font>[/QUOTE]When I say old people were disinvited I do not mean they were told not to come [or refused admittance as shown in the United Church of Christ commercial]. It was just made clear they were no longer welcome. By the way I am not talking about a congregation near me in case someone has checked my profile.

You say: "They ought to be told about so they can be rebuked." How would they be rebuked? Each Southern Baptist congregation is independent.

That being said this discussion, as most, has strayed far from the original topic: "What is Baptist Theology and how does it different from other denominational theology?"

 

Well said, Old Regular.