There is not a Presbyterian Church in my town and the SBC church is the nearest to what The Scripture teaches.
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What main Factor made you to choose to be a Baptist?
- Thread starter JesusFan
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David Lamb
Well-Known Member
Does that mean that you think the term "Reformed Baptist" means "someone who whould dearly love to be a member of a presbyterian church but has to join a baptist one as 'second best'"? If so, I have to tell you that is not the way the term is normally used. This site gives a description of what "Reformed Baptist" usually means.
I never chose to be a Baptist. I made a decision to turn my life over to Christ when God called me to do so. It just happened to be in a Baptist church and I haven't left there. I've wanted to many times - and it doesn't have anything to do with it being a Baptist church - but God always says "no - stay put" So I stay, serve, and do what He asks.
I don't believe that Baptists have the monopoly on the truth. And I don't believe we are the expert Christians.
And I have seen over the years where there are more flavors of Baptist than ice cream. :laugh: So when one says Baptist - sometimes one has to clarify.
I don't believe that Baptists have the monopoly on the truth. And I don't believe we are the expert Christians.
And I have seen over the years where there are more flavors of Baptist than ice cream. :laugh: So when one says Baptist - sometimes one has to clarify.
Nope, that reformed baptist to me would be a christian that would tend to see that we should have creeds/confessions along with Bible, and talethe whole system of calvinism, such as sotierology/eschatology etc!
Christie1107
New Member
The main factor that made me choose to be a Baptist was that they taught the truth of the Bible, it was not sugar coated, it was God's Word.
Then as I began to learn God's Word myself I learned that being a Baptist is the only thing to be. :godisgood:
I was born into it, brought up in it, rebeled from it, and went back to it.
So according to that, there would indeed be Baptists that would see themselves as being presby, except hold to baptist water baptism mode?
David Lamb
Well-Known Member
I thought, though, that Jerome's quote made it clear that these people actually are Presbyterians, not Baptists "seeing themselves as being presby." The fact that they might, for lack of a church of their own denomination where they live, attend the services of a baptist church, doesn't turn them into baptists.
Besides, mode of baptism isn't the only difference between baptists and presbyterians.
saturneptune
New Member
Presbyterian has quite a bit to do as to why I am a Baptist. I grew up in a conservative Presbyterian Church, a fairly wealthy church. Our family was lower middle class. I never did feel comfortable in that church, and the experiences taught me several lessons. The first one is elder rule, or as it usually degenerates into, is elder worship. If elders were elected based on spiritual maturity, it would be one thing. However, in most cases, it seemed to be that social status and wealth were the main qualifications, which means a church lead by worldly people. I much prefer the congregational form of government, as most church members in our church are just as knowledgeable and spiritually mature as any elder I ever met. It spreads out the power, and ensures a bunch of clowns with their noses stuck up in the air are not running the church.
Another lesson I learned is church autonomy. I do not want a presbytary, bishop, or any other hierarchy telling my local church who to call as pastor, how to run our church, or having ownership of any of our assets. The local church belongs to the Lord, not a board of clowns.
Another thing that made me eventually join the Baptist church is the purpose and mode of Baptism. There is no need to further comment on this, as it has been repeated many, many times. We all understand why we believe as we do about Baptism.
Another thing, and this is harder to define, because the Lord works in each life differently, but to put it in general terms, is the way the service ends. This is not a debate about the invitation, or whether it is in the Bible, but a Presbyterian end to a service is generally very dry and mechanical. They do not foster an atmosphere that makes one ponder his or her relationship with the Lord. Generally, there is a final hymn, a prayer by the pastor, and you walk out the door. It is the same thing week after week. At least in a Baptist church, there is a chance to think about the Lord, and as crude as it may be, a method to respond, although you can respond in the pew. At least it is brought up.
Another thing I did not like, is acceptance for membership. Your membership is subject to the vote of the same group of elders I mentioned above. There is also a time delay, usually after attending something called a communicants class. Show me one place in Scripture that passing a class or indoctrination of some type is a requirement for membership. I want to be a member when the Lord changed my life, and the members accepted my testimony, not when I passed a test, and gained approval by a group of men that are as spiritually mature as a hat rack. (elders)
I like the Baptist church's emphasis on missions. There are always things that you will not agree with, but in a local Baptist church, the nonsense can be voted out, such as closed communion. For example, back in the 20s, we had someone disciplined for dancing with his wife. Today, our congregation could take care of such nonsense with one vote against the person who originally brought the charges.
Having said all of that, conservative Presbyterians are solid in most areas of theology, and are as close to Southern Baptists as any other faith. Of course, like any other denominiation, there are liberal Presbyterians and Baptist sects. Some of the liberal Baptistis would be further from us than the Presbyterians.
I am very thankful the Lord lead me to the Baptist faith and would not trade it for any other one I have studied. When we get to heaven, maybe we will find out for sure who was closest to being a NT church. Of course, in a Presbyterian church you have almost 100% belief in Calvinism, for lack of a better term. It is still a minority view in most local Baptist churches. It is not a big issue to me, as we are here to tell others about Jesus and the gift of salvation, not to spend endless hours debating points that no one knows if they are correct or not until the Lord returns, and that time of endless chatter could be used telling others about Jesus.
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isn't it though the ONLY disagreement between presby and reformed baptists?
David Lamb
Well-Known Member
No, there is at least one other, that of church government. Each Presbyterian local church is governed by its "session" of elders, with each session subordinate to the provincial presbytery, and these were, in their turn, subordinate to the General Assembly.
Reformed baptist churches, indeed all baptist churches, are autonomous, with nothing comparable to the Presbyterian provincial presbytery and General Assembly.
There may be other differences too, which those more knowledgable than I am on this may point out.
Thanks for the info!
Think that the theology for things such as salvation/end times etc would be indentical between 2 groups!
Tom Butler
New Member
For me, it didn't just happen. God led my mother to send me to a Baptist church before I was ever saved. The Lord saved me as the result of the preaching and teaching I heard in that Baptist church.
I have attended my current church since 1963, through the providence of God.
The word Christian means different things to different people. It doesn't tell me much. But the term Baptist tells folks the kind of believer I am.
I have attended my current church since 1963, through the providence of God.
The word Christian means different things to different people. It doesn't tell me much. But the term Baptist tells folks the kind of believer I am.
Originally, I had two choices: SBC and Methodist (they weren't United then.)
My family was the latter.
When I was saved I spent around a year and a half mostly not attending church but reading the NT.
Seemed to me it taught simple salvation by faith, soul competency, autonomy for the local church, and congregational governance.
I found those in the Baptist church.
It is rare where I live to still find those among the Baptists.
My family was the latter.
When I was saved I spent around a year and a half mostly not attending church but reading the NT.
Seemed to me it taught simple salvation by faith, soul competency, autonomy for the local church, and congregational governance.
I found those in the Baptist church.
It is rare where I live to still find those among the Baptists.
what do you commonly see?
Short Answer: Baptists know and aknowledge we are sinners and are saved by Grace through Faith.
I was raised a Baptists and left Baptist churches in my very early 20s because I couldn't reconcile the 1-point Calvinism that was taught at the time.
I swam around between a pretty big Pentecostal holiness church, independent full-gospel churches which didn't fall into the WOF heresies, and a local Church of God (Cleveland). Over that time my conscience was consistently reminded of a couple of things that pointed back toward Baptist churches. Those points were that I was a sinner and unable to live a life pleasing to God no matter how hard I worked at it. The follow-up to that was my growing awareness of the absolute necessity of Grace for my salvation. I always knew Grace was a crucial element but I saw faith and repentance as parts of the equation where I was the one doing the work. As I began to better understand Grace, there was the realization that the churches I was attending either underemphasized Grace or didn't understand it at all. Not that I fully understand God's Grace, but I was put off by Preachers who felt the need to add caveats when preaching or teaching on Grace.
The Baptist Church I attend has a strong understanding that we are all sinners and we are fully dependent on God's Grace for our salvation. There is no pretense that we can live a holy enough life to be pleasing to God and earn or our salvation like I saw in the Pentecostal churches. The motive for abstaining from sin is love and gratitude for what Christ did for us; for His love, sacrifice and saving grace. That is consistent with my current Baptist church.
I was raised a Baptists and left Baptist churches in my very early 20s because I couldn't reconcile the 1-point Calvinism that was taught at the time.
I swam around between a pretty big Pentecostal holiness church, independent full-gospel churches which didn't fall into the WOF heresies, and a local Church of God (Cleveland). Over that time my conscience was consistently reminded of a couple of things that pointed back toward Baptist churches. Those points were that I was a sinner and unable to live a life pleasing to God no matter how hard I worked at it. The follow-up to that was my growing awareness of the absolute necessity of Grace for my salvation. I always knew Grace was a crucial element but I saw faith and repentance as parts of the equation where I was the one doing the work. As I began to better understand Grace, there was the realization that the churches I was attending either underemphasized Grace or didn't understand it at all. Not that I fully understand God's Grace, but I was put off by Preachers who felt the need to add caveats when preaching or teaching on Grace.
The Baptist Church I attend has a strong understanding that we are all sinners and we are fully dependent on God's Grace for our salvation. There is no pretense that we can live a holy enough life to be pleasing to God and earn or our salvation like I saw in the Pentecostal churches. The motive for abstaining from sin is love and gratitude for what Christ did for us; for His love, sacrifice and saving grace. That is consistent with my current Baptist church.