A wonderful book for Baptists.

[ImmersionX]

I have just finished reading a great book regarding Baptists and what makes a baptist a baptist.
It is called-

The Baptist Way: Distinctives of a Baptist Church.
by R. Stanton Norman.

I highly recommend every baptist take the time to read this book. It is admitedly by the author written to SBC churches but I believe it can apply to all of the baptist faith. It talks of the sad fact that a lot of churches today have the word Baptist in their name, yet are so far removed from what being a baptist is truely all about. We have such a rich history in this country(U.S) and I'd hate to see it lost due to modernisms and individualistic ideals.


God bless.

 

[MsScarlett]

Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Hisbygrace]

Thank you, sounds like it would be very interesting.

 

[MatthewDiscipleofGod]

I looked and you can read the book online free at Google.

 

[edie19]

thanks so much - I saved the link for future reading

 

[holyrokker]

Frankly, I don't understand the reason to identify a "Baptist distinctiveness".

Why is it important to be "Baptist"?

Why is there a need to make a distinction between a Baptist church or a Calvary Chapel, Evangelical Free, or an independent congregation?

 

[MatthewDiscipleofGod]

Frankly, I don't understand the reason to identify a "Baptist distinctiveness".

Why is it important to be "Baptist"?

Why is there a need to make a distinction between a Baptist church or a Calvary Chapel, Evangelical Free, or an independent congregation?

It is important to know what various churches believe. I for one could never belong to a church that baptizes babies or rejects the priesthood of believers. Baptist and Anabaptist history is fascinating. It is interesting to see how reformers persecuted others because they believed in believers baptism. They of all people should have known how wrong persecution was. Now a days we want to act like it doesn't matter what you believe and we want to forget what others died for.

 

[holyrokker]

It is important to know what various churches believe. I for one could never belong to a church that baptizes babies or rejects the priesthood of believers.

But there are several denominations that would qualify on those terms.

 

[MatthewDiscipleofGod]

But there are several denominations that would qualify on those terms.

To find out which you need to study what churches believe and though I have not read this book yet a brief overview appears to show that the purpose of this book is to show what baptists believe. I grew up Lutheran and my mom is Methodist so with all the various beliefs in this circle it has been important for me to know the differences.

 

[ImmersionX]

Frankly, I don't understand the reason to identify a "Baptist distinctiveness".

Why is it important to be "Baptist"?

Why is there a need to make a distinction between a Baptist church or a Calvary Chapel, Evangelical Free, or an independent congregation?

Trust me...there is a BIG need to distinguish a Baptist church from say a Calvary Chapel church, or Vineyard Church, etc. don't get me started.

 

[holyrokker]

Trust me...there is a BIG need to distinguish a Baptist church from say a Calvary Chapel church, or Vineyard Church, etc. don't get me started.

Please, I'd like to get you started on why you think that way.

 

[ImmersionX]

Please, I'd like to get you started on why you think that way.

Well to get started then....the Calvary Chapel churches are decendents, for lack of a better term, of the International Church of the Four Square Gospel, and the Vineyard churches were/are affiliated with the "Toronto Airport Blessing". Therefore, IMHO there is a BIG need for distinctives to be proud of and learned by any and all baptists and our churches.
And umm.....I shall leave it at that.

 

[holyrokker]

Well to get started then....the Calvary Chapel churches are decendents, for lack of a better term, of the International Church of the Four Square Gospel, and the Vineyard churches were/are affiliated with the "Toronto Airport Blessing". And umm.....I shall leave it at that.

Sorry, that doesn't answer my question as to why it's important to be distinctively Baptist.

Chuck Smith was initially a Foursquare pastor, but broke away from them after only 3 years (that was in 1968). So I wouldn't actually say that Calvary Chapel Churches are "descendents" of the Foursquare Church.

I was part of a Vineyard Church when the "Toronto Blessing" thing started.
That church in Toronto had been a Vineyard Church, but the Association of Vineyard Churches opposed the "Toronto Blessing" and expelled that church from the AVC (along with a couple other churches that supported the Toronto church)

 

[ImmersionX]

Sorry, that doesn't answer my question as to why it's important to be distinctively Baptist.

I was part of a Vineyard Church when the "Toronto Blessing" thing started.
That church in Toronto had been a Vineyard Church, but the Association of Vineyard Churches opposed the "Toronto Blessing" and expelled that church from the AVC (along with a couple other churches that supported the Toronto church)

Well, in my honest opinion it's important for me to be "dinstinctively baptist" due to one simple fact: it's right.


As far as the Vineyard churches go....WoF isn't my cup of tea. And the toronto blemish really did a job on that entire church for a lot of people. And well honestly anything ever affiliated, offsprung(is that a word?) from the International church of the FourSquare Gospel is just plain heresy.

 

[holyrokker]

Well, in my honest opinion it's important for me to be "dinstinctively baptist" due to one simple fact: it's right.


As far as the Vineyard churches go....WoF isn't my cup of tea. And the toronto blemish really did a job on that entire church for a lot of people. And well honestly anything ever affiliated, offsprung(is that a word?) from the International church of the FourSquare Gospel is just plain heresy.

I was hoping for a bit more substance.

Vineyard churches are not part of the "word of faith" movement. And they have nothing to do with the Toronto thing. They expelled that church over a decade ago. (soon after they started their strange activities)

But It's not my intention to be a Vineyard apologist.

 

[ImmersionX]

I was hoping for a bit more substance.

Vineyard churches are not part of the "word of faith" movement. And they have nothing to do with the Toronto thing. They expelled that church over a decade ago. (soon after they started their strange activities)

But It's not my intention to be a Vineyard apologist.

I stand corrected: the Vineyard is not WoF...it's Dominion in doctrine and power evangelistic in mindset.

I wish I had the time to give more substance...but alas, I am at work. I also realize that the toronto church was booted. As I said, the legacy is still there. But this thread wasn't started to bust on the Vineyard churches. I listed them as a great example of why it's good to have Baptist distinctives and why said distinctives are good to identify ourselves as baptists. Sure other denominations/churches share some of our distinct beliefs, but only baptists have the sum of all distinctives listed in this book, whereby making us distinctivly Baptist.

 

[mesue]

That will go on the "Other points of view" list. I attend an Independent Bible Baptist Church and see that we are vastly different from the SBC, a different point of view.
I have a whole list of "Need to read before I forget I bought them" books.
Clarence Larkin's Why Am I a Baptist is on that list, but I want to read his Rightly Dividing The Word first.

 

[holyrokker]

I have a whole list of "Need to read before I forget I bought them" books.

That describes me!