In your own words, What does being a ''Baptist'' mean to you ?

[dysert]

Hi SoulBap6,

What you have written is fine as your personal statement of faith, but is certainly not rue or typical of Baptists universally. I still believe that the points I made in my earlier post are more definitive of Baptists worldwide, and demonstrate what makes our denomination distinctive against other Christian groups. You have covered a large number of the finer points of theology, which may or may not be shared by other Baptists, and which in deed might also be shared, or not, by members of other Christian groups.

My point is that what you have written is your personal Credo, and not a statement of Baptist faith.

Please give SoulBap6 a break. He said as much:

This what I believe.

To the OP, obviously there are differences in some of the details of a Southern Baptist's theology, but I think it's safe to say that they are in agreement on the fundamentals.

 

[Bluelion]

Hi SoulBap6,

What you have written is fine as your personal statement of faith, but is certainly not rue or typical of Baptists universally. I still believe that the points I made in my earlier post are more definitive of Baptists worldwide, and demonstrate what makes our denomination distinctive against other Christian groups. You have covered a large number of the finer points of theology, which may or may not be shared by other Baptists, and which in deed might also be shared, or not, by members of other Christian groups.

My point is that what you have written is your personal Credo, and not a statement of Baptist faith.

Yes but the title was what does being baptist mean to you and that is what being a baptist means to him.

 

[SoulBap6]

Bluelion

It seems that the southern Baptist or part of the belief that they hold you do not agree with, their our many different Baptist. Some of them in part I agree with and others not at all. As a Baptist I first had to be a Christian first, and because I believe in Immersion I believed the way the Baptist Baptized and why they Baptized the way they did, I am not into to 5 points of Calvinism that puts me at odds with the southern Baptist today, and their our other things too that I have a hard time with, I came as close to what I believe in my previous posting and what it means to me, you may not agree with me but this is what I believe.

 

[Bluelion]

Bluelion

It seems that the southern Baptist or part of the belief that they hold you do not agree with, their our many different Baptist. Some of them in part I agree with and others not at all. As a Baptist I first had to be a Christian first, and because I believe in Immersion I believed the way the Baptist Baptized and why they Baptized the way they did, I am not into to 5 points of Calvinism that puts me at odds with the southern Baptist today, and their our other things too that I have a hard time with, I came as close to what I believe in my previous posting and what it means to me, you may not agree with me but this is what I believe.

and you have a right to your beliefs. I am some what conflicted with the southern baptist because growing up in that church made me afraid I was going to hell for 31 years of my life. The churches i went to placed a huge stumbling block before me, and I could never grow with God because I feared hell so much and i am sure you will agree that is not the way we serve God. God is Love and I had a hard time seeing the truth for many years until i really felt The Holy Spirit hit me after baptism at 36, but I was saved at 6 years old. The Holy Spirit has been working wonders in me and is my best friend. I am glad i do understand the Love part of God, well God is all Love.

I don't mean to offend, My school has also mention the southern baptist hell fire preaching, we use hell as last resort, we don't focus on it or use it to try to lead people to God, we feel love is the best way not threats, but in stubborn cases we will remind them of it.

i guess it came off bad when I first spoke of them in this thread, old emotions came back, forgive me. certainly not all southern baptist are this way, and maybe not even many my experience was a handful of churches in a handful of states.

 

[MrJim]

southern baptist are in the southern part of the USA, they are know for hellfire and brimstone preaching. Which means they are Know to stress a person is going to hell in order to bring a person to repent. They are very strict and practice Not drinking alcohol and not drinking on Sundays In fact in the south you still get places which can not serve alcohol, many of alcohol regulations come from this church. They can be very hard people to deal with.

I attend a SBC north of the Mason/Dixon line~not so much "hellfire and brimstone"....do not stereotype an entire group, each one is going to be different.

 

[MrJim]

I was also part of an American Baptist Church (ABCUSA) and Reformed Baptist Church (very Calvinist)~~~~each one is very different and within the groups congregations are very different so don't rely on the sign at the door, go in and find out for yourself

 

[Striver]

The term Baptist is largely going to refer to church polity (government), the practice of immersion, and the symbolic view of the Lord's supper.

The reason for the diversity within the Baptist fold is due to how the government of the church is structured. The local church is essentially autonomous, meaning that it forms more of a confederation (association) of churches where the decision-makings is more with the church itself rather than a larger denominational structure. It's a congregational system for the most part, with some variance as to how elders and deacons are vested with roles and functions.

On the issue of Baptism, any true Baptist is going to virtually insist on immersion and hold the position of credobaptism. This term is more simply called "believer's Baptism" which is the notion that the believer must be aware and in assent to be baptized. That's a bit of an oversimplification perhaps, but that gives you the gist.

Lastly, the Lord's Supper (elsewhere called the eucharist) is going to be viewed symbolically. This means that contrary to many other views on baptism, you are not literally consuming the flesh of Jesus nor does communion confer grace or salvation (you might be able to quibble a bit with this through some Baptist groups, but it's a general truth at least here in the states).

For Baptists, the Lord's Supper and Baptism are symbolic of the Lord working. Baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection. The Lord's Supper symbolizes what Jesus did on the cross, being done in remembrance.

Beyond that, you can run down rabbit trails of preaching styles, Calvinism, Traditionalists, Inerrantists, etc. However, there will be variance on a number of these issues again due to church polity (moreso than anything else).

 

[wpbarrett]

I belong to a southern Baptist church, I agreed not to drink when I joined. But Ive seen fellow members drinking while eating out. My pastor is a Dispensationalist but I am not, I'm more in the middle of all this man made ism and ist stuff. I fully expect to see my pastor in Heaven when I get there because we both have true love for Christ. It all boils down to God knows what is in our hearts and he will call his true church from many biuldings of worship when the time comes.

 

[JGiddings]

Ok here's a topic that is directly pertinent to this thread.

Landmarkism anyone?

 

[now faith]

Bluelion

It seems that the southern Baptist or part of the belief that they hold you do not agree with, their our many different Baptist. Some of them in part I agree with and others not at all. As a Baptist I first had to be a Christian first, and because I believe in Immersion I believed the way the Baptist Baptized and why they Baptized the way they did, I am not into to 5 points of Calvinism that puts me at odds with the southern Baptist today, and their our other things too that I have a hard time with, I came as close to what I believe in my previous posting and what it means to me, you may not agree with me but this is what I believe.

Thank you for listing your doctrine,it is a good one in my opinion.

One question,are these statements in conflict?

The Personality of Satan

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall of man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10)

The Total Depravity of Man

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:


Was it Adams choice to sin,or Satan being the author of sin that caused the fall?

 

[now faith]

Ok here's a topic that is directly pertinent to this thread.

Landmarkism anyone?

Back a couple pages it has been posted in previous thread

 

[OzSpen]

Was it Adams choice to sin,or Satan being the author of sin that caused the fall?

Why have you made it either/or? Why can't it be both/and?

 

[now faith]

Why have you made it either/or? Why can't it be both/and?

Because I want to know,was it the fall of Adam or Satan who brought sin into the world.

Cause and effect or supply and demand.

 

[OzSpen]

Because I want to know,was it the fall of Adam or Satan who brought sin into the world.

Cause and effect or supply and demand.

Let's examine what the Scriptures state as they tell the truth about the origin of sin:

• 'Sin came into the world through one man' (Rom 5:12);
• 'And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification' (Rom 5:16);
• 'as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning' (2 Cor 11:3); 'Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor' (1 Tim 2:14).

Original sin came because of one man's sin and judgement followed that one sin/trespass by a man. Eve was deceived by the serpent (Satan) and she became a sinner. However, according to Rom 5:12, the man gets the blame for bringing sin into the world.

So the Scriptures affirm a both/and cause of sin.

Oz

 

[ThisBrotherOfHis]

Just looking briefly through the thread, it looks to me like it has gotten grossly off-topic.

To answer the thread title question and the OP, to me "Baptist" means adhering to original biblical teaching, per the first century church. Note, I said "teaching," not "practice." That is, the concept of communal living, particularly as described in the Jerusalem church, was necessary for the time, not the model for the church throughout the age.

I don't believe Baptists are protestant, but can be traced doctrinally throughout history -- though periodically, not unceasingly -- but for some great lengths nonetheless, to the teachings of Paul and the other apostles. That doesn't mean there was a "First Baptist Church of Jerusalem," or " ... of Antioch," but it does mean the practices of most Baptists today, particularly those who adhere to the BF&M 2000 of the SBC, worship and teach as did the first-century churches.