Question

[Dream]

Just wondering...

What happens when a Baptist interprets the Bible in a different way than the Baptist church he attends? Is he asked to leave or does he just stay and silently object to what is being preached?

Thanks in advance for the responses.

 

[GreenEyedLady]

Just wondering...

What happens when a Baptist interprets the Bible in a different way than the Baptist church he attends? Is he asked to leave or does he just stay and silently object to what is being preached?

Thanks in advance for the responses.

No one is ever asked to leave unless they are harming the congergation.
Anyone can talk to the pastor about interpretation. If there is a disagreement, then they just agree to disagree. This is mainly small issues like one person is a gap theoryist and a church or pastor believes Gods plan was never changed throughout the ages. As far as major biblical doctrines go, like salvation and baptism the person would have to ask the Lord to help them understand. The bible is very clear on being born again and being baptized. That person should have no problem calling the pastor and talking to him about it. If that person disagrees about those 2 major doctrines, the pastor would not ask them to leave, but help them understand those biblical doctrines.
GEL

 

[ZiSunka]

I can't speak for baptist churches per se, but in a mennonite church, anabaptist, no, you don't just suffer in silence or leave the congregation, you are allowed to discuss the issue with the pastor, the elders, and the entire congregation if you wish. I have been a part of such discussions. Changes can be made if such discussions lead to the discovery that something unbiblical has been being taught, or if something Biblical is being incorrectly or incompletely taught. But you don't get to change things just because you don't like them. Everything goes back to the Bible.

Give me an example of something in the Bible that you might interpret differently and have strong beliefs about?

 

[Dream]

Give me an example of something in the Bible that you might interpret differently and have strong beliefs about?

There are so many of them...

Is there a list of all beliefs that Baptists hold that are unquestionable? For example, you believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation. So if a member of the church spoke with the pastor and said "Jesus is not the only way, we can also gain salvation through Allah," then the pastor would obviously try to educate them instead of agreeing to disagree. Because belief in Jesus is fundamental to the Baptist faith.

So is there a list of doctrines that are fundamental and cannot be disagreed upon or is this simply up to each individual pastor?

 

[GreenEyedLady]

There are so many of them...

Is there a list of all beliefs that Baptists hold that are unquestionable? For example, you believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation. So if a member of the church spoke with the pastor and said "Jesus is not the only way, we can also gain salvation through Allah," then the pastor would obviously try to educate them instead of agreeing to disagree. Because belief in Jesus is fundamental to the Baptist faith.

So is there a list of doctrines that are fundamental and cannot be disagreed upon or is this simply up to each individual pastor?

Belief in Jesus is a fundemental BIBLE dotrine not a baptist doctrine.
Yes there are plenty of bible dotrines that are upheld and preached on.
We as Baptist hold the dotrines of eternal security, baptism, salvation, and the comming of Jesus Christ as bible doctines. These are not baptist doctrines but bible ones. A member can disagree with them, but they are not disagreeing with the Baptist church, they are disagreeing with the bible. Because the Bible is our final authority there is no disagreeing with it. One would would make the claim that Jesus is not the only way is not a mature christian who has read scripture.


Here is a list of basic bible doctrines, not baptist doctrines.
[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the inspired word of God, the final authority for faith, life and church establishment, inerrant in the original writings.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections. Deut. 6:4, 2 Cor. 13:14.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe the Father is the one and living God; an infinite and intelligent Spirit. Ex. 20:2-3, Jn. 4:24.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Son of God and God the Son. We believe in his pre-incarnate deity – Jn. 1:1, virgin birth – Lk. 1:35, sinless life – Heb. 4:15, substitutionary death - 2 Cor. 5:21, bodily resurrection - Acts 1:3, ascension - Acts 1:9-11, priesthood – Heb. 2:11, imminent pre-tribulation coming of Christ for his saints - 1 Thess. 4:13-18, 1 Cor. 15:51-58, pre-millennial coming of Christ with his saints to set up his kingdom on earth – Rev. 19.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe that the Spirit is a divine Person equal with the Father and the Son - Mt. 28:19. He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment – Jn. 16:8-11; comforts – Jn. 14:16-11; witnesses - Rom 8:16, and sanctifies - 1 Pet. 1:2.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe in the blood atonement of Jesus Christ for sin - 1 Jn. 1:1, Col 1:14, 1 Pet. 1:18-19.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe in the existence of Satan who was once a sinless being but fell by pride. Isa. 14:12-l4, Eze. 28:12-18.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe in the Genesis account of the direct creation of the universe and man by God, not by the process of evolution. Gen. 1:1, Psa. 8:3, 19:1, Jn. 1:9-10, Rev. 4:11, 14:6-1.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe in the voluntary fall of man resulting in the spiritual death, guilt, and fall of the race of Adam. Gen. 3, Rom. 5, Eph. 2:1-3.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Eph. 2:8-9, Jn. 1:12, 3:16, Acts 20:24, 13:38-39, 15:9-1l.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe in the eternal security and assurance of believers. Once saved, we are kept by God's power and are secure in Christ forever. Jn. 6:37, 10:27-30, Eph. 1:13, 4:30. 1 Jn. 5:11-13.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe in eternal bliss in heaven for all who are saved through Christ's shed blood. We believe in a literal hell and eternal damnation in the lake of fire for all who are lost. Rev. 20:11-15, Mk. 9:43-48, Lk. 16, Isa. 66.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe in the unity of all true believers, which is the body of Christ. 1 Cor. 12:12-14, 2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-27.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe in the local church as an assembly of baptized believers gathered together for the purpose of performing the Great Commission. Mt. 28:18-20, Acts 1:8-9, Eph. 5:25, 1 Tim. 3:15, Rom 1:14-16.

[font=Bridgnorth, Allembert™, Anmari]W[/font]e believe that the ordinances of the local church are baptism and the Lord's supper. Baptism: the only biblical mode of believer's baptism is by total immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by the command of God - Mt. 28:19, and is a figure of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Pet. 3:21, 1 Cor. 15:1-4. Lord’s Supper: the commemoration of our Lord's death by the bread and the fruit of the vine is always preceeded by self-examination. 1 Cor. 11:23-28.

 

[ZiSunka]

Yes, there are some fundamentals, as GEL listed, that are essential. You can discuss them with the pastor, elders and the congregation, but since they are essential AND Biblical, then there is no way the church is going to change them.

I was thinking more along the lines of, say, the pastor preached on Romans 12:1, and he said that this is a mandate for Christians to join the military and go to war. That's one way to interpret that passage, but not the best way, the most correct way. You could sit down with the pastor and discuss it. You would want to know where this interpretation came from, and you could show him sources that interpret it differently. At the end, either you would become convinced that he was right, or he would become convinced that you were right, or you could both agree that it needs more study, or or could agree that you are both right in different ways, or you could agree to disagree.

anabaptist and baptist pastors are not tyrants who have to have their way on non-essentials, but they aren't going to budge on essentials.