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Our Baptist History and Heritage
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Doctrinal Distinctives - Dr. Bill Sheffield
American Baptist History -
Dr. Thomas Ray |
Our Baptist History and Heritage was a lecture series at Louisiana Baptist University. Dr. Roy Wallace, Dr. Bill Sheffield, and Dr. Thomas Ray spoke on Baptist Church History, Doctrinal Distinctives, and American Baptist History. These notes were taken on May 2, 2006, during LBU's graduation week. Click the links below to be taken to that part of this page.
Baptist Church History
Dr. Roy Wallace
Our Bill of Rights is primarily there because of Baptists in New Hampshire who
insisted on free speech
Constantine attempted to make one world church called the Catholic Church.
The Anabaptists would not recognize Constantine’s baptisms because they believed
their doctrine was wrong.
Anabaptists means re-baptizers.
Constantine destroyed the records of the Baptist church. Therefore, there are
many years of Baptist church history that are lost.
The Baptist church is not a Protestant group because it was never a part of the
Catholic church, so it never came out of the Catholic system.
The Baptist church can be found 1200 years before the Protestant Reformation.
The Baptists have the same doctrines that the first century Christians had.
Baptists were first called Christians at Antioch, then they were later called
Anabaptists and eventually Baptists.
The Baptists insisted of freedom of religion before they would ratify the
constitution.
The seven churches in Revelation symbolize seven periods of church history.
Ephesus - The Apostolic Times (beginning of the church to about 100 A.D.)
The world can keep us away from other people, but it can’t keep God away from
us.
During this time, much of the persecution came from the Jewish authorities.
Smyrna - Severe Persecution (100 - 314 A.D.)
For the most part, the Roman government considered the Christian religion
harmless. It wasn’t until 250 A.D. that there was an attempt to exterminate
Christianity. This was because the decline of the Roman empire was being blamed
on Christians.
In America today, the liberals blame America’s problems on the Christians.
Constantine came to power in 303 and began his church in 314 A.D.
Constantine’s philosophy was people had to join his church or he’d destroy them.
This is the same philosophy of some non-Christian religions (like Islam), today.
The church is an operation led by faith.
Pergamos - Church United with the World (315 - 500 A.D.)
Baptists were considered heretics by Catholics and Catholics were considered
heretics by Baptists. However, since the Catholic church was the recognized,
most powerful church of the day, their determination was often taken more
seriously.
Thyatira - Church of the Dark Ages (600 - 1500 A.D.)
Most of the persecution in this period came from other people who called
themselves Christians (e.g. Catholics).
Sardis - Church of the Reformation (1500 - 1800 A.D.)
Luther did some good things, but he was fierce in persecuting the Anabaptist
movements. His treatment of them was just as bad as that of the Catholics.
Luther protested Catholicism, but when the Lutheran church became the state
church, things were no better.
There were Anabaptists in Germany when Luther was
protesting the Catholic church. Luther didn't want to change that much,
though.
No church is the teacher. God’s Word and God’s Spirit is the teacher.
We are not the sole authority.
Sometimes, I’d like there to be a Baptist purgatory because some Baptists would
need to hear about it, but there is none.
If there were persecution in the United States today, it would purify the church
and it would grow for the right reasons.
Christ has died and invested His life in us.
Philadelphia - The Revived Church (1800 - present)
Nothing but good things was said about this church. It represents some present
day churches that are doing good things.
Laodicea - The Indifferent Church (the last state of the church)
There are some churches today that do not welcome visitors.
These churches are more concerned with the physical condition of their building
or their attendees than their spiritual condition.
Church should get people saved. It should be a hospital for hurting people.
Dr. Bill Sheffield
Our Baptist heritage is both historical and doctrinal. Apart from doctrinal
distinctives that provided the continuity by which the groups called by various
names are identified, we have no historical heritage.
Today, we are facing a great weakening of our doctrinal standards.
There are two extremes in current church reactions.
A. Drop the name “Baptist” from our churches.
Changing our name doesn't change who we are.
In the past, there was a time when people joined a Baptist church, it was a very serious commitment, as they would be persecuted.
Some say they want to attract people to their church who are repulsed by the word Baptist. However, we should value truth in advertising. Don't be afraid to tell people who you are and what you believe.
The core problem isn't the name Baptist, but it's the lack of love in some.
B. Keep the name and drop doctrinal distinctives.
Ecumenicalism involves compromise and it will inevitably be compromising doctrines.
There are some folks going to Heaven who do not have the assurance of eternal life.
Some people who dislike Baptists don't know what we believe.
If you aren't indoctrinating your people with expository teaching, then you are part of the reason why they are not growing.
Preachers and teachers who approach the responsibility entrusted to them like "skipping rocks on a pond": splash and attention-grabbing, but no depth.
No one has ever taught anything until someone has learned something.
Some of us could preach the same sermon three weeks later and nobody would know it.
God's nature was to reveal and not just to hide.
Some value obscure symbolism more than the obvious, revealed truth.
The result of getting away from teaching sound doctrine is that our churches are filled with childish Christians who have never grown spiritually.
We want child-like Christians, but not childish Christians.
God commended the Bereans, not because of the Jesus fish on their car, not because of a sign on their door, not because of the people they knew, but because they searched the scriptures daily.
Today, many people crave funny stories from the pulpit more than the truth of God. It's not wrong to tell a funny story from the pulpit, but teach the truth so they remember it and not just the funny stories.
It costs to care, but it costs more to not care.
10 Basic Doctrines that have historically been considered Fundamental to Baptists (the doctrinal heritage):
1. The church was founded by Jesus Christ himself and He is the foundation upon which it stands.
His church is built on our understanding of who He is.
2. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the final authority in all questions of faith and practice.
There is no way you could know God apart from God revealing Himself to you.
Extra books were added to the Catholic church in 1546 at the Council of Trent. Those books were not taken out of our Bible, they were never in our Bible.
The Catholics added Old Testament books that were never accepted by the Jews.
The Jews were the keepers of the Oracles of God, so the fact that they never accepted those books indicates to use they were not intended by God to be used as holy writ.
Today, there is an attempt to undermine our faith in God, the credibility of the Word of God, and the person of Jesus Christ.
3. Salvation is go God's grace, through repentance and faith in Christ alone, with no mixture of works.
Repentance wasn't mentioned in Acts 16 because the jailer was already repentant.
4. The Eternal Security of the Saints
We are kept by the same power in which we are saved.
Most churches today are teaching that you have a part in your salvation, so according to them, you may lose it.
If I'm making payments on it, He could repossess it, but I'm not making payments on my salvation.
You can't undo birth. You may grieve the heart of your mother and father, but you cannot undo your birth. The same is true of your spiritual birth.
5. Baptist and the Lord's Supper are the only two ordinances of the church.
Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water and is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Anabaptists rejected infant salvation and infant baptism.
The Lord's Supper is only symbolic.
6. Members of the church are to be only born again, baptized believers.
7. The government of the church is to be democratic and congregational under its founder and head, Jesus Christ.
We are not under a Pope.
8. The only financial plan for the church is through tithes and offerings.
9. That there should be a separation of church and state.
The founders weren't about a freedom from religion, but a freedom of religion.
10. B.H. Carroll points out another consistent belief among Baptists and their predecessors regarding the purpose for the existence of the church.
There was a day when tolerance meant we could respect other people's opinions, but today, the word tolerance is being used in a way where it means God is pleased with anti-biblical points of view.
Dare to deliberately make some friends with some lost folks, so you can lead them to Christ.
Baptists have historically been known for evangelism.
The basis of our historical Baptist heritage is a biblical doctrinal heritage.
Dr. Thomas Ray
Living in a garage doesn't make you a car, just like going to a Baptist church doesn't make you a Baptist.
You are a Baptist by what you believe.
John Calvin and John Knox hated Baptists, persecuted, and killed them.
Luther and Calvin are not Baptist heroes.
"The Mystery of Iniquity" was the first book in Europe that proposed religious freedom and everyone was against it.
The Massachusetts Bay Colony escaped persecution in England and came to America, where they were one of the fiercest persecutors.
In 1631, Roger Williams came from England to Boston. He was educated at Cambridge and ordained.
Williams went to a Congregational church, where they were supposed to be independent and in charge of their own congregation, but they were actually influenced by the Church of England, so he left and went to Salem, Plymouth, and back to Salem.
If you believe the Bible, you can't be anything but a Baptist.
Give someone a Bible, have them sit in a room and read the New Testament. They'll wind up a Baptist because they won't find infant baptism and they won't find purgatory or the Pope.
In 1612, by King James, the last person to be burned to death in England for their faith was a Baptist.
The first Baptist church began in Providence, Rhode Island.
John Clarke is considered the father of American Baptists.
Clarke came in 1637 and he was a medical doctor, a brilliant scholar, and a great statesman.
In 1700, there was only one Baptist church in the South. It was in Charleston, South Carolina. Today, there are countless Baptists in the South.
There were particular Baptists (Calvinists) and general Baptists (Armenian).
In 1740, George Whitfield came to America to establish an orphanage in New England. Under his ministry, over 50,000 people were converted. He was a magnificent orator.
In 1744, Shubal Stearns was saved under Whitfield's ministry. He was the greatest Baptist in our history. He was more important than Billy Graham.
There wouldn't be a Southern Baptist Convention if it weren't for Shubal Stearns.
50% of all the separatists churches became Baptist churches because they started reading their Bibles and found their doctrine to be true.
Our Baptist forefathers were on fire for God because they didn't limit their ministries to Sunday.
The separate Baptists let women pray and they let them have a say in the churches.
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