Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Second Amendment Rights

Keep being silent America.  Have we all lost our minds, or is it our backbone.  Some of the reasons we lose our en-alien rights is because of our ignorance of American History.  Have we forgotten why the Second Amendment  was enacted and when?  Had it not been for Americans owning firearms there would not have been the American Revolution, or the Civil War.  Those long rifles our early American Patriots used in the Revolution were the best military weapons available to them.  What would have been the outcome had those patriots only had a hatchet or the bow and arrow?  What good would they have done against the British military rifles and weapons?

The point I am making is, any restrictions upon the citizens of this nation concerning guns is a violation of the purpose and intent of the Second Amendment.  It has been and should be the right of every American to purchase, own, use, and be ready to use their arms against any tyranny against ourselves, or our nation.  Even against the leaders of our nation if they defy our Constitution and impose their will against the freedoms granted to us by our Constitution.  Another revolution could be a possibility and need.  If that became the case, we would need the best weapons (even military type rifles with most ammunition clips available. 

Every liberty which has been limited against us has been at the hands of a political party trying its best to dissolve our nation with their socialistic; even communistic principles and desires; Central Bank, IRS, Social Security, Dept. of Education.  God gave us our fathers, we do not need a Big Daddy to tell us what we need to do.  

Oh, Big Daddy, Obama, what you say is the "Right Thing" in my thinking is the Wrong Thing.  And, the reason I think that is because every time you open your mouth, you are in disagreement with God's Holy Word, The Bible.  No one can disagree with God's Word and be right about anything.  Those of us who disagree with you are not wrong.  they are American Patriots who understand the history and privileges of being Americans.  One reason you may be at odds with most Americans could be your heritage is of divided loyalty. You don't know if you want to be a Kenyan Socialist like your drunken father, or an American.  As President, your job description does not include being a lecturer to Congress or other American.

Americans, let's stand up and fight for our en-alien rights. Don't allow this would be American to intimidate us.  The Bible teaches us to pray for those who have the rule over us.  However, I believe it's time for us to pray that God would remove him from this office.  And, I do not believe it is wrong to pray in that way.  

God Bless America! 

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Sec 3 Who Are We Southern Baptists

It is not my intention to simply copy the confession here, but to list the headings and give commentary as to its meaning.

 I. The Scriptures –- Jesus on the occasions of withstanding Satan’s temptation, quoted Scripture. He is the only one Whom we need to give authority to the Bible He inspired. The most well known Scripture passage referring to itself is 2 Timothy 3:15-17 which says; from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Let’s look at verse 16 more closely. 

  1. All – from the Greek word pasa which literally means the whole in this case, the whole of Holy Scripture. 
  2. Scripture–from the Greek word graphe, meaning writing within religious books. This word’s root is grapho, meaning, to engrave which alludes to God’s engraving the Ten Commandments upon the Tablets of Moses.
  3. Inspiration – from the Greek word theopgeustos meaning God-breathed. The basic word means breath, spirit, mind.
  4. Profitable – from the Greek word hophslemos meaning to help, profit, benefit. Being future, it translate as will help, will be profitable, will be a benefit.
  5. Doctrine – from the Greek word dedaskalian. Its root word is didakay, meaning teaching. In the voice of the Greek language, this noun describes the act of or occupation of teaching precepts, thoughts, and doctrines.
  6. Reproof – from the Greek word elegmon meaning to reprove, or confute. The idea is Scripture is to be used to bring a person/s to the point of conviction of their mis-deeds, attitudes, and or actions.
  7. Correction – from the Greek word epanorthosin meaning to set upright again; to set to reformation. After Scripture is used to bring conviction, it also is to be used to put sinful man on a right track of behavior.
  8. Instruction – from the Greek word paideian meaning to educate, train up, nurture, discipline. It is used with the idea of teaching a child how to act properly. It is opposite of disciplining of a wayward child, or a non-Christian. Instruction is to be used with love, thus the meaning of nurture.
  9. Righteousness – from the Greek word dikaiosune meaning to invest with the attribute of righteousness, or a provision or means for one’s justification.

When one has a high view of Scripture, the truth of 2 Timothy becomes important for it gives Scripture the right place in one’s life to equip him and complete him for the Master’s use. Having such a high view of Scripture, other doctrinal truths are not difficult to accept regardless of one’s understanding. 

 II. God — God is! That should be sufficient for all true Christians. The Scripture says He is Spirit (John 4:24), for no one can see God unless He reveals Himself to him. He has revealed Himself to man as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, distinctly different in attributes, without any separation of person. 

   A.  God the Father – Within Scripture one finds the Trinity expressed through the analogy of
         the personal relationship of father and son and their guiding spirit. The term God the 
         Father presents God as the Federal Head of all creation. He is also expressed as the
         Father of the Son, because, the Son was in human form.

         Although the plural pronouns were used referring to God in [these] four passages. . . . 
         (Gen. 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; & Isa. 6:8), God was revealed to the Hebrew people as one
         personality. . . . He is generally revealed in the Old Testament, as God the Father.
         Moreover, in the New Testament, in a great many passages where the appellation God” 
         appears. . . . the reference is altogether to God the Father (cf. John 3:16)(FN 1).

   B.  God the Son – The two most important Christological passages in the Bible is John 1:1-5,
        14; and Hebrews 1:1--2:9. When Jesus declared He and the Father were one in John 10:
        30, He was declaring that the only difference between the Son and the Father was the 
        Son’s humanity. Both the John 1 and Hebrews 2 passages speak as to why He is referred
        to as the Son. Always, the Son reflects the purpose of God in providing redemption for
        fallen man. We would never know God the Father except through the redeeming work of 
        the Son. 

  C.  God the Spirit – Because God is Spirit, one might understand, more readily, the full
        essence of His deity, than of the Son’s. Some have reduced the impact of His deity by
        assuming He is only the influence of God. Jesus called Him the Helper (John 14:16; 16:7),
        and the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17; 16:13). The word Helper is parakletos. This is a       
        compound word taking its meaning from both root words. Para – in the way it is used in 
        this word carries the meaning of being sent along side of, or to attach itself to. Kaleo 
        means to be sent to, or, the caller or one who exhorts, encourages, helps, comforts. God
        the Spirit is all this. He is sent by the Father because of the redeeming work of God the 
        Son, to be the God of guidance, encouragement, exhortation, and helps to attach Himself
        to the Believer of whom He has convicted of his lostness, proven to him his judgment, and 
        seals him with His presence until the day the Son comes and takes him to forever be with 
        the Father.

III. Man --- Man, in his created state was the crown representation of God in flesh. God had created him in His image (Gen. 1:26). In this created state, man was free. He was given blessed position with God to name the other created life and to take care of all created things. He had freedom of moral choices and the ability to make his own decisions about relationships. Until he willfully disobeyed God and sinned, he had the ability of freedom of choice in all matters. When he sinned, he became as dead man. Death in Scripture is used many times to signify a man’s relationship to God. When man sinned, he no longer had the choice of reaching out to God, nor to make the choice to want God. Paul says in Ephesians 2:1, man is dead in trespasses and sin. This is because we all inherit the fallen nature of Adam (Rom. 5:12). Just like God had to provide a blood sacrifice to make a covering for Adam, for his covering of Fig leaves was not acceptable, being made from the effort of Adam; so man today must have the action of God upon his life to receive God’s grace and be covered with the redemptive blood of God the Son through the effectual calling and power of God the Spirit as one finds in Ephesians 2:1a.

IV. Salvation --- Salvation is that eternal state of people, as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (John 1:12 NKJV). We speak of salvation as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ brought about through personal faith in the person and work of God the Son. Faith is generally expressed as; believing and receiving. Believing in all of the work of Christ on our behalf, and receiving Him into one’s life without reservation as Lord God of their life.
    A.   Regeneration – We speak of this as being born again. The New Birth experience is the 
           unique work of God the Spirit which is called the Grace of God. As the Baptist Faith and 
            Message states it; It is a change of heart wrought by the holy Spirit through conviction 
            of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord 
           Jesus Christ (See Appendix E). Regeneration implies that one who has received the call 
           of God’s Grace of salvation, believes and repents. Repentance must be understood as
           not the feeling of sorrow in being found out, but that of turning from the point of conviction
           away from the attitude and actions of sinfulness/lostness, to that of faith.
    B.   Justification – As the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message states: Justification brings the 
           believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God. It is never because of man’s
           ability, desire, or actions, but the actions of a Graceful God on man’s behalf. Apostle
           Paul said to the Philippian Christians; But what things were gain to me, these I have
           counted loss for Christ. . . , that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my
           own righteousness, . . . but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which
           is from God by faith (Phil. 3: 7-9 NKJV). Personal righteousness/goodness, will never 
           make a person right with God.
    C.   Sanctification – When one is saved by God’s Grace through faith, he is immediately set
           apart by God to be different from those who are not saved. Paul told the Corinthian 
           Christians: But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the 
           name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6: 11 NKJV). Sanctification 
           is not only immediate, but it is also progressive and part of a Believer’s responsibility 
           after salvation to keep himself in the state of being set apart. That is what Apostle Paul 
           was saying in Romans 12: 1-2.

                  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your 
                  bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable 
                  service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing
                  of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will 
                  of God (NKJV).

    D.   Glorification – Glorification is the end result of one’s personal salvation experience. If 
           comes into being when one stands before Christ after death. No one will experience their 
           glorification or perfect state while in this life. The Apostle John said it this way: 

                  God is Light and in him is no darkness at all. So if we say we are his friends, but go
                  on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. . . . If we say that we have no 
                  sin, we are only fooling ourselves, and refusing to accept the truth. . . if we claim we 
                  have not sinned, we are lying and calling God a liar, for he says we have sinned
                  (1 John 1: 5-6, 8, 10 TLB).

           However, one can Biblically express, as Paul did to the Romans, that once one is saved,
           he is already glorified. Whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, 
           these He also glorified (Rom. 8: 30 NKJV). 

Salvation has been and always will be the work of God from the point of conviction by the Holy Spirit until one comes to Him expressing to Him his repentance of the state of lostness and faith in Him Who died for him. In Jesus’ bread of life and living bread narrative in John 6, He said;
           All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no
           means cast out. . . .This is the will of the Father who sent me, that of all He has given 
           Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. . . . No one can come to 
           Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day....
           Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to 
           him by My Father (John 6:37, 39, 44, 65 NKJV).

No where in the Bible does it teach any man can approach the King of Kings and Lord of Lords on his own terms or time. When man willfully sinned and deliberately disobeyed God who created him, he did surely die. That left man morally bankrupt and under the rule and domination of Satan. Paul speaks to this in Ephesians when discussing personal salvation he declared God made alive our lost souls, because, we were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:1-2 NKJV).

V. God’s Purpose of Grace --- Many people confuse God’s Grace with His Mercy. God’s Grace issues forth from His Sovereignty. His Mercy, from His Grace. Grace must always be understood from the standpoint of God acting on behalf of sinful, lost humanity in providing the avenue and ability of receiving His Mercy in one’s personal salvation. The person who receives Christ through faith has come to that position of faith because of the direct intervention by the Holy Spirit on Christ’s behalf, for man is incapable of choosing God’s Divine Act of Love for himself. That is what John the Apostle was saying in John 1: 12-13. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood (being a man), nor of the will of the flesh (man’s will/desire), nor of the will of man (the desire of someone else), but of God. His purpose in grace is to bring the lost into the state of salvation and ultimately be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. For whom He foreknew (because of His Sovereignty), He also predestined (predetermined objective) to be conformed (to be assimilated as/to become like) to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). (See Appendix F, pages 17–19).

VI. The Church --- In the Baptist Faith &and Message, it states: “The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation. Many theologians of the Baptist faith, as well as myself, believe the correct term to be used in referencing all Believers from all ages, is The Kingdom of God. That the word church is used only in describing a group of Believers, who have joined themselves together to carry out the work of Christ in a particular place. The word church comes from the Greek word, ekklesia, literally meaning the called out. Kaleo = to call; and ek = out from. In Greek literature and culture, it was used to call out the people in a democratic society to allow them to make their own decisions regarding a matter in their town. In the Bible it is used of Believers being called out of the ways of the world and to come together to carry out the will of God. The Church is a local and visible group of Believers. It’s purpose is to be in covenant relationship with each other; practicing the teachings of Christ, her Head; carrying out the life of Christ in their lives; and growing in the image/likeness of Christ. Christ is the Head of the Church; the pastor, His Under-Shepard, deacons, her servants. The role of pastor and deacons are always men who are called by the Lord and the church to serve in these roles.

VII. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper --- The church has two ordinances; Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. From the beginning of Baptist’s beliefs, these ordinances have been understood as symbolic, and not sacerdotal (that which provides salvation). They represent, rather than bestowing grace. Sacraments imply saving grace. Ordinances reflects belief. Baptism depicts the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as the change from spiritual death of a Believer, his burial, and his resurrection to walk a new life in/with Christ Jesus. The very word is important to Baptists, because it is descriptive as to the mode or how one follows this ordinance. It literally means to place under water. It is to be administered by the church upon a person only after he has been born again. Infants cannot be baptized, for they cannot understand the meaning of grace, sin, nor salvation.

The Lord’s Supper is commemorative of the work of Christ in salvation. It is to be observed as a memorial by the church (baptized Believers) until the Lord’s return. The elements represents the body of Christ given for our salvation, and, the blood of Christ spilled for our redemption. (See Appendix G). 

VIII. The Lord’s Day --- Sunday is the Lord’s Day. Our calendar shows it to be the First Day of the Week. The Lord’s Day is not the Sabbath. Sabbath comes from the Hebrew, meaning the seventh. Christians do not follow the Jewish religious practice of worshiping on the Sabbath, but on Sunday, the First Day of the Week. That this is the practice of the early church is seen in Scripture. The followers of Christ, after His resurrection, met on the first day of the week to break bread (Acts 20:7). A term meaning they worshiped the risen Lord by observing the Lord’s Supper. Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian Christians, regarding the benevolent offering being gathered for the relief of Christians in Jerusalem, to do this systematically on Sunday’s, the first day of the week (1 Cor. 16:1-3). This was the day of their worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ. The amazing thing which has developed among Christian people today, is the lack of devotion given to the Lord who deserves our worship. The Law of Moses required Jews to gather on the Sabbath for worship. Should not Believers, having received the Lord Jesus Christ by His Grace through faith, have a greater purpose and desire to participate in every opportunity to honor Him on His Day of worship? We are not under any religious requirement to do so, save the requirement of love and obedience (John 14:15).

IX, The Kingdom --- The Kingdom of God refers to the reign of God in sovereign authority over all things. Particularly it is inclusive of all people, who by faith in God’s promises of personal redemption have believed those promises from Adam through the coming Kingdom Age, and culminating in the presence of Holy God in the New Heavens and New Earth of Revelation chapters twenty-one through twenty-two. The Kingdom of God “was the central theme of His (Jesus’) preaching.” Further more, in the book just quoted by Dr. Gene Mims, he stated:

       The kingdom of God is not geographical, political, or social. It knows no human or earthly
       limits; neither does it depend on human effort. God has chosen to involve you and me in the
       advance of His kingdom, but His kingdom rests on His power, not ours.(FN 3) 

 X. Last Things --- A study of Eschatology is exciting. Yet, many people only know enough about it to be dangerous. The Baptist Faith and Message statement is clear and succinct. However, it is broad enough so all viewpoints of Last Things can be allowed. Where I can find room for a Mid-Tribulation rapture of the Church position in Scripture, I believe it can be reached only through failure to correctly interpret Scripture which particularly speaks to Israel. I find no room Biblically, for a Post-Tribulation rapture or an A-Millennium (No 1000 years of Kingdom Reign) understanding. Suffice it to be said that there are all viewpoints found in any given church within the Southern Baptist Convention. 

 XI. Evangelism and Missions --- There is one verse of Scripture which should make every Believer want to be involved in personal evangelism and missions. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you (John 20:21). Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). Theologians usually reference Matthew 28:18-20 as the Great Commission. I agree, it is a Great Commission. But John 20:21 should be our catalyst to engage Believers in the work of reaching people for Christ. There is a lot of talk today about being an Acts 1:8 church; and, we should be. When Jesus ascended back to Heaven to be with the Father until its time to rapture His Bride, He commissioned His followers to be about the work of being on mission for Him, until He comes back. 

         It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own Authority.
         But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be 
         witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth
        (Acts 1:7-8 NKJV). 

Evangelism and Missions are part of our Kingdom responsibilities as well as our commission within the local church. It has been stated (I heard it from Dr. John Floyd, Professor of Missions at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, Memphis, TN.), that a church which is not involved in missions work, is in need of a missionary. 

XII. Education --- One of the Scriptures used under this section is 2 Timothy 2:15. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (NKJV). The KJV uses the word Study in the place of Be diligent. Both carry the same idea. That is, every Christian needs to make it a practice to grow in understanding the Bible, for as one grows in Bible knowledge, he grows spiritually in wisdom and understanding. One of the major tasks/responsibilities of the local church is to equip Believers for the work of ministry. 

        And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and 
        some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the
        edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the 
        knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the 
        fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and from and carried 
        about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of 
        deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who 
        is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every
        joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, 
        causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Eph. 4:11-16 NKJV). 

 XIII. Stewardship --- Psalm 24:1 says; The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein (NKJV). God said in Psalm 50:10-12 that everything He created is His. So, why should a Christian give back to God his life and money? It is a Biblical precept. It surpasses and was before the Law of Moses (see Gen. 14). The principle/precept of the tithe was incorporated in the Law of Moses (many references throughout the Pentateuch), and was commended by our Lord when He said in reference to the giving of tithes and offerings, These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone (Matt. 23:23 NKJV). Stewardship, also, includes giving to charitable acts (Matt. 6:19-21) and missions (1 Cor. 16:1-3).

XIV. Corporation ---  Southern Baptists churches wrote and are writing the primer of inter-church corporation. Shortly after the Baptist Faith was firmly established in England and later in America, Baptist churches felt a need to organize themselves into formal relationships. The first of these were the Associations. Later came Conventions. But, unlike other denominations, Baptists have never given up their right of local autonomy. Each church decides how they will relate to other Baptist entities. Within the Southern Baptist Convention, the most important element is the local church. Mark Terry, former missionary to the Philippines and Professor of Missions and Evangelism at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY states:

        Conventions exercise no control over the churches. Each level is autonomous. Thus, an 
        association cannot dictate to a church or to the state convention. Of course, the reverse is
        true as well. A church might be a member of one body but not another, though that is 
        unusual. Associations and conventions are governed by votes cast by messengers sent 
        from member churches.(FN 4)

XV. The Christian and the Social Order -- Simply put, Christians should live their life of Faith to exemplify the Lordship of Christ within a lost world. Our lives should never bring a reproach on the name of Jesus, our Church, or, our person. The Christian’s manifesto should be Colossians 3:12-17. 

        Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness,
        humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another,
        if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must 
        do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the 
        peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be 
        thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and 
        admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace
        in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the 
        Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (NKJV). 

XVI. Peace and War -- Believers attitude toward peace and war should be what Apostle Paul said to the Romans: If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men (Rom. 12:18 NKJV) War always comes about because one government (Ruler) believes it has the right to exercise authority over all other government. Not recognizing the Sovereignty of God over all nations as Scriptures indicates (Rom. 13:1), some use their subjects unjustly. Yet, Believers should follow the advise and command of Apostle Paul when he said: Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor (Rom. 13:7 NKJV). 

XVII. Religious Liberty --- Apostle Paul deals with one’s liberty in Christ in 1 Corinthians chapter 8-10. Ones liberty in Christ is always seen as each Believer living out his Faith as to not bring a bondage upon someone else. He said: All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify (1 Cor. 10:23 NKJV). The Baptist Faith and Message centers its thoughts upon the separation of church and state. I feel we must center it on our liberty in Christ, for there may come a day in which we will lose all religious freedom as Americans and Southern Baptists. 

XVIII. The Family -- The family, as described in the Bible, is under attack in the world today. We have seen a rise in homosexual family units, and single parent family units who have never been married. The only family unit God ordained is that of a homogamous one of husband and wife. Children are the natural offspring of this homogamous union. Divorce is sanctioned only because of the hardness of peoples hearts because of sin. Death of a mate is the exception of the homogamous unit, giving a legitimacy for a single parent–child unit. Remarriage after divorce is permitted by God only when the one remarrying is the one who was sinned against. Yet, when two people decide to marry and one or both have been divorced and are not the one sinned against, the body of Christ should relate to them based upon their expressed repentance of the past sin and their personal commitment to the Lordship of Christ in their lives. Many such couples/families have proven to be great servants with the church because they have humbled themselves before God and man.

The relationship within the home should follow the teaching of Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:21-6:4. It is my strong belief, that if families lived and loved as Paul describes in this passage, there would never be a breakdown in any family. 



BAPTIST POLITY 

From the definition given in the Glossary of Terms, what should be is seldom the case in reality. Few churches, associations, or conventions seem to understand the real meaning of Baptist Polity. On every level of Baptist life one finds a lack of politeness or desire to hold to historical Baptist beliefs. This is probably because of the pluralistic and ecumenical society in which we find ourselves. When I discuss methods, polities, and doctrines with other Baptist pastors, it is amazing the differences of thought and opinions expressed. Those who desire to hold onto the more historical position of beliefs and practices, are generally laughed at and called old school. Everyone knows if a pastor wants his church to grow, he must not emphasize doctrines nor require the Baptist belief of Baptism upon those who have been saved by Grace through Faith only. If you put requirements upon people, you will limit the number of people who will join your church. It is Baptist Polity that sets the membership requirements of a church. Yes, every church is Autonomous and has the right to accept into their membership whomever they desire. Yet, it also is Baptist Polity, that I as a pastor do not have to accept that same person into membership of the church I pastor without submitting to a baptism of regeneration just as the Anabaptist did hundreds of years ago. 

Baptist Polity is not just about keeping doctrines pure, but also, about how Baptists do church. How they get things done. What procedures should be followed, and how finances are handled. The polity of local churches would include: Officers of the Church, Government of the Church, Discipline of the Church, Business Meetings of the Church, Organization of the Church, and anything else the church felt it needed to express in order to have a more orderly conduct as Believers in Christ. 

Every church, association, and convention has the right to do the above mentioned things the way that works best for them. Yet, every church should always be progressive in looking at and making changes that will cause their organization/polity run more smoothly. Always making sure their actions are biblical in motive and practice. The following are ways in which many churches carry out it’s polity: 

         How to call a pastor. 

         The way Baptist churches does this differs greatly from other denominations, from how it 
         was done in years past, and from how one Baptist church does it from another Baptist 
         church. Today, most churches will elect a Pastor Search Committee which is charged 
         with  the responsibility of selecting a man to present to the church as a prospective pastor.
         They will decide through various means what kind of man the church wants; advertize they 
         are taking resumes/names, and then begin the task of weeding out those who do not fit 
         the criteria they have set, or stating it more positively, selecting out those who fit the
         criteria they have set. They make contact with a number of these prospective pastors and 
         get their response from him regarding the information they present to him. At some point,
         the Committee then either goes and visits with the man or invite him to their church field 
         just to visit and get a feel about the man. Usually, the candidate will provide the 
         Committee with a DVD or Tape of a sermon. At this stage of the process, there have 
         been no commitments made by either side. After going through the list of the selective 
         candidates, the Committee then selects the one they feel God would have them deal with.
         Normally, they ask to meet again with the candidate and share with him in detail the nature
         of their church, being truthful with the man regarding the church’s history and past
         relationship with former pastors, even providing him with their names and contact 
         information if it is available. The same expectations should be forth-coming from the
         candidate, also. Salary expectations and provisions should be stated in writing and be
         very clearly understood by both, committee and candidate. If through this process, both 
         parties feel they want to explore the possibility of his coming in view of a call, a time 
         should be set for him to be presented to the church to meet the people and ask and
         answer any question each might have. Usually, the vote should be taken on the Sunday
         night after his message. His answer should be expected at that time unless some 
         unforeseen question is raised during the call.

         Calling other Staff Members. 

         Many churches have two or more staff members. When churches reach the point of 
         needing other staff members, they need to formulate how they will call that person. Some 
         churches allow their pastor to make the selection to present to the church. Others follow
         basically the same process as described in the above section of calling a pastor. The
         major importance in the process, is being open in communicating with the church what 
         that process will be. Most problems which arise in calling staff members is caused by a 
         lack of open communication. The rule should be regarding most things relating to polity

Sec 2. Who Are We Southern Baptists

 During the drive towards Independence, Baptists played a vital role as lovers of liberty.  They were patriots in every sense of the word.  After the War of Independence, Baptist John Hart, of New Jersey, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and represented New Jersey in the First Continental Congress in 1774, and was three times elected as Speaker of the House of Assembly for New Jersey.  John Leland, a Baptist from Virginia, was elected in 1788 to it’s Convention to ratify or reject the Federal Constitution.  He stepped down from this post only to give place to James Madison, who ratified the Constitution.  It was through Baptists, led by John Leland, the first Amendment which gives Freedom of Religion, was passed.(FN 1)

Having become numerous and forming themselves into local associations by the early 1800's, Baptists began serious mission work during the expansion westward and in foreign countries.  A need began to rise of a “sending agency” to promote and order missionary activity.  From this need and the need for fellowship and doctrinal issues, Baptists formed the Triennial Convention meeting in Philadelphia in May 1814.  Although, known as the Triennial Convention, because it met every three years, its original name was “The General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States for Foreign Missions.”  One can see the attempt by General Baptists and Particular Baptists to unite in order to better do missions here as well as in other countries.  This new Convention immediately formed “The Baptist Board of Foreign Missions for the United States” and Luther Rice was appointed as its first missionary of the board with his first task of continuing to raise monies for sending missionaries into foreign fields.  Adoniram Judson and his wife [Ann (FN 2)] were appointed next at the same convention, to serve in Burma.(FN 3)  In 1817 mission work began in earnest in America.

Although most Baptists churches formed in the South  during the formative years of the Triennial Convention, were Arminian, beliefs began to change because of the First Baptist Church, Charleston, South Carolina (1683).  This church adopted the Philadelphia Baptist Confession shortly after its formation in 1742, and greatly influenced other Baptists churches in the South, and, the Confession “. . . .became the central statement of faith of thousands of Baptist churches in the century that followed.” (FN 4) 

Peace and advancement was short lived among the brethren and disagreement on several issues began to rise.  Northern Baptist, who were predominantly General Baptists, did not want missionaries to work in the westward movement among whites, but to go only to the Indians.  Baptists of the South, predominantly Regular/Particular Baptists) disagreed with the exclusion of settlers.  The Triennial Convention wanted to spend most of its missionary monies among the Indians and curtail foreign mission work.  Baptists of the South disagreed.  Northern Baptists were generally opposed to slavery.  Baptists of the South were generally slave owners, but many Negro’s were members of churches in the South, and mission work among blacks was a major emphasis of Baptists from the South. (FN 5) Alabama Baptists resolved in their 1844 Associational Meeting, that the Triennial Convention avow slave holders would be equally treated with non-slave holders, to all the privileges and benefits of missionary appointment, whereby the Convention excluded slaveholding as an issue for appointment as missionaries.  Yet, the Board of Foreign Missions of the Triennial Convention, flagrantly disobeyed the decision of the Triennial Convention and gave a negative reply to Baptists of Alabama.  It wasn’t until March 1845 that word of their decision was reached in the South.  The Virginia Foreign Mission Society called for delegates to meet in Augusta, Georgia, to discuss what was the best way to promote Foreign Missions and other interests to Baptists in the South.  This they did for five days, and then formed The Southern Baptist Convention and created the Board of Foreign Mission (now the International Mission Board, or the IMB) and the Domestic Mission Board (now the North American Mission Board, or NAMB).(FN 6)  The following is from the preamble of the constitution this convention adopted.

We, the delegates from Missionary Societies, Churches and other religious bodies of the Baptist Denomination, in various parts of the United States, met in Convention, in the city of Augusta, Georgia, for the purpose of carrying into effect the benevolent intentions of our constituents, by organizing a plan for eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the whole denomination in one sacred effort, for the propagation of the Gospel, . . .(FN 7)

The following September first, S. C. Clopton was appointed as the Foreign Mission Board’s first missionary, appointed to China,(FN 8) beginning what has become the world’s greatest and largest mission enterprise in the world.


 According to the 2008 NAMB report to the SBC, the following report was presented as to the numbers of missionaries Southern Baptists have working in North America.

"NAMB’s missionary count was 5,611 on December 31, 2008. Of this number, 3,739 are missionaries and their spouses operating under various levels of cooperative funding with state conventions and local associations, and another 1,872 are long-term Mission Service Corps missionaries."

"A total of 1,641 high school and college students answered God’s call to summer, sojourner, or semester missions. Semester missionaries made 13,880 gospel presentations resulting in 1,226 professions of faith and 820 rededications. "

"Trained Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers from 42 state conventions spent 118,951 volunteer days and prepared 7,914,391 meals and repaired 12,474 homes/buildings. More than 5,800 new Disaster Relief volunteers were trained in 2008, which brings the total number of trained volunteers to more than 88,800. A total of 3,487 gospel presentations with 448 professions of faith and 61 other decisions were reported."

"World Changers summer mission opportunities saw more than 22,096 participants in 95 projects. PowerPlant, a mission opportunity that mobilizes students in church planting and missions, saw 1,889 participants in 20 projects. Together participants in these ministries made 14,757 presentations of the gospel resulting in 997 recorded professions of faith."

"In 2008, two Strategic Focus Cities emphases: Embrace Baltimore and Vision San Diego, continued to see great results. Embrace Baltimore held 163 evangelistic events and saw 1,267 professions of faith. More than 4,900 volunteers have been mobilized for evangelism from 21 states to help with Embrace Baltimore. Vision San Diego now has 25 church plants in various stages of preparation. More than 6,400 volunteers have served in San Diego."(FN 9)

Doing a count of the above involvement, in 2008, 129,448 Southern Baptists were involved in some kind of mission work outside their own church.  Their witness resulted in 3,999 decisions for Christ, not including those made through the day to day work of those under appointment with NAMB.  This number does not include the many youth groups and building groups which serve all over North America each summer, and other times in the year.

As of July 27, 2009 Southern Baptist have 5,629 missionaries on foreign soil, starting churches and being involved in other missionary enterprises such as meeting Medical needs, Bible Training, World Hunger, Seminaries, and Missionary Support.  There were also, 5,226 volunteers who served short term assignments in foreign countries.  These missionaries saw 565,967 converts baptized; and, 26,970 new churches begun.  The converts and churches reflect the totals from 2007, as the 2008 totals had not yet been tallied at the time of the report.(FN 10)

One might surmise from the above information, although not directly stated or found in my research, that a great deal of the reason our Southern Baptist Convention was started arose out of doctrinal differences between the General Baptists and Regular/Particular Baptists.  How a person is saved, will determine what kind of missionary the sending agency will appoint to represent them on the missionary field.  In his book Advance: A History of Southern Baptist Foreign Missions, Dr. Baker J. Cauthen, past president of the then Foreign Mission Board, gives a revisionist history of the Southern Baptist Convention, indicating that Southern Baptists were more Arminian than Calvinistic/Augustinian in belief’s and practice.(FN 11  He said: “Though the Separates talked a Calvinistic theology, they practiced an Arminian theology.”(FN 12)  Dr. Cauthen was giving his opinion which was not arrived from research, but from his own wish and belief system.  He was following the trend set by E. Y. Mullins forty years prior which became the theological agenda of all the other Seminaries the Southern Baptist Convention began, from that point onwards.

Whereas, missions always have been a major function for Baptists joining themselves into associations, the need for fellowship and doctrinal unity, also, have been common denominators.  Associations as early as the Sandy Creek Association, formed in 1758, were begun to “impart stability, regularity, and uniformity to the whole. (FN 13) As early as 1650 in Wales, Particular Baptist saw their responsibility to include control over doctrines and practices of churches which belonged to its fellowship.(FN 14)  At first, these associations included all churches within their colony and later states.  When churches became more numerous, associations were formed in more local and accessible areas, but joining together to form state fellowships which later became state conventions.  Actually, national bodies arose before state bodies, but after 1845, state conventions began playing a vital part of Baptist life. 

Much has been made of the slavery issue.  Regular Baptists, at the time of the Southern Baptist Convention’s beginning, never excluded slaves from being members of their churches, nor did they refuse to send them out as missionaries.  Two former slaves were appointed in 1815 as missionaries to the black people around Richmond, Virginia.  In  1824, they and their families were appointed as foreign missionaries by the Baptist General Convention of the United States (The Triennial Convention) to be the first foreign missionaries appointed from the South to Africa.(FN 15)  When the Southern Baptist Convention formed the Board of Foreign Missions, and on subsequent meetings of this board in May and June, 1845, they assumed responsibility for these families and others, support.(FN 16)

In the Annual, reported by the new Southern Baptist Convention in 1845, it is recorded that this new convention of Baptists began “to promote Foreign and Domestic Missions, and other important objects connected with the Redeemer’s kingdom. . . .”(FN 17)  We must never forget nor slack our pace of involvement in carrying out this aspect of our Convention; rather, we must accentuate it with an Acts 1:8 attitude and participation.  Never let it be said of historical Regular Baptist churches that we do not believe in missions and evangelism.

Some of the early great Southern Baptist Statesmen, Missionaries and Important Persons of our Convention are as follows:


  1. William B. Johnson (1782-1862) was president of the South Carolina convention, who proposed a new convention in the spring of 1845.  He was elected the first President of the Southern Baptist Convention.
  2. John Lewis (1814-1863) and Henrietta Hall (1814-1844) Shuck were the first Baptist missionary to China appointed by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845.
  3. Lott Cary (1780-1828), a freed slave, appointed to Liberia in 1821 by the Triennial Convention.  Support was assumed by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845.
  4. James P. Boyce, guiding spirit of the founding of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1859 and its first President.(FN 18)
  5. John Albert Broadus (1827-1895), Southern Baptist denominational leader and one of Southern Seminary’s founders and professor.
  6. Benajah Harvey Carroll (1843-1914), pastor First Baptist Church, Waco, Texas and professor of theology at Baylor for 32 years.  He was the organizer of Southwestern Baptist Seminary which started at Baylor University, and later moved to Fort Worth, Texas around 1910.
  7. Annie Armstrong (1850-1912), one of the founders of Woman’s Missionary Union and its first corresponding secretary, and is the name sake for the their annual Home Missions offering..
  8. Lottie Moon (1840-1912), appointed missionary for forty years to China.  Is the name sake for the Woman’s Missionary Union’s annual Christmas offering for Foreign Missions.
  9. George W. Truett (1867-1944), long time pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas.(FN 19)
Edgar Young Mullins (1860-1928), became President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1899 – 1928.  One of the major reasons he was so influential was because of what he called the Axioms of Religion.  They are:
1. Theological: the holy and loving God has a right to be sovereign;
2. Religious: all men have an equal right of access to God;
3. Ecclesiastical: all believers have a right to equal privilege in the church;
4. Moral: to be responsible, the soul must be free;
5. Religio-civic: a free church in a free state;
6. Social: love your neighbor as yourself.(FN 20 )

Axioms two and four are where those who feel Mullins went wrong and began leading the Southern Baptist Convention down the slippery slope of liberalism.  In turn, all six Southern Baptist Seminaries began giving themselves to his axioms, and for the next fifty plus years liberalism became the theological trend within our Convention.  Remember, the influence of Arminianism was still strong in those early days, and there were those who truly felt they had the right to change the direction the Convention was going.

In 1975, led by a coalition of strong conservatives, our Convention began to turn around.  The strong leaders were: Judge Paul Pressler of Houston; Paige Patterson (1942), then of Criswell Bible Institute and now President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Adrian Rogers  (1931-2005), pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee, and first president elected in 1979 by the conservatives; James T. Draper (1935), then pastor of First Baptist Church, Euless, Texas, and later president of LifeWay (formerly, The Sunday School Board, of SBC); Morris Chapman (1941), then pastor of First Baptist Church, Wichita Falls, Texas.  Now president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and it’s Chief Executive Officer; and a host of others too many to list, but who have contributed greatly to conservative Baptist principles and beliefs.  Yet, Arminianism hangs on.

SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION TODAY

Controversy does seem the way of Baptists.  Yet, it is not because we are Baptists.  Controversy always exists when people have strong feelings about what they believe.  Some of the controversy stems today because of generational ideas.  Young ministers today feel like most young people of today, that they know as much and have as much right as the older leaders to take over and change things the way that suits them.  Change, like that initiated in 1979, becomes expected with little respect for the hard fought battles which have been won.  Many young pastors today want nothing of the Baptist name in their church name.  Many are not following polity upon which our Convention was formed.  Dr. John Bisagno published Inside Information, 2008, where he lists eleven things he says are tearing our Convention apart.(FN 21)  I mention this simply to note that there are differences of opinions within our Convention about which many people feel strongly; and, other differences theologically, in which we should not be differing.  But, until the Lord Jesus comes and gathers us to be home with Him, I’m sure they will be around.  What I wish could be the rule of our Faith, would be that those who want to differ from the historical theological foundation of our Southern Baptist Convention, would either find a denomination that believes as they, or start one just as Southern Baptists did in 1845.

Our Convention today does not look like it did in 1845, structurally.  Then, we had the Board of Foreign Mission(now the International Mission Board, or the IMB) and the Domestic Mission Board (now the North American Mission Board, or NAMB).  Yet, the framers of the Convention stated:

"Article V, . . .The Convention shall elect. . . .as many Boards of managers, as in its judgment will be necessary for carrying out the benevolent objects it may determine to promote, all which boards shall continue in office until a new election. . . . To each Board shall be committed, during the recess of the Convention, the entire management of all the affairs relating to the object with whose interest it shall be charged."(FN 22)

And from that time until now, the Convention has changed to meet the needs of the largest Protestant denomination in the world.

We are a convention of churches.  There is no Southern Baptist Church.  In other words, we are not like any other religious denomination.  Every church is free from all other Baptist entities, and all conventions, associations, and other Baptists bodies are also free.  Free, meaning, no church, convention, association, or other entity can tell any other body what to do.  We voluntarily associate ourselves in order to do greater work for the Kingdom of our Lord.  Freely associating, today our Convention structure is as listed below.


  • The Local Church: Every church is autonomous; that is to say, self-governing.  No higher authority rests upon the local church other than that of the Lord Jesus Christ and His wishes made known through His inspired Word.  Local churches can join themselves into what is known as associations, state conventions, national conventions, and world-wide conventions; yet, they can not be dictated to by these groups.  Many times you will see this pictured with a church building in the center and all other entities radiating outward from it.



  • Baptist Association: Today, the Association exists to aid churches in carrying out the great commission; encouraging the churches in fellowship; disseminating information from the state and national conventions; and many other things that are asked of it by the churches.  Associations are, also, autonomous.



  • State Conventions: From the beginning, state-wide/area conventions played a huge role in the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention.  Today, they are not quite so involved in the process of SBC decision making.  That is because of the autonomous nature of the local churches.  However, state conventions do have great import in the handling of and disseminating of information and monies which are returned to them by agencies of the SBC.  State Conventions are autonomous, also.The Southern Baptist Convention: As with the Association and State Conventions, the whole purpose of the SBC is to aid churches in carrying out its mission of proclaiming the gospel to all the world.  Being by far the largest of the bodies, it aids churches in numerous ways;


  • Executive Committee of the SBC—was begun in 1917, 72 years after the formation of the Convention to enable the Convention to carry out the wishes and decisions of the churches which met in the previous years , in the interim.  The Convention elects the members each year at the annual Convention and they serve as the Convention out of session.

General Boards :


  1. GuideStone Financial Resources: Begun as the Annuity Board in 1918, it was started to assist churches in caring for the retirement needs of ministers.  Today, it provides services to pastors in the area of retirement management, health/life insurance, and other retirement services of SBC employees and pastors.
  2. International Mission Board (IMB)—founded in 1845 it has changed its name several times, but its major purpose is to send missionaries from local churches to overseas missions work.
  3. LifeWay—began in 1891 to meet the needs of the churches with helps in teaching the Bible and in church development material, and leadership training.  It is located in Nashville, Tennessee, where it has undergone several name churches through the years.
  4. North American Mission Board (NAMB)—along with the IMB it was founded in 1845 mainly to aid the starting of churches in the Western frontier and the sending of missionaries from local churches to the American Indians.


Institutions:


  1. Southern Seminary (1859), Louisville, Kentucky, was started to meet the need of educating pastors in practical and theological education.
  2. Southwestern Seminary (1908), Fort Worth, Texas, is the largest of the SBC seminaries and was the first to offer degrees other than in the field of theology.
  3. New Orleans Seminary (1917), New Orleans, Louisiana, was begun to meet the needs of churches in the lower South and to train ministers in reaching the French/Catholics of America.
  4. Golden Gate Seminary (1944), Mill Valley, California, was begun to train pastors in the far West.
  5. Southeastern Seminary (1951) Wake Forest, North Carolina, started to train ministers in the area east of the Smoky Mountains.
  6. Midwestern Seminary (1957), Kansas City, Missouri, the youngest of the SBC seminaries, it was begun to train pastors and ministers in the nation’s Midwest.
  7. Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives created in 1985 to collect historical data for their preservation and today its information is being automated to the world wide web making its acquisitions available to more people and for better use.


Commission:

The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission begun in 1939 as the Public Affairs
        Committee, it now lists its responsibilities as: awakening, informing, energizing,
        equipping, and mobilizing Christians to be the catalysts for the biblically based
        transformation of their families, churches, communities, and the nation.

Associated Organization:
Woman’s Missionary Union begun in 1888, it exists as an auxiliary to the Convention in 
         providing Mission Education and support for both the North American Mission Board and
         International Mission Board.(FN 23) 

As Southern Baptists stay people of the Bible, the appearance of our organization will most likely change.  To some this is good, but to others it is not tolerated so well.  Change in its self is not wrong, nor is it right.  Yet, our Lord is all about change.  He is the great change agent in our lives.  As long as we do not allow the world to change us, we are on safe ground.  If and when we allow the world to sway the Biblical Truths upon which our Faith was begun, then we cease to be what we were and become part of the world’s system of beliefs, attitudes, and actions.  Methods do change, and most are welcomed by younger generations.  Yet, we must not follow the old adage of “the means justify the end” mentality.


OUR BELIEFS

Baptist churches are as different as the people within their membership.  It is very difficult to say what Baptists beliefs really are, because, we do not have a formal catechism.  That is why while in Convention, the majority of churches have said regarding the Baptist Faith and Message, these are our beliefs.  So, we will use this statement of faith as the catalyst for our discussion on our beliefs.

The Baptist Faith and Message was first adopted in 1925 to answer A pervasive anti-supernaturalism in the culture.(FN 24)  Basically, this was the New Hampshire Confession of Faith revised with additions to speak to needs Southern Baptists had at this time.  In 1963 the Convention revised their confession of faith to address the authority and truthfulness of the Bible.  Again, in 1998, the area of the Family was addressed.  In presenting the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message report, which was adopted, it lists five guidelines the Convention in 1924 were given.  The following are given below , because they are important to the principle of the autonomous nature of Baptist bodies, including the local church:


  1. That they constitute a consensus of opinion of some Baptist body, large or small, for the general instruction and guidance of our own people and others concerning those articles of the Christian faith which are most surely held among us.  They are not intended to add anything to the simple conditions of salvation revealed in the New Testament, viz., repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
  2. That we do not regard them as complete statements of our faith, having any quality of finality or infallibility.  As in the past so in the future, Baptists should hold themselves free to revise their statements of faith as may seem to them wise and expedient at any time.
  3. That any group of Baptists, large or small, have the inherent right to draw up for themselves and publish to the world a confession of their faith whenever they may think it advisable to do so.
  4. That the sole authority for faith and practice among Baptists is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.  Confessions are only guides in interpretation, having no authority over the conscience.
  5. That they are statements of religious convictions, drawn from the Scriptures, and are not to be used to hamper freedom of thought or investigation in other realms of life.(FN 25)

In meeting the requests of the 1999 Convention, the Study Committee said: we have been charged to address the “certain needs” of our own generation.  In an age increasingly hostile to Christian truth, our challenge is to express the truth as revealed in Scripture, and to bear witness to Jesus Christ, who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”(FN 26)


The Baptist Faith and Message

Who Are We Southern Baptists










WHO ARE WE SOUTHERN BAPTISTS?









A Short History and Doctrines 
 That Historically Formed Our Beliefs And Practices 










 By Pastor Ron Flurry
2009 











OVERVIEW


  Through these 43 years God has called me to ministry, It has been my observation we as Southern Baptist are not growing more committed to the truths of Scripture Baptists have held, but are allowing them to fade into non-importance in our personal lives as well as our church lives and practices. A marked difference began when churches stopped using Convention published Church Training material. It was in this study, Baptist youth and adults were exposed, on set schedules, to Baptist History, Polity/Organization, Doctrine, Ethics, and Discipleship. Today, the average Southern Baptist does not know why Baptists became who we are, nor do we know what beliefs we hold and why, or how we organize ourselves for the ministry of the Holy Spirit in us. Far less do we even care today if it is ethical or not. We generally follow the axiom of the Israelites in the days of the judges when it is said of them; everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 7:6; 21:25 NKJV). This is not the fault of the people alone, but of pastors and the denomination. Of pastors, because of the lack of Biblical Instruction and in religious history we have as our heritage. Of the denomination, because it seems we are more interested in pleasing all churches of all denominations rather than staying centered upon providing materials that strengthen our beliefs and practices. 

In this study, I will attempt to lay a background in three of the above disciplines that were the five points of Southern Baptist’s curriculum design during the 50's – 80's; namely: Baptist History, Doctrines, and Polity. There are some important words Southern Baptists need to know and understand. Not understanding them, is why we have many of the doctrinal and polity problems in which we are finding ourselves embroiled. 


Glossary 


1. Anabaptist – a large group of people in different countries, of different languages, and different backgrounds who believed a person had not been truly baptized unless they professed a personal faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord. Hence, their name: re-baptizer, for most came out of state churches. Many groups existed, some say, back to John the Baptist. Some of these practiced different forms of baptism.

2. General Baptist – term given to the first Baptists--called "General Baptists" because of their confession of a "general" or unlimited atonement; “holding that the death of Christ made salvation possible for any persons who voluntarily exercise faith in Christ. These churches were Arminian in tendency and held the possibility of falling from grace.”

3. Particular Baptist – “were so-called because they held the Particular Atonement. The Particular view of the atonement is that Christ in His death undertook to save particular individuals, usually referred to as the elect. . . .The majority of early Particular Baptists rejected open membership and open communion.”

4. Arminianism –A theological and political movement which grew in opposition to Calvinism, now called "Arminianism", was founded by Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius and revised and pursued by the Remonstrants. Arminius rejected several tenets of the Calvinist doctrines of salvation — namely, the latter four of what would later be known as the five points of Calvinism. The term "Arminianism" today often serves as an umbrella term for both Arminius's doctrine and the Remonstrants', but Arminius's followers sometimes distinguish themselves as "Reformed Arminians." “The Remonstrants' doctrine was condemned at the Synod of Dort held in Dordrecht, Holland, in 1618/1619, . . . Many Evangelical Christians adopted the position advocated by the Remonstrants, and Arminius's system was revived by evangelist John Wesley and is common today, particularly in Methodism.”

5. Calvinism – “Calvinism (also called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life. . . . Broadly speaking, Calvinism stresses the sovereignty or rule of God in all things — in salvation but also in all of life. . . .Calvinism is sometimes identified with "Augustinianism" because the central issues of Calvinistic soteriology were articulated by St. Augustine in his dispute with the British monk Pelagius. In contrast to the free-will position advocated by Charles Finney and other dissenters, Calvinism places strong emphasis on both the abiding goodness of the original creation and the total ruin of human accomplishments and the frustration of the whole creation caused by sin. It therefore views salvation as a new work of creation by God, rather than an achievement of those who are saved from sin and death.”

6. Augustinianism – biblical belief’s formulated by Augustin of Hippo (354-430). “Augustinianism holds that, after the Fall, mankind is unable to not sin. In other words, due to the corruption of human nature in the Fall, one's will is not free, but rather a slave to sin. As such, every person is born sinful and justly under the condemnation of God. In order for a person to be delivered from this dreadful state (i.e. saved), God must intervene. This view of the natural state of humanity is often referred to as the doctrine of total depravity. Grace also plays a significant role in Augustinianism. The grace of God is free, necessary, and comes before any righteous act of the sinner. Grace is usually also said to be irresistible and effectual in the sense that all who are given such grace will surely come to faith in Christ. Furthermore, Augustinianism has a distinct view of predestination. Grace is given to those whom God has predestined before the earth began, and is not based on the foreknowledge of God. The predestination in a fully Augustinian system is without any merit in the sinner themselves.”

7. Pelagianism – “Pelagianism views humanity as basically good and morally unaffected by the Fall. It denies the imputation of Adam's sin, original sin, total depravity, and substitutionary atonement. It simultaneously views man as fundamentally good and in possession of libertarian free will. With regards to salvation, it teaches that man has the ability in and of himself (apart from divine aid) to obey God and earn eternal salvation. Pelagianism is overwhelmingly incompatible with the Bible and was historically opposed by Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo, leading to its condemnation as a heresy at Council of Carthage in 418 A.D. These condemnations were summarily ratified at the Council of Ephesus (A.D. 431). . . .Pelagius was a monk from Britain, whose reputation and theology came into prominence after he went to Rome sometime in the 380's A.D.”

8. Autonomous – The right of an organization or institution to govern itself. It makes its own rules, and carries out its own missions. With a church, it means that no other ecclesiastical body has the right to rule on its behalf or to make decisions for it.

9. Baptist Polity – The word polity comes from the Latin politia which carries overtones of a form of government. The root word in Latin is politus meaning polite. Politia is, also, the Latin word for police. Combining them gives the idea that one’s (or a groups) polity is a self-governing and self-policing of the way they take care of business with politeness toward one-another.  When we combine the word Baptist and Polity, we describe a specific belief system with the idea of being a self-governing group of people who govern and police their beliefs in a Godly and Christian manner.


Historical Beliefs

There have been some through the centuries who have endeavored to link Baptists all the way back to John the Baptist through baptismal records found in the Early Church Fathers until today. They make much about the linage ignoring what some of the groups believed. Such was the case in the little booklet, The Trail of Blood. Better to trace our belief’s through the Bible and the creeds and statements of faith recorded in history than through baptisms. A clearer statement might be made that we hold to the teachings of the Apostles who got their teachings from the Lord Jesus Christ and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

 One of the major players in our historical beliefs was Augustine of Hippo.

"Urelius Augustinus (354 - 430) is often simply referred to as St. Augustine or Augustine Bishop of Hippo (the ancient name of the modern city of Annaba in Algeria). He is the pre-eminent "Doctor of the Church" according to Roman Catholicism, and is considered by Evangelical Protestants to be in the tradition of the Apostle Paul as the theological fountainhead of the Reformation teaching on salvation and grace." 

"Augustinianism holds that, after the Fall, mankind is unable to not sin. In other words, due to the corruption of human nature in the Fall, one's will is not free, but rather a slave to sin. As such, every person is born sinful and justly under the condemnation of God. In order for a person to be delivered from this dreadful state (i.e. saved), God must intervene. This view of the natural state of humanity is often referred to as the doctrine of total depravity. Grace also plays a significant role in Augustinianism. The grace of God is free, necessary, and comes before any righteous act of the sinner. Grace is usually also said to be irresistible and effectual in the sense that all who are given such grace will surely come to faith in Christ. Furthermore, Augustinianism has a distinct view of predestination. Grace is given to those whom God has predestined before the earth began, and is not based on the foreknowledge of God. The predestination in a fully Augustinian system is without any merit in the sinner themselves." 

 “ 'Pelagius was a monk from Britain, whose reputation and theology came into prominence after he went to Rome sometime in the 380's A.D.' " 'The historic Pelagian theological controversy involved the nature of man and the doctrine of original sin.” He denied Adam’s sin affected those who came after the Fall. Man, he taught, is born in innocence and his nature is as pure as Adam’s at his creation. He was the first to teach that man has a free will to choose to live spiritually good and that the result of his efforts or good works, would be saved by the free will of choosing to follow the precepts of God.' "

One can immediately see the conflict which arose when Pelagius went to Rome and confronted Augustinian beliefs. 

"Augustine did not deny that man had a will and that he could make choices. But, Augustine recognized that man did not have a free will in moral issues related to God, asserting that the effects of original sin were passed to the children of Adam and Eve and that mankind’s nature was thereby corrupted. Man could choose what he desired, but those desires were influenced by his sinful nature and he was unable to refrain from sinning. 

"Pelagius cleared himself of charges, primarily by hiding his real beliefs; however, at the Council of Carthage in 418 A.D., his teachings were branded as heresy [my emphasis] . The Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D., again condemned Pelagian doctrine and it was banished in the Greek portion of the church. However, in the West, the teachings held on, primarily in Britain and Gaul [France].

The Protestant Reformation often referred to itself as a return to a full-fledged Augustinianism. Luther, Calvin, and other reformers often enlisted the works of Augustine in the defense of their theology. In particular, John Calvin incorporated Augustine's teachings on predestination, sovereign grace, and the depravity of man into his theology. Thus, Calvinism and Augustinianism are sometimes used synonymously."

The major emphases of Arminianism are closely related to Calvinism or Augustinianism. “The Five articles of Remonstrance that Arminius' followers formulated in 1610 state [their] beliefs regarding (I) conditional election, (II) unlimited atonement, (III) total depravity, (IV) total depravity and resistible grace, and (V) possibility of apostasy.” Their core beliefs are summarized by theologian Stephen Ashby:

"Prior to being drawn and enabled, one is unable to believe… able only to resist. Having been drawn and enabled, but prior to regeneration, one is able to believe… able also to resist. After one believes, God then regenerates; one is able to continue believing… able also to resist. Upon resisting to the point of unbelief, one is unable again to believe… able only to resist."

One can understand their theology is close but not biblical from Particular Baptist views. The first point is close but not the same. Both agree man is totally depraved. The second point reveals a small influence of Pelagianism by exercising the fallen will. The third point reveals a lack of understanding of eternal salvation, giving importance in the belief of “falling from grace.” The fourth point is full blown heresy relating to falling from grace into eternal damnation.

Through the years after Pelagius was condemned, his teachings continued to influence European thought. It influenced the Anabaptist, causing much disagreement and divisions. When Arminius began to attack Calvinistic and Augustinian teaching, most of those following him leaned toward including Pelagius’ teaching concerning Free Will, and a works mentality of faith. Denominations which follow the Arminian and Pelagian theology are: Methodists, Free Will Baptists, General Baptists, Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Church of the Nazarene, Seventh-day Adventists, The Salvation Army, Mennonites, Pentecostals, and Charismatics. Many Southern Baptists lean more to this view today than we historically did at the beginning of our formation. Southern Baptists view from the formation of the Convention in 1845, was from the Particular/Augustinian/Calvinistic point of view. We easily ascertain this from the fact of Southern Baptists adopting the New Hampshire Statement of Faith in 1925. (See Appendix A). Also, Southern Baptists expressed Particular Baptists Beliefs when the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was begun. In their Charter, they even state the seriousness of their intent very emphatically.

"When the original charter of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was adopted in 1858 it contained the following statement which continues as a part of the "fundamental laws." "Every professor of the institution shall be a member of a regular Baptist Church; and all persons accepting professorships in this Seminary shall be considered, by such acceptance, as engaging to teach in accordance with, and not contrary to, the Abstract of Principles hereinafter laid down, a departure from which principles on his part shall be grounds for his resignation or removal by the Trustees." (See Appendix B).

Dr. Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Nashville, Tennessee, identifies the institutions fourth president, E. Y. Mullins, with the turn from Calvinistic/Augustinian heritage to an Arminian belief. This taking place in 1921 through 1924. The liberal, Russel Dilday, former president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; dismissed, and now Distinguished Professor at Baylor University, argues that Mohler is wrong in his assessment of Mullins.

"Mohler is part of a growing network of Southern Baptist Calvinists who want the Southern Baptist Convention to return to five-point Calvinism, which they cite as the doctrinal moorings of Southern Seminary's founders and some of the founders of the SBC itself. Southern Seminary founders James Petigru Boyce and John Broadus embraced Calvinism, also known as Reformed theology or "the doctrines of grace." 

"While Mohler wants Southern Baptists to return to the theology of Boyce and Broadus, Southern Baptists largely turned away from this theology for good reason, said Bill Leonard, a Baptist historian who previously taught at Southern Seminary and now is dean of the new divinity school at Wake Forest University. "For one thing, they could not accept the damnation of infants," Leonard said. "They could not accept the idea of election. They rejected the Boyce/Broadus tradition of election and limited atonement. They turned away on the question of limited atonement toward general atonement."

"General atonement is the belief that Christ's death on the cross was effective for all who would believe in him for salvation, with the implication that all people have equal opportunity to accept or reject Christ. Limited atonement is the belief that Christ's death on the cross was effective only for the elect, those predestined to salvation."

"Leonard said Mohler is guilty of buying into a "fallacy of Baptist origins." "There is an idea that there is one kind of Baptist history, one kind of Baptist identity and if we can find it, we can be real Baptists," Leonard explained. "The moderates have that same fallacy at times, as do the conservatives. "Historians have to keep reminding Baptists that they are the only post-Reformation people who began at both ends of the theological spectrum," he added. "This idea that there's one kind of Baptist and I know which kind it is, is to miss the point of the whole Baptist identity."

"While Mohler makes much of the presumed change in direction at Southern Seminary from Broadus to Mullins, "the only true progression you see between Broadus and Mullins is the de-emphasis on Calvinism," Lefever said. This change was in keeping with the changing view of Baptists at the time, he added."

"During Mullins' tenure at Southern, Texas Baptists founded Southwestern Seminary, with B.H. Carroll as president. Carroll was a "modified Calvinist," Lefever said, who was followed in the presidency by L.R. Scarborough, a "whosoever will may come" evangelist."

"To suggest that Mullins opened the door to theological liberalism among Southern Baptists would be an "unfortunate misrepresentation," added Dilday, who wrote his doctoral dissertation on Mullins. "This man spoke an orthodox Baptist view at a time when it was being questioned," he continued. "To attack this man whom, at his death, George Truett and others said was one of the greatest men who ever lived, is a cheap shot. Mullins probably was the most important Baptist apologist of the century." Mullins must be understood in the context in which he lived and worked, Leonard said. "He was trying to come to terms with a changing world post-slavery, post-industrial revolution and new science."

"You can fault Mullins if you want to for no longer being helpful in a postmodern context, but had we continued in the Boyce/Broadus tradition, we would have remained a racist Southern sect. Mullins, for better or worse, was trying to get away from that."

"Curtis Freeman, professor of Christianity at Houston Baptist University and a sometimes critic of Mullins himself, agreed with Leonard's point. "As we assess the Mullins legacy, we may well find that soul competency has too much rugged individualism in it to reach a lonely postmodern culture of moral strangers," Freeman said. "Here we may find help in the 16th and 17th century Anabaptists and Baptists who emphasized the responsibility of each believer's priesthood within a community of disciples. "However, I am not persuaded that going 'back to the future' with the (Calvinistic) orthodoxy of Boyce and the Princeton theology which birthed it offers a viable approach of relating the gospel to our culture," he said. "It is too male, too rationalistic and too authoritarian."

I give the following quote as an answer to Dr. Dilday’s opinion. It is from an address given by Dr. Malcolm B. Yarnell, III, Dean of the Faculty of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, April 21, 2002. Dr. Yarnell speaks about himself and Dr. R. Stanton Norman, a Ph.D. graduate of Southwestern Seminary and now a professor at New Orleans Seminary: 

"Stan and I, in different places but at the same time, tried to make sense out of the present turmoil and came to a radically similar conclusion about the Baptist theological heritage. At Southwestern, Dr. Norman immersed himself in the historic documents of the Southern Baptist theological heritage. While in Oxford University, I immersed myself in the most ancient documents of the Baptist tradition at the Bodleian and in the Angus Library at Regent’s Park College, and dipped somewhat into the modern Southern Baptist theological heritage. We both concluded that there are actually two traditions upon which Southern Baptists are building. I called proponents of the one tradition “Christocentric churchmen” and disciples of the other tradition “anthropocentric individualists.” Norman entitled them “the Reformation tradition” and “the Enlightenment tradition.” Both of us agreed that the one tradition began in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries while the other began in the twentieth century with E.Y. Mullins.1 [He is quoting from the following book: R. Stanton Norman, More Than Just a Name: Preserving Our Baptist Identity. (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2001), pp. 41-43; Malcolm B. Yarnell, III, “Changing Baptist Concepts of Royal Priesthood: John Smyth and Edgar Young Mullins,” The Rise of the Laity in Evangelical Protestantism. (London: Routledge, 2002), pp. 236-52.] I believe the divide that exists among Baptists today can be traced to whether a person gives priority to one tradition or the other. I also believe that if the latter tradition ultimately prevails Baptists will become less Baptistic over time; if the most radical followers of Mullins, the neo-Baptists, prevail, then Baptists will inevitably lose their doctrinal integrity and denominational vitality (Bold emphasis mine)."  (See Appendix C).



HISTORY OF BAPTISTS

 Baptists are believers with a great heritage. We came to America on the Mayflower in December 1620, and some have said Baptists were here before 1607; as a Baptist Church claims they were the first Baptist church in America. Historical records show a Baptist church constituted in 1639 and another in 1644. These early Baptists were still being called Anabaptists, a term of derision because of the practice of re-baptizing people who had been baptized as infants.

Anabaptists were people who believed strongly the need for a personal experience of salvation by faith and that it was not possible to be saved by declaration of a church. Historical evidence shows these early Baptists were never part of the Catholic Church, therefore, never being dissenters, but true followers of apostolic beliefs and practices. There was much hope and gladness for the Anabaptists from every country in Europe, when Martin Luther inaugurated the Reformation which began on October 1517, when he nailed his Ninety-five Thesis upon the door of Castle Church, Wittenberg, Germany.

Anabaptists formed several arms or branches because of strong leaders. One led by Meno Simons, became known as the Mennonites. Modern Mennonites do not follow their namesakes practices or teachings. Anabaptists all over Europe, from earliest times, were persecuted and martyred by both the Catholics and Protestants because they believed baptism was biblical only if practiced after one’s personal salvation experience. This slapped all Catholics and Protestants in the face for practicing infant baptism and angered these state religions to classify all Anabaptists as heretics worthy of death. Churches which believed and practiced biblical life much the same as us today, were to be found in England as early as the third century. Always remember, alongside of state churches, such as the Church of England and Catholic churches, were churches who were independent and biblical in practice and belief. These state churches persecuted the Anabaptists until well in the seventeenth century. By 1607, the nickname had stuck and like the first believers in Antioch were call “Christians or little-Christs,” those who held to a birth of regeneration by personal faith in Jesus Christ, began calling themselves, not Anabaptists (re-baptizers), but Baptists with pride for their peculiar faith and practice. The first organized church in England calling themselves Baptists was founded by John Smyth in 1607 in Amsterdam, Holland. Their earliest practice was Arminian in doctrine.

 Following Smyth’s ways until he broke with his own group and attempted to join the Mennonites, was Thomas Helwys. Falling out with Smyth, he returned to England in 16ll or 1612 and began the first Baptist Church on English soil. They became known as General Baptists, holding an Arminian view which included the belief of general or unlimited atonement. His form of baptism was by pouring.

On September 12, 1633, the first Particular Baptist Church was begun. A group of members of an Independent Episcopal Church in Wapping, London, asked their church to be dismissed because they did not believe in infant baptism. Because this Episcopal Church held to a belief of the “principle of conscience,” they granted them leave and the group formed the first Particular Baptist Church (The belief in God’s complete sovereignty, especially in the area of salvation. One is saved only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ; faith which itself is given to man by God from God). We know this church practiced immersion as the only mode of baptism, for a group of their members disagreed with this practice and withdrew to form a separate arm called Devonshire Square church in 1640. The leader of Particular Baptists the rest of the seventeenth century was Cambridge educated but left the Episcopal church and formed a Baptist church in Kent, England in 1644. His name was Frances Cornwell. By 1650, there were forty-six Baptist churches in the London area, one being over three thousand in membership, and formed themselves into what must have been the first association of Baptists. Correspondence indicates Particular Baptist churches were strong in other areas of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales at this time.

During this same time, England revolted from the King and formed their Parliament. Many of the ranking officers in Cromwell’s army were Baptists. After the victory, Cromwell began persecuting and killing people who would not practice the state religion. Over 8,000 Baptists were put to death because they would not give up their practice of baptizing only believers by immersion, and not infants. It was in this period of time religious liberty was hungered and sought, and why many of those who came over on the Mayflower were persecuted Baptists looking for freedom to not only worship, but to openly win people to the Lord Jesus Christ.

With Baptist principles being found in New England and the colonies, one would think a new day had arrived. The truth is different. As Baptists were persecuted in England, they, also, were in most areas here. In fact, there were many Baptists put to death in America for not following the State Churches. Only in Rhode Island, were Baptists free to practice their principles of faith. Roger Williams founded this state and preached and practiced these principles. Many of the first Baptist leaders were Welsh, and it is from them we have much of our history and principles. Churches sprang up in all the colonies, but were strongest in North and South Carolina, New York, and Virginia. Baptists left the Massachusetts colony for these other areas because they were beaten, shamed, and killed for their beliefs and practices. One of the things we must never forget is that many people have suffered greatly, even with their lives, for the freedom to believe and practice our faith as Baptists. As English Baptists found need to form their churches into associations, so was true in young America. One of the first to be formed, if not first, was in 1765 at Portsmouth, Virginia. It was called The Kehukee Association. These churches were Regular (Particular) Baptists. By 1780, Baptists were numerous and outnumbered most other denominations in many cities across the nation, especially the South