A Christian is anyone who believes in and follows the teachings of Jesus Christ. Technically, I am a Fundamental Independent Baptist. I'm not going to get into the origin and history of the Baptist denomination. I am simply going to explain to you, on a basic level, what the Baptists stand for in a simple acronym that was taught to me.
B-Biblical Authority
A-Autonomy of the Local Church
P-Priesthood of the Believer
T-Two Ordinances
I-Individual Soul Liberty
S-Saved, Baptized Church Membership
T-Two Offices in the Church
S-Separation of Church and State
B stands for Biblical Authority!
I feel as if I am writing for Sesame Street or some other children show. This basically means that everything we believe, including the acronym and on, is rooted in the Bible. We hold the Bible to be absolute truth and the only source of absolute truth, and therefore any belief without Biblical evidence to back up said belief should be disregarded.
Autonomy is not the anatomy of motor vehicles
Autonomy is the right or condition of self-government. This means that, unlike other denominations, the local church has the right to govern themselves or do whatever they want. This is different from the Southern Baptists. Unlike them, Independent Baptists have no group or council ruling over them telling them what they have to believe or how they have to do things. That is why you can find such a wide variety among Baptist churches.
Priesthood, but not the Catholic thing
In the Bible days before the death of Jesus Christ, only the priests could perform the sacrifices required of God's people, and only the high priests were aloud to enter the Holy of Holies, or, the Presence of God. After Christ's death, he spanned the gap that separated us from God and became a mediator for us, or in other words, a direct line to God. Unlike the Catholic faith, where there are a few priests, every believer is a priest and has the right and ability to come into God's presence (via prayer), eliminating the need for a priest like that in the Catholic church. Everyone has equal access to God.
A Tale of Two Ordinaces
An ordinance is a prescribed practice or ceremony, kind of like a formal tradition. The Baptist church has two ordinances that it recognizes: baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is merely a submersion in water in recognition of your relationship with Christ. Being baptized does nothing for you spiritually; it is only an outward symbol to tell others that you have accepted Christ into your heart. The Lord's Supper is a time when we eat pieces of bread and cups of grape juice in memory of Christ. It is just a time or ceremony to remember how Jesus died on the cross, and contrary to the Catholic belief of transubstantiation, it is nothing more than bread and grape juice.
Liberty to Believe
Individual Soul Liberty is basically a combination of the autonomy of the church and priesthood of the believer. It basically means you can believe what you want. This is a check against religious persecution. You are not forced to believe a certain way. You can really believe whatever you want, but must have Biblical proof to back you up.
More than your average gym membership
There are two requirements to joining a local Baptist church: you have to be saved, and you have to be baptized. You cannot formally join a Baptist church until both of these requirements are fulfilled. Being saved simply refers the the acceptance of Jesus Christ into your heart and the repentance of your sins. This is the foundation of not only becoming a Baptist, but any type of Christian. This being the most important aspect of the Christian faith (and life, really), there will be a separate post on that subject. Baptism has already been discussed.
Two Tiers of Leadership
There are two positions in the Baptist church that are ordained by God in the Bible: the pastor and deacons. The pastor is the leader of the church. He prepares sermons on a regular basis, disciples the congregation, and is there for the sole purpose of taking care of the spiritual and physical growth of the church. The deacons are a group of people with the responsibility of helping the pastor and church. Being most Baptist churches are different, their responsibilities may vary. The important thing is these are two positions within the local church, not over it. The pastor and deacons are chosen by the congregation, and most of the important decisions within the church are made democratically by the congregation as well.
Quote Tommy J.
We have all heard of Separation of Church and State, but few actually understand what it means. The statement is not even in the Constitution of the United States. It was found in a letter by Thomas Jefferson to a group of Baptist who wrote to him concerned about the new government forming. In England, the country we just gained our independence from, everyone was forced by the reigning monarchy to be part of a singular religious sect: the Church of England. They wanted to be sure that the new government would not institute the same religious persecution they had just escaped. Jefferson reassured them with the separation of church and state, which most people interpret to mean no religion is aloud in the government. On the contrary, it means to keep the state out of the church, not the church out of the state. Here is a link to Jefferson's letter.
https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html
https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html
This is the basic principles of what a Baptist is, the fundamentals that shape what I believe and how I worship. In a future post, I will outline some more specific beliefs I hold about God, life, culture, and other confusing topics. For my fellow Christians, it is important to know what you believe and why you believe it. But remember, he who stands for nothing is bound to fall for anything.
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