Baptist beliefs

The beliefs of Baptist churches are not completely consistent from one Baptist church to another. Baptists do not have a central governing authority, unlike most other denominations.

However, Baptists do hold some common beliefs among almost all Baptist churches. Baptists share Christian beliefs with most other moderate or conservative Christian denominations. These would include beliefs about one God, the virgin birth, the impeccability, miracles, vicarious atoning death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Christ, the need for salvation (though the understanding of means for achieving it may differ at times), divine grace, the Church, the Kingdom of God, last things (Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge everyone in righteousness), evangelism and missions.

Overview

The following acrostic acronym, spelling BAPTISTS, summarizes Baptists' distinguishing beliefs:^[1]

• Biblical authority (Mat 24:35; 1Pet 1:23; 2Tim 3:16-17)
• Autonomy of the local church (Mat 18:15-17; 1Cor 6:1-3)
• Priesthood of all believers (1Pet 2:5-9; 1Tim 5)
• Two ordinances (believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper) (Acts 2:41-47; 1Cor 11:23-32)
• Individual soul liberty (Rom 14:5-12)
• Saved and Baptized church membership Act 2:41–47 1Cor 12:12 2Cor 6:14 Eph 4:3
• Two offices of the church (pastor and deacon) (1Tim 3:1-13; Tit 1-2)
• Separation of Church and State (Mat 22:15-22)

Practices

Baptists practice believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper (communion) as the two acts of faith-obedience to the example and commands given by Christ for Christians.Most Baptists call them "ordinances" (meaning "obedience to a command that Christ has given us")^[2] instead of "sacraments" (activities God uses to impart salvation or a means of grace to the participant). Therefore, historic Baptist theology considers that no saving grace is conveyed by either ordinance and that original sin is not washed away in baptism. Baptists have traditionally believed that they are symbols.

Some Primitive Baptists also practice foot washing as an ordinance,^[3][4][5] which would not fit the 8-letter extra-Biblical acronym featuring 'two ordinances'.

See also

• Baptists in the history of separation of church and state
• List of Baptist Confessions

References

1. Cummins, David L. This Day in Baptist History 2. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2000.
2. Sacrament versus Ordinance - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)
3. Crowley, John (1998). Primitive Baptists of the Winegrass South 1815-present. University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-1640-1. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
4. Cassada, Mary Eva (June 8, 1991). "'Primitive' rituals are few, simple". The Free Lance-Star. Associated Press. p. 12. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
5. Eisenstadt, Todd (August 21, 1987). "Baptist Group Looks To The Old, New". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2012-05-24.