Article - Baptist and the Bible
Jesus made it very clear that He wants His believers to be one as He and the Father are one (John 17:20-23). Paul said that believers are to speak the same thing and be perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment (1 Corinthians 1:10). Two cannot walk together unless they are agreed (Amos 3:3). Since this is God’s will, for the sake of love and truth, I beg those who adhere to the doctrines of the Baptist denomination to take seriously the following discrepancies: (1) Distinguishing Name of Members. the Baptist teaches “Baptist”; the Bible teaches “Christians, saints, brethren, etc.” (1 Peter 4:16; Colossians 1:2). Solution: Drop the name “Baptist” (as a member and as a denomination) and wear Biblical names only; (2) Overseers of the Local Church: the Baptist teaches “Pastor (singular, preacher) and Board of Deacons”; the Bible teaches “bishops” (plural, Latin term for “overseers”; “pastors” is also a Latin term for “shepherds”; both terms refer to “elders”), Acts 20:17, 28; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9 (evangelists/preachers and pastors/elders are two different functions, Ephesians 4:11). Solution: No longer call the preacher “pastor” or allow him or the deacons to oversee the church AND immediately appoint elders (plural) according to the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; (3) Plan of Salvation (obtaining salvation through Jesus’ saving blood, 1 Thessalonians 5:9): the traditional Baptist teaches “repent and believe”, the contemporary Baptist teaches “faith only/sinner’s prayer”; the Bible teaches “Hear the gospel, believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, confess Jesus as Lord and be baptized into Christ to be saved” (Acts 2:38; 17:30; 18:8; 22:16; Romans 6:3-6; 10:9-10, 17). The Baptist teaches, “He who believes and is saved will be baptized”; the Bible teaches, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). Solution: Obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9) including being baptized for the right reason, that is, having faith that Jesus is washing away your sins while you are being baptized scripturally (not to show that you were already saved or so that you can join the Baptist Church, as you were falsely taught; Acts 19:1-5; 22:16; Colossians 2:11-12).
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