What It Means To Be A Baptist 4 - View From Outside

Even when I was very young, the meaning of being a Baptist was important to me. As fate would have it, it was an important issue for my family. The next few posts contain some basic information on Baptists and some personal thoughts. These are my notes and thoughts; some things I do not want to forget.

Hebrews 4
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

For amusement or perspective or edification, here are some descriptive comments describing Baptists, from some writers who write about denominations:

Handbook of Denominations, p. 49, Mead: A third-generation Reformation development that appeared in England about 1610, this devout group wanted to take Protestantism "to its logical conclusion." Convinced that Puritanism needed still further reform, Baptists began to teach that only self-professed believers were eligible for membership in the church and thus that the church is properly made up of only regenerated people. Intensely biblical, Baptists have been evangelistic, helping found the modern missionary movement, and have held high standards for membership, often requiring notable conversion experience and usually emphasizing purity in personal life and habits.

Great Churches of America, Kenneth J. Holland: Among the Baptist's many refreshing qualities is their love for the Bible, to them the only authoritative, inspired source of religious truth and knowledge. To that source they look in all matters relating to doctrine, to policy, to ordinances, to worship, and to Christian living. They hold that the Bible is for all, and that the right of private and individual interpretation is an inalienable right. They have no doctrinal formulas to supplement the Bible. In keeping with their "Bible only" stand, they reject the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and all others. For them the Bible is final. They seek its real message by careful, wise, sympathetic, and patient toil under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Baptists adhere to the Biblical method of baptism--immersion. Men, they claim, have no authority to change the manner in which this ordinance was celebrated. To do so is to disobey the Lord and to forsake the truths which are symbolized. [Baptists are reluctant to] accept into full fellowship those who have not been immersed grows out of the fact that the very genius of their people is found in their emphasis upon the regenerate church membership. Baptism, they feel, should be only for those who are able and willing to make a personal confession of faith; this infants are excluded.

George Bancroft, American Historian: Freedom of conscience, unlimited freedom of mind, was from the first the trophy of the Baptists.

John Lock: The Baptists were the first propounders of absolute liberty, just and true liberty, equal and impartial liberty.

Those are some pretty interesting insights, from men who are evidently not Baptists. It is possible that you can come to know yourself better if you know what others think of you. It is also possible that you may be better able to contend for the faith if you know what others think of you.

Jude
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.