historical Baptist theology

[Psalms18_28]

What is historical Baptist theology? I never read about it. When I join a church or boards, I read their statement of beliefs first.

[kevinmiller]

I'm curious about that myself since Jerry said that is his basis for separation.

[Jerry]

Historical Baptist theology would include the fundamentals of the faith, as well as the Baptist Distinctives. Someone has described them using this acrostic:

Bible the sole authority for faith and practice.
Autonomy of the local church.
Priesthood of the believer.
Two offices in the local church: pastors and deacons.
Individual soul liberty.
Saved, then baptized for church membership.
Two ORDINANCES (not sacraments) in the local church: believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper.
Separation of church and state.

There are some denominations that have believe some of these - Baptists (historically) are the only ones who believe all of them. I use the term historically because we would agree that there are Baptists out there that no longer stand where Baptists in the past have stood. I am not defending any and all Baptists - but historical Baptist theology.

[Guest Guest]

Hmmm... the last S in the BAPTISTS acrostic stood for "Separation: ecclesiastical and individual" when I heard it. I guess there are slightly different variations of that acrostic. :wink

[Sojourner]

What Psalms 18 may be referring to (I'm not positive) is Historic Baptist doctrine, which might be a bit different from what Jerry gave. I think Historic Baptists usually tend to be Calvinistic in their doctrine. This quote from Spurgeon kind of sums up where they stand.....

"We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians. We did not commence our existence at the reformation, we were reformers before Luther and Calvin were born; we never came from the Church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the apostles themselves. We have always existed from the days of Christ, and our principles, sometimes veiled and forgotten, like a river which may travel under ground for a little season, have always had honest and holy adherents. Persecuted alike by Romanists and Protestants of almost every sect, yet there has never existed a Government holding Baptist principles which persecuted others; nor, I believe, any body of Baptists ever held it to be right to put the consciences of others under the control of man..."

http://www.geocities.com/hbdoctrine/

[Psalms18_28]

I wanted to know what Jerry meant because he mentioned it several times and I have no idea what it is.

But yes, you can share yours too.

[Sojourner]

I wanted to know what Jerry meant because he mentioned it several times and I have no idea what it is.

But yes, you can share yours too.

I see that now.....I should have read the other threads first where Jerry used the term. Sorry about that. :ooops

[Psalms18_28]

don't be, you didn't know I tried googling it and got nowhere except the Calvinist type. I knew Jerry wasn't a Calvinist so that's why I asked in this board.

[Jerry]

I don't believe history bears out that most of the Baptists in the last 450+ (since Calvin) years were Calvinists. I know in America, there are 2 types of Baptists (General and another, unfortunately I cannot think of the name right now), but that only shows us where some Baptists have been the last 200-300 years (in America).

[Guest Guest]

"Primitive" Baptists are Calvinistic. Don't know if that is what you were looking for Jerry.

Some of us like myself believe the "Baptist Distinctives" yet that does not make me a traditional FUNDAMENTAL Baptist, although I am Independent.

[Jerry]

WHy are you so rabid anti-Baptist? Yet you visit a Baptist message board... :roll

[Guest Guest]

I'm not anti-Baptist. I'm very much Baptist...Independent Baptist. Independent means that our church doesn't answer to yours or yours to ours etc. I already stated I believed the Baptist distinctives. It's the "fundamental" part that I sometimes, not all the time, have a problem with.

My husband and I will be attending a Catholic wedding in May...that doesn't make us Catholic just because we went there, any more than it makes the people getting married Baptist because they came to the Baptist church to our wedding...so, I can be anti-Catholic and still go to a Catholic wedding, just like I could visit a Baptist messageboard and be anti-Baptist, although you can't say I'm anti-Baptist because I go to a Baptist church and we are Baptist.

[Psalms18_28]

Does your catholic friend have to be friends with you and still put up your anti-catholic remarks? I feel sorry for them to have such friends if they do.

[Guest Guest]

Who said that I make anti-Catholic remarks to him? Why pretend you even know anything about my life?

[Psalms18_28]

you do it to us.... So I asked.