Cheryl Warren & Susie Johnson 1

The Baptist Church

The Baptist Church

In researching the Baptist church, we discovered that the Baptist denomination

has varying sects with different practices. Different divisions of the Baptist church may
share basic core beliefs with at least one belief that would separate that sect from the
mainstream beliefs and practices but some may claim a different origin. The following
outlines brief origins of some of the earliest Baptist divisions: the General Baptist,
Particular Baptist and American Baptist. We will look at how the Baptist churches
beliefs reflect their commitment to the Bible but their practices are contradictory to the
whole intent of God‟s word. In our conclusion we attempt to determine if the Baptist
Church is a true Christian church or another man-made religious organization.

Origins

Not commonly used until 1641, the name Baptist originated in Germany and
derived from the name Anabaptist. The Anabaptist was a group of “mostly God-fearing”
people who gave their lives and fortunes for the sake of Christ, most became Mennonites,
Amish and Quakers. Different sects of the Baptist Church claim different origins; the
bible-truth website says, “John the Baptist was the founder of the Baptist movement and
was the first Baptist.” The Reform Reader website claims that, “the Baptists were the
original Christians” and says, “Christian history in the First century, was strictly and
properly Baptist history.” There are different Baptist denominations with named
founders and varying beliefs. A few of these Baptist denominations started as follows:

1606 – John Smyth, an ordained bishop in the Church of England, came to believe that
1609 the doctrines and practices of the Church of England were not Biblical so he
resigned and left the church. In 1608 – John Smyth wanted to base the church on
Biblical New Testament truths stressing water baptism of adults, professing faith
in Jesus Christ. The Anglican Church persecuted those who did not
agree with its authority, so John led a group of separatist fleeing England to
Amsterdam, Holland, and started the first known Baptist congregation. In 1609,
they became the General Baptist, believing that anyone who puts their faith in
Christ can be saved. Smyth wanted to merge his congregation with Mennonites,
a protestant group emphasizing adult baptism, pacifism and rejecting church
organization.
1612 – Thomas Helwys, also a founder of the General Baptist church, did not agree with
the merger and led the remaining members back to England.
1616 – Henry Jacob, a non-separatist, led a group of Puritans in England with a Calvinist
theology to form a congregational church and began a movement that eventually
became the Particular Baptist. They believed that one must believe in God and
that God has already chosen those who will believe and be saved. They also
believed in limited atonement meaning only the elect could be saved.
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The Baptist Church

Religious and civil disturbances continued in England not only by the Anglicans
but also by Puritans who separated from the Church of England and developed a strong
presence. With the awareness of North America, groups of separatist from Smyth‟s
General Baptist influence along with persons with puritan and Calvinistic views,
influence by the Particular Baptist, crossed the Atlantic to build the „New World‟. The
religion facts website says, “Both groups had members who sailed to America as pilgrims
to avoid religious persecution in England and Europe and who started Baptist Churches
in the early colonies. Baptist churches were established in the American colonies from
the mid-17th century.” In 1634 – Rodger Williams founded the first American Baptist
church in Providence, Road Island. American Baptist beliefs moved toward General
Baptist views. In 1773 George Liele, a plantation slave preacher, founded the first Black
Baptist Church in Silver Bluff, South Carolina, which included enslaved and free blacks.

Beliefs

The Baptist church like many other denominations has core beliefs that resemble
even the Church of Christ. These beliefs vary from practicing the presence of God daily,
worshiping God in spirit and in truth, being a doer of God‟s word and not a hearer only to
living each day as an act of worship. The Baptist basic doctrine includes the belief that
the Bible is God‟s inspired word, God is the sovereign creator of the universe, the trinity,
Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary and died upon the cross for the sins of the
world, was buried and rose and that man can only be reconciled to God through Christ.
Having a belief system is necessary but does not determine your Christianity if your
practices are a direct violation of God‟s word.

Practices

Some of the common Baptist Church practices that contradict Christianity are:
 Observance of the Sabbath - Baptist call Sunday the Sabbath day - if we were
commanded to observe this Israelite holy day (which we are not) we would have
to observe it on Saturday. (Exodus 20: 9-10) the day of particular significance for
Christians, is the Lord‟s day or the first day of the week. ( Revelations 1:10, Acts
20:7)
 Frequency and access of the Lord’s Supper – Among Baptist the frequency of
the Lords supper varies, it may be once a year, twice a year, quarterly or once a
month. The Baptist has no scriptural directions for this decision. Their decisions
come from, Edward T. Hiscox, The Standard Manual for the Baptist Churches.
The Baptist argues that the Lord‟s Supper becomes too common place if taken
each Lord‟s Day. To follow that logic consistently would rule out – (1) coming
together each first day of the week, for worship, (2) a collection being taken each
first day of the week, (3) and preaching the word on that day. (Act 20: 7) The
Baptist believes in closed communion, they decide who has communion and who
does not have communion. It should be remembered that only those who belong
to Christ have the privilege of receiving the feast. No man or religious group has
the right or ability to judge who is worthy to partake of the Lord‟s supper. (any
more than to vote on the salvation of another) (matt. 26:29, 1st Corinthians :28)
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The Baptist Church

Communion is an individual act of worship between the individual and Jesus

Christ.
 Giving – The Baptist practice tithing, collections taken too frequently and various
forms of solicitation. Baptist teaches and practices the tithing of Judaism instead
of the freewill offering of the new convent of Christ. (1st Corth 16:2, 2 Corth 9:7)
The frequency of the free will offering should be the same as the Lords supper,
the first day of the week, not every time we feel like “passing the hat.” Only
Christians are commanded to give. Churches of the Lord do not beg businessmen
for money or ask listeners of a broadcast to support their work.
 Mechanical instruments – The Baptist use mechanical instruments in worship,
this has occurred more over time. The New Testament contains no authority for
worshipping God by playing of a mechanical instrument. The New Testament
gives nine passages that the church is to worship in song. (Matt 26:30, Act 16;25,
Rom 15:9, 1 corth 14:15, James 5:13, Eph 5;19, col 3:16, heb 2:12 & 13:15) The
instrument that God commands we use in worship to him is not a mechanical one,
it is the heart. (eph 5:19, col 3:16)

Conclusion

In reading God‟s word, we will find what his true church looks like and by
studying different churches; we can distinguish if a church patterns its beliefs and
practices after the New Testament church. There is only one savior, one faith, one
baptism and one church, In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said, “upon this rock I will build my
church” Jesus is the foundation that the one true church was established. Acts 4:12 says,
“Salvation is found in no one else, (Christ Jesus) for there is no other name under heaven
given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
The belief that John the Baptist was founder of the Baptist church and that it is the
one true church cannot be true because God called John the Baptist as a forerunner to
Jesus of Nazareth. He baptized the baptism of forgiveness (Matt 3:2) to the Jews who
were preparing for the coming Messiah and the Kingdom God had promised. The
beheading of John the Baptist was before the establishment of the New Testament
church, so he could not have been the founder. In Acts 19: 1-5 Paul found disciples that
never received the Holy Spirit because John the Baptist had only baptized them. In Acts
19:4 Paul says, “John‟s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to
believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” Verse 5 reads, “When they heard
this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Churches did not call themselves
Baptist until centuries after the apostolic age, started by men whose doctrines did not
follow the New Testament church. Matthew 15:9 says, “They worship me in vain; their
teachings are merely human rules.”

The contradiction of the Baptist stated beliefs and what they practice reveal that
the worship practices of the Baptist Church mark it as a man-made religious organization
that does not belong to Christ. (Matt 15:8-9, 13) It should be quite clear that the beliefs of
the Baptist churches and many other denominational groups may very closely reflect the
beliefs we have as Church of Christ members. This said, there is something very wrong
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The Baptist Church

with trying to justify non-Biblical practices in a religious setting by depending on one or

more scriptures taken out of context or applying man-made rules. The old adage “practice
what you preach” applies to the way man manipulates and deceives other men in the
name of God. The history, beliefs and practices of a Bible-based worship experience
should be in alignment and consistent with God‟s word.

Sources:
Bible
http://www.ReformedReader.org/timeline.htm.
http://bible-truth.org/BaptistHistory.htm.
http://www.truthmagazine.com/archives/volume27/Got027058.html
http://www.ovbc.net/sermon/sacrafice-part-2-something-that-cost-me-nothing/
http://www.wakecrossroads.com/content_page.php?objectID=50