1. A STUDY OF THE ORIGINS AND BELIEFS OF THE MAJOR DENOMINATIONS The Baptist Church

2. Their origin is cloudy and the Baptists are divided on the subject. John Smyth organized the first “known” Baptist Church in Holland. The first Baptist Church in England was organized by Thomas Helwys in 1611 and were called General Baptists. The Particular Baptists began baptizing by immersion in 1641. Introduction and History

3. The Baptist Church They suffered many persecutions and were call Anabaptists and Cantabaptists. The Tolerance Act of Parliament passed in 1689 gave them religious liberty. The Baptists in America did not directly descend from their English brethren. American Baptists first organized in RI by Roger Williams and Ezekiel Holliman. Introduction and History

4. The Baptist Church The Scriptures and Creeds The Bible is inspired by God and is perfect. Creeds aren’t authoritative. They prefer to use the word – confessions. It is these confessions that define what a Baptist is and their preferences. What Do Baptist Believe About:

5. The Baptist Church The Scriptures and Creeds What does the Bible say? The Bible should be our only authority and guide. It tells us what God wants from us to be a Christian. Confessions tells us how to be a member of that denomination. We don’t need any book to tell us how to be Christian except the Bible. What Do Baptist Believe About:

6. The Baptist Church God – The Father, Son and Holy Spirit God reveals Himself as three distinct persons. Christ dwells in all believers. At the moment of regeneration the Holy Spirit baptizes every believer into Christ’s body. What Do Baptist Believe About:

7. The Baptist Church God – The Father, Son and Holy Spirit What does the Bible say? The Godhead is made up of three unique personalities. (Matt 3:16-17) Christ dwells in us through faith (Eph 3:17) We are not baptized with the Holy Spirit. Water baptism causes us to be born again. (Acts 22:16; Rom 6:4; I Pet 3:21) What Do Baptist Believe About:

8. The Baptist Church Man Man has free choice. Man is not born with sin but as soon as man is capable of moral action man will sin and become transgressors and are under condemnation. What Do Baptist Believe About:

9. The Baptist Church Salvation Salvation is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Regeneration – the new birth is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin. The sinner responds in repentance towards God and faith in Jesus as Lord. What Do Baptist Believe About:

10. The Baptist Church Justification It is God’s gracious and full acquittal of all who repent and believe in Christ. Sanctification Is the experience by which the believer is set apart for God’s purposes. Glorification Is the final blessed & abiding state of the redeemed. What Do Baptist Believe About:

11. The Baptist Church What does the Bible say? Salvation does not come at the point of belief (James 2:19). Salvation comes when one’s sins are washed away (Acts 22:16). Faith is important (Heb 11:6). But faith alone or faith only is dead (James 2:17) What Do Baptist Believe About:

12. The Baptist Church God’s Purpose of Grace All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God accepted will never fall from the state of grace. Believers may sin but they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. What Do Baptist Believe About:

13. The Baptist Church God’s Purpose of Grace What does the Bible say? We can fall from grace (Gal 5:4). One who has received forgiveness can so sin as to be lost (Acts 8:18-22). One who has been saved can then return to a worldly life and be eternally lost (II Pet 2:20-22) What Do Baptist Believe About:

14. The Baptist Church The Church It is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. Only men may be pastors. What Do Baptist Believe About:

15. The Baptist Church The Church What does the Bible say? Each congregation is to be autonomous. Pastors, elders, & bishops are the same person and always mentioned in the plural when referenced to the local church (Titus 1:5; Acts 20:17, 28) Both elders and deacons are to be men (I Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9) What Do Baptist Believe About:

16. The Baptist Church Baptism and the Lord’s Supper Baptism is immersion of the believer in water. It is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act memorializing the death of the Redeemer. What Do Baptist Believe About:

17. The Baptist Church Baptism and the Lord’s Supper What does the Bible say? Baptism is not a church ordinance. It is a command of God (John 12:48-50; Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38) What Do Baptist Believe About:

18. The Baptist Church The Kingdom The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His particular kingship over men who willingly acknowledge Him as King. Christians ought to pray and labor that the kingdom “may come”. What Do Baptist Believe About:

19. The Baptist Church The Kingdom What does the Bible say? God would establish His royal reign during the days of the Roman Caesars (Dan 2:44) Micah foretold of “One to be ruler in Israel (Micah 5:2) Isaiah said the “government” would be on his shoulders (Isaiah 9:6-7) What Do Baptist Believe About:

20. The Baptist Church The Kingdom What does the Bible say? Luke wrote that Jesus would “reign over the house of Jacob forever” (Luke 1:31-33) Matthew quoted Zechariah as saying “Behold your King is coming” (Matt 21:1-5) Jesus claimed all authority had been given to him in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18- 21) What Do Baptist Believe About:

21. The Baptist Church The Kingdom What does the Bible say? God gave Jesus authority over all flesh (John 17:1-5) Jesus claimed to be King (John 18:37) Peter affirmed it on Pentecost that God had made Him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36) What Do Baptist Believe About:

22. The Baptist Church The Kingdom What does the Bible say? This fulfils the prophesy of Jesus in Mark 9:1 We are not waiting on Jesus to return and set up a 1000 yr reign. He will never set foot on earth again (I Thess 4:17) What Do Baptist Believe About:

23. The Baptist Church Cooperation Christ’s people should organize associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. What Do Baptist Believe About:

24. The Baptist Church Cooperation What does the Bible say? It does not mention this type of organization between churches. Any organization larger than or smaller than the local church is not talked about in the Bible and is thus unscriptural. What Do Baptist Believe About:

25. A STUDY OF THE ORIGINS AND BELIEFS OF THE MAJOR DENOMINATIONS Next week’s Lesson: The Jehovah Witness