The Baptist religion has different sub-denominations such as Southern Baptist, “A recent LifeWay study reported that half of SBC pastors believe that God gives some Christians a private prayer language”(BaptistsandSpeaking). Although they do not practice speaking tongues in public, many do practice in private. The Baptist religion is very interesting because it is very similar to Seventh-Day Adventist religion yet it still has a unique set of beliefs. The different variations in the Baptist community is large in number, there are hundreds of different groups contributing to different sets of beliefs within the overall Baptist faith. “In general, Baptist groups range from being outright Calvinist to those teaching more accurately concerning baptism, salvation, and God’s final Judgment” (Baptists).
The Baptist movement began in Holland in 1609 with an English Separatist (a person who supports the separation of a particular group of people such as religion,ethnicity, or gender), John Smythe, who preached the need for immersion in water as baptism, and that it was for believers not infants. The movement was brought to England two years later and spread rapidly.
By the middle of the seventeenth century, the movement was on American soil, where the Baptists would eventually grow to be one of the largest groups of Christians in North America.
Baptists have developed and accepted many doctrines over the past four hundred years with numerous evidences of Calvinist and premillennial influence. The movement has diversified since, and not many groups of Baptists have much in common. Very few generalizations can be assumed about each Baptist community across the board.
In general, Baptist groups range from being straight Calvinist to those teaching more accurately concerning baptism, salvation, and God’s final Judgment. The set of beliefs found in the Baptist faith cannot be assumed throughout the vast majority of their community due to the numerous different doctrines. There are many general terms used to describe different types of Baptists. “General” Baptists are those who believe that the blood of Christ was shed for all men, and so salvation is generally available to all men. “Particular” Baptists are more influenced by Calvinism (also called the Reformed tradition, Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism or the Reformed faith) and accept the concept of limited atonement. “Freewill” Baptists reject many aspects of Calvinism and believe that men have free will. “Landmark” Baptists believe that the local church is the expression of the universal assembly in a given area, to the exclusion of any others. “Primitive” Baptists seek to return to the primitive faith of the New Testament.
Major groups include the American Baptist Association, American Baptist Churches in the USA, Baptist General Conference (emerging from Pietism, groups known for a focus on individual faith with the workings of the Spirit and a very literal reading of New Testament practices, including foot washing and the holy kiss), General Association of General Baptist Churches, General Association of Regular Baptist Churches, and hundreds more. By 1790 there were 35 Baptist associations, and approximately 560 ministers, 750 churches and 60,000 members in the U.S. alone. The Northern Baptist Convention changed their name to the American Baptist Convention in 1950, than changed again to American Baptist Churches USA(OurHistory). Today numbers reach 43,000,000 baptized members in the Baptist churches, and a plethora of more than 100,000,000 people in approximately 160,000 churches (OurHistory). The greatest amount of growth can be seen in Africa, Asia and Latin America(OurHistory). Along with the various sub-denominations of the Baptist religion, there are also many different beliefs and practices exercised in the church. There are traditions that have been passed down throughout the generations that we still see today. Despite the copious amounts of denominations in the Baptist religion, they all of one thing in Common. Their belief in Deity.
Like other Christian Denominations Baptists believe in the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). They believe God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit make up the Trinity, “all three are the same deity, just different representations of it”(PeckinpaughTimothy). Although each part of the Trinity has a different function they are all one being. Baptists believe that God created everything including humans, the earth, and the entire universe. “Jesus is the son of God, and yet is God according to the Baptist belief. One of the attributes that separated Baptists from other Christian denominations was their believe that a head of the church should not exist. Baptists do have priests, but view them as equal to all church members”(PeckinpaughTimothy).
Even with the belief in not having a head of the church they do believe that Jesus is the head of the church. Baptists say only the faithful should be members of the congregation, and that there should be a practitioner (or interpretor) to accept that Jesus is God. Not only do they believe in the Father and Son but also the Holy Spirit, which they say is God’s force that allows His followers to experience His presence. Now the because the Baptist religion has so many sub-denominations beliefs and practices may vary, but on average many “Baptist churches tend to be evangelical in doctrine and Reformed in worship”(BaptistsReligionFacts).
The Baptists are one of the largest Christian denomination. The primary Baptist is recognizable by their practice of “Believers baptism” as opposed to infant baptism. Historically, Baptists have been a big part of encouraging religious freedom and separation of church and state(BaptistsReligionFacts). A few things Baptists believe, like other protestants, is that Jesus atoning work was finished on the cross(Acomparison). That is the basis of salvation not our own works, and it is received through God by faith. “They believe that the gift of life thus gained assures a future free from condemnation”(Acomparison). They don’t believe in salvation dependent on confession of every single sin, and they deny the unscriptural concept of an investigative judgment. Baptists have preached keeping the sabbath and resting but that it is up to the individual to decide how best to do that. Something the Baptist Religion also believes in that is very similar to the Seventh-Day Adventist religion is marriage and the family.
“Marriage we profess to be an ordinance of God which must be entered into according to the primal institution (a); that each man have his own only wife (b) and each woman her own and one husband. This marriage cannot be dissolved except for the cause of adultery (c). Neither do we think it allowable that any of us should enter into marriage outside the Church of God, with wicked, unbelieving or carnal men (d), and we condemn that (as other sins) by the word of God, the state of the time and the reason of things.12”(DuesingJason).
The Baptist believe in the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement(Theopedia). Which means they believe that christ died on the cross as a substitute for sinners. The Penal aspect of this theory is controversial because some believe that Christ died so we wouldn’t have to face punishment but the Baptist believe that he died in place of us for our sins. The secret rapture is also apart of their doctrine belief that the baptists have, the rapture is the belief that Christ will return to earth secret;y before the time of trouble to take away or rapture those of His church and leave the unsaved behind to suffer through the plagues(111). Eternal torment which is the belief that God will punish those in “Hell” for all of eternity, this is another part of the Baptist doctrine(112). Once saved always saved is a belief they commonly share meaning once an individual accepts Christ they can never lose their salvation(112). The state of the dead is also an interesting part of the Baptist religion.
Baptists in general believe that, “upon death, the body “falls asleep” (figuratively), but the spirits of the righteous go to be with Christ in the Father’s presence, and are not unconscious there. They believe that the redeemed will be given spiritual and glorified bodies at the resurrection”(Acomparison). I went to Atlanta a few weeks ago and while I was there I was able to visit with a friend of mine who’s been a strong member of the Baptist church for many years now and when I asked him about Baptist belief in the state of the dead he responded with “Fulfillment of end times prophecy doesn’t mean that I am asleep, means I am in Christ without my new body”(MartyFresceze). He has two different two different thoughts, one is that when you die your asleep in Jesus and two is you are conscious in his presence. Baptists believe that right when you die you go straight to heaven and that there is no soul-sleeping(Baptistbible).
For evangelism, they believe it is a very important work, like Seventh-Day Adventists, they evangelize in order to bring people to God and too witness to those in need or otherwise.
For American Baptists, evangelism is a worldwide project. Overseas, American Baptist missionaries and volunteers help evangelize and they help out other missionaries in their own country. They also think that a committed individual Christian can and should approach God directly, and that gifts of ministry should be shared.
The Authority of the Bible according to Baptist Confessions of Faith states two practices have been characteristic of Baptist confessions of faith, lists that have Bible verses that are applicable to the different articles in the confession and specific articles concerning the new and Old Testament. Together these practices emphasize the importance of the Bible for Baptists and the authority of the Bible among Baptists(GarrettJamesLeo). “On the original parchment every sentence, word, line, mark, point, pen stroke, jot, and tittle were put there by inspiration of God.
There is no question of anything else…This is called the verbal theory of inspiration, which is vehemently denied by many modern theologians…But I am insisting upon, and presenting, no theory except that which is found in the Bible”(GarrettJamesLeo).
They have an interesting belief in scripture and along with that they also have interesting religious rituals. Two of their primary rituals would be communion and baptism. “Many Christian traditions regard baptism and the Lord’s Supper as “sacraments,” often described as outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace”(Rites). Although they do believe that getting baptized is a good sign of obedience they don’t believe that is necessary for salvation.
Another ritual the Baptist religion follows is the Sunday sacredness, meaning they believe that because Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week, that is the day to worship.
In conclusion the Baptist church has many different beliefs regarding their history, beliefs and practices, evangelism, State of the dead, holy scriptures, and religious rituals. Even though we as Seventh-Day Adventists have different views on doctrinal beliefs, we are similar in our way of praising Jesus for saving us by dying for our sins. The Baptist religion is very interesting because it is very similar to Seventh-Day Adventist religion yet it still has a unique set of beliefs.