Why I Am A Baptist Christian (Jesus Christ, ritual, reject, Earth)

[johnnys4life]

Baptists rely on the divine inspiration of the authors of the Bible, and the accuracy of scripture. The New Testament was written by the people who were right there with Jesus while he walked on earth, and were told to write down what they had seen and heard. The believer is encouraged to study the Bible daily and to ask God's Holy Spirit for guidance in knowing how to interpret it for themselves. If you fail and interpret it wrongly, it is usually because you are either just learning and God will show you the truth in time, or you aren't listening to his leading in your life. Perhaps the noise of the world and all your other worries are drowning out his voice, or perhaps you just aren't reading and praying enough!

They believe that Baptism is a significant spiritual and physical act which tells others of your repentance, acceptance, and symbolic death, burial, and resurrection to a new life in Jesus Christ. Full submersion baptism is important because it signifies a willing to die completely to your old, sinful self, and rise up again as a new creature, willing to be molded by the hand of God.

Much emphasis is put on a personal, devoted relationshiop with the living Jesus in your life. I am a Baptist not because I believe it is the one true religion and one true church, but because I believe that Christianity is the one true religion and one true church, and I know I can find like-minded believers within the Baptist churches with whom to fellowship and learn from, and sometimes even relate a thing or two about a thing or two concerning my walk with Jesus.

I don't believe any one denomination is perfect. There are many Baptist preachers and probably whole congregations of Baptists who have fallen into faulty doctrine and beliefs, but the important thing is to follow God and what his Word says, and not feel that your own personal church is the biggest Authority out there.

[keevelish]

said true-

certainly Baptist is not THE way, but Christianity. I am a Baptist because I seek to be independent of the world and also believe that Baptism is the first commandment of God following salvation. I am independent, fundamental and believe that God's word is inspired and perfect (complete and without error).

you know, there are truly so few fundamentalist Bible believers here on this web site. It would be nice to find a few who share my beliefs. So many people here are way too liberal.

[betweenangelsandinsects]

How do you Baptists feel about the Gnositc Gospels? Because they were from the time of Christ written from people who were with Christ. I ask this because Baptists rely on the sacred scriptures so much.

Betweenangelsandisnects

[betweenangelsandinsects]

I am sorry I ment the Gnostic Gospels, as in the dead sea scrolls and such.

Betweenangelsandinsects

[magnolia]

we don't accept anything that is not inspired scripture. Those books that are in the canonized scripture (66 books) are accepted as God's word and all else rejected. Other writings may be valid in some parts but those who canonized the Bible rejected other candidates based on historical, biographical, writing style,scriptural, prophetic, and contradictory errors between writings.
Paul didn't just write the epistles that are canonized. He did have other writings, but these had errors in them and were not inspired. We can't treat these as scripture then.

[magnolia]

We can gain some insight from other writings, but we are not to take them as God's infallible word. These other writings can show us what others thought about the historical events surrounding the actual events recorded in scripture, but we can't base any hard truth on them. It's the same as me reading a book written by a Christian, which may have scriptural insights, but is authored by an imperfect human and may still have errors. We don't believe that God's inspired word has any errors. We reject the gnostic gospels just as we reject the apocrypha as scripture. This of course does not mean that they were not good writings. Shakespeare is good writing too, but we believe that the 66 books of the bible are the only holy spirit breathed scripture.

[angellous_evangellous]

Johnnys, I had you figured for a Catholic. I'm a Baptist too, ROFL!!!!!

I can understand your good ol' pride in Baptist heritage.

I will most likely not remian a Baptist for long, as you can imagine. However, the good ol' Bible-thump'n Baptists literally changed my diapers, nourished me, and fed me the Word of God my whole life, and if they'll take me I just might serve. There are some great strengths in Baptist polity, mostly in the way they handle their missions money. Unofrtunately, Baptists have the most radical views on the nature of Scripture (inerrantcy and some believe in verbal inspiration, both of which are convincingly rejected even here in RF), the nature of the Lord's Supper (purely symbolic), and force other Christians to be immersed in order to join the local church (Baptists therefore reject infant baptism and some Baptists reject all other denom's baptisms).

Ah well, we can roll around like pigs in the somewhat refreshing mudbath of Baptist heritage. Just don't let Falwell or Paterson in my slop!!

[magnolia]

angellous, I thought you were catholic!

[angellous_evangellous]

My camoflage worked!!! Alrighty then!!

[wellmanj]

I am a Seventh-Day Adventist. How does the Baptist Church compare with the SDA Church? You mentioned that Christianity is the only true religion and the only true church. Does that mean we are all going to be saved even if we are all in different Christian churches?