A Product Of The Sixteenth Century!
Yes, that is when Billy Graham states the Baptist Church had its beginning. Quite an admission for a Baptist preacher to make, isn't it?
"My Answer. Billy Graham
"I have heard the argument that John the Baptist was a Baptist. Will you please tell me if he was, and if so, where do you find it in the Scriptures? - I. V.
"John was called "the Baptist" because he baptized with water. "I do not think that many Baptists would say that he was the first member of the Baptist Church.
"The Baptists as a distinct denomination date from the time of the Reformation in the 16th Century. The first Baptist Church in America was founded in Providence, R. L, in 1639 by Roger Williams.
"Unfortunately, it is the tendency of some religious people to push back their origin to the Apostles of Christ, thus establishing that they are the "original" Christians and the only real church.
"The important thing, whether you be Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, or whatever, is to be a sincere follower of Jesus Christ.
"When we get to heaven, I don't think we will all have little "dog tags" telling which denomination we were members of on earth.
John was known as the baptist because he immersed people in water "for the remission of sin" upon their repentance and confession of their sins. (Jno. 3:23, Mk. 1:4-5)
Billy says, "I do not think many Baptist would say that he was a member of the Baptist Church." He, here, implies that some would say John was a baptist. I. V. says, "I have heard the argument that John the Baptist was a Baptist." I. V. has heard correctly! A common argument Baptist preachers make in debate is: John was a Baptist; he baptized Christ, making Christ a Baptist; Christ established His church, thus making the church belonging to Christ a Baptist Church. Not very good reasoning, but that is the Baptist argument. Who would want to claim John as being the first Baptist, except the Baptist Church? What would the Methodists, Catholics, and others accomplish claiming John to be a Baptist? The Baptist do claim John was a Baptist!
Billy states, "The Baptist as a distinct denomination date from the time of the Reformation in the 16th Century." Another admission!! Most Bible scholars would agree that John finished the book of Revelation by 100 A. D. Since, the Bible was completed by this time, something that started in the 16th century could not possibly be the church of the Bible. The Word of God was completed before the beginning of the second century and the "Baptists date from the time of ... 16th Century."
Thus, the Baptist Church is not the church mentioned in the Bible. Any honest heart can see this admission.
Billy has a little to say about some who "push back their origin to the Apostles of Christ..." Who are they? It could be two religious groups; one of them the Baptists, the other the Catholics. The Baptist sometime claim they can trace their origin back to the Apostles through Baptist Churches. But would Billy accuse the Baptists of doing this? So he must be referring to the Catholics. They claim Peter was the first "Papa of the church" - pope, and the Pope of Rome today is the successor of Peter. A list of the popes according to the Catholic claim can be found in a booklet, "Why Millions Call Him Holy Father" put out by the Knights of Columbus. The fact the New Testament never records Peter in Rome should be enough to disprove Peter being the first Pope of Rome.
"The important thing, "says Billy, "whether you be Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, or whatever, is to be a sincere follower of Jesus Christ." But what an impossibility! If one were "a sincere follower of Jesus Christ" he wouldn't be a Baptist, a Methodist, or a Presbyterian. Following Jesus Christ in Antioch made people Christians, Acts 11:26, not Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. To follow Christ, one must do His will. (Mk. 7:21; Lk. 6:46.) Doing the will of Christ makes one a Christian.
In heaven Billy says, "I don't think we will all have little "dog tags" telling which denomination we were members of on earth." If this is the Father's will in heaven, it also is His will on earth. (Mt. 6:10.) So what needs to be done is throw away the "Methodist "dog tag"," the "Baptist "dog tag"," and just wear the name Christian. (Acts 11:26; 26:28; I Pet. 4:16.)
Upon entrance into heaven, Billy says, that the question one will be asked is not, "Of what sect are you?"The question will be, "Have you been redeemed by the blood of Christ?" This is correct, but let us notice what the New Testament teaches concerning how one is redeemed by the blood of Christ. To enjoy a blessing, it is essential to come into the relationship in which that blessing resides. To get the benefit of $50 paid for a suit, one must get into the suit - wear it. For a person to benefit from the blood of Christ, he must get into the blood. It was in Christ's death that He shed His blood. (Jno. 19:34.) Thus, we need to get into His death to enjoy the blessings of His blood. This is accomplished in baptism. Hear Paul affirm this in Rom. 6:3, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death." Paul continues, vs. 4-6, by saying, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin..."
Thus, to get into the death of Christ, where His blood was shed, one must he baptized. There is no other way to get into the death of Christ. But the same act that puts one into Christ's death, also places him into the body or church of Christ. I Cor. 12:13, says. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body ..." Eph. 1:22-23 tells us the body is the church. "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. The same thing that puts one in contact with blood of Christ, also puts one into the body of Christ. So, to talk about one being redeemed is the same thing to talk about one being a member of the body of Christ.
Baptist teach that man is a saved person at the point of faith only; that baptism in unnecessary for salvation; therefore, man is saved, according to Baptist doctrine, without being redeemed by the blood of Christ.