"What Is A Baptist Church?" -- A Review
This article is meant to be a review of one of three tracts mailed me by some anonymous person. I am glad to receive these tracts but when one mails out religious tracts and does not sign any name or address, naturally a big question mark arises.
In the first paragraph we have these words: "A true Baptist Church finds its pattern in the New Testament, its sole authority." Scriptures given are (1 Cor. 1:2; Rom. 16:1; Matt. 16:18; Eph. 3:10, etc.) but not once is the Baptist Church mentioned in these passages. Me thinks these scriptures would say something about 'a Baptist Church' if these are the pattern. Baptists simply ASSUME the pattern in the New Testament is the pattern of 'a Baptist Church.' This is equal to the assumption of Catholics that because the New Testament speaks of the church that it is speaking of the Roman Catholic Church. The point to be proved is yet to be proved.
Paragraph IV—"...the architect of the church is God. This means it is a divine institution...Christ is its foundation..." Scripture cited is Matt. 16:18. All of this is true but still no mention of 'a Baptist Church.' In the passage, Jesus said, "I will build MY church" but Baptists have him saying, "I will build a/or Baptist Church." It would have been as easy for Jesus to say (what they have him saying) as for him to say what he did say.
The term 'A Baptist' church is used several times in the tract. `A Baptist' is not a scriptural term. 'THE Baptist' is found several times, in the New Testament, and there is a reason...John was the only person ever referred to by this appellation. He was the first to come baptizing hence, to distinguish him from other Johns, he is spoken of as John THE Baptist or baptizer. Several years ago the Baptists put out a translation of the New Testament and they gave the word its literal translation (Baptizer or Immerser) and later they called the translation in because to give the word its literal meaning was to take the word "BAPTIST" entirely out of the BOOK. Strange indeed, what human doctrine will cause me to do.
Paragraph V—"The basic requirement for membership in a Baptist (New Testament) church is regeneration. (John 3:7) This is true of the NEW TESTAMENT Church but the point ASSUMED (that the New Testament church is the Baptist) is still to be proved. Many things can be assumed but not every assumption can be proved. Again: "No one has any right to be enrolled in a church until he is born again, really saved, the possessor of "an experience of grace." Where (in the PATTERN, which the article claims to follow) is anything said about "an experience of grace"? This is Baptist language and not the language of the pattern (Bible) which they claim is their `sole authority.'