How Baptists Value The Church
Baptists have a difficult time when it comes to teaching about the church. They will affirm that the church is a non-essential and useless institution as far as man's eternal salvation is concerned; and that one can be saved "regardless of church membership." Yet they turn around and stress with might and main the importance of being a member of it — and they mean the "Missionary Baptist Church." They try to make Baptists of all possible. They truly will compass land and sea to make one proselyte to their denomination. They do not hesitate to proselyte members of other churches and would, if possible, do away with all other churches. They are really wedded to their sectarian order.
It is hard to reconcile the place of honor, dignity and importance that they have given the church in their more serious moments, with their teaching that the church is a non-essential, unimportant institution. Mr. Kirkland, in our debate, affirmed that all true believers are saved "regardless of church membership." The church, according to this, is of no value as far as man's salvation is concerned. With this in mind, let us look at how important this useless, non-essential church is according to the Baptists. This should help all to see how inconsistent such teaching is.
In a little booklet, "Baptist Doctrine" (a study course used in Baptist churches of Kirkland's brand), written by E. C. Gillentine, there is a chapter on "The Church, Its Dignity and Identity." Mr. Gillentine says:
"By 'Dignity' of the church we mean the high-ranking position of honor which is given to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ in the sacred scriptures; its elevation of rank its moral worth; and the many wonderful qualities possessed by it which are worthy and inspire or command the respect and reverence of all God's children." (Page 32)
This sounds like he thinks the church is of some value and importance. Yet it cannot be of any value or importance relative to man's salvation. It has no place in his being saved, his staying saved, or his final entrance into heaven — according to Baptists. One can stay out of the church, and just so he believes Jesus Christ is God's Son, he is saved and bound for heaven regardless! Nothing of value can be gained by being in the church. Now look at how important Gillentine says the church is.
First, he says, "It is the purchase of Christ's blood, Acts 20:28." That is exactly what the inspired Paul said in the passage cited. Is the "purchase of Christ's blood" of no value? Does it have no part in man's salvation? This is what Baptists would have us believe. What did Christ purchase with His blood? The church! Did He purchase a useless institution, that has absolutely no connection with man's salvation? Really can anyone believe such? The church is as valuable as the price paid for it, which makes it of equal value with the blood of Christ. All those in the church are "blood-bought." This is not true of any outside the church. The Baptists say that the church "is a congregation of baptized believers." Hence, baptized believers are the ones who are blood-purchased the ones "washed in the blood of the Lamb." One is not purchased with Christ's blood before he enters the church. If so, Christ did not and could not purchase the church with His blood. If one has ten dollars and purchases a pair of shoes with the money, he cannot use the same "purchase price" to buy something else once it is spent. Everyone can see this, and should be able to see the same with reference to the church. The "purchase price" of the church was the blood of Christ. If one is purchased or redeemed by the blood of Christ, he is in the church; if he is in the church, then he has been redeemed by the blood. If there was no other passage to set forth the value and the indispensable place of the church, this one passage is enough.
Mr. Gillentine says further that the church is "the light of the world," and "the salt of the earth." Yet one does not have to be a part of "the light of the world" or "the salt of the earth" to be a Christian. He can refuse to be such and it effects not his eternal welfare, so say Baptists. He can join any of the many human churches that he pleases, which will keep him from being a part of "the light" and "the salt," and be saved regardless.
Next he says that the church is "the body of Christ — Christ is the head and the church is His body, Eph. 1:23." Then "the body of Christ" is useless! It has nothing to do with the salvation of man! Can one be a Christian and not be a member of the body of Christ! The New Testament says the church is the body of Christ as plainly as words say anything. (Eph. 1:23; Col. 1:18,24) There is ONE body (Eph. 4:4), and every Christian is a member of it. All who are Christians have been baptized into that one body, and in that one body they all drink into one Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:13) No man can be a Christian and not belong to the church, any more than he can be a Christian and not belong to Christ, for the reason that the church is the body of Christ. If a man can be a Christian out of the church, he can also be a Christian out of Christ. A man's relation to Christ defines and determines his relation to the church, for the reason that the church is the body of Christ. If a man is in either Christ or the church, he is in both; if he is out of either, he is out of both. Can one be a Christian out of Christ? Certainly not. (Cf. 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:10)
Furthermore, Christ is the head of the body — the church, and no man can be a Christian without being a member of the church, unless he can be a Christian without having Christ as his head. Every man over whom Christ is head is a member of the church because Christ is the head of the church. To say a man can be a Christian and not be a member of the church is to say he can be a Christian and not have Christ as his head.
We learn also that Christ is "the Savior of the body." That which Christ saves is the body over which he is the head, the church. If a man can be a Christian and not be a member of the church, he can be a Christian and not be saved. To be saved, one must be a member of the church because Christ is "the Savior of the body." He does not save those who are out of the body. All who are in the body are saved, and all who are out of the body are not saved. To get into the body is to be saved, and to be saved is to get into the body. That is why we read that the Lord added to the church daily "such as were being saved." (Acts 2:47 — R. V. marginal reading). So the "body of Christ" is of vital importance, the teaching of Baptists notwithstanding.
Mr. Gillentine further says of the church, that it is "the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit on earth"; "a school for religious instructions"; "a field for service"; "It is a witness of the Lord on earth"; It is a pillar and ground of the truth." Though the church is all of this, one does not have to be a member to be saved! He does not have to work in the "field of service." He can spend his life working in the devil's field, outside the church — the field of the Lord, and still be saved. One need not enter the "school for religious instructions." Stay in the devil's school, heed his instructions, that is all right so says Baptist doctrine! Who can believe such? In spite of all such confusion and error, the honest heart can, by taking God's word as his guide, see through all such to the glorious truth regarding the importance of the church.
Gillentine also says that the "church of Christ is the House of God on earth, 1 Tim. 3:15." This statement is certainly true. It is the "church of Christ" that is God's house, and not the human institution known as the Baptist Church! This should be apparent to any discerning person. God's house is God's family. The word "house" is used to mean family. Nearly all Baptist scholars admit that the church is God's family. J. M. Pendleton and A. T. Robertson are two outstanding examples.
Now if the church is God's family, and it is, where are God's children? Can one be a Christian and not be a child of God? Can one be a child of God and not be in His family — the church? Surely not. God has no children outside of His family. Therefore, all of God's children are in His family, the church. Thus again the importance and absolute essentiality of the church of the Lord is seen.
In another article, I want to study the church as the bride of Christ from the Baptist viewpoint.