Leaves of Gold
A Call To Return To The Teaching Of The Bible
“…that you should earnestly contend for the faith…” Jude 3
A ministry of Evangelist James A. Nelson, jan23@cox.net
Year IV, No. 9 September 2010
THE PEOPLE CALLED BAPTISTS
Their Beginning
Matthew 3:1-17; 4:17-22
INTRODUCTION. - Baptists are unique. They depend on the Bible as the final authority for faith and practice. They believe salvation is by grace through faith in Christ. They picture the Gospel in baptism by immersion. They 'show the Lord's death symbolically in the Lord's Supper. They maintain a true church is believers who have scriptural baptism. They insist on the autonomy of each church with Christ as the Head. These and other doctrines and practices cause Baptists to stand out in a uniquely conspicuous way.
Where did they come from? To determine an answer to this question, one must go to the New Testament and study the only biblical person who bore the same title.
The First Baptist.
John the Baptist was a unique individual. Christ declared this fact. "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist" (Matt. 11:11). His name was simply "John" (Luke 1:13, 60, 63; John 1:6). The Scriptures reveal Christ is the first One to call John "the Baptist." It was a title which indicated he had God's authority to baptize (Matt. 21:23-27; John 1:33, 34). .
If John was "the Baptist" because he had divine authority to baptize, what would be the logical title for a church which has that same authority?
John the Baptist was unique in the fact he baptized the Lord Jesus. If no other support were given in the Scriptures, that alone would declare the scripturalness of John's baptism. Besides, whom else could Jesus go to for scriptural baptism?
John the Baptist was unique in his mission. 'To make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17). He preached repentance to lost people (Matt. 3:1,2). Then, he baptized those who confessed their sins (Mat. 3:6). All this was preparation to have material for Christ to begin His first church. That is what John indicated when he claimed the role of being the friend to the Bridegroom. "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled" (John 3:29). John mentioned more of his disciples would follow Christ. "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
Yes, the first Baptist was unique in many respects. But then, Baptist churches are too.
The Only Bridegroom.
"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom." The Bridegroom is Christ. And, He had His bride with Him on earth while John the Baptist was yet alive. That fact certainly destroys many wild, unscriptural theories about the bride of Christ. The Apostle Paul indicated the Corinthian Church had that same relationship to Christ (II Cor. 11:2). To the Ephesian church he was even more explicit (Eph. 5:23-32).
That Christ considered Himself to be the Bridegroom there can be no doubt. He used that figure to refer to His second coming in the parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25: 113). It is intended to impress upon His people the necessity and the urgency of faithfulness to Him.
Christ is the only Bridegroom of true churches. They reject all earthly heads and headquarters. He is divinely designated as the Head of the church of the living God. "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church" (Eph. 1:22). Since the Head is in Heaven, the headquarters of true churches is also in Heaven.
Jesus Christ originated His first church with John's disciples on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Matthew 4:1822 records that beginning. Why does that qualify as the origin of the Lord's church, which later settled in Jerusalem?
First, the meaning of the word "church" is of vital importance. It is from a Greek word meaning "a called out assembly." By the Sea of Galilee, probably near the city of Capernaum, the Lord issued a call to Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him to become fishers of men. That satisfies the part of the word "church" which means "called out." In response to the Lord's call four disciples joined themselves to Jesus to follow Him. That satisfies the part of the word "church" which means "assembly." Therefore, thp constituted the beginning of the first church.
Second, add to the above the practical definition Christ gave for a church. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). When Peter and Andrew responded to assemble with the Lord in their midst, that constituted the simple organization and life of a church. Since that occasion satisfies the practical definition Christ gave, it was the beginning of the first church.
Third, the authorized Person gathered the first church.
The word "church" is used two ways in Acts 19. Verses. 32 and 41 refer to an "assembly." Verse 39 referred to a "lawful assembly." Each time the word "assembly" is from the Greek term for "church." One use of the word was an unruly mob. The other referred to an orderly assembly. The difference was the source of the call to assemble. Those who composed the first church had the proper Source of calling. Christ called them out to assemble. Therefore, it was a scriptural beginning of the first church of the Lord.
Furthermore, one who examines the pictorial ordinances of the church of the New Testament will find there were only two, baptism and the Lord's Supper. Each of these will be considered in separate lessons; therefore there is no need to amplify them here. However, there were only two ordinances and true Baptists have those same ordinances.
Also, one who examines the doctrines of the church of the New Testament will find there are some unique teachings. For example, all human beings are sinners by nature, practice, and choice (Rom. 3:9). They are lost or "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1). This doctrine is pretty well confined to true Baptists.
Another distinguishing doctrine of Baptists is salvation by grace. The sin nature makes this doctrine vital; otherwise man could never have salvation. This doctrine is so clearly taught in the Bible, one is made to wonder how it escapes so many (Eph. 2:8, 9). This is a hated doctrine in religious circles, but true Baptists love it for its biblical truth.
Yet another hated doctrine is the eternal security of the believer. But the Bible teaches once a person is a true believer, he is born again, and he will always be a saved person. Read John 10:27-29. True Baptists love this doctrine, because it exalts the power and work of' Christ, while it nullifies the power and work of man.
, Still another doctrine is the local, visible church. This is a direct contradiction to the universal church concept, which will be studied in a separate lesson. It is sufficient for now to stress true Baptists reject the universal church heresy and accept the local church doctrine.
Moreover, one who examines church history realizes the Lord's churches have been in the world perpetually from the time He began the first one. The history of the Lord's churches may be traced by their practice of baptism, bt1t that history has been written in blood.
When one seriously compares the churches of the New Testament with true Baptists of today, it is not difficult to conclude there is more than an accidental or a coincidental similarity. Those churches were clearly Missionary Baptist in nature, belief, practice, and succession. Where do Baptists come from? That church by the Sea of Galilee.
This page is sponsored by David R. Pickett, dr_pickett@hotmail.com and our Web Master is Pastor Martin Gutzmer, mrgutzmer@gmail.com