Lord’s Supper

Drawing the Lines

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More and more of those who profess to be followers of Jesus, and are Baptists, are leaving the Baptists distinctives in order to draw more people.  When we get away from those Baptists teachings which make us Baptists we are no longer Baptists.

If you do not want to be Baptists then go join, or become a part of a church that you can believe with them, but don’t join a Baptist Church and try to get it away from our distinctiveness.  If you don’t love us please leave us.  We will love you anyway.

The following is a quote from a former editor of the former State Baptist Paper, Word and Way,  R.K Maiden, and was posted on a group list I am part of:

“Open communion churches in the south are as scarce as hen’s teeth, and alien immersion churches are almost as scarce. Southern Baptist churches have, so far, consistently and firmly declined to enter into any kind of compromising, entangling, interdenominational alliance. But what of the future? Will the New Testament hold its grip on Southern Baptists through the next fifty or one hundred years? The rising tide of ecclesiastical liberalism will eventually reach the borders of the South and slowly overflow it. . . Fifty or a hundred years hence may show marked changes among Southern Baptists. Unless there is a strong backfire against it, ecclesiastical liberalism will eat into the South. R.K. Maiden, 1926 (R.K. Maiden was editor of “The Word and Way” Missouri Baptist newspaper from 1896 to 1929 and was a leader among Missouri Southern Baptists. In the above quote Maiden hit the nail right on the head. There have been marked doctrinal changes among Southern Baptists in the eighty-two years since he wrote these words. If we are going to see doctrinal renewal come to Southern Baptists we must stand against ecclesiastical liberalism and preach and teach Baptist distinctives to our congregations. The quote is from pages 50-51 of Maiden’s 1926 book “The Rising Tide of Ecclesiastical Apostasy”.)

Posted on the Landmark Southern Baptist Group List, by Ben Stratton

We do not need to be eccleiastically identical with other denominations to get along with them.  The best thing Baptists can do for the world and others is maintain our identity with the Bible as the Word of God, stand on our doctrines and teachings.  If we fail to do that then, we are not worth having around.  Think on these matters for a while before you begin throwing them out the door.

-by Tim A. Blankenship

The Name ‘Baptists’

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There are many churches which are Baptist, which are taking the name “Baptist” out of their name.  Does this make any difference?

I think it does, unless we simply want to be identified with “Evangelicalism” or “Ecumenism” which it does seem that many do not mind.  Being Baptist used to make a difference.  My feeling is if you are ashamed of the name then be something else, “Please”.  It is almost as bad as being ashamed of the name “Jesus”.

Why does the name make a difference?  First of all it has to do with the way we see Jesus:  He is deity; the God-Man; God incarnate, ie God made flesh.  The God-Man who died for the sins of the world.  Secondly, it has to do with your view of Scripture, ie., the Bible:  it is the inerrant, infallible, Spirit breathed word of God.  Another thing is the Priesthood of the believer:  that means that every child of God has access to the throne of God, and our only mediator is Jesus Himself, who intercedes for us; and that as a priest of God we are endowed and empowered by His Spirit to interpret the Scriptures rightly when we have a pure heart with Him.  A fourth thing is our view of Baptism: it is not for salvation, but because of salvation; it is our confession of salvation and the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus;  it is done by immersion, and by another Baptist recognizing the rights and privileges of local church membership; just as the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ; immersion places us within a local body called the local church which is the representation of the body of Christ in the community.  One final thing, but not exhausted, is the Lord’s Supper: in the Supper we recognize the broken, bruised body of our Savior with the eating of the bread; and with the drinking of the fruit of the vine, His shed blood; the giving of His life for our sins; and we remember His death until He comes.  Since the Scriptures warn of not taking of the Supper “Unworthily” (1 Corinthians 11:27-32) we also believe that one must have been baptized by immersion to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

Who can be a member of a local Baptist Church?  All who call on the name of Jesus for salvation, are immersed in the water, and then, they will have all the rights of the Priesthood of the believer.

Though, there are many “Baptist” churches who are forsaking the Baptist distinctives, they probably should take the name “Baptist” out.  Let those of us who will remain Baptist be honest with who we are.

Arkansas Baptist Convention – Update

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The following is from Ben Stratton of the Landmark Southern Baptist Group list:

“Several of us have been eagerly following the annual meeting of the Arkansas State Baptist Convention that was held earlier this week in Van Buren, Arkansas.  Messengers were to vote on the proposed amendment to delete the phrase “The Baptist Faith and Message shall not be interpreted as to permit open communion and/or alien immersion” from the ASBC Articles of Incorporation.  The amendment needed a 2/3 majority vote (67%) to pass.  After discussion on Tuesday, November 6, the vote was taken on Wednesday, November 7.  There were 608 total ballets cast with 383 voting for the amendment (63%) and 225 voting against the amendment (37%).   By failing to get a 2/3 majority vote, the phrase “The Baptist Faith and Message shall not be interpreted as to permit open communion and/or alien immersion” will remain in the ASBC Articles of Incorporation.”

“While I am thrilled that the Articles of Incorporation were not changed, conservatives in Arkansas must be ever diligent.  Those wanting to delete the phrase can bring the issue back up in two years and probably will.  They came within 24 votes of getting the Articles of Incorporation changed.  We must be stronger in teaching doctrine to our churches members and encouraging fellow Baptist pastors to stand for doctrinal truth.  We will speak more about this important issue in the weeks to come on the LSB.” 

Should things like this come about Baptists would quickly begin losing the things which set us apart and identify us as Bible believing Baptists Christians.  The Bible would be the thing which will come into question, yet again.

Arkansas Baptist Convention

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The following was posted by Ben Stratton of the Landmark Southern Baptist yahoo Group List.  Baptists pay attention:

(The Arkansas State Baptist Convention will meet in Van Buren, Arkansas this Tuesday, November 6, 2007 to decide whether to keep or delete the words “The Baptist Faith and Message shall not be interpreted as to permit open communion and / or alien immersion” from the ASBC articles of incorporation. Be sure to read and forward the below article and to pray for Arkansas Baptists on Tuesday.)

WHY WE SHOULD VOTE TO SUSTAIN ARTICLE III,
SECTION 1 OF THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
by
Jimmy A. Millikin
former President of Williams Baptist College
At the 2007 annual meeting of the Arkansas Baptist Convention a study committee will recommend an amendment of Article III, Section 1 of the constitution and by-laws of the state convention called the Articles of Incorporation. The recommended amendment calls for the elimination of the phrase: “The Baptist Faith and Message shall not be interpreted as to permit open communion and/or alien immersion.” In other words, this proposed amendment wants to open the door to allow cooperating churches to accept any baptism regardless from what source it comes as long as it is immersion, and would technically open the Lord’s table to anyone and everyone, even to the unregenerate.
The question that needs answering is, Why change this article of doctrinal belief? The truth of the matter is that there has been very little debate over this issue. The Newsmagazine has been strangely silent about this important matter in Arkansas Baptist life. The only thing that I can remember reading is the reason given for the change. As I recollect three arguments have been advanced for the change. Perhaps the foremost one that has been presented by the Study Committee itself is that the article violates the autonomy of the local church. This argument has been used for years by those who object to using any kind of confession of faith as a basis of cooperation and fellowship among Southern Baptists. If this argument is followed then the entire second paragraph of Article III should be eliminated. To set forth a doctrinal requirement as a basic of cooperation and fellowship among churches does not violate the autonomy of a local church at all. No Convention or Association can tell a local church what it can believe or practice, but a Convention or an Association can define the doctrinal parameters of its body. A local church can decide whether it wants to abide by those guidelines or not. If this were not so, then we are not a convention of Baptist churches, but simply an ecumenical organization composed of all different kind of churches.
Another argument I have seen stated is that many churches in the Convention, especially many of the larger churches, are already violating the article. Sadly, that is true. But I would hope that anyone with a clear mind is able to see the wrong thinking of such an argument. Suppose some of these churches begin to accept other forms of baptism than immersion. Are we to conform our articles of faith to accommodate those who are violating them, or should those who are violating the article be held accountable and asked to cease? I believe the answer to this question is clear.
Another argument I hear is that the restricted view of baptism impedes evangelism and church growth. Can anyone honestly contend that the historic Arkansas Baptist view of alien immersion impedes our evangelistic mission? Let me put in another way, Does accepting alien immersion enable Baptists to make converts more rapidly? Again, I believe the answer to these questions is obvious. The article against alien immersion may indeed impede the proselyting of members from other denominations, but it does not impede winning the lost to Christ.
Now, to deal with this issue in a positive manner, I will advance only one argument for retaining the statement about alien immersion. That is not to say that there are not others, but it is, in my judgment, the most crucial one. One significance of baptism is that it is an identification act. It is an act of identification with Christ, and it is an act of identification with a people. Those who received baptism from other denominations have identified with those bodies from which they come. To require such to be baptized and their willingness to do so indicates that they have broken with their former denomination and now have publically committed themselves to being Baptists. On the other hand, people who desire to join a Baptist church but is unwilling to submit to baptism is a strong indication that they want to join a Baptist church without becoming a Baptist.
It is the ordinance of baptism that protects and preserves our distinctive as Baptists. Here is the question that every messenger to the Arkansas Baptist Convention must answer in his mind and conscience, Will eliminating the statement concerning alien immersion prosper and perpetuate Baptist churches? Or will opening the door to alien immersion eventually erode our Baptist distinctive to the point that many Baptist churches cease to be Baptist churches and become non-denominational churches? As a member of an Arkansas Baptist church for forty-eight of the fifty-seven years of my Christian life, I urge the messengers of the 2007 annual convention to vote to sustain the present reading of the Articles of Incorportation.

(Jimmy Millikin is the Dean of the Master’s and Associate Programs and Chairman and Professor of the Department of Theology at Mid-America Baptist Seminary in Memphis, TN.)

Let’s be in prayer for our fellow Baptists in Arkansas as they meet.  Pray first for the Holy Spirit to move in power and for God’s will to be done.  Let’s hold to our Baptist distinctives.

BF&M – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

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As Baptists we do not consider Baptism or the Lord’s Supper as sacraments – or as being necessary for one’s salvation – that would be an addition to grace.  Baptism is a command of Scripture, but if it is not obeyed from a heart of love for Christ, then it would be without meaning and purpose.  The following is the Statement of Faith concerning these ordinances:

VII. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.

Baptism is also the confession of our faith in Christ, His death, burial and resurrection.  It is symbolized by the putting under the water – the death and burial, and the resurrection by coming up from the water.  The celebration of Baptism should be just that a Celebration of one’s faith in Christ.  When you are baptised invite your saved and lost friends to declare unto them your faith in Jesus Christ, and proclaim it by the baptism into Christ Jesus and the local church.

The Lord’s Supper can only legitimately be received by those who have followed the Lord faithfully into the baptismal waters.  Jesus Himself, commanded us to partake of the Lord’s Supper in remembranc of Him until He comes again.  Every time we take the bread which reminds us of his body, bruised from the beatings, broken, and bleeding we are to do it with the expectation of His soon return.  We take the cup of the ‘fruit of the vine’, we are reminded of that precious blood that was shed for our salvation.  “The life of the flesh is in the blood”, and “it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul” (Leviticul 17:11).

The blood of Jesus Christ sufficient to save the whole world, but only efficient enough to save those who will believe.