Pillar 5: Confessionally Baptistic

Main Point: Pass On & Guard the Christian Faith.

How is this best done?

Use Written Creeds and Confessions

Honor the Faith of our Fathers

Value Baptist Distinctives

Introduction

What does it mean to be Confessionally Baptistic?

It means we hold to historic, orthodox Christianity with Baptist distinctives and use written documents to articulate these things.

Overview

We will begin by discussing how using written creeds and confessions helps pass on and guard sound doctrine. Next, we will discus the importance of valuing church history and the faith of our fathers in the past. Finally, we will discuss how the baptist understanding of baptism and church government actually help guard the true faith.

Defining Terms: What are Creeds and Confessions?

Creeds and confessions are summaries of biblical teaching. Depending on your background, the words “creed” and “confession” may or may not mean the same thing. In many circles, the term “creed” refers to the ancient creeds of the early church, such as the Apostle’s, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. These documents articulate the central teachings of the Christian Church, such as the doctrines of the Trinity, divinity of Christ, and his death and resurrection for our salvation — doctrines which are affirmed by all Christian churches across denominational lines. The term “confession” usually refers to a more expansive doctrinal statement that you may find on a church’s website, for example. One that addresses secondary issues such as church government, baptism, or spiritual gifts.

Technically, though, the terms “creed” and “confession” really refer to the same thing. A statement, whether verbal or written, that acticulates what a person or group of people believe. During this sermon, I will primarily be using the terms interchangeably.

Creeds in the New Testament

Some people are unaware that the New Testament actually contains creeds that were likely written and circulated before New Testament was was completed. Here are five such creeds:

1 Timothy 1:15a (CSB)

This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”

1 Timothy 2:5 (CSB)

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,

1 Timothy 3:16 (CSB)

And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

1 Corinthians 15:3–5 (CSB)

For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.

Philippians 2:5–11 (CSB)

Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Now that we’ve gotten a taste of some ancient creeds that are found in the New Testament itself, we move on to discuss the concept of creeds in greater detail.

Part 1: Make Use of Written Creeds & Confessions

Everyone Has a “Creed”

Now, I am fully aware that some well meaning Christians don’t like creeds or confessions. Some believe they replace the Bible with tradition. This is a noble objection, but one that is misguided in this case. Everyone has an unwritten creed or confession. If someone were to ask you what you believe the Bible teaches about the resurrection of Jesus, or baptism, or marriage, you are not merely going to quote specific verses relating to those topics. You are going to quote those verses and then explain them in your own words. This is essentially what a creed or confession is. It is an explanation and summary of what the Bible teaches on whatever issues are being addressed.

The Necessity of Written Creeds and Confessions

In a world where everyone interpreted the Bible properly, we would be able to just quote Bible verses and leave it at that. However, as we all know, even cults say they believe the Bible and attempt to use it to teach their false doctrine. This necessitates that we correct and distance ourselves from these false teachers by clarifying what the Bible actually means. This is best done in written form so it can be tried, tested, and regularly used as a teaching tool for those new to the faith.

The Necessity of Using Words Not Found in the Bible

On a similar note, because the meaning of the words used in the Bible are often the subject of debate, it is necessary to use words that are not found in the Bible to explain what the Bible means by its words.

Just image it: you are looking for a new church to go to so you check out their website to see what they believe. On their “Beliefs” page, it merely says, “We believe what the Bible teaches”, does that help you at all? Or what if they merely quoted different Bible verses without any explanation. Would that be helpful? No. It wouldn’t be.

Part 2: Honor the Faith of our Fathers

The Bible has much to say about passing on the Christian Faith to the next generation.

Jude 3 (CSB)

Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all.

1 Corinthians 15:3 (CSB)

For I passed on to you as most important what I also received…

2 Timothy 2:1–2 (CSB)

You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Our Disrespect of the Past: Chronological Snobbery

We have one major intellectual obstacle in our day, however. That obstacle is our disrespect for the authority of the past. This problem is what C.S. Lewis called “Chronological Snobbery”.

Lewis defined Chronological snobbery as:

“The uncritical acceptance of the intellectual climate of our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that count discredited.” - C.S. Lewis

Essentially, many in our modern Western culture assume we know more about everything than those who went on before us. New is better than old in other words. However, it does not follow that simply because we have toasters and smart phones, we know more about God and the Bible than our Christian ancestors.

The Necessity of Bible Teachers

Consider the fact that God gave teachers as a gift to the church.

Ephesians 4:11–13 (CSB)

And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

Why would God give teachers to the Church? Because not everything in the Bible is equally clear and some people are better at reading and interpreting than others. Teaching the Bible is a gift from the Holy Spirit, yet also a skill to be improved.

Let’s Not Re-Invent the Wheel

Our fathers in the faith have carefully studied the scriptures and worked hard to find language that was clear to summarize the Bible’s teachings. One may think of the Apostle’s creed or the Nicene creed. Thankfully, Christians have always been a people who love words. (We invented the printing press after all!)

God Will Preserve the Gospel and His Church

2 Timothy 1:11–12 (CSB)

For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher, and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.

Matthew 16:18 (CSB)

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

This does not necessarily mean that the church is immune from falling into error, but it does mean that the God will preserve the Gospel and His Church. God’s purpose for the Church is to fulfill the great commission which depends on us having the true Gospel. He did not give us a mission we would fail. He will ensure the nations come to faith in His Son, and therefore, he will preserve the Church and her message.

Part 3: Value Baptist Distinctives

Believer’s Baptism

Jeremiah 31:31–34 CSB

“Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”—the Lord’s declaration. “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.

The foundation for believer’s baptism is the nature of the New Covenant

Under the Old Covenant, all male babies would be circumcised as a sign that they we a part of the covenant made with Israel. This meant that so long as they kept the covenant, they would receive the blessings of the covenant, namely prosperity in the promised land. Under this covenant, you could be a member whether or not you actually had faith in The Lord. In other words, believers and unbelievers received the sign of circumcision, signifying they were part of the covenant.

Under the New Covenant, however, things change.

Believer’s Baptism protects the local church from people who do not really believe the gospel.

Church Discipline

In addition to only baptizing believers with a credible profession of faith, we also practice correction and discipline to help each other become more like Christ and to sometimes remove people from our midst who prove themselves to be false converts or wolves.

1 Corinthians 5:6–8 CSB

Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Church Discipline keeps the local church pure and holy and guards from apostasy.

Local Church Autonomy & Cooperation

The churches in New Testament times selected from their own membership persons to care for the physical need of members (Acts 6:3-6), determined what persons would be commissioned for specific ministries (Acts 13:1-3) and disciplined their own members (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13). These decisions were made by the local church, not a denomination, regional bishop, or pope.

Local Church Autonomy protects the local church from outside manipulation.

Local Church Cooperation protects the local church from sectarianism.

Conclusion

We must pass on & guard the Christian Faith.

How is this best done?

Use Written Creeds and Confessions

Honor the Faith of our Fathers

Value Baptist Distinctives