Baptists Beginnings

lass=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'>1)  3-20-08…Baptismal Service…SBCBaptists Beginnings

Baptismal Service

Introduction:   Baptist Beginnings in America

1-      General Baptists (early 1600’s)

-          breaking away from Anglican Church who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church

-          issues over infant baptism – leader was a John Smyth

-          part of these General Baptists stayed in England to fight the issue and some left for the religious freedom of Holland (1607)

-          Pilgrim fathers came out of this group - John Robinson, William Brewster and William Bradford who all emigrated to US on the Mayflower

-          There was a split in the Smyth group and some returned to England and established the first general Baptist church in Spitafield, England

2-      Particular Baptists (circa 1633)

-          Puritans and Separatists

-          One of the first recognizable particular Baptists was an English congregation led by John Spilsbury in 1633

-          Notable Baptists among the puritans were:  John Milton, John Bunyan

-          These men did not grow up Baptist but they came to be by embracing believer’s baptism

Ø      many believe that these two Baptists groups divided over the doctrine of the atonement

·         General Baptists – general atonement (more Arminian)

·         Particular Baptist – particular atonement (more Calvinistic)

Ø      these two groups did not divide but had different beginnings at different times and places with different leaders

·         roughly 30 years apart

Move to America

1. most Baptists in America in the early 1700’s came from a British background
2. we cannot regard Baptist in America as merely an extension of those in England, but we also can’t minimize their connections
3. Roger Williams formed the first Baptist church in the New World – 1636

Ø      the issue began over who was the right person to be baptized – rejection of infant baptism

Ø      at the beginning of the movement was not necessarily over the type of baptism

Ø      after some time the Baptists moved back into the biblical position of immersion as the mode of baptism

Transition:       These events done so long ago is what lead us to where we are today.

-          we are not Baptists that baptize believer’s by immersion because we read about it in history

-          we believe the Baptist distinctive of biblical authority and we find portions of history reaffirming what we find in the bible

-          history and tradition is important but it must never replace or come close to the authority held by God’s very Word

Understanding the biblical view of Baptism means understanding the difference between…

Ø      Ordinance vs. Sacrament

·         “Sacrament” is not a word that we need to be scared of – we have a lot of sacredness to our faith

·         The problem has come by those that use it to refer to rites that convey grace for salvation

·         “Ordinance” is used by those that reject the concept of baptism or Lord’s Table having anything to do with bringing salvation upon an individual

·         “Ordinance” is used because it is seen in Scripture that Baptism and Communion were instructed or ordained by Christ in His teachings.

Ø      We call both Baptism and the Communion Table ordinances to stay away from the idea that they are a means to obtaining salvation

Understanding the biblical view of Baptism means understanding that it takes the…

1)      The Right Person        Acts 2:36-41; 8:12; 35-39; 9:17; 16:30-34

A-    The pattern revealed in the NT is that only those that give a believable profession of faith should be baptized – called believer’s baptism

1-      v41 tells that only those that received the Word by faith were baptized

2-      a baby can’t make the choice to receive the Word and shouldn’t be baptized

3-      baptism is for those that have given outward evidence of internal regeneration

Ø      the main point to remember is that salvation does not come through baptism

Understanding the biblical view of Baptism means understanding that it takes the…

2)      The Right Mode          Romans 6:1-4, Acts 8:36,

A-    the word “baptism is a transliteration of the Greek word – it is not translated but given an English spelling

B-    The Greek world always has to do with immersing and not pouring or sprinkling

1-      rantizo - “to sprinkle” (BAGD, p734)

2-      The Eunuch didn’t need water from a glass or jug to be baptized

3-      They went down into the water and then came up out of the water – Acts 8:38-39

4-      Jesus also came up out of the water after being baptized – Matthew 3:16

5-      Baptism by Immersion is the only satisfactory explanation for these narratives

C- The symbol of Baptism pictures that of immersion           Romans 6:1-4, Col 2:12,

1.      going under the water is the picture of going into the grave and being buried

2.      coming up out of the water pictures being raised with Christ to walk in a new way of life

Ø      Baptism very clearly pictures death to one’s old way of life and rising to a new kind of life in Christ.

Ø      Baptism by sprinkling or pouring simply misses this symbolism.

Understanding the biblical view of Baptism means understanding that it takes the…

3)      The Right Authority               Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 12:13

A-    the NT operates in the settings of the establishment of the local church through the apostles and then the life of the local church in the epistles

1-      in all this the local church is made a priority

2-      the context of their being added after repentance and baptism was to a church setting

B- Baptism is a sign of entrance into the church        1 Corinthians 12:13

1-      baptism symbolizes entrance into the universal church through death, burial and resurrection

2-      baptism is to be done by the visible authority established by Christ in this present age – the church

What do you see happening tonight?

1. you do not see two individual’s being given entrance to heaven because of being baptized

1. you do not see anything magical in the water that would remove anyone’s sin

1. you see normal (not holy) water – that same that comes from your bathroom at home

1. you see two young ladies who have acknowledged faith in Christ by repenting of their sins and accepted Him for Salvation

1. you see an outward symbol of what has already happened in their heart - water baptism is symbolic of spirit baptism

1. you see two people that are submitting to God and this church for obedience and accountability

1. you have an opportunity to made this same decision of faith tonight – to come to Christ based on his death, burial and resurrection for you

Will you accept Christ by faith for salvation?