Baptist beliefs

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The beliefs of Baptist churches are not completely consistent from one Baptist church to another. Baptists do not have a central governing authority, unlike most other denominations.^{[citation needed]}

However, Baptists do hold some common beliefs among almost all Baptist churches.^{[citation needed]} Baptists share Christian beliefs with most other moderate or conservative Christian denominations.^{[citation needed]} These would include beliefs about one God, the virgin birth, the sinless life, miracles, vicarious atoning death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Christ, the Trinity (the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, together with God the Father), the need for salvation (though the understanding of means for achieving it may differ at times), divine grace, the Church, the Kingdom of God, last things (Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge everyone in righteousness), evangelism and missions.^{[citation needed]}

Overview

The following acrostic backronym, spelling BAPTIST, summarizes Baptists' distinguishing beliefs:^[1]

• Biblical authority (Mat 24:35; 1Pet 1:23; 2Tim 3:16-17)
• Autonomy of the local church (Mat 18:15-17; 1Cor 6:1-3)
• Priesthood of all believers (1Pet 2:5-9; 1Tim 5)
• Two ordinances (believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper) (Acts 2:41-47; 1Cor 11:23-32)
• Individual soul liberty (Rom 14:5-12)
• Separation of Church and State (Mat 22:15-22)
• Two offices of the church (pastor and deacon) (1Tim 3:1-13; Tit 1-2)

Practices

Baptists practice believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper (communion) as the two acts of faith-obedience to the example and commands given by Christ for Christians.^{[citation needed]} Most Baptists call them "ordinances" (meaning "obedience to a command that Christ has given us")^[2] instead of "sacraments" (activities God uses to impart salvation or a means of grace to the participant).^{[citation needed]} Therefore, historic Baptist theology considers that no saving grace is conveyed by either ordinance and that original sin is not washed away in baptism.^{[citation needed]} Baptists have traditionally believed that they are symbols.^{[citation needed]}

Some Primitive Baptists also practice foot washing as an ordinance.^[3][4][5]

See also

• Baptists in the history of separation of church and state
• List of Baptist Confessions

References

Wikisource has original text related to this article: 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Baptists