Sermon Tone Analysis

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practise these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”[1]

What makes a Baptist a Baptist?

The question is central to the search for Baptist identity.

There is no individual Baptist without a Baptist congregation.

Staunch advocates of believers’ church, Baptists must answer this question of identity together, as well as individually.

Eventually, the answer to this question will shape our churches, our denominational affiliations, and every aspect of our work together.[2]

I observe that the truths which define us as Baptists are sadly neglected today.

Even denominational leaders and seminary instructors have permitted a dilution of Baptist theology during the past several years.

This is a trend which concerns me deeply, and which should concern each of us both as Christians and as seekers of truth.

The current generation of Baptists knows little about Baptist doctrine.

Consequently, contemporary Baptists invest considerable energies searching for some solid ground on which they can base their lives and Christian discipleship.

Tragically, this statement is made regarding denominational leaders and teachers in our theological institutions.

If those supposed to provide leadership prove to be ignorant of the doctrines Baptist have championed, should we marvel that those occupying the pews of our churches know so little concerning this rich heritage?

The tragedy of this censure is that our Baptist people are joining with non-Baptist evangelicals in a virtual new evangelical ecumenism leading to a number of novel ministry ventures that are not always beneficial to spiritual health of the congregation.

Areas of commonality and agreement have been identified with many of these evangelical Christians; and while this trend has positive elements, we have tended to neglect the traits that have forged our unique theological identity and shaped our mission and our passion in pursuing many of these ventures.

The result of this dilution of Baptist doctrine is that we have lost the power of our convictions and too often lost even our identity as a historic people.

If we are truly identical to all the other communions, then let us cease clinging to our identity and join with whoever gives us the best deal.

However, if we possess distinctive truths which mark us as a people, and if those distinctive truths make us the people we admire historically, then let us return to those truths and proudly proclaim them.

Our endeavour is not to proselytise non-Baptists to become Baptists, but it is to clearly articulate truths which may otherwise be neglected to the detriment of the world in which we live.

With the Word of God as our authority, we must relearn the basics and reclaim the richness of our doctrinal heritage.

We must rediscover a lost and neglected wisdom, and reconstruct the foundation and framework of our faith.

It is time that we were again about this task.

If we are to define what it means to be Baptist, it will be necessary that we establish the basis for every belief, the basis for every statement.

In order to do this we must agree upon a standard.

The standard for faith and practise is the Word of God, and in particular, our authority is the New Testament.

That truth needs to be explored thoroughly as we prepare ourselves for the future.

Baptists share many doctrines and practises in common with other religious bodies.

In common with Jews, we believe in one God, Creator of all things.

Many of the teachings of the Catholic Church are acceptable to Baptists.

With them, we believe in one God in three Persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We also believe in concert with those of the Roman Catholic persuasion in the incarnation, the atoning death and the glorious resurrection of Christ the Lord.

As is true of Catholics, we have high regard for the Scriptures as the written Word of God.

We do not hesitate to say that we share similar moral views with both Jews and Catholics and even with Mormons.

Nevertheless, we hold most truths in common with other evangelical denominations.

The whole body of evangelical truth belongs to all evangelical denominations.

We rejoice in the fact that the things in which we agree are more numerous and more important than the things in which we differ.

We join with other evangelical denominations in holding to precious truths such as the inspiration of Scripture, the existence of one God in three Persons, the necessity of the new birth through repentance and faith and salvation by grace and not by works.

We hold in common with other evangelical groups the deity, substitutionary death, resurrection, ascension and Second Coming of Christ Jesus our Lord.

As is true for all evangelical Christians, we hold a final judgement, with eternal blessedness for the redeemed and eternal death for the wicked.[3]

Throughout the whole of Christendom, there are differences in church polity, church sacraments and ordinances, church officers and the conception of the church.

This does not begin to address the differences in the doctrines of salvation, the authority of creeds and the worth of the individual before God.

It is in these areas that Baptists have distinguished themselves and served to bring a great host of evangelical Christians into amazing agreement during the past three centuries.

Certain truths must be stated at this point, which you do well to keep in mind before we consider the challenges facing Baptists in the 21st Century.

First, Baptists are not Protestants.

Protestant denominations are those which protested against the sinful abuses of the Roman Catholic Church and finally severed their relationship with that institution.

It was the intent of the Reformers to establish new religious orders in order to return to the teachings of the New Testament.

Unfortunately, not one of the Reformers carried through on their intent, for each brought out of the Catholic Church doctrines and practises which are out of harmony with the New Testament.

Such corrupt practises include: union of church and state; infant baptism; pouring or sprinkling as the mode of baptism; a hierarchical form of church governance.

Baptists did not come out of the Catholic Church; hence, in the strictest sense, they are not to be classed as Protestants.

Baptists are evangelicals, but they are not Protestants.

A second important truth is that there is no modern founder of Baptists.

Martin Luther is the founder of the denominations bearing his name; and well may the various Lutheran sects be proud of the part their great leader had in bringing about the Protestant Reformation.

We Baptists honour Martin Luther as a great Reformer and a stalwart of the Christian Faith.

Methodism began with the ministry of John Wesley, though Wesley Himself never forsook the Anglican Communion.

Presbyterians proudly look to John Calvin as their founder.

The Episcopalian Church was born during the religious controversy under Henry VIII, as an offspring of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Disciples of Christ, the Christian Church and the Churches of Christ all trace their beginning to the teachings of Alexander Campbell in the early part of the nineteenth century.

Campbell was excluded by conscientious Baptists who saw that he was beginning to teach doctrines which violated their basic tenets, and so he started a new denomination.

The Foursquare Church was the result of the ministry of Aimee Semple McPherson and the Vineyard Movement can point to John Wimber as the founder.

Nevertheless, there is no founder of Baptists.

A final truth which will prove helpful as we consider the challenges facing Baptists in the new century is that Baptists recognise no founder but Christ.

Although the name Baptists was not used to designate a particular group until a few centuries ago, and though it may not be possible to trace Baptist history back to the apostles without a break, it is true that Baptists are a Bible-made people, and Baptist principles and practises have prevailed among those seeking to honour God through the centuries.[4]

*Baptist Distinctives* — When I came to faith in Christ the Lord, I did what some may believe to be a strange thing.

After the fact, my actions seem quite reasonable, but at the time, I appeared radical to some dear friends.

I wrote on a sheet of paper a list of major doctrines.

To the right of each doctrine, I provided two additional columns.

One column bore the title “Proved,” and the other column was entitled “Disproved.”

I then purchased a wide-margin Bible and began to either affirm or deny each doctrine in its turn by reading through the Bible.

A doctrine is naught but biblical truth expressed in some convenient and concise language.

What better way to learn doctrine than through reading the Bible?

As I encountered a truth concerning a given doctrine, I would note it by underlining the relevant verses, noting the doctrine(s) involved in the margin, and citing other references in the margin of the Bible.

By the time I had read the Bible through, I had a rather thorough grasp of biblical doctrine.

Later, I learned that I had developed a biblical theology, in contradistinction to a systematic theology.

When I had completed my studies, I was a Baptist by conviction.

What is a Baptist?

A Baptist is distinguished by a set of distinctive doctrinal truths.

As previously noted, we share many doctrines in common with other Christians.

Certainly, we share in common with all Christians, faith in the Triune God.

We believe, together with all Christians, that Jesus is very God and fully man.

Likewise, we share with all true believers the conviction that Jesus died a sacrificial death, that He was buried and that He rose on the third day from the tomb.

We believe, together with all Christians, that the Risen Son of God ascended into heaven, from whence He shall return to judge the living and the dead.

We believe that faith in Him is both mandatory and sufficient for salvation.

Whilst these truths are held in common with all Christians, it is nevertheless true that certain convictions distinguish us from other believers.

Together with most evangelical believers, Baptists hold that Bible to be authoritative for faith and practise.

However, Baptists are insistent that it is the Bible alone which is the basis for our faith.

This position has been historically identified as a Baptist position.

Though we are aware of traditions, we do not elevate our traditions to the same level of authority as we do the Word of God.

Baptists are insistent that we must find biblical warrant for every practise and for each doctrine.

Those areas in which the Bible is silent are to be viewed as areas of freedom for us as a people of God.

Therefore, the first great Baptist distinctive is that the Scriptures alone are authoritative for faith and practise.

We are insistent upon the Lordship of Christ.

Consequently, it is our insistence upon His mastery which impels us to reject all baptismal modes except for that which He has given in the Word—immersion.

We dare not alter that mode, knowing that Christ Himself gave us the mode and knowing that the Word is quite explicit in declaring the purpose for that mode.

We submit to His reign, leading to another Baptist distinctive.

It is commonly suggested that the distinctive emphasis among Baptists lies in the act of baptism.

This is a misconception, however.

Baptism is not, in fact, primary; it is always derivative and depends for its meaning on the conception of the Church that lies behind it.

It is this idea that gives justification to Dr. Whitley’s remark that “the distinctive feature about Baptists is their doctrine of the Church.”[5]

The doctrine of the Church is in its turn largely conditioned by our conception of the origin, nature and purpose of the Church, and for that, Baptists argue, we must always go back to the New Testament.