Why I Don't Attend The Baptist Church
GEORGE L. FAULL
There are many things in which the Baptists do well. Like Satan and the Demons:
1. They believe there is one God, James 2:19.
2. They believe Jesus is the Son of God, Mark 5:7.
3. They believe Jesus could do miracles, Matthew 9:3.
4. They believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, Matthew 4:6.
5. They quote Scripture, Matthew 4:6.6. They believe in Prophecy, Matthew 4:6.
7. They believe demons will be tormented on the coming day of the judgment, Matthew 8:29.
8. They believe that Jesus is the Holy one of God who was sent into the world, Mark 1:24.
Obviously, these are not good enough reasons to attend the Baptist Church because even demons believe this also.
9. Like the Pharisees, they are very evangelistic and compass land and sea to make one proselyte, Matthew 25:15.
10. They call Jesus, Lord, Lord, Matthew 7:21.
11. They do many wonderful works in His name, Matthew 7:22.
12. Like the Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and Adventists, many have died on foreign soil for their faith and paid the ultimate price while trying to evangelize.
So obviously these are not good enough reasons to go to a Baptist Church, either.
HERE ARE THE REASONS WHY I DON’T ATTEND THE BAPTIST CHURCH:
1. Their name does not give preeminence to Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:18
2. They do not wear the prophesied name of God’s people that was to be given by the mouth of the Lord. Isaiah 62:1-2, Acts 11:26
3. The Church, which is supposed to be Christ’s Bride, is called after the friend of the Bridegroom instead of the Bridegroom. John 3:29
How would you like your bride to wear your best man’s name and your children to be called by his name instead of yours?
4. They have the wrong concept of man. Ezekiel 18:2-3
They believe man inherited the guilt and nature of Adam and is born a sinner. The Bible teaches that like sheep we all went astray, not that we were born astray. We were not born prodigals but became prodigals and left our Father ourselves. We must become as children, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Does God want us to become little depraved sinners?
Matthew 18:3 Little innocent babies are not born sinners. Men die because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and since none of us can eat of the Tree of Life and live forever, we die. That’s the consequence of Adam’s sin, but I do not have his guilt. I was lost because I personally sinned against a Holy God.
5. They are Calvinistic and believe God’s Spirit has to miraculously convert men because man is so dead in sin he cannot ever come to faith unless God miraculously gives him faith as a gift. They twist Ephesians 2:1-9.
Faith is not a gift. Salvation is the gift. Faith comes by hearing the Word. Romans 10:17
Jesus told people they would not repent so they might believe. Matthew 21:32
6. They are Calvinistic and believe in the doctrine of election.
Their view is that God elects the believers to salvation and “whosoever” does not mean anyone but the elect. The Bible says He died for the sins of the whole world. I John 2:2
“He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9
7. They believe that once you are saved or give evidence that you are part of the elect, you cannot be lost.
Our prisons per capita are filled with Baptists and Catholics because of their doctrinal views. Doctrine effects behavior. If I cannot be lost, there is very little reason to take heed, or beware or give diligence to make my election sure. II Peter 1:10
8. Though they immerse their baptism is for the wrong reason.
To them it is a mere outward form of an inward act. To them it is the first thing a Christian does instead of the last thing a sinner does. It is not for the remission of sins, the way Peter said, but rather because your sins were already forgiven the moment you believed. They ignore that if you are baptized because your sins are already remitted your repent for the same reason. Acts 2:38 The word “and” is a conjunction uniting two things together.
Their baptism is to get you into the Baptist Church, not into Christ. They say baptism is a “work” and that “works”cannot get you into Heaven. It follows then that if baptism is a “work,” you have to “work” your way into the Baptist Church. If not, why not?
9. They have a false plan of salvation.
Just say the “sinner’s prayer” or “ask Jesus into your heart.” These statements do not appear in Scripture in either words or concept. Jesus knocking at the door is a picture of Jesus trying to get into His Church, not an aliens heart. Revelation 3:14-22
10. They abuse the Lord’s Great Commission.
Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” Mark 16:16. It is not “he that believeth and is saved should be baptized.” They say you do not have to be baptized to go to Heaven, but you do to get into the Baptist Church, proving it is easier to get into Heaven than it is to get into the Baptist Church.
11. They commune as desired, usually quarterly, rather than following the apostolic example.
“They came together on the first day of the week to break bread.” The only verse that tells us when they came together, tells why they came together – “to break bread.” Acts 20:7
To gather to remember Him and not unveil His memorial is ludicrous.
12. They abuse the purpose of the Lord’s Supper.
It is a time of personal examination. It is to show forth (proclaim) the Lord’s death till He comes. It is to look to the needs of the Brethren. It is a memorial of what Christ has done for us. In light of this, when they say “it would not be meaningful but would became common place to take it each week” shows total ignorance of the institution . I Corinthians 11. We are sharing in the benefits of His shed blood and body - I Corinthians 10:16. How could sharing in the benefits of His blood be common place? This borders on sacrilege and blasphemy.
13. Their Church government is foreign to the New Testament polity.
Instead of their Church having an evangelist, they have a Pastor. Instead of a plurality of Elders, they have one Pastor who often does not meet the qualifications of an Elder. The one man Pastor system is as foreign to the Scriptures as the Pope of Rome. In Scriptures, Elders, Pastors, Bishops, overseers, shepherds, and Presbyters are all synonymous terms. A boy running around with peach fuzz on his face cannot be a Pastor for he is not an Elder. There is no such thing in the Bible as “The Pastor of my Church.”
14. They are carnal for they divide and denominate themselves into factions, which Paul forbids.
Was John the Baptist crucified for you? Were you baptized into his name? Are they Baptists in contrast to Paul or Cephas or Apollos, or Christ? Such naming of themselves is carnal and sectarian and is condemned by the Apostle Paul. I Corinthians Chapters 1 and 3.
15. They usually have a creed or rules of discipline and follow a denominational hierarchy who decides who can be ordained to preach or be given a license to baptize.
When baptism is not done by such authorized men, Baptists consider it an invalid baptism. One must have a license to baptize making their baptisms by the authority of the Baptist Church rather than by the authority of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If I were to attend a Baptist Church, and lacked the authority of the Baptist Church, how could I obey the Great Commission? Surely that would hinder my evangelism and obedience to Christ!
16. They believe the Church was established long before the days of Pentecost in the days of John the Baptist.
They say, “John the Baptist was the first Baptist preacher.” But after John died, Jesus spoke of the future and said, “I will build my Church.”
17. Contrary to James, they teach one is saved by “faith only.”
Those two words appear together only once in Scripture and that verse claims one is “justified by works and not, by faith only.” James 2:4
They cannot harmonize Paul who said we are “justified by faith and not by works” and James who says we are justified “by works and not by faith only.” They ignore that the works Paul spoke of referred to the “works of the law” and James spoke of the “works of faith.” It is ironic that baptism is the only thing mentioned in all nine conversions but it’s the one thing Baptists say you do not need to do to be saved.
18. They deny that Jesus is now King, sitting on David’s throne, but that his kingdom is yet future.
They teach that the Church is a substitute for a Jewish based kingdom over which Jesus personally will rule from Jerusalem. They ignore Jesus is a Priest and King on His throne Zechariah 6:13. Jesus cannot serve as a priest on earth because He is from Judah. Hebrews 7:14
Heaven is His throne and the earth but his footstool. Acts 7:49
He reigns till the last enemy is destroyed. The last enemy is death and it will be destroyed at His coming. He then turns the Kingdom over to the Father and subjects Himself to His Father forever (I Corinthians 15).
He is not coming to rule from His footstool. He rules from His throne in Heaven now and will turn the kingdom over to His Father when He comes.
19. Their refusal to practice Church discipline as outlined in I Corinthians 5 disturbs me.
I would feel insecure if my family and I never had the advantage of Church discipline in disciplining us if we fall into sin. I’ve never known a Baptist Church to discipline its members.
Was Bill Clinton disciplined for his immorality? Or Al Gore for advocating abortion? Billy Graham and his heresy and recommendations of the worse of modernists and Christ-denying-liberals are not rebuked. Have these ever been rebuked by the Baptist denomination? Their “live and let live” philosophy is unwholesome as well as unholy. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
20. They have over a thousand women ordained in the ministry and even had Anne Graham Lotz speak at their large conventions with denominational approval.
But this is a prohibition of God. I Timothy 2:12, I Corinthians 14:34
21. I would have to explain why they are called “Baptist Churches” but have “Christian Schools” while insisting there is nothing in a name.
I don’t think I could ever explain that to my own satisfaction, let alone to someone else. How could I maintain my own integrity and try to defend such a concept?
Now I realize that there are as many kinds of Baptists as Heinz has products. They differ on one or two of these points, but the great majority holds to all these beliefs.
In light of all of this, I could not support with my influence or money the Baptist Church. Since they all believe that all one must do to be saved is ask Jesus into your heart to be saved and once you are saved you cannot be lost, I am totally at loss as to why they divide into 57 varieties. If it’s not a matter of salvation and you can never be lost why allow friction and division on anything?
You say there is nothing in a name? Try putting your name on my check or my car title or the deed to my house. As one old lady said, “I’ve been a Baptist for 57 years and you’re not going to make a Christian out of me now.”
If you’re a Christian, don’t let them make a Baptist out of you! Don’t be a hybrid “Christian.” Just simply be a Christian.
NO CREED BUT CHRIST
No Book but the Bible
No Name but the Divine.
Speak where the Bible Speaks
Be silent where the Bible is silent
Call scripture things by Scriptural names.
Restoration brings unity rather than division.