Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

As we continue to consider the Baptist Church, we also need to study the pattern of organization which is found in the New Testament to contrast it with the present organization of the Baptist Churches in America. By so doing, I shall demonstrate that the Baptist Church cannot be the church of the New Testament because it is unscriptural in organization.

A Pattern Of Organization

Either one of two things is true; either God has revealed a pattern of organization for the church or He has not. In the event that God has revealed a pattern of organization, men are obligated to find the pattern of organization of the church and to abide within the revelation of God for the organization of the church. In the event that God has not revealed a pattern for the organization of the church, there can be no violation. Where there is no law, there can be no violation of law (Rom. 4:15). In this case, any form of church organization is just as scriptural as any other. The papacy in Rome is just as scriptural as elders ruling over a local church, in this case.

It is my contention that God has revealed a pattern of organization for the church. He has ordained that elders be appointed over every congregation (Acts 14:23 – “. . . they had ordained them elders in every church . . . “). The authority of elders is limited. They have no legislative authority (Jas. 4:12). Their authority is limited to making judgment decisions in administering and executing the law which is revealed by God. In these decisions, the authority of elders is limited to the local church (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-3). Elders have no authority over any congregation other than the local church of which they are members. A plurality of elders was always appointed in the local church (Acts 14:23; Phil. 1:1; Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:1-3). There is no authority for one elder to rule over a local church. Those who serve as elders are designated as elders (Acts 20:17), overseers (Acts 20:17, 28), bishops (Tit. 1:5, 7), pastors (Eph. 4:11), presbyters (I Tim. 4:14). The qualifications of these men are given in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.

The local churches were never tied together in any form of association or higher organization. The universal church of the New Testament had no earthly organization. Its Head is Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:21-23) and, therefore, the headquarters of the universal church is heaven. It seems preposterous to think that the Holy Spirit would give such detailed instruction regarding officers in the local church but remain silent regarding the offices and qualifications of officers on a district, state, national or universal level. Inasmuch as the Scriptures are silent regarding the offices and officers of the universal church, we conclude that there is no Bible authority for appointing officers in the universal church. Therefore, we conclude that any attempt to organize congregations together is unscriptural.

The Organization of the Local Baptist Church

The local Baptist Churches are organized with a preacher who is designated as “the Pastor” and with deacons. “The officers are the pastor and deacons, who, with such other persons as the church may elect, constitute a church committee, usually called the standing committee, and have general care of the affairs of the church, but no authority, except as it is specifically delegated to them by the church” (Religious Bodies: 1926, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, p. 83).

The local church is primarily ruled over by the preacher who is known as the “pastor.” There are several things wrong with this organization, including the following: (1) The New Testament always had a plurality of elders serving the church (see Acts 14:23; 20:17, 28; Phil. 1:1; etc.). The doctrine of one elder ruling over the church and known as “the pastor,” “the bishop,” “the elder,” etc. is unscriptural. (2) The preacher frequently does not meet the qualifications for elders as given in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Many Baptist “pastors” are younger men who have not lived long enough to have raised a family, with Christian children. Many “pastors” in the Baptist Church would insist that they are “young” men, not elderly men.

Hence, the first thing that is wrong with the organization of the Baptist Church is that it is under “pastor” oversight wherein the local preacher rules the local church. Such is a violation of the organization of the New Testament church. Preachers do not rule the church.

Majority Rule In The Local Baptist Church

Baptist Churches have been described as “one of the most democratic religious bodies in America” (Frank S. Mead, Handbook of Denominations, p. 27). “All members have equal voting rights in church matters, except that in some churches they are restricted to those over a certain age” (Religious Bodies: 1926, p. 83). My personal preference for democracy makes me appreciate democratic rule in politics. However, the church is not a democratic form of government. It is a monarchial form of government ruled by King Jesus (1 Tim. 6:15). Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Whatever laws have been legislated by Him must be obeyed by His subjects.

In matters of judgment, democratic vote is not the means authorized by God for making decisions. God has ordained that qualified men be appointed as elders and that they are to rule the flock of God (1 Tim. 5:17; Heb. 13:7). In carrying out the affairs necessary to accomplish the legislated will of God, decisions must be made and God has ordained that they be made by elders.

Even in the absence of elders, majority rule is a poor means of governing the church. There are several weaknesses, including the following: (1) the most recent convert with his ignorances and weaknesses has the same say as a mature Christian; (2) voting tends to polarize the church into parties in favor of and against certain opinions, sometimes creating situations in which political men use underhanded methods to obtain majority vote (such as by encouraging men and women who do not usually attend to be present for a business decision). This method of governing the church is not revealed in the New Testament.

Universal Baptist Church Organization

Baptist Churches insist that they are locally autonomous (Mead, op. cit.). However, they are bound together in associations.

Baptist churches are commonly found grouped into associations, local and state, for purposes of fellowship. National conventions are established among many of them to carry on educational and missionary work. Most state conventions meet annually, with delegates representing all Baptist churches in the given area. They receive reports and make recommendations, but they have no authority to enforce their decisions (Ibid., p. 28).

The decision of the local church cannot be overruled by these associations.

On the New Testament theory of church government, the action of the individual local church is final. There is no power, either civil or ecclesiastical, that can reverse its decision or punish it for wrong-doing. It may make mistakes, but no human tribunal has authority to compel it to confess or correct them (Edward T. Hiscox, The Standard Manual For Baptist Churches, pp. 37-38).

Hence, the Baptists insist that the associations have no domination or rule over the local church. (I have reproduced this material in order for our brethren who make similar statements regarding the sponsoring churches and church supported human institutions to consider. Both the Baptists and our brethren repudiate the idea that their associations and church supported institutions have any dominating influence over the churches. Both are equally unauthorized in the Scriptures.)There is no Bible authority which authorizes tying two local congregations together into any kind of association, much less tying ten, one hundred, one thousand, or all of the Baptist Churches together into associations. The creation of these associations is sinful, inasmuch as no Bible authority can be found to authorize them.

These associations which have been created by men stand under the same condemnation as the church supported human institutions among us. Consider the chart below regarding these associations, conventions, and missionary, benevolent and educational associations of the Baptist Churches. The associations of the Baptist Church constitute another unscriptural organization of the Baptist Church.

Conclusion

Inasmuch as God has given us a pattern for the organization of the church, Christians are obligated to follow that pattern in their association together in the local church. The organizational arrangements followed by the Baptist Church violates the pattern of God’s word in many points. Consequently, the Baptist Church cannot be the church of the New Testament. It is an apostate religious group condemned by God.

The Church	Church Associations
1. Originated in the mind of God (Eph. 3:10-11)	1. Originated in the mind of men
2. Is blood-bought (Acts 20:28)	2. Another, separate organization not blood-bought
3. Money raised through contributions of its members	3. Money raised through church contributions
4. Divinely revealed organization: Elders, Deacons (1 Tim. 3:1-14; Tit. 1:5-9)	4. Organization: Board of Directors, President, Vice-President, Secretary, etc.
5. Does its own work (Eph. 4:12)	5. Does the work in place of the church
6. Local church-only functioning unit (Phil. 1:1)	6. Organization larger than local church, smaller than universal church, yet trying to function for local churches
7. Creed & By-Laws: New Testament (Jas. 1:25)	7. Makes own creed and By-Laws
8. Competent to accomplish its mission   (Eph. 1:23; 3:10-11)	8. Designed to give church greater efficiency in accomplishing its mission
9. Oversees its own work (Acts 20:28)	9. Oversees churches’ work
10. Local church – functioning unit (see no. 6)	10. Considered official functioning organ of an universal association of churches
11. Can accomplish its own mission (see no. 8)	11. Proposes to do what local churches alone cannot do
12. No universal structure, organization, mission, etc.	12. Seeks to activate a universal association of churches

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 4, pp. 105-106
February 17, 1983

By Larry Ray Hafley

There are scores of Baptist vines, each of which produces its own particular fruit and flavor. As has been established in this series of essays, Baptist branches are not of New Testament stock. Their root is not in the ground of Christ; their seed it not of the word of God; their plant is not in the garden of God, and, “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up” (Matt. 15:13). Limited space prohibits a detailed historical analysis of all the various Baptist systems, therefore, only a few will be examined.

Common Baptist Tenets

Most Baptists subscribe to the following ideals: (1) The Bible is the word of God; (2) The Bible is “the only rule of faith and practice”; (3) Baptist churches are independent; (4) Baptism is immersion; (5) Baptism is for believers only; (6) Church and state (civil government) are separate; (7) Baptism is essential for membership in a Baptist Church. Perhaps other items could be cited, but these are the views most commonly accepted among Baptists of every shape and shade.

Southern Baptists

When the general public thinks of the Baptists, it usually pictures a Southern Baptist. Though the denomination has fallen on hard times of late, they have been famous for their strict Biblical interpretation, fundamentalism and high moral requirements – no dancing drinking, card playing. Their influence and profile on these matters has always been high, but, like other conservative sects, they have been under attack from liberal forces. The liberals want compromise in several areas. They want to “play down” the inspiration and authority of the Bible, place less emphasis on sin and salvation, and be more active in social, governmental issues. Sound familiar?

Southern Baptists have not escaped the influence of the charismatic movement. With their Calvinistic background, they were fertile soil for the seeds of Pentecostalism. Southern Baptists have always used the terminology of the Pentecostal system in referring to the regeneration and leading of the Spirit. Without scriptural knowledge and understanding of the work of the Spirit, it is easy to see why many have fallen prey to the Neo-Pentecostal whirlwind.

Southern Baptists, while paying lip service to congregational independence, are steeped in societies and ecclesiastic organization. The liberal and highly educated, modernistic professors and leaders of some Southern Baptist organizations have created problems for the conservatives.

Primitive Baptists

Primitive (“Hardshell”) Baptists like to refer to themselves as “the Old Baptists.” This infers that they are of New Testament origin and that they are not “new” or modernistic. They are often called “hyper-Calvinists.” In reality, they are nearly pure Calvinists. Their detractors among the Baptists would do well to refer to themselves as “sub-Calvinists” and to the Primitive Baptists are true or strict Calvinists.

Primitive Baptists subscribe to Calvinism’s five major tenets as identified in the well known acrostic “T-U-L-I-P.”

(1) Total Hereditary Depravity: The sin of Adam corrupted the human race. We inherit the guilt and effects of this sin by “natural generation.”

(2) Unconditional Election: Since man is totally depraved, he cannot choose or will to be saved; therefore, God chose certain individuals for salvation before the foundation of the world without regard to conditions, character, or conduct, hence, arbitrarily.

(3) Limited Atonement: This point says that Christ died for only a select, elect group. He did not die for all men. He did not die for the non-elect.

(4) Irresistible Grace: The elect (those for whom Christ died) are irresistibly, effectually, called to salvation by the Spirit. The non-elect cannot hear or heed, “Nevertheless God continues to hold them responsible to respond to His call” (The Five Points of Calvinism, p. 3).

(5) Perseverance of the saints: Those who have been elected to salvation are unconditionally elected. Their salvation is not conditioned upon anything which man does, either faith or faithfulness. All of the sins which a man may commit after becoming a Christian, from fornication to murder, do not and cannot separate him from God.

Primitive Baptists practice footwashing as a church ordinance and closed communion. They forbid the use of instrumental music, Sunday schools, societies and ecclesiastical organizations. They do not believe in “missionary work.” Obviously, if their doctrine is correct, there is no need for gospel preaching. The chief paper among Primitive Baptists is entitled, The Christian Baptist. It is presently published in Atwood, Tennessee. They present the standard “Hardshell” position.

Free-Will Baptists

According to historians, Free-Will Baptists originated in the 18th century. Their early leaders were Benjamine Randall and Paul Palmer. Other Baptists consider them “Arminian” because of their belief in “free will.” In other words, they deny certain aspects of Calvinism. They believe Christ died for all and that one is free to accept or reject salvation. They believe in the possiblity of apostasy and are opposed ardently by other Baptists for this doctrine. They have historically contended for foot washing.

Free-Will Baptists make the same arguments as Southern and Missionary Baptists when in debating the gospel plan of salvation. You may see other articles in this series for a study of that topic.

Seventh Day Baptists

As the name implies, these Baptists observe Saturday, the Sabbath. They use the arguments and doctrines of the Seventh Day Adventist denomination in attempting to bolster their belief in Sabbath keeping. The first Seventh Day Baptist Church was established in England during the Cromwell era. They claim a link with Baptists back to the days of the apostles supposing and imaginging as they do, that Baptist Churches were established by the New Testament disciples.

Ironically, these Calvinistic Sabbatarians are a doctrinal incongruity. They follow a work of the law in contending for the Sabbath but denounce works of any kind for salvation!

Missionary Baptists

There are several sects known as Missionary Baptists. Historically, a Baptist is one who baptizes or one who believes in immersion. A “Missionary” Baptist is a Baptist who believes in the need for “missionary” work or preaching, evangelizing. Missionary Baptists reject the Calvinistic view of unconditional election, limited atonement, and, to a degree, irresistible grace. Thus, they see the need for preaching and are labeled, “missionary.”

Some of the more prominent doctrines of Missionary Baptist Churches are documented below:

I. Successionism:

A. “Baptist churches are the only true churches on the earth that have an unbroken lineage of faith, doctrine, practice and history, through the Dark Ages, beyond the origin of Roman Catholicism to the first week of our Lord’s personal ministry. As local congregations . . . our Lord has preserved His church” (Dr. Albert Garner, Defense of the Faith, p. 122).

B. “Careful study . . . has served to form within me a conviction almost as strong as life itself. That conviction is that the first church that was ever organized was what we would today call a Baptist church, and that churches of the same form, characterized by the same doctrines and practices, have existed from the day that the first one was established to the present moment, and will continue to exist until the Lord comes again . . .

“What, then, is meant by perpetuity as used by Baptists?

. . . Baptists claim that the first New Testament church organized by Jesus was in doctrine and practice essentially the same as Baptist churches of today. They claim that there has never been a day since Jesus started the first one when such churches have not existed to bear true witness to Him. They claim that there is sufficient historical proof to demonstrate that Baptist churches of today have direct historical connection with the churches of apostolic times” (Roy Mason, Th. D., The Church That Jesus Built, pp. 6, 10, 11).

C. “Thus, when the Lord organized His church …. He set it in the world and it has never gone out of existence, not even during the dark ages. There has never been one split second when there has not been a church in the world just like the first one Jesus organized, and there shall never be until the Lord comes to receive the church unto Himself” (L.D. Foreman, editor of The Baptist World, in Biblical Proofs For Identifying The True Church, p. 28).

D. “When we speak of the perpetuity of Christ’s church we mean it has had perpetual existence since the day the Lord Jesus first began assembling it . . . it has existed in every century, every year, every month, every day since it has its beginning.” (Calvary Baptist Church, Ashland, Ky., The Origin And Perpetuity Of The Baptists, p. 9).

E. “The author believes that in every age since Jesus and the apostles, there have been companies of believers, churches, who have substantially held to the principles of the New Testament as now proclaimed by the Baptists . . . There is no intimation that there was not a continuity of churches, for doubtless there was . . .” (John T. Christian, A History Of The Baptists, p. 21).

F. “`We believe that the great commission teaches that there has been a succession of missionary Baptist churches from the days of Christ down to this day”‘ (Doctrinal Statement of the American Baptist Association, as quoted by Ben M. Bogard, The Baptist Way-Book, p. 80).

II. Church Established Before Pentecost Of Acts 2.

A. “If you are looking for a church with the characteristics, or identifying marks, of the Bible Church, you must find one that began in the days of Jesus and from the baptism of John . . . there was a church from the baptism of John” (L.D. Foreman, editor of The Baptist World, in Biblical Proof For Identifying The True Church, pp. 28, 29).

B. “The church did not begin on Pentecost . . . the book of Acts does not tell us that the church originated on that day . . . It wasn’t built on Pentecost . . . Before Mark 3 and Matthew 16 Christ had an assembly of baptized disciples” (Calvary Baptist Church, Ashland, Ky., The Origin And Perpetuity Of The Baptists, pp. 4, 5, 7).

“The church of Jesus Christ was instituted by Jesus Christ during His personal ministry on earth . . . the church was established during the personal ministry of Christ. Abraham’s day was too early, Pentecost is too late” (E.C. Gillentine, Baptist Doctrine, pp. 25, 30).

D. “The third distinctive mark of a New Testament church is that it had its beginning during the days of Jesus Christ on earth . . . There is enough evidence in the Scriptures to convince any reasonable person that there was a church before Pentecost” (Roy M. Reed, The Glorious Church, pp. 21, 23).

E. “When our Lord established His church He declared He would build it up, edify it, enlarge it, and the gates of hell should not prevail against it. (Matt. 16:18) . . . His church was already in existence when He uttered these words . . .” (Ben M. Bogard, The Baptist Way-Book, p. 30).

III. Repentance Before Faith.

A. “Which comes first, repentance or faith? Answer Matt. 21:32; Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21 . . . Nobody can reasonably trust Jesus to save him, or depend on Jesus for salvation, until he has repented . . . Hence, repentance necessarily, logically and scripturally comes before faith. Everywhere in the Bible where repentance and faith are mentioned together, repentance is put first” (Ben M. Bogard, Fifty-Two Doctrinal Lessons, pp. 17, 18).

B. “Baptists believe and practice the New Testament Order of New Testament Commandments, which are as follows: 1. Repentance. 2. Faith. 3. Baptism. 4. The Lord’s Supper.” (E.C. Gillentine, Baptist Doctrine, p. 35).

IV. There Is No Universal Church Only Local Congregation.

A. “A New Testament church is not made up or composed of all the saved . . . A New Testament church is not an invisible, universal, intangible, mystical fellowship of spirits of saved men . . . The evil idea of a universal, invisible church was instigated by the Roman Catholic Church and has been copied and siphoned along by Protestants . . . The idea that one automatically becomes a member of a big universal, invisible, spiritual church the instant he is saved, is an erroneous idea.” (Dr. Albert Garner, Defense Of The Faith, pp. 107, 108).

B. “It is therefore not correct to speak of `The Baptist Church.’ There is no such thing. There are thousands of Baptist churches, as each congregation of baptized believers is a church, but these congregations are not combined in any way so as to make the one great Baptist Church” (Ben M. Bogard, The Baptist Way-Book, pp. 14, 15).

C. “One of the most widespread theories of this day is the theory that the church that Jesus founded was not a local, visible assembly, but a Universal Invisible Church to which all believers belong, and of which they were made a part . . . It will be the purpose of the author to show the fallacy of this theory in this book” (Roy Mason, The Myth Of The Universal Invisible Church Theory Exploded, p. 3).

D. “The church, in the Scriptural sense, is always an independent, local organization” (John T. Christian, A History Of The Baptists, p. 14).

E. “Now the kind of church which is emphasized in the New Testament is neither invisible nor universal; but instead, visible and local. The Greek word for `church’ is `ecclesia.’ and those who know anything of that language are agreed that the word signifies `an assembly.’ Now an `assembly’ is a company of people who, actually assemble. If they never `assemble’ then it is a misuse of language to call them `an assembly.’ Therefore, as all of God’s people never have yet assembled together, there is today no `universal church’ or `assembly”‘ (A.W. Pink, Questions And Answers As To Church Authority, p. 37).

F. “I have shown that the idea of a great Universal Invisible Church, or a Visible Universal Church composed of all the visible churches, or, as some claim, of all baptized, independent of local churches, can not, by any fair exegesis, be found. (J.R. Graves, Questions And Answers As To Church Authority, p. 37).

G. “It should be remembered that by church, Baptists mean what the New Testament teaches – a local, real congregation of baptized believers united together for God’s service” (S.H. Ford, Questions And Answers As To Church Authority, p. 37).

V. Missionary Baptist Churches Are The New Testament Church Of Christ.

A. “They not only hold on the authority of the Word of God and reliable history that the churches of the New Testament were what would be called Baptist churches today; that Baptists are historical descendants of these same New Testament churches . . .” (Roy Mason, Th. D., The Church That Jesus Built, p. 11).

B. “The author personally believes, firmly and passionately, that the church with which he is associated, known commonly as `The Missionary Baptist Church,’ is the church that is identified in the New Testament” (Roy M. Reed, The Glorious Church, p. 11).

C. “Baptists teach that the Baptist Church is the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ and it is” (L.D. Foreman, editor of The Baptist World, in Biblical Proofs For Identifying The True Church, p. 7).

D. “The church known as the Missionary Baptist Church is Scriptural in origin, doctrine, practice and name” (Proposition affirmed in debate by Ben M. Bogard, Missionary Baptist, Porter-Bogard Debate, pp. 1-195).

E. “The churches known to my brethren and me as Missionary Baptist Churches are scriptural in origin, name, doctrine, and practice, and have had a continuous existence from the time of their origin to the present day” (proposition affirmed by Wayne Camp, President of the Illinois Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary, during debate with Larry Ray Hafley in Peoria, Illinois, August 23, 24, 26, 27, 1971, The Marantha Messenger, edited by Wayne Camp, August 17, 1971).

Of course, Missionary Baptists have been the most vocal and aggressive Baptist group when it comes to defending salvation by faith, before and without water baptism, and the “once saved, always saved” doctrine. In recent years, however, there have not been as many public debates on these vital issues. Honorable discussion always benefits the cause of truth. After reading this special series of studies, perhaps some Baptists will invite further study.

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 4, pp. 101-104
February 17, 1983

By Bill Lavender

“A Short History Of The Baptists” by Henry C. Vedder, printed by “The American Baptist Publication Society,” Philadelphia, 1892, has undergone many printings since, but is little known and little read among Baptists. Vedder was a faithful Baptist, but many Baptists did not like the truth he told about their history. A few statements from this book will show our readers why this is so. Please read:

“The word Baptists, as the descriptive name of a body of Christians, was first used in English literature, so far as is now known, in the year 1644. The name was not chosen by themselves, but was applied to them by their opponents. In the First Confession of Faith issued by the Particular Baptists in 1644, the churches that published the document described themselves `as commonly, (but unjustly) called Anabaptists.’ While they repudiated the name Anabaptist, they did not for some time claim the new name of Baptists, seeming to prefer `Baptized believers,’ or, as in the Assembly’s Confession of 1654, `Christians baptized upon profession of their faith.’ . . . The name Baptists seems to have been first publicly used by one of the body in 1654, when Mr. William Britten published `The Moderate Baptist.’ The first official use of the name is in `The Baptist Catechism’ issued by the authority of the assembly . . .

“For the fact that the name Baptist comes into use at this time and in this way, but one satisfactory explanation has been proposed: it was at this time that English churches first held, practiced, and avowed those principals ever since associated with that name. There had been no such churches before, and hence there was no need of the name. . .

“A history of Baptist churches cannot be carried, by the scientific method, farther back than the year 1611, when the first Anabaptist church consisting wholly of Englishmen was founded in Amsterdam by John Smyth, the Se-Baptist (self-baptizer, BC). This was not, strictly speaking, a Baptist church, but it was the direct progenitor of churches in England that a few years later became Baptist, and therefore the history begins there … .A History of Baptist churches going farther back than the early years of the seventeenth century would, therefore, in the present state of knowledge, be in the highest degree unscientific. The very attempt to write such a history now would be a confession of crass ignorance, either of the facts as known, or of the methods of historical research and the principles of historical criticism, or of both . . .

“To Baptists, indeed, of all people, the question of tracing their history or remote antiquity should appear nothing more than in interesting study. Our theory of the church as deduced from the Scriptures requires no outward and visible succession from the apostles. If every church of Christ were today to become apostate, it would be possible and right for any true believers to organize tomorrow another church on the apostolic model of faith and practice, and that church would have the only succession worth having – a succession of faith in the Lord Christ and obedience to him. . .

“This church potentially existed from the day when two disciples of John the Baptist followed Jesus and believed on him as the Messiah (John 1:35-40); but of actual existence as an organized society of believes during the life of Jesus no trace appears in the four Gospels. The day of Pentecost marks the beginning of the definite, organic life of the followers of Christ… Not only did this multitude hear the word and believe, but on the same day they were `added to the church,’ which can only mean that they were baptized . . . . Hence the New Testament churches consisted only of those who were believed to be regenerated by the Spirit of God, and had been baptized on a personal confession of faith in Christ. What was done on the day of Pentecost seems to have been the rule throughout the apostolic period: the baptism of the convert immediately followed his conversion. It is a distinct departure from New Testament precedent to require converts to postpone their baptism . . .

“The church universal is not regarded in the Epistles as a visible and organized body, but is wholly spiritual, incorporeal, corresponding essentially to the idea of the kingdom of God taught in the Gospels. The only visible and organized body of Christians recognized by the New Testament writers was the local assembly or congregation. In other words, the apostles knew nothing of a Church; they knew only churches.”

These quotations frgm Vedder are true and interesting, and furnish much food to thoughtful persons.

He freely admits that there were no “Baptists” in the New Testament. The name was not used until 1644 in England. The early Christians and churches of Christ in the New Testament (Rom. 16:16; Acts 9:31; 1 Thess. 2:14, etc.) were not Baptists and those churches were not Baptists churches. “There had been no such churches before (1644), and hence there was no need of the name.” To wear the name “Baptist” in religion is to wear a name and do something unauthorized by God. In the New Testament, God’s children were called “Christians” (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Pet. 4:15-16), not “Baptists,” (nor Catholics, etc.)

The first “Baptist” there ever was in the world was John Smyth, a member of the church of England who fled from England because of persecutions regarding his views. He fled to Holland, immersed himself and some of his followers. His movement began to spread in England and his followers began to be called “Baptists” because of their insistence upon immersion. Baptists are correct on insisting upon immersion as the only “form of baptism.” They teach false doctrine when they say that immersion is for those who are already saved. The Bible teaches we are immersed in order to be saved, “for the remission of sins” (Rom. 6:3-7, 16-18; Col. 2:~2; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:37-41; 22:16; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21, etc.).

Baptist preachers falsely teach that the church begun in the days of John the Immerser (Baptizer). Vedder truthfully points out that the church of Christ began on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47). Only local congregations functioned in the N.T., yet Baptists wrongly have their conventions, associations, etc. John was not “a Baptist” religiously, but was “the Immerser,” baptizing “for the remission of sins” which no Baptist now does. The Baptist movement is now 371 years old. It is not in the N.T.

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 4, pp. 98, 101
February 17, 1983