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Saturday, March 03, 2012

Baptists and the Bible

Following are a number of Baptist confessions of faith describing their belief on the Word of God. Though there are variations, all state a high view of the Word of God, inspired and sufficient, “the sufficient rule of faith and practice.” They are generally ordered from newer to older. Scripture references were removed to save space.

Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 (Southern Baptist Convention)
I. The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.


Doctrinal Statement of the Missionary Baptist Association of Texas
1. We believe in the plenary verbal inspiration and inerrancy of the whole Bible as originally written, and that the Bible is the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice.


Doctrinal Statement of the Baptist Missionary Association of America
II. THE SCRIPTURES
A. The Scriptures are God's inerrant revelation, complete in the Old and New Testaments, written by divinely inspired men as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Those men wrote not in words of human wisdom but in words taught by the Holy Spirit.
B. The Scriptures provide the standard for the believer's faith and practice, reveal the principles by which God will judge all, and express the true basis of Christian fellowship.


Articles of Faith of the General Association of Regular Baptists
I. Of the Scriptures
We believe in the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written; that it was verbally and plenarily inspired and is the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore is infallible and inerrant in all matters of which it speaks.
We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creed and opinions shall be tried.


Doctrinal Statement of the American Baptist Association
2. We believe in the infallible, verbal inspiration of the whole Bible and that the Bible is the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice.


Abstract of Principles of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1858
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience.


New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith, 1833
1. Of the Scriptures We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.


Mississippi Baptist Association Articles of Faith, 1806
2. We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given by inspiration of God, are of Divine authority, and the only rule of faith and practice.


Kehukee Baptist Association articles, adopted 1777
II. We believe that Almighty God has made known His mind and will to the children of men in His word; which word we believe to be of Divine authority, and contains all things necessary to be known for the salvation of men and women. The same is comprehended or contained in the books of the Old and New Testaments as are commonly received.


Ketocton Association Articles Of Faith, 1766
That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of God; that they were given by divine inspiration, and that this system of revelation comprehends everything necessary for us to know concerning God, and the direction of our obedience to Him. By this divine book, God hath made revelation of His gracious design in saving poor sinners, and pointing out the way through the mediation of the Lord Jesus; that through the instrumentality of this sacred word, that stubborn and obstinate sinners are brought into the ordinances of faith, and the incorrigible left without excuse; and that by this word of the Lord all men shall be judged in the last day.


Principles of Faith of the Sandy Creek Association, 1758
II. That Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of God, and only rule of faith and practice.


Carter Lane Declaration of Faith, 1757
We believe, That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, are the Words of God, and the only rule of faith and practice.


The Philadelphia Confession, 1742
1. The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience; although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times, and in divers manners to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His church; and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment, and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan, and the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which maketh the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now ceased.


Goat Yard Declaration of Faith, 1729
I. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God, and the only rule of faith and practice.


London Baptist Confession, 1677/1689
1. The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience, although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and his will which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterward for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan, and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which maketh the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.


London Baptist Confession of 1646
VIII. The rule of this knowledge, faith, and obedience, concerning the worship of God, in which is contained the whole duty of man, is (not men's laws, or unwritten traditions, but) only the word of God contained [viz., written] in the holy Scriptures; in which is plainly recorded whatsoever is needful for us to know, believe, and practice; which are the only rule of holiness and obedience for all saints, at all times, in all places to be observed.


London Baptist Confession of 1644
VII. The rule of this knowledge, faith, and obedience, concerning the worship and service of God, and all other Christian duties, is not man's inventions, opinions, devices, laws, constitutions, or traditions unwritten whatsoever, but only the word of God contained in the Canonical Scriptures.


John Spilsbury's Confession, circa 1643
6. I believe the holy Scriptures to be the word of God, and have the only authority to bind the conscience to the obedience of all therein contained, and are the all sufficient rule, by the Spirit of God to guide a man in all his obedience both to God and man.


Waldensian Confessions of Faith, 1520
3. We acknowledge for sacred canonical scriptures the books of the Holy Bible. (Here follows the title of each, exactly conformable to our received canon, but which it is deemed, on that account, quite unnecessary to particularize.)


Though the General Baptists diverge from Regular Baptists on certain doctrines, their statements on the Scriptures are consistent with the Regular Baptist confessions.

Treatise of the Faith and Practices of the Free Will Baptists, 1843
I. The Holy Scriptures
These are the Old and the New Testaments; they were written by holy men, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and are God's revealed word to man. They are a sufficient and infallible rule and guide to salvation and all Christian worship and service.
Since the Bible is the Word of God, it is without error in all matters upon which it speaks, whether history, geography, matters relating to science or any other subject.


Liberty Association Articles of Faith, 1824
That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the infallible word of God, and the only rule of faith and practice.

Interestingly, I found some older confessions of faith did not have a paragraph on the Scriptures. Yet even in these their position on the Scriptures is implied, because it is to the Scriptures they appeal to found all the doctrines in their articles. As for the Separate Baptists, the Bible was their confession of faith.

1 comment:

R. L. Vaughn said...

Thought this sorta on-topic post was interesting: Baptists' Historical Position on Biblical Authority