Baptism: candidate, mode, administrator

We Baptists usually stress three or four ingredients[i] in combination that make up what we call scriptural baptism: (1) the proper candidate, (2) the proper mode, and (3) a proper administrator.[ii]

• The proper candidate must be a believer, who gives evidence of the new birth[iii]
• The proper mode must be by immersion in water, plunging into and raising from the water
• The proper administrator must be one authorized by the Lord[iv]

The Acts 8:26-40 pericope of Philip and the eunuch helps put this in perspective.

The proper candidate must be a believer:

See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

The proper mode must be by immersion in water:

“And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip…”

The proper administrator must be one authorized by the Lord:

“And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went…”

The candidate must be a believer before being baptized. If not, the baptism is not valid regardless of the mode. The mode must be immersion. If not, the baptism is not valid regardless whether the candidate is a believer.

“...See that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee...”

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[i] Sometimes this idea is expressed in different numbers of ingredients because some ingredients may be expressed together or individually. For example, one might divide the following category into two rather than one:  the proper element is water and the proper mode is immersion. The candidate and meaning may also be expressed together or separately.

[ii] The concern is not what definitions of the word “baptism” are common in the English language, but what scripture defines as baptism.

[iii] Thereby encompassing the proper purpose, putting “blood before water,” and “the altar before the laver.”

[iv] This ultimately puts baptism in the context of church authority (Matthew 28:18-20). A proper administrator should have been himself a partaker of the ordinance, attached to the church of God, and sent to preach & administer the ordinances. “The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?” “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” “ And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” Today’s authority is not direct, as Aaron’s or John’s, but derivative, through the power or authority of Christ given to the church (“All power is given unto me...Go ye therefore…,” Matthew 28:18-19).

The cries of which we have spoken

“My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.” Psalm 119:81“...the cries of which we have spoken shew that there is life. But with life there is hope; for why should a man be ever crying after, waiting for, and anxiously expecting a blessing which he has no hope ever to obtain? If, then, these had no living hope, would they cry? There are no cries in a dead hope. It is because the grace of hope in their breasts is, like every other grace of the Spirit, alive unto God, that it acts in union with faith and love, to bring them and keep them earnest, sincere, and unwearied before the throne, expecting and anticipating what God has promised to bestow on those who wait upon him.”

J. C. Philpot (1802 – 1869)

Sweet is the cross of Jesus

The Cross, written by Frederick Whitfield, is found on page 41 of Sacred Poems and Prose.

1. I saw the cross of Jesus

When burdened with my sin;

I sought the cross of Jesus

To give me peace within;

I brought my soul to Jesus,

He cleansed it in His blood;

And in the cross of Jesus

I found my peace with God.

2. I love the cross of Jesus,

It tells me what I am;

A vile and guilty creature,

Saved only through the Lamb;

No righteousness, nor merit,[i]

Nor beauty I can plead,

Yet in the cross of glory,

My title there I read.

3. I clasp the cross of Jesus

In every trying hour;

My sure and certain refuge,

My never-failing tower:

In every fear and conflict,

I more than conqueror am;

Living I’m safe, or dying,[ii]

Through Christ the risen Lamb.

4. Near to the cross of Jesus,[iii]

There let my weary heart

Still rest in peace unshaken,[iv]

Till life itself depart;

And then in strains of glory

I’ll sing His wondrous power,

Where sin can never enter,

And death is known no more.

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[i] Originally, “No righteous merit there.” I have left several lines with adaptations because they apparently were made to keep the meter consistent.

[ii] Originally, “For life is mine, and death is mine.”

[iii] Many modern printings have “Sweet is the cross of Jesus.”

[iv] Originally, “Still rest in perfect peace.”

3 Ways Hymn Meters, and other music links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• 3 Ways Hymn Meters Provide Meaning -- "The [limerick] form itself is so ideal for light or humorous topics that it makes the crucifixion seem flippant."
• A Worship Catechism -- "1. What is the great priority and purpose of man? Man’s great priority and purpose is to love God with his entire being: heart, soul, mind and strength."
• CD Hindsight Review: Blessed Assurance – The New Hymns Of Fanny Crosby -- "Sadly, Blessed Assurance: The New Hymns Of Fanny Crosby is mostly a forgettable collection when it comes to the actual music."
• CD Review: Various Artists – Fanny Crosby/Newly Discovered Hymns & Songs -- "One stylistic surprise on the CD is “The Isles Of The Deep,” which features an a cappella performance by Triumphant. Another stylistic departure is the convention-style “A Crown Of Life” by the Mylon Hayes Family."
• George Forbis Passes Away -- "...the original tenor vocalist of The Dixie Echoes, passed away late yesterday following a lengthy battle with dementia."
• How Poetry Forms Us -- "Singing both helps us express right affections to God in response to God’s character and works, and it also helps to form those affections when we make present through the art realities that are past, present, and future."
• How Singing Forms Us -- "...good hymns help us to express the affections of our hearts in response to God’s character and works, which brings him great glory he deserves..."
• On Earth as It Is in Heaven: A Biblical Theology of Worship -- "By the end of the Old Testament, we’re left hoping for a son of God who will worship God perfectly, and who will then lead his bride in pure worship of the one true God."
• Peggy Sue dies at age 78 -- "Buddy Holly tagged her in the love ballad “Peggy Sue,” but she wasn’t Buddy’s love. She was in a relationship with Jerry Allison, the drummer of the Crickets."
• Shape Note Song "Pinckney Township" -- "Recorded at the 33rd Annual Missouri State Sacred Harp Convention, held at St. John's United Church of Christ, Pinckney Township, Missouri, on March 10-11, 2017"
• Singing as a Response and Witness -- "According to David, this singing is not supposed to take place just in isolated conclaves of God’s people."

Tribulation

The fact of tribulation
John 16:33 In the world ye shall have tribulation
1 Thessalonians 3:4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

The reason for tribulation
2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

The reaction to tribulation
Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also..
Ephesians 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 

The results of tribulation
Romans 5:3-5 ...knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 
2 Corinthians 7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. 
1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye

A Petition, Memorial and Remonstrance, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• A Petition, Memorial and Remonstrance to the Legislature of North Carolina and one to the Congress of the United States against the incorporation of Religious Societies, and against creating Chaplains in the Army and Navy and in Congress -- "They remonstrate against the passage of any laws in this State favoring religious societies or churches of any cast or denomination; since the kingdom of Christ is not of this world."
• Confessions of a Calvinist Fundamentalist -- "I spent the first half of my 18-year-long ministry denouncing fundamentalism altogether. I’ve spent the last half of that ministry – after watching evangelicism chase after every fad and gimmick like teenage girls chasing after Justin Beiber – wishing fundamentalism would let me back in."
• George Gorton and William Gadsby -- "A few years later he began to preach but, obviously, he always had a longing desire to see this William Gadsby, so he walked all the way to Manchester – about two hundred miles!"
• Grotius and the Governmental Theory of the Atonement -- "Grotius argues that although God can remit the penalty of sin without satisfaction, as far as his own inner nature is concerned, he cannot do so in view of the welfare of the created order."
• Huge Development: Feinstein Moves To Seal FBI Investigation as Case Collapses -- "All indications thus far from that investigation suggest that nothing new will be found to stop Kavanaugh from being confirmed..."
• Interview with Rachel Mitchell (Part 1) -- "Rachel Mitchell is the Sex Crimes Bureau Chief of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Phoenix, Arizona. She has extensive knowledge of the field of child sexual abuse in general as well as its impact on religious organizations."
• Interview with Rachel Mitchell (Part 2) -- "It is not just the child that is manipulated; it is everybody around. And so what you’re seeing in a sex offender is a façade, and you don’t realize that."
• Intolerance of Protestants, When in Power -- "Let any religious sect among us receive the patronage of the government, then woe to the dissenters from their doctrines."
• Marvels of Horsepower -- "Blanco’s Buggy Barn Museum takes a turn into the 19th century."
• Minutes of the Bogue Chitto Baptist Association, 1881 -- "Bro. [S.O.] Magee was born in Pike county, Miss., in November, 1816.  He professed to have obtained a hope in Christ as his Savior, during a sermon preached at Silver Creek Baptist Church, by that 'Good man of God,' Elder Jesse Crawford."
• Not Rendering Evil For Evil -- "The text forbids us from rendering evil unto evil to any man. Are we bearing witness to the Lord by our conduct that we live in this life?"
• The Conservative Philosophy of Culture and Worship -- "From the perspective of the history of Western thought, Christian conservatism might be considered a subset of classical conservatism or “Realist Conservatism”."
• The Progressive Philosophy of Culture and Worship -- "Such a philosophy suggests that, instead of beginning with some notion of universals we wish to conserve in determining our posture toward culture, especially in our worship, the church’s foundational missional impulse requires prioritizing contextualization in the contemporary culture."
• The Secret to Salsa -- "Whether spooned onto breakfast tacos, devoured with chips or served with grilled red snapper, salsa’s addictive heat elevates everything on the plate."

Toward a History of the Orthodox Baptist Fellowship

Yesterday I posted a transcription of the Orthodox Baptist Confession of Faith. I had hoped to prepare some history of the Fellowship, but haven’t moulded it into the fashion I had hoped. In lieu of that, I present the following brief summary.

Beginnings

William H. Brackney places the beginning of the Orthodox Baptist movement with the beginning of First Orthodox Baptist Church in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

ORTHODOX BAPTISTS. Name given to a movement of fundamentalist Baptists who emerged in Ardmore, Oklahoma, in 1931. W. Lee Rector (d. 1945), a former professor at Oklahoma Baptist University and pastor at First Missionary Baptist Church in Ardmore, resigned to form the First Orthodox Baptist Church, also in Ardmore. His guiding principles included reaction to perceived modernism in the Southern Baptist Convention, a clear premillennial stance, and the basic Baptist polity and thought of James M. Pendleton. Eventually, Rector founded a school, the Orthodox Bible Institute, in 1944 and published a periodical, the Illuminator, later the Orthodox Baptist (1931–).[i]

 “The Orthodox Baptist Fellowship had its first meeting in May of 1935, 11 years ago. It met in the Central Baptist Church of Little Rock, Arkansas, where Rev. M. L. Moser, my good friend and a mighty evangelist, was then, and is now pastor.”[ii]

Purpose

The Orthodox Missionary Baptist Fellowship “is a voluntary assemblage of saints, and not an aggregation of church messengers. It is a gathering together of individual Christians, not an official representation of churches. It is a gathering together of brethren from local churches at the invitation of some local entertaining church.”[iii] It seems a wise conclusion, based on research up to this point, that Rector hoped to have an “Orthodox” fellowship that encompassed Baptists who were “Orthodox” and transcended their association and convention connections.

Antecedents and Related Movements

Prior departures from the Southern Baptist Convention.

First Orthodox Baptist Church, Ardmore

Started in 1931 by W. Lee Rector. The church no longer exists in name. Trinity Baptist Church and the former First Orthodox Baptist Church[iv] “began discussions regarding a merger in early 2001 and the first service together was held the first Sunday of May that year.”[v]

Writings by William Lee Rector include (chronologically)

• Can an Evolutionist be a Christian, William Lee Rector, Boston, MA: Stratford Co., 1926
• The Rock of Ages and God’s Lighthouse, William Lee Rector, Ardmore, OK: W. Lee Rector, 1936
• The Book of Daniel, William Lee Rector, Ardmore, OK: 1941
• The Holy Spirit: the Guide into All Truth, William Lee Rector, Ardmore, OK: W. Lee Rector, 1941
• Church Truth from the Jerusalem Church to the Glory Church, William Lee Rector, Ardmore, OK: W. Lee Rector, 1942
• Facts, Nothing But Facts About the Orthodox Baptist Fellowship, William Lee Rector (tract) 1942
• What Orthodox (Missionary) Baptists believe: Or An Analytic Study of the Orthodox Baptist Confession of Faith, William Lee Rector, Ardmore, OK: First Orthodox Baptist Church, 1942
• The Law: Was it Nailed to the Tree? William Lee Rector, Ardmore, OK: First Orthodox Baptist Church, 1943
• Grace: from Eternity to Eternity, William Lee Rector, Ardmore, OK: W. Lee Rector, n.d.
• The Book of Acts: a Survey of Church Evangelism and Church Missions, William Lee Rector, Ardmore, OK: n.d.

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[i] The A to Z of the Baptists, William H. Brackney, Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, 2009, p. 425

[ii] Church Bulletin of R. Nelson Colyar, March 31, 1946, cited in the Barr-Smith Debate, p. 108

[iii] From “Facts, Nothing But Facts About the Orthodox Baptist Fellowship,” tract by W. Lee Rector, 1942, cited in the Barr-Smith Debate, p. 64

[iv] Prior to the merger First Orthodox had changed her name to Central Baptist Church.

[v] Re: “First Orthodox Baptist Church,” e-mail from Terry Tolbert (Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Ardmore) to the author, May 28, 2018

Orthodox Baptist Confession of Faith

According to M. L. Moser, Jr., writing in A Baptist Confession of Faith for the 21st Century, the Orthodox Baptist Confession of Faith was drawn up circa 1935 by William Lee Rector, Richard Nelson Colyar, and Lewis Samuel Ballard. If copied correctly, this represents the third edition of the Confession (1958).

Orthodox Baptist Confession of Faith

1. GOD

We believe that there is one, and only one, true and living God; that He is absolute in nature, perfect in attributes, holy in character, the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; that He is infinite in wisdom, marvelous in power, and amazing in love; that He is holy, righteous, and true, worthy of all confidence and love; that He unites in Himself the infinite, the eternal, and the Almighty Three—God, the Father, and God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit; that the three persons of the God-head subsist in the same divine nature, essence and being; and that they are co-existent and co-equal in every divine attribute, each one executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

Gen. 1:1; Deut. 4:39; Mark 12:29; Gen. 17:1; Matt. 5:48; Isa. 6:3; I Chron. 29:11-12; Psa. 103:19; Rom. 11:33-34; Matt. 19:26; Psa. 19:9; Matt. 28:19; I Pet. 1:2-3; I Jno. 5:7; Exod. 3:14; Gen. 1:26 and Tit. 3:3-7.

2. THE DIVINE TRINITY

1. God, the Father. We believe that God, the Father, is the first person set forth in the Divine Trinity; that He is almighty, merciful, and just; that He is holy, righteous, and true; that He is eternally existent, glorious in nature, possessing the attributes of omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence; and that He, in harmony with His divine office, loves, provides, and protects, thus exercising providential watchcare over the sons of men, and especially a fatherly care over the children of God.

Matt. 28:19; Gen. 17:1; Matt. 19:26; Psa. 19:9; Isa. 6:3; Psa. 100:5; Prov. 15:3; Psa. 139:1-6; Psa.139:13-14; Psa. 103:13; Matt. 6:25-30; Matt. 10:29-31; and Matt. 7:11.

2. God, the Son—Virgin Born. We believe that God, the Son, is the second person set forth in the Divine Trinity; that He is Very God of Very God; that He is almighty, merciful, and just; that He is holy, righteous, and true; that He is eternally existent, glorious in nature, possessing the attributes of omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence; that God, the Father, through the Holy Spirit, is actually and eternally His divine Father, and Mary the Virgin, is actually and innocently His human mother; and that He, in harmony with His divine office, mediates, seeks, and saves, thus exercising the mediatorial office of redemption.

Matt. 28:19; Jno. 1:1-3, 14 and Isa. 9:6; Matt. 28:18; Tit. 3:5-6; Jno. 8:15-16; II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 13:8; Phil. 2:6; Jno. 2:24; Matt. 28:20; Luke 1:35 and Luke 2:7-14; I Tim. 2:5-6; Luke 19:10 and Jno. 3:16.

3. God, the Holy Spirit. We believe that God, the Holy Spirit, is the third person set forth in the Divine Trinity; that He is almighty, merciful, and just; that He is holy, righteous, and true; that He is eternally existent, glorious in nature, possessing the attributes of omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence; that He restrains the world, the flesh and the devil; that He witnesses to the Truth, convicts the lost, extolls the Christ, and testifies to the righteous judgments of God; that He, in harmony with His divine office, comforts, teaches, testifies, preaches, guides, regenerates, empowers, sanctifies, and annoints, thus exercising the quickening role in the works of saving the lost and the supervising role in the life of the saved.

Jno. 14:16-17 and 26; Jno.15:26; Jno.16:7-13; Heb. 9:14; I Pet. 4:14; Isa. 40:12-15; I Cor. 2:10-12; Psa. 139:7-12; II Thes. 2:6-7; Jno. 3:6, 8; Eph. 1:13-14; Acts 1:8; I Pet. 1:2; Isa. 61:1.

3. THE DEVIL

We believe that Satan is an actual person, and not an imaginary influence; that he once enjoyed high heavenly honors and glorious heavenly privileges; that he, through pride, ambition, and self-will attempted to betray the Almighty and brought down upon his head the judgement of God; that he operates today as the god of this world and the prince of the power of the air; that he is a diabolical inventor, an arch-deceiver, and the father of all lies; that he is the greatest enemy, the mightiest tempter, and the most relentless accuser of the saints; that he shall one day be incarnated in the person of the Antichrist and in that role will finally meet the Christ in the Battle of Armageddon; that there “the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head;” and that he shall eventually be cast into the lake of fire, the eternal place of punishment, prepared for the devil and his angels.

Job 1:6-12 and Job 2:1-7; Ezek. 28:12-19; Isa. 14:12-27 and Gen. 3:14; II Cor. 4:4 and Eph. 2:2; Matt. 24:11 and II Thes. 2:7-11 and Jno. 8:44; I Pet. 5:8 and Gen. 3:1-6; Rev. 12:10; Dan. 7:8 and Rev. 13:1-10 and Rev. 19:20; Gen. 3:15; II Cor. 11:13-15; Jno. 14:30; and Eph. 2:2.

4. THE HOLY BIBLE

We believe that the Holy Bible is a supernatural Book; that it is the very Word of God; that it is the full, the final, and the complete revelation of God’s will to man; that it has God, the Holy Spirit, for its author, salvation for its end, and truth in the original without any admixture of error for its matter; that it was written by holy men of old under the immediate and direct dictation of the Holy Spirit; that it is verbally inspired and a perfect treasure of holy instruction; and that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us, and is, therefore, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions shall be tried.

Psa. 119:89; II Tim. 3:16-17; Rev. 22:18-19; Jno. 17:17; Jno. 3:32-34; II Pet. 1:20-21; I Pet. 1:10-12; Zeph. 1:1; Psa. 19:7-11; Exo. 20:3-17; Psa. 1:2; and Jno. 12:48.

5. CREATION

We believe that the Genesis record of creation is literal and not allegorical or figurative; that God personally created the heaven and the earth; that He miraculously brought forth all original matter out of nothing; that He actually fashioned all organic forms as specific creations subject to limited changes within the specie; that He definitely ordained each specie to bring forth after its kind; that He finally formed man out of the dust of the ground, not by any process of evolution but by instant action, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became immediately a living soul; that He created man in the image and likeness of God; that His every creative act was complete and perfect in itself; and that not one of His creations was conditioned upon antecedent changes naturally wrought during interminable periods of time.

Gen. 1:1 and Jno. 1:1-3, 14 and Heb. 11:3; Gen. 1:21, 24-27 and Gen. 2:7; and Col. 1:15.

6. THE FALL OF MAN

We believe that man, originally created in holiness and actually associated with God in innocence under His law, did, by voluntary transgression of the Lord’s command, fall from the high and happy state in which he was created, and, as a consequence, became a sinner alienated from God and brought upon himself and all mankind just condemnation; and that he is now, by virtue of his fallen nature, utterly void of holiness, positively inclined to evil, and actually condemned to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse.

Gen. 1:26-27 and Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 3:6; Gen. 3:23-24; Ezek. 18:4; Rom. 5:12; Rom. 1:21-23; Rom. 3:10-18; and Rev. 21:8.

7. THE BLOOD ATONEMENT

We believe that the lost sinner is guilty and already under the condemnation; that he is by nature alien to God and because of sin condemned to die; that atonement for sin was effected through the mediatorial office of the Son Who by divine appointment, freely took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin; that He, through obedience during His earthly walk, personally honored the divine Law by keeping it, and, through His death on the cross, actually satisfied the penalty of the offended Law by suffering in the sinner’s stead; that He, through His obedience and sacrificial death, made full and vicarious atonement for all sin; that He died, the just for the unjust, bearing our sins in His body on the tree; and that He, through the shedding of His blood on the cross of Calvary, evidenced eternal provision for cleansing, for pardon, for peace and for rest.

Isa. 53:6; Rom. 6:7 and Rom. 8:23; I Tim. 2:5-6 and Heb. 2:17 and II Cor. 5:21; Matt. 5:17-18 and I Pet. 2:24; Heb. 10:10-12; I Pet. 3:18; Rev. 1:5; Isa. 55:7; Jno. 14:27; Matt. 11:28; I Jno. 1:7; Eph. 1:7; and Heb. 9:22.

8. REPENTANCE AND FAITH

We believe that repentance and faith are solemn and inseparable prerequisites of salvation; that they are inseparable graces wrought in the heart by the quickening Holy Spirit; that the alien sinner, being deeply convicted of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come by the personal ministry of the Holy Spirit, and by Him having his understanding enlightened so that he can see the way of salvation through Christ, does actually repent, turning to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication, and does actually believe, surrendering himself wholeheartedly to the Lord Jesus, immediately receiving Him as personal and all-sufficient Savior and openly confessing Him before all men.

Acts 20:21-22 and Mk. 1:15; Acts 11:18 and Eph. 2:8 and Jno. 6:44; Jno. 16:8-11; Matt. 3:1-2, 8; Acts 3:19; Luke 13:3 and Luke 18:9-14; Acts 9:6 and Rom. 10:10.

9. SALVATION BY GRACE

We believe that grace is elective and saving, that it embraces the personal triune and redemptive ministry of God, the Father, and God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit; that it comprehends all of the labors put forth by the Almighty in the interest of perfect righteousness and the salvation of the lost soul; that it encompasses foreknowledge, foreordination and predestination; that it, and it alone, saves even unto the uttermost all who repent toward God and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; and that salvation thus wrought is wholly by grace, “the free gift of God,” requiring neither culture nor works in any form to secure it or to keep it.

II Tim. 1:8-9 and Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:3-7 and I Pet. 1:2-5; Matt. 23:37; Rom. 8:28-30; Heb. 7:25 and Acts 20:20-21; Rom. 6:23; Rom. 11:6; Rom. 5:20; Isa. 1:18; and Isa. 55:1.

10. REGENERATION

We believe that in order to be saved lost sinners must be regenerated or born again; that regeneration is a recreative act, far beyond comprehension, wrought in the believer’s heart by the direct personal ministry of the Holy Spirit; that it is instantaneous, miraculous, and non-evolutionary or cultural; that it embraces the divine acts of cleansing the heart from all inward sins and of pardoning the soul of all outward guilt, in connection with the work of begetting a new creature in Christ Jesus; that the dead sinner is made to live through the new birth, becoming thereby a regenerated spirit, possessing eternal life, the gift of God; that the new birth comes after the Holy Spirit secures voluntary repentance and belief in the gospel; that it is the actual impartation of the divine life, not a mere transformation of the human life; and that the proper evidence of regeneration appears in the holy fruits of the obedient and willing faith of the followers of the Lord Jesus.

Jno. 3:3-5 and 7; II Cor. 5:17; Jno. 3:8 and Jno. 3:16; Jno. 1:12-13; Isa. 1:18 and Tit. 3:5-7; Eph. 2:1, 5 and Rom. 6:23; Jno. 16:8-11; Matt. 7:16-18 and James 2:17-20.

11. JUSTIFICATION

We believe that justification is one of the great gospel blessings secured through Christ for all who trust Him; that it is a legal and divine decree, declaring the believing sinner just; that it is thus a state of being free from condemnation, including forgiveness for inward sins and pardon for outward sins; that it secures through faith freedom from legal bondage, exemption from the wrath of God, and possession of peace which passes all understanding; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely upon the evidence of faith in God and the Redeemer’s blood; and that it brings us into a state of unchanging peace and favor with God and secures every other blessing needful for time and for eternity.

Rom. 3:24-25; Rom. 3:28; Rom. 8:33; Rom. 8:1 and Jn. 5:24 and Rom. 4:3-8; Rom. 6:6; Rom. 5:9; Rom. 5:1 and Phil. 4:7; Rom. 8:31-33; Gen. 15:6; and Heb. 2:4.

12. THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER

We believe that salvation wrought by grace is everlasting; that the saved soul journeying through the valley of the shadow of death need fear no evil; that the Holy Spirit-begotten and born are kept by the power of God; that the believer in Christ Jesus shall not be brought into judgment; that no one can lay anything to the charge of God’s elect; that they are securely held in both the hand of the Father and the Son; and that the age-old Baptist doctrine, “Once in grace, always in grace,” is heavenly and gloriously true.

Jno. 3:16; Jno. 3:36; Jno. 5:24; Jno. 6; Psa. 23:4; Isa. 37:23-24; Phil. 1:6 and I Pet. 3:5; Jno. 5:24 and Rom. 8:1; Jno. 10:27-29 and Rom. 8:31-33 and Rom. 8:35-39 and II Tim. 1:12.

13. SANCTIFICATION

We believe that sanctification is a divine work of grace; that it is not a state of sinless perfection attained through a “second blessing” or through a special “baptism of the Holy Ghost;” that it is an act of grace by which the believer is separated unto God and dedicated unto His righteous purpose; that by it we enter into divinely appointed privileges and thus become larger partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work, begun in regeneration, and carried on in the life of every believer by the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God; and that it is nurtured only by heaven’s appointed means, especially by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the saved through his self-examination, obedience, self-denial, watchfulness and prayer.

I Thes. 4:3 and I Thes. 5:23; Rom. 15:16 and Jer. 1:5; Prov. 4:18 and Jno. 17:17 and II Cor. 3:18; I Jno. 2:29 and Rom. 8:5; I Tim. 4:5; Luke 9:23; Matt. 24:42 and 7:7-11.

14. THE LORD’S RETURN

We believe that Christ Jesus is coming back to earth again; that His return shall be personal, audible, visible and bodily; that it shall mark the advent of the “day of the Lord” and usher in the millennium; and that He shall in that day turn the tables on Satan, take up the throne of His father David, put down all of His enemies, rule with a rod of iron, triumph over sin, and give the world an example of righteous government during His thousand years of personal reign on earth.

Job 18:25-26 and Isa. 9:6-7 and Zech. 14:4 and Mal. 4:2 and Luke 1:31-33 and Matt. 25:31-34; Rev. 19:11-21 and Acts 1:11 and I Thes. 4:16-17 and Rev. 1:7; II Pet. 3:10; Rev. 20:4-6; Rev. 19:20 and Rev. 20:1-3 and Rev. 20:10; Isa. 9:7; I Cor. 15:25-27; Psa. 2:9 and Rev. 12:5 and Rev. 19:15; I Jn. 3:8; and Psa. 72:1-20.

15. THE RESURRECTION

We believe that Christ Jesus arose bodily from the grave on the first day of the week, which day we now observe as the Lord’s Day, a day of worship; that His miraculous emergence from the tomb forecasted a like bodily resurrection for every member of the Adamic race; that the dead in Christ shall rise first and in glorified bodies like His; that they shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air; that the dead in trespasses and sins, or the dead out of Christ, shall rise at the close of the millennium; and that they shall be brought before the Great White Throne Judgment and there face the Judge of the quick and the dead.

Matt. 28:6 and Luke 24:1-12; I Cor. 15:12-22; I Thes. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:5-6; Rev. 11:15; Dan. 12:3; I Sam. 2:6; Isa. 26:19; Hosea 13:14; and Isa. 25:6-8.

16. INDIVIDUAL REWARDS

We believe that reward and salvation are not one and the same thing. We believe that the Lord shall reward His own; that He Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout; that the dead in Christ shall rise first; that a solemn separation shall take place; that the blood-washed and Holy Spirit-begotten shall be caught up to meet Him in the air, and there be rewarded according to the deeds done in the body; and that the place called the New Heaven and the New Earth is ordained the everlasting dwelling place of the children of God. We believe that the wicked are children of the devil; that they are rebels against God; that they reject the free offer of salvation through Christ; that they ignore the wooings of the Holy Spirit; and that they, as a consequence, are hell-bound, being under a death sentence; that they shall spend eternity in the Lake of Fire which burneth with fire and brimstone where the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet are and shall ever be.

I Cor. 3:11-15; I Thes. 4:16-18 and Matt. 24:40-41 and Matt. 13:47-50; I Cor. 3:8 and Rev. 21:1-8; Jno. 8:44; Rom. 8:7; Jno. 3:18; Rev. 20:10-15; and Rom. 6:23.

17. THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked. We believe the righteous are they who believe in Christ Jesus, the justified by faith, and the sanctified by the Holy Spirit and the Word; that the righteous are heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ; and that eternal life, the gift of God, is the matchless possession of the just. We believe that the wicked are they who do not believe in Christ Jesus, the condemned because of unbelief and the corrupted by the god of this world; that the unjust spurn the privileges of God’s grace, choosing the life of sin and rebellion; and that eternal damnation is the inescapable portion of the unjust.

Mal. 3:16-18 and Jno. 3:6; Rom. 3:22, 24 and 4:3 and 1:17; 8:1-17 and Acts 20:32 and Jno. 15:3; Rom. 8:17; 6:23; 2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 21:8 and Matt. 23:37 and Prov. 29:1 and Mt. 25:41.

18. THE LOCAL CHURCH

We believe that a New Testament Church, according to divine purpose and plan, is a visible, local, organized body; that it is composed of baptized believers associated together by a covenant of faith and fellowship in the gospel; that New Testament validity flows from strict obedience to essential principles of New Testament Law; that it is a sovereign, independent, democratic and militant body; that its ministry is gloriously blessed with the presence and leadership of the Holy Spirit and the light and revelation of the Written Word; that its work should ever be from within to without and never from without to within; that it is a self-governing body and is the sole judge, under the limitations of the Scriptures, of the measure and method of co-operation; that it is the only ecclesiastical tribunal the Lord has on earth; that its judgment concerning membership, missions, benevolence, co-operative alignments, and support is final; that it was personally founded by Christ Jesus during His ministry on earth; that it is subject to His laws and is the custodian of His ordinances; that the perpetuity of our faith, our doctrines and practices, ordinances and ordinations, has been effected through the Holy Spirit personally planting and preserving local Baptist churches of like faith and order down through the centuries even until now.

Matt. 28:19-20; I Cor. 1:1-3; Acts 2:41-42; II Cor. 8:5; Matt. 16:19 and Matt. 18:15-17 and Jno. 14:16-17, 26; Acts 1:8 and Acts 13:1-4; Matt. 18:17-18; Matt. 16:18-19; Matt. 26:26-29 and Matt. 28:19-20; I Tim. 3:15; Mark 3:13-14 and Luke 6:12-13.

19. ORDINANCES

We believe that Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances personally set in the church of the living God by the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that Baptism is the burial of a believer in water by the authority and instruction of a local Baptist Church; that it symbolizes the death and the burial and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; that it also typifies the believer’s death to sin, the burial of his old nature, and his resurrection unto a new life; and that it is administered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. We believe the Lord’s Supper is a memorial spread and administered by the authority and instruction of a local Baptist church; that it symbolizes the broken body and the shed blood of the Son of God; that its observance points backward to the crucified Lord on Calvary and forward to the returning Lord in glory. We believe that these ordinances are not sacraments, but are sacred symbols, pointing to the world’s only Savior, and bidding the sons of men look unto an everlasting fellowship with the King of kings and Lord of lords when He shall return to take over the reins of all government.

Matt. 26:26-29 and Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:3-5 and Matt. 16:19 and Acts 10:47; I Cor. 11:23-24; I Cor. 11:24-25; and I Cor. 11:26.

20. CHURCH ADMINISTRATION

We believe that the Churches of God and the state should be kept completely separate; that civil officers should be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed; that diligence should be had in seeking the will of God in all Church matters; that missionary endeavor should ever be executed from within the local Church to without; that pastors and deacons, the only divinely appointed church officers, should be duly ordained and brought to understand the sacred duties devolving upon them; that the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, should be honored both by saint and sinner; that Bible teachings should be constantly and consistently fostered by local Church bodies; that members should be deliberately and prayerfully voted into the fellowship of the local body; that unruly Church members should be prayerfully and Scripturally disciplined by the local Church; and that Church letters should be granted to sister local Churches of the same faith and practice.

Acts 1:8 and Acts 13:1-35; Rom. 13:1-7; Acts 14:23 and Acts 6:1-6; Acts 2:42; Rev. 1:10; Matt. 16:19 and Acts 10:47; Matt. 18:15-17; Acts 15:19-27 and Acts 18:27 and Rom. 16: 1-2 and Matt. 28:19-20.

21. CHURCH CO-OPERATION

We believe that it is the privilege and the right of local churches to co-operate with each other in carrying out the commission of the Lord; that such co-operation is righteously effected only when the principles of Christ are preserved in the work fostered; and that all associated endeavor of local churches should be carried on in such a way as to preserve the sovereign integrity of each local body in all matters of faith and practice.

II Cor. 8:1-6, 16-24; II Jno. 1-4; Matt. 16:18-19 and Acts 15:19-27.

Source:

Orthodox Baptist Confession of Faith

Matured by the late Dr. W. Lee Rector

Former Pastor of the First Orthodox Baptist Church

With suggestions and sanctions from a large number of outstanding orthodox Baptist ministers of the land.

(Third Edition)

Published by First Orthodox Baptist Church

Dr. J. Cullis Smith, Pastor and Editor

Ardmore, Oklahoma

June, 1958

Adam’s Death, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Adam’s Death -- "Whatever was the death that Adam died, is and must be the same death that has passed on all men, for that all have sinned."
• Air Force veteran Oscar Rodriguez assaulted over the word God -- "Oscar Rodriguez, Jr. is a decorated Air Force veteran who has delivered a patriotic flag-folding speech over 100 times at civic and military events."
• An 88-year-old dad is reunited with his 53-year-old Down Syndrome son -- "The loving bond between father and son truly knows no limits, no bounds, and no age."
• Beyonce Is Destroying Your Daughter, Not Empowering Her -- "What I’m articulating is a familiar lament about all pop music today. It’s not art, it’s advertising."
• Brett M. Kavanaugh​ letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, September 24, 2018: -- "I have devoted my career to serving the public and the cause of justice, and particularly to promoting the equality and dignity of women. Women from every phase of my life have come forward to attest to my character. I am grateful to them."
• Christine Blasey Ford letter to Diane Feinstein, July 30, 2018: -- "Brett Kavanaugh physically apd sex.ually assaulted me during High School in the early 1980's."
• On Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism -- "We oppose anti-separatist evangelicalism, hyper-fundamentalism, revivalism, and new-image Fundamentalism. We wish to reclaim authentic Fundamentalism, to rebuild it, and to strengthen it."
• The Gospel Commission -- "It would have required the stupidity of modern Gamalielites to have mistaken him to mean that they must go to school and learn to preach; or, being learned, to go lounging about the cities and market places, waiting for a monied call; or go and form mission societies, contract with mission boards, or anything of the kind."
• The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20 -- "Of all the passages that involve the Great Commission (cf. Mark 16:15–16; Luke 24:44–49; John 15:16; Acts 1:8), Matthew 28:18–20 is more well-known than others."
• The Baptist Landmark -- "The Baptist Landmark is a quarterly publication dedicated to the history, principles, and teachings of old fashioned Baptist churches."
• The Biblical Way to Choose a Pastor -- "Pastors are called 'elders' in the Bible so Pastor Jason Young uses the passages on choosing elders to define the proper process of choosing a pastor."
• The Kavanaugh fight isn't about abortion. It's about guns. -- "The Kavanaugh confirmation is about the future, not refighting the cultural battles of the 1970s.  And next up on the Democratic agenda is sweeping, national gun control – and possibly even confiscation."
• Trees That Speak -- "Marked trees that revealed resources to nomadic Comanche still stand."
• What is Fresh Coffee? -- "Some think that fresh means freshly brewed....Fresh coffee is defined by the amount of carbon dioxide gas that is still in the cells of the coffee bean."
• Women Who Know Kavanaugh From High School, September 14, 2018: -- "We are women who have known Brett Kavanaugh for more than 35 years and knew him while he attended high school between 1979 and 1983. For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect. We strongly believe it is important to convey this information to the Committee at this time."

Blogs of interest

• Bible Based Ministries
• The Wee Flea
• Thoughts of a Pastor Historian
• Virginia Baptist Historical Society and Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies

Not necessary we should know everything

It is not necessary we should know every thing. There are mysteries in nature as well as in providence and grace. We should beware of picking the lock, as one expresses it, of which the key is not in our keeping. It becomes us rather humbly to adore that God, who does all things well, Mark vii. 37; but gives account of his matters to none, Job xxxiii. 13; and be thankful for that wonderful and all-sufficient discovery of divine truth, that has been made.

Samuel Jones, Circular Letter of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, 1783