I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church and was constantly led to believe that John the Baptist established the Baptist Church. Properly, it produced perception: John was a “Baptist” we have been “Baptists.” So John must have started the Baptist Church, correct? Of course, optimistic pondering at its ideal. Notion is, as they say, fact. Often our notion and Real truth are in opposition. And, sometimes, we locate out the difficult way.
Studying the Bible in its entirety, fairly than pulling out a convenient verse right here and there, makes the Creator’s meant effect – illumination of Fact.
At the age of 21 I began to study the Bible. Not the typical everyday perusal via a few Psalms or Proverbs, but a deliberate, systematic review of the sixty six guides that make up the Bible. Reading the Bible caused me to consider the items we Baptists believed and practiced.
Following a careful research, I realized that there were a host of practices that we Baptists advocated that didn’t align with the Bible. But one particular Baptist doctrine stood out above all other people – that John the Baptist started the Baptist Church.
Did John the Baptist commence the Baptist Church? Do you want to locate it for by yourself, or would you like to me share what I identified? If baptist church in Raleigh might be studying this sentence, I can suppose that you want me to share what I located. Alright, right here is understanding from the Word of God. I hope you will validate it for oneself.
We uncover King Herod, in the 14th chapter of the gospel of Matthew, shelling out his birthday at his winter season palace. He’d been capable to seize and imprison John at his palace. Why did Herod want John in shackles? Because John experienced mentioned that Herod shouldn’t be sleeping with his sister-in-law, Herodias for that reason, John was incarcerated for his incendiary assertion. Really, Herod desired to execute John, but feared the response of the crowds simply because the populous thought John to be a prophet of God.
Then, for the duration of the celebration of Herod’s birthday, Herodias’ daughter enticed Herod by dancing erotically ahead of him. Evidently Herod was mesmerized by her seductive skills and promised to give her something she desired. She’d already been coached by her mom on what to ask for. “Give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter!” demanded Herodias’ daughter. Herod was now between a rock and the proverbial difficult-place. He did not want to incite the crowds, but he also had to display that he was a man of his word. Ultimately he selected to remember to Herodias’ daughter. Herod experienced John decapitated.
Why is this historic account of John’s demise critical? Because it uncovers the solution to the concern, “Did John the Baptist start the Baptist Church?” How does it uncover the solution? John’s death at the hand of Herod was prior to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ made the first prophecy that any church would be constructed. Jesus mentioned that He would create a church – not John. Jesus explained that it would be His church – not John’s. John the Baptist founded no church. His title “John the Baptist” was merely a descriptive expression of his mission and steps. John was a baptizer of males unto the baptism of repentance.
In the sixteenth chapter of the gospel of Matthew we locate Jesus questioning His disciples. “Who are the crowds declaring that I am?” His disciples responded, “Some are stating that you are John the Baptist. Some are expressing that you are a prophet, such as Elias or Jeremiah.” But Jesus needed to know what His possess disciples imagined. “But who do you believe I am?” Jesus questioned. Peter responded and said, “You are the Christ (the Messiah Savior), the Son of the living God!” Jesus exclaimed that Peter was blessed since his expertise was given by God and not by flesh. Then Jesus tends to make an amazing prophecy to Peter and to the rest of His disciples, “You are Peter, and on this rock (the rock of belief that Jesus was the Son of God, or what we would phone the confession of faith in Christ) I will develop my church.”
It was Jesus, not John, who said that He would create a church. We uncover that the Lord’s prophecy came correct in the previous component of Acts chapter two. That segment of Scripture reveals that all who had been saved ended up added to the Lord’s church by God. God adds the saved to the Lord’s church. There was no earthly council, no associations, and no conventions that voted on possible church member candidates.
In addition, Christ’s church was a “blood-bought” establishment, as stated in the twenty eighth chapter of the e-book of Acts. It was to be an vital, divine, blood-bought establishment that the saved of God would be additional to by God.
Think about this fact: John didn’t prophecy that he would construct any church. John did not give his blood for a church. John was simply the fore-runner for the Christ.
History information that the Baptist Church was founded by a guy named John Smyth, an Anglican priest ordained by the Church of England in 1594. Smyth became a “Separatist,” and fashioned the first “Baptist” church in Holland somewhere between 1607 and 1609 – some 1570 years soon after Christ set up His church. Smyth “re-baptized” himself by pouring h2o in excess of his head. Then he baptized (poured) his followers. 1609 is the unofficial commencing of the Baptist Church.
Prior to his loss of life, Smyth abandoned his Baptist sights and started attempting to proselytize his followers into the teachings Menno Simons, and the Mennonite Church.
Modern Baptist Church associates are a team of good, honest, moral, and zealous people. However, they belong to a guy-created business. They belong to a church that wasn’t purchased with Christ’s blood, hood-winked in believing that John the Baptist launched their business. How is this feasible? Baptist men and women have not taken the time to examine their very own heritage. They have not taken the time to diligently research the Scriptures of God. They “suppose” that what they’ve been advised is the truth.
Why would so numerous excellent individuals align themselves with an organization that was evidently launched by a guy, as an alternative of simply obeying the recommendations of Peter located in the second chapter of Acts and becoming included to the church of Jesus Christ by God Himself? The solution is as basic as the nose on your experience. They just don’t know. They are ignorant of these biblical and historical specifics.
Each and every Baptist need to have to know that Jesus Christ founded His church and gave His blood for it. Paul informed the church at Ephesus that Christ cherished the church and gave Himself for it. Paul also explained that Christ is the Head of His church, and the Savior of His physique, the church.
So we boil it down to this: do you want to be a member of the church that Jesus Christ proven, or do you want to be a member of a church launched by John Smyth? My selection is Jesus. Give me the possibility to obey the directions for salvation identified in Acts 2, and God will include me to the church of Christ, Acts 2.
If you have the non secular want to be a “Christian ONLY,” and a willingness to locate the one particular, correct, New Testomony church of the Bible, Michael difficulties you to study the ebook Muscle and a Shovel. It is not only a tale that will get you right away and not enable go, but it will challenge your present beliefs past your imagination.