I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church and was often led to believe that John the Baptist started the Baptist Church. Effectively, it manufactured feeling: John was a “Baptist” we ended up “Baptists.” So John need to have commenced the Baptist Church, right? Indeed, optimistic pondering at its ideal. Notion is, as they say, fact. At times our perception and Fact are in opposition. And, occasionally, we find out the tough way.
Reading through the Bible in its entirety, fairly than pulling out a convenient verse right here and there, produces the Creator’s supposed result – illumination of Truth.
At the age of 21 I commenced to study the Bible. Not the typical casual perusal by way of a handful of Psalms or Proverbs, but a deliberate, systematic review of the 66 books that make up the Bible. Reading through the Bible triggered me to evaluate the things we Baptists considered and practiced.
Right after a careful research, I realized that there were a host of procedures that we Baptists advocated that failed to align with the Bible. But 1 Baptist doctrine stood out previously mentioned all other individuals – that John the Baptist started the Baptist Church.
Did John the Baptist start the Baptist Church? Do you want to locate it for by yourself, or would you like to me share what I found? If you are looking through this sentence, I can assume that you want me to share what I discovered. Alright, below is knowledge from the Word of God. I hope you will validate it for by yourself.
We discover King Herod, in the 14th chapter of the gospel of Matthew, shelling out his birthday at his winter palace. He’d been in a position to seize and imprison John at his palace. Why did Herod want John in shackles? Since John had explained that Herod should not be sleeping with his sister-in-law, Herodias as a result, John was incarcerated for his incendiary statement. Really, Herod wished to execute John, but feared the response of the crowds since the populous thought John to be a prophet of God.
Then, in the course of the celebration of Herod’s birthday, Herodias’ daughter enticed Herod by dancing erotically just before him. Evidently Herod was mesmerized by her seductive talents and promised to give her anything she needed. She’d presently been coached by her mother on what to ask for. “Give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter!” demanded Herodias’ daughter. Herod was now among a rock and the proverbial hard-location. He didn’t want to incite the crowds, but he also had to display that he was a man of his word. Ultimately he chose to make sure you Herodias’ daughter. Herod had John decapitated.
Why is this historic account of John’s death crucial? Simply because it uncovers the response to the question, “Did John the Baptist start off the Baptist Church?” How does it uncover the answer? John’s dying at the hand of Herod was just before the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ created the initial prophecy that any church would be created. Jesus explained that He would construct a church – not John. Jesus stated that it would be His church – not John’s. churches in Raleigh launched no church. His title “John the Baptist” was just a descriptive phrase of his mission and actions. John was a baptizer of gentlemen unto the baptism of repentance.
In the sixteenth chapter of the gospel of Matthew we uncover Jesus questioning His disciples. “Who are the crowds saying that I am?” His disciples responded, “Some are stating that you are John the Baptist. Some are stating that you are a prophet, this kind of as Elias or Jeremiah.” But Jesus wished to know what His possess disciples imagined. “But who do you consider I am?” Jesus questioned. Peter responded and said, “You are the Christ (the Messiah Savior), the Son of the residing God!” Jesus exclaimed that Peter was blessed simply because his information was offered by God and not by flesh. Then Jesus tends to make an amazing prophecy to Peter and to the relaxation 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 get in touch with the confession of religion in Christ) I will build my church.”
It was Jesus, not John, who mentioned that He would develop a church. We find that the Lord’s prophecy came accurate in the final portion of Functions chapter two. That section of Scripture reveals that all who had been saved were additional to the Lord’s church by God. God provides the saved to the Lord’s church. There was no earthly council, no associations, and no conventions that voted on prospective church member candidates.
Furthermore, Christ’s church was a “blood-acquired” establishment, as said in the twenty eighth chapter of the ebook of Acts. It was to be an essential, divine, blood-bought establishment that the saved of God would be extra to by God.
Consider this reality: John didn’t prophecy that he would build any church. John failed to give his blood for a church. John was simply the fore-runner for the Christ.
Background information that the Baptist Church was started by a gentleman named John Smyth, an Anglican priest ordained by the Church of England in 1594. Smyth turned a “Separatist,” and formed the 1st “Baptist” church in Holland somewhere among 1607 and 1609 – some 1570 years right after Christ set up His church. Smyth “re-baptized” himself by pouring water over his head. Then he baptized (poured) his followers. 1609 is the unofficial commencing of the Baptist Church.
Prior to his dying, Smyth deserted his Baptist views and commenced striving to proselytize his followers into the teachings Menno Simons, and the Mennonite Church.
Modern Baptist Church associates are a team of good, honest, ethical, and zealous men and women. Nevertheless, they belong to a gentleman-made business. They belong to a church that was not purchased with Christ’s blood, hood-winked in believing that John the Baptist established their organization. How is this possible? Baptist individuals have not taken the time to examine their personal heritage. They have not taken the time to diligently research the Scriptures of God. They “assume” that what they’ve been told is the fact.
Why would so many great men and women align them selves with an organization that was plainly founded by a gentleman, instead of merely obeying the guidelines of Peter identified in the 2nd chapter of Acts and being additional to the church of Jesus Christ by God Himself? The reply is as basic as the nose on your encounter. They just will not know. They are ignorant of these biblical and historical information.
Each Baptist need to know that Jesus Christ launched 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 recognized, or do you want to be a member of a church founded by John Smyth? My selection is Jesus. Give me the possibility to obey the guidelines for salvation discovered in Acts two, and God will incorporate me to the church of Christ, Functions 2.
If you have the non secular wish to be a “Christian ONLY,” and a willingness to discover the one, correct, New Testament church of the Bible, Michael problems you to study the guide Muscle mass and a Shovel. It really is not only a tale that will get you immediately and not let go, but it will obstacle your present beliefs past your creativity.