BAPTIST BRIDEISM IS WHAT???
Baptist Brideism is what? Do some folks truly believe that?
Let’s think on several thoughts surrounding this issue.
Thought One: This preacher DOES NOT believe that
one has to be a Baptist to go to Heaven. I do not believe that
the New Birth comes by joining a Baptist church (or any church
for that matter), nor do I believe that Baptist churches are
synonymous with (the same as) the kingdom of God, or God’s
Family.
To believe that someone has to be of any “church,” be
it Catholic, Baptist, Mormon, etc., to go to Heaven is impossible
to find in the Bible.
I believe that it is “Covenant” doctrine to believe
that joining to a “church faith” is the same as being
saved. Covenant dogma teaches that one belonging to a body
covenant, is to be inside a special covenant relationship with
God wherein all others are excluded from salvation, be it Dutch
Reformed, or any covenant body, such as Presbyterian, Roman
Catholic, etc. or such a “Baptist” position.
This Preacher does not believe that heresy, be it Reformed
covenant doctrine or “called” Baptist
brideism.
I believe salvation is receiving Christ, based upon the Holy
Spirit’s revelation that one is an irrevocable sinner by
birth (and not by deeds), and that Jesus Christ (the only human
born, without sinful blood, that could offer up a wholly pure
sacrifice to God to atone for man’s sins) is the ONLY
Saviour.
Then, by the sinner receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour in
repentance, he is born again. This great salvation is not
Baptist, but is Divine. Nor is being a Baptist proof one has
God’s salvation, any more than receiving Church of Christ
baptism does, or Lutheran sprinkling or Catholic mass, or any
other number of religious things attributed to hold sacramental
(saving) powers.
This Preacher does not believe salvation rests within any
“church,” “denomin-ation,” or otherwise.
Period! Again let me state, one would be hard-pressed to find
“baptist” covenant theology, wherein only baptists are
going to Heaven anywhere in God’s Word.
A Second Thought: You know when one honestly
thinks about it, where are the major dogmas of most
“so-called” Christian faiths found in the Bible?? The
Baptist Faith (The Faith once delivered to the saints - Jude 2)
is easily found in the Bible. Easily, I say!
Compare this. Where can one find sprinkling in the Bible? One
would be hard-pressed to find sprinkling supported in the Bible,
or churches who practiced it.
Where can one find Mary worship in the Bible? Or sacraments, god
parents, liturgy, holy mass, or
praying over beads, etc. Where does one find the doctrine of
salvation dependent upon human strength to “hold out
faithful” in the Bible? One may even question several of the
inter-denominational (inter-doctrinal) beliefs, held by
“non-denominationalists.”
And could we include several beliefs and practices of fundamental
“baptistic,” brethren? I think we
should.
This Preacher personally believes that only Baptists (true
Baptists) are doctrinally sound, and that the churches of the
true Baptist position and practice are in God’s favor as
Scriptural churches.
Bible doctrines are Baptist doctrines,
“Non”-denominational, multi (denominational) doctrinal,
yea, even fundamental baptistic churches are NOT Baptist, but
(partly baptist: only the parts they like) a “mixed
multitude.”
True Baptists are not afraid of any Scripture any time, any
place, as Baptist doctrine is Bible doctrine, and Bible doctrine
is Baptist doctrine.
Perhaps that is why many Fundamentalists want to call themselves
“Baptistic,” who are not Baptist at all, but want to
get close to the truth.
The “Baptistic” brethren seem to be folks who hold only
some of the Baptist beliefs AND practices along with, or mixed
with, protestant beliefs and practices. This Preacher wonders if
much of fundamentalism and the “Baptistic” brethren
isn’t just protestants mixing into their faith and practices
some of the Baptist beliefs that their spiritual consciences
require.
They certainly do not seem to me to be faithful to all that the
Lord commanded to His churches.
Anywhere one reads in the New Testament, God charges the churches
to hold true to the doctrine (if you love me, you will keep my
words) as He set in His first church, and He places high praise
on those churches who do.
I believe that the Baptist faith and practice is the ONLY faith
and practice true to the Scriptures.
A Third Thought: Now should I be intimidated by
those who fear searching the Scriptures concerning the New
Testament Baptist Church? It is my personal opinion that there is
no other way to honestly deal with the Scriptures concerning the
church of the New Testament without admitting that it is in the
Gospels.
It is impossible for me to see the church beginning at Pentecost.
And there is no way to deal with the truth without concluding
that Jesus Christ began the first church Himself. It was NOT a
“plan B” after the Jews supposedly rejected Christ as
king, but it was eternally in God’s design that way.
Luke 6:13-16 shows the first church organized and gives us the
first church roll; and I Cor. 12:28 shows as that the Apostles
were that first church prior to any others being added. In Acts
1:15 others were already members prior to Pentecost.
A Fourth Thought: On this subject of
Christ’s bride, it’s strange that the New-Evangelical
protestants and Fundamentalists can so soundly argue for the
Church being the bride.
They can so easily find all the appropriate Scriptures to PROVE
that The Church is Christ’s bride. And as long as all are
forced (intimidated sometimes) to interpret them in the
“mystical” universal church sense; as long as THEIR
interpretation is used, everyone is happy.
But woe be he who holds to local church theology and uses the
same verses of Scripture to show the same deduction concerning
that church. Which the Scriptures do so clearly show. Is the
Bible true to teach the church as Christ’s bride?
Even New-Evangelicals and Fundamentalists seem to see it clearly.
So does the New Testament teach the doctrine of the local
congregations as THE church, rather than the mystical/universal?
The Scriptures seem to, rather clearly, actually. (“The
church at Corinth”... “The churches of Galatia”...
“The seven churches of Asia,” etc.)
So who is the heretic?? Is it the one who believes that
Christ’s bride will be made up of those who hold faithfully
to the old-fashioned Baptist faith and practices, while all other
saved people will be eternally saved and in heaven, but not the
bride?
Or those who believe that the bride is inclusive of all the
doctrinally mixed multitude of believers? Which position has the
support of God’s Holy Word?
Protestants who hold no loyalty to the purity of HIS doctrines,
easily wish the bride to be the whole family and the only
requirement to be the Blood, but this Preacher is afraid that is
not upheld in the Bible.
Those who believe that the bride is inclusive of all saved people
within a certain specified time period (Pentecost to the
Rapture), actually do not have much more than protestant
tradition to support that position? Are some arguing Bible, or
theological “positions”?
The narrow WAY is said to be the right way, while the inclusive
(broad) way is the wrong. The inclusive position is held by
protestants who deny so many other Bible beliefs and practices.
Can the mystical church position, or the “inclusive”
bride position take real exegetical pressure? If it’s right
it can. Truth always upholds truth.
Finally: I believe that the Baptist faith and practice is the
ONLY faith and practice true to the Scriptures.
And the being “pure and glorious, without spot and wrinkle,
holy and without blemish,” is not referring to all
(inclusive) Christians just being Blood purified at salvation.
What about our Lord’s admonition to be doctrinally pure? How
anyone could honestly interpret Titus 1:9 (Holding fast the
faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by
sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.)
and other like passages otherwise?
Unless of course, one holds an extremely odd view of doctrinal
purity. The Family is quite large I’m sure, but those
holding to the true faith and practices are on a narrow way, to
be sure.
This Preacher believes that the Baptist faith and practice is the
ONLY faith and practice true to the
Scriptures. And that the being (That he might present it to
himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:17) is more than just being born again.
That TRUE doctrinal purity is what God points to as the final
qualifier for His bride. Where is that in any other faith or
practice? The Scriptures declare that the churches are
synonymously the body of Christ.
If the church and the body of Christ are synonymous, and are
local, and are completed (not in prospect) fulfilling the
designed purpose within this very age, to be rewarded in
eternity; could being THE Bride, Christ’s bride, be that
reward - perhaps for her zeal for being a soundly faithful
church?
By Dr. Ron Tottingham