I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church and was often led to think that John the Baptist started the Baptist Church. Effectively, it produced feeling: John was a “Baptist” we had been “Baptists.” So John need to have commenced the Baptist Church, correct? Sure, optimistic contemplating at its ideal. Notion is, as they say, fact. At times our notion and Fact are in opposition. And, at times, we locate out the difficult way.
Reading the Bible in its entirety, rather than pulling out a handy verse listed here and there, makes the Creator’s meant impact – illumination of Truth.
At the age of 21 I began to read the Bible. Not the frequent relaxed perusal by means of a few Psalms or Proverbs, but a deliberate, systematic examine of the sixty six textbooks that make up the Bible. Studying baptist church in Raleigh brought on me to evaluate the items we Baptists considered and practiced.
After a watchful examine, I recognized that there have been a host of procedures that we Baptists advocated that did not align with the Bible. But 1 Baptist doctrine stood out over all other people – that John the Baptist founded the Baptist Church.
Did John the Baptist begin the Baptist Church? Do you want to discover it for yourself, or would you like to me share what I identified? If you might be reading through this sentence, I can believe that you want me to share what I discovered. Alright, here is knowledge 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, investing his birthday at his winter season palace. He’d been in a position to seize and imprison John at his palace. Why did Herod want John in shackles? Because John experienced said that Herod should not be sleeping with his sister-in-regulation, Herodias for that reason, John was incarcerated for his incendiary assertion. Really, Herod wished to execute John, but feared the response of the crowds since the populous considered 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 just before him. Evidently Herod was mesmerized by her seductive abilities and promised to give her anything she desired. She’d already been coached by her mother on what to request. “Give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter!” demanded Herodias’ daughter. Herod was now between a rock and the proverbial hard-location. He didn’t want to incite the crowds, but he also had to demonstrate that he was a guy of his word. In the end he chose to remember to Herodias’ daughter. Herod had John decapitated.
Why is this historic account of John’s demise critical? Because it uncovers the reply 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 before the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ produced the first prophecy that any church would be developed. Jesus stated that He would develop a church – not John. Jesus explained that it would be His church – not John’s. John the Baptist established no church. His name “John the Baptist” was just a descriptive phrase of his mission and steps. John was a baptizer of guys unto the baptism of repentance.
In the 16th chapter of the gospel of Matthew we find Jesus questioning His disciples. “Who are the crowds declaring that I am?” His disciples responded, “Some are expressing that you are John the Baptist. Some are expressing that you are a prophet, this sort of as Elias or Jeremiah.” But Jesus wanted to know what His very own disciples thought. “But who do you feel 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 because his understanding was given by God and not by flesh. Then Jesus can make an amazing prophecy to Peter and to the rest of His disciples, “You are Peter, and on this rock (the rock of perception that Jesus was the Son of God, or what we would phone the confession of religion in Christ) I will create my church.”
It was Jesus, not John, who stated that He would develop a church. We locate that the Lord’s prophecy came accurate in the last portion of Functions chapter 2. That part of Scripture reveals that all who had been saved have been extra 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.
Moreover, Christ’s church was a “blood-acquired” establishment, as stated in the 28th chapter of the book of Functions. It was to be an essential, divine, blood-bought establishment that the saved of God would be included to by God.
Consider this fact: John didn’t prophecy that he would build any church. John failed to give his blood for a church. John was merely the fore-runner for the Christ.
Background documents that the Baptist Church was founded by a guy 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 someplace among 1607 and 1609 – some 1570 years right after Christ recognized His church. Smyth “re-baptized” himself by pouring water over his head. Then he baptized (poured) his followers. 1609 is the unofficial starting of the Baptist Church.
Prior to his loss of life, Smyth abandoned his Baptist views and commenced making an attempt to proselytize his followers into the teachings Menno Simons, and the Mennonite Church.
Present-day Baptist Church members are a team of great, honest, moral, and zealous folks. Nonetheless, they belong to a guy-produced business. They belong to a church that was not bought with Christ’s blood, hood-winked in believing that John the Baptist launched their organization. How is this feasible? Baptist individuals have not taken the time to examine their own heritage. They have not taken the time to diligently study the Scriptures of God. They “believe” that what they’ve been instructed is the fact.
Why would so many great men and women align on their own with an firm that was plainly launched by a man, instead of merely obeying the directions of Peter found in the next 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 encounter. They just never know. They are ignorant of these biblical and historic details.
Each Baptist need to have to know that Jesus Christ established His church and gave His blood for it. Paul told the church at Ephesus that Christ beloved the church and gave Himself for it. Paul also stated that Christ is the Head of His church, and the Savior of His entire body, the church.
So we boil it down to this: do you want to be a member of the church that Jesus Christ set up, or do you want to be a member of a church founded by John Smyth? My selection is Jesus. Give me the opportunity to obey the directions for salvation identified in Functions 2, and God will add me to the church of Christ, Functions two.
If you have the non secular need to be a “Christian ONLY,” and a willingness to uncover the 1, true, New Testament church of the Bible, Michael challenges you to read the book Muscle and a Shovel. It’s not only a tale that will get you quickly and not let go, but it will obstacle your present beliefs beyond your imagination.