southern/freewill baptist?

[jmtaylor]

Other than the issue of eternal security and the washing of the feet ordinance, what are the biggest differences between Southern Baptist and Freewill Baptist?

 

[mlqurgw]

Other than the issue of Calvinism verses free willism most Baptists can get along with almost anybody nowdays. Every demononation has a set of doctrines they stress that they think sets them apart from others but in the end most are not far off from each other. The Calvinist, Free-will debates being the exception. But even among Calvinists and free-willers there is acceptance of the other as brothers. Well at least in outward ways.

 

[mcgyver]

Other than the issue of eternal security and the washing of the feet ordinance, what are the biggest differences between Southern Baptist and Freewill Baptist?

No too much really...Baptist polity is congregational in nature, that is to say that all Baptist churches are autonomous.

We as a result are free to worship as we please, and you'll find churches within the SBC for example that lean on one side toward the Arminian view, and on the other side toward Calvinism.

What actually makes Southern Baptists...well....Southern Baptists is that churches within the SBC willingly cooperate through the Cooperative Program, Annie Armstrong Offerings, etc., to pool resources for missions both home and abroad, to fund seminaries, to provide support for the Baptist Children's homes, etc.

But the difference is that the SBC cannot dictate what bibles we use, the order of worship, the style of worship, a liturgy for the churches, or anything of the like. Although part of the SBC, each church is still autonomous under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and therefore may determine what is best for that particular church.

There is one thing however that sets Free-Will Baptists apart, and that is historically one of the Baptist "distinctives" is that Baptists hold to the eternal security of the believer. That is the primary difference between the Free-Will Baptists and all other Baptists. Outside of that, the church polity is for the most part the same.

 

[actionsub]

There is one thing however that sets Free-Will Baptists apart, and that is historically one of the Baptist "distinctives" is that Baptists hold to the eternal security of the believer. That is the primary difference between the Free-Will Baptists and all other Baptists. Outside of that, the church polity is for the most part the same.

That and the footwashing is about it, although the Freewill Baptists lean more towards fundamentalism than the SBC, despite characterizations of SBC's as fundamentalist. FWB's tend to be stricter on social issues, and even side issues like Bible translations (they like KJV).

 

[Easystreet]

Other than the issue of eternal security and the washing of the feet ordinance, what are the biggest differences between Southern Baptist and Freewill Baptist?

Freewill Baptist, are they not exclusively "dispensational pre-millennial" in theology?

Southern Baptists are all over the map on eschatology, with perhaps the dispensational pre-millennial view as the dominant one.

 

[actionsub]

Freewill Baptist, are they not exclusively "dispensational pre-millennial" in theology?

Southern Baptists are all over the map on eschatology, with perhaps the dispensational pre-millennial view as the dominant one.

What Freewill Baptists I know are pre-trib, but this is all their statement of faith has to say...

Christ's Second Coming - The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ, who ascended on high and sits at the right hand of God, will come again to close the Gospel dispensation, glorify His saints, and judge the world.

 

[fredbird67]

ActionSub, in response to Freewill Baptists being KJV-only, that's not necessarily true. I've been Southern Baptist for most of my life, but after some issues with the pastor at our last church (an SBC church) as well as the association director for standing up for him never mind the fact that we felt he was unrepentant, we left not only that church but the SBC as well over that, and so lately we've been going to a Freewill Baptist church.

Anyways, at the FWB church we're going to now, our pastor preaches from...I wanna say the...NIV? Mind you, this is a bit different from most other FWB churches I have ever been (much of my mom's side of the family is FWB, BTW), in that more or less all the others I've ever been to do tend to prefer the KJV. While my wife and I mainly use the KJV (hey, that's what we grew up with -- she grew up General Baptist, BTW), we do use other translations from time to time to gain more insight on passages of scripture.

 

[billybtennessee]

Concerning the KJV only issue, that is gonna be the independent Baptist churches. There are some out there who are fundamental, independent. All of these I know of here in middle Tennessee are of the KJV only.

This is not what free-will Baptist practice, that I know of. Most Baptist of the conservative nature are gonna favor KJV, as personal preference, regardless which they are in. But that is not what Southern Missionary or Free-will Baptist, either one, stand for. But the fundamental and independent ones do.

You pretty much got the main issues, free-will vs. osas, and free-will do the footwashing, the other doesn't. Free-will are also gonna be stricter concerning qualifications for deacons and pastors, as a general rule. A lot of southern missionary baptist will allow those who have been married more than once (divorced) to serve as a deacon, though there are some who do not, but they tend to be a minority now. Still division over that among southern baptist crowds. All the free-will I know do not. Keeping it short, just commenting about these issues. God Bless.

 

[actionsub]

Anyways, at the FWB church we're going to now, our pastor preaches from...I wanna say the...NIV? Mind you, this is a bit different from most other FWB churches I have ever been (much of my mom's side of the family is FWB, BTW), in that more or less all the others I've ever been to do tend to prefer the KJV. While my wife and I mainly use the KJV (hey, that's what we grew up with -- she grew up General Baptist, BTW), we do use other translations from time to time to gain more insight on passages of scripture.

Fair enough.

 

[His_disciple3]

I have been southern baptist, for the biggest part of my life and the southern baptist churches That i have been part of do not preach the doctrine of calvinist veiw of grace, the doctrine of grace according to John calvin has only entered some southern baptist just recently. when the presbyterian split over the gay issue. the southern baptist saw alot of very bibical knowledged men that they could bring into their flocks, unforuntate for the southern baptist these presbyterians teachers and preachers also brought in calvinism. now there is a primitive baptist demonination that preaches calvinism, along with you can't know if you are saved or not you have to hope for salvation! yes southern baptist believe in eternal sercurity but not by predesination. but by the promises of God that we are sealed until the day of redemption , and that nothing can seperate us from the Love of God and that we rely on the righteousness of Christ and that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works least we boast!! so all the southern baptist that I know of are freewilled believers!! I think you may have the primitive baptist and southern baptist mixed up Primitive baptist do feet washings and still have traveling pastors that will pastor 4 or 5 different churches, and will be at one church one Sunday and one of His other churches another Sunday

 

[His_disciple3]

Concerning the KJV only issue, that is gonna be the independent Baptist churches. There are some out there who are fundamental, independent. All of these I know of here in middle Tennessee are of the KJV only.

This is not what free-will Baptist practice, that I know of. Most Baptist of the conservative nature are gonna favor KJV, as personal preference, regardless which they are in. But that is not what Southern Missionary or Free-will Baptist, either one, stand for. But the fundamental and independent ones do.

You pretty much got the main issues, free-will vs. osas, and free-will do the footwashing, the other doesn't. Free-will are also gonna be stricter concerning qualifications for deacons and pastors, as a general rule. A lot of southern missionary baptist will allow those who have been married more than once (divorced) to serve as a deacon, though there are some who do not, but they tend to be a minority now. Still division over that among southern baptist crowds. All the free-will I know do not. Keeping it short, just commenting about these issues. God Bless.

southern baptist and missionary baptist are totally sperated denominations in N. Carolina also most southern baptist have gone to either the NIV or the New King James, and it is also the indepentant baptist that are hanging onto the KJB, but even in the Southern Baptist there are a few of us still cleaving the that good ole KING James Bible!

 

[FundamentalistJohn]

I have been southern baptist, for the biggest part of my life and the southern baptist churches That i have been part of do not preach the doctrine of calvinist veiw of grace, the doctrine of grace according to John calvin has only entered some southern baptist just recently. when the presbyterian split over the gay issue. the southern baptist saw alot of very bibical knowledged men that they could bring into their flocks, unforuntate for the southern baptist these presbyterians teachers and preachers also brought in calvinism. now there is a primitive baptist demonination that preaches calvinism, along with you can't know if you are saved or not you have to hope for salvation! yes southern baptist believe in eternal sercurity but not by predesination. but by the promises of God that we are sealed until the day of redemption , and that nothing can seperate us from the Love of God and that we rely on the righteousness of Christ and that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works least we boast!! so all the southern baptist that I know of are freewilled believers!! I think you may have the primitive baptist and southern baptist mixed up Primitive baptist do feet washings and still have traveling pastors that will pastor 4 or 5 different churches, and will be at one church one Sunday and one of His other churches another Sunday

I have family preachers that were SBC going back over a hundred years. They were all reformed in doctrine. I can't speak to how common this was but it certainly was not unusual.

 

[twin1954]

I have been southern baptist, for the biggest part of my life and the southern baptist churches That i have been part of do not preach the doctrine of calvinist veiw of grace, the doctrine of grace according to John calvin has only entered some southern baptist just recently. when the presbyterian split over the gay issue. the southern baptist saw alot of very bibical knowledged men that they could bring into their flocks, unforuntate for the southern baptist these presbyterians teachers and preachers also brought in calvinism. now there is a primitive baptist demonination that preaches calvinism, along with you can't know if you are saved or not you have to hope for salvation! yes southern baptist believe in eternal sercurity but not by predesination. but by the promises of God that we are sealed until the day of redemption , and that nothing can seperate us from the Love of God and that we rely on the righteousness of Christ and that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works least we boast!! so all the southern baptist that I know of are freewilled believers!! I think you may have the primitive baptist and southern baptist mixed up Primitive baptist do feet washings and still have traveling pastors that will pastor 4 or 5 different churches, and will be at one church one Sunday and one of His other churches another Sunday

Your knowledge of Southern Baptist history is sadly lacking. As a denomination they began as calvinistic. That is why the Founders Movement has risen among them. You may want to check out a book called " By His Grace and for His Glory" by Thomas Nettles.

Primitive Baptists are hyper-Calvinists, for the most part, and only have foot washing in common with Free-will Baptists. Do a Google search of the Black Rock Address to find the beginnings of the separation of Primitive Baptists from other Baptists. They do not pay their pastors a salary and most of the churches they pastor are made up of the same folks who also meet at different locations each month.

Free-will Baptists, as a denomination, differ from the Southern Baptists mainly in the doctrines that they stress.