What denominations are similar to Baptists?

[JohnB445]

And what was before Baptists?

There is the old mainline Protestant denominations like Calvinism, Anglican, Lutheran, Anabaptist, not sure I I got it 100% right if those were the old mainline Protestant denominations.

Then later on new Protestant denominations came during the great revival like Methodist, Pentecostal.


Living in America, I see a lot of Baptist churches, it is a very popular denomination especially in the South. I have been heavily influenced by Baptist doctrines.

I don't know all the doctrines or if all my beliefs line up with Baptist doctrine but here are my beliefs.

Salvation is a free gift, and is paid for already by our savior Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.

I believe in the Trinity, and that the Bible is the perfect word of God, and it is to be followed. I believe all the prophecy in the Bible to be true.

I believe in sanctification and repentance, that true believers will live a moral life because they have the Holy Spirit inside of them, but at the same time I believe that good works has absolutely nothing to do with Salvation.

I believe it is very important for the Church to be very strict.

I believe that those who have been saved by God are eternally secure, it is impossible for them to lose their salvation. And I believe they are predestined to persevere and do good in life.

I do not know if people have a choice or have been predestined from the beginning, I leave this topic as a mystery.

If I were to be convinced that people are predestined where they will go from the beginning would that make me a Calvinist?

And if I were to believe that people have a choice would that make me a Baptist?

Where is the distinction?

It's been 4 years since I've been a believer. I have studied many denominations, I don't know which one I will be. But so far Baptist doctrine sounds not only the most peaceful and comforting, but it makes the most sense to me. But maybe I might switch denominations because I still haven't really looked at another denominations.

 

[St_Worm2]

Hello @JohnB445, the Evangelical Free Church of America is a denomination that holds MUCH in common with the Baptist faith. Our seminary is the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS), and our most well-known pastor is Dr. Chuck Swindoll (his broadcast ministry, Insight for Living, can be found here).

Could be worth a look-see

God bless you!!

--David

 

[Tuur]

To get a good handle on Baptist doctrine, a good book is Herschel Hobbs What Baptists Believe.

My Baptist history is hazy. I know the English Baptists were closely associated with the Mennonites, The first English Baptist minister was kicked out of his congregation because he wanted (or the congregation thought he wanted) to bring them into the Mennonites. The Mennonites came from the Anabaptists.

In the US, both Baptists and Methodists had a large following on the frontier. The attraction may well have been the music, or maybe a falling out with the Anglican Church due to the American Revolution and a distaste for Britain. Into the 20th Centuries, at least in rural areas, I know Baptists would frequent Methodist churches and visa versa.

 

[Emun]

And what was before Baptists?

There is the old mainline Protestant denominations like Calvinism, Anglican, Lutheran, Anabaptist, not sure I I got it 100% right if those were the old mainline Protestant denominations.

Then later on new Protestant denominations came during the great revival like Methodist, Pentecostal.


Living in America, I see a lot of Baptist churches, it is a very popular denomination especially in the South. I have been heavily influenced by Baptist doctrines.

I don't know all the doctrines or if all my beliefs line up with Baptist doctrine but here are my beliefs.

Salvation is a free gift, and is paid for already by our savior Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.

I believe in the Trinity, and that the Bible is the perfect word of God, and it is to be followed. I believe all the prophecy in the Bible to be true.

I believe in sanctification and repentance, that true believers will live a moral life because they have the Holy Spirit inside of them, but at the same time I believe that good works has absolutely nothing to do with Salvation.

I believe it is very important for the Church to be very strict.

I believe that those who have been saved by God are eternally secure, it is impossible for them to lose their salvation. And I believe they are predestined to persevere and do good in life.

I do not know if people have a choice or have been predestined from the beginning, I leave this topic as a mystery.

If I were to be convinced that people are predestined where they will go from the beginning would that make me a Calvinist?

And if I were to believe that people have a choice would that make me a Baptist?

Where is the distinction?

It's been 4 years since I've been a believer. I have studied many denominations, I don't know which one I will be. But so far Baptist doctrine sounds not only the most peaceful and comforting, but it makes the most sense to me. But maybe I might switch denominations because I still haven't really looked at another denominations.

There is no perfect denomination, but I would call the (conservative) Calvinists, Baptists and Methodists the most Christian. They are most consistent with the teachings of the early church.

Today we have the problem that most of those who call themselves Christians are not even really Christians. Christianity is called the largest religion in the world, but actually it has much fewer followers. One should stay away from these (misguided) denominations.

 

[J3thekingofking]

What's wrong with Lutheran?

 

[Malleeboy]

Baptists historically had two main groupings, General Baptist (who were largely Arminian, eg Billy Graham) and Particular Baptists (Calvinist, eg Sprugeon, many in South Baptist Convention.)
Baptist vary widely across numerous theological areas...
A non cessationist arminian baptist church would be almost identical to a Pentecostal church
A more conservation baptist church may be closer to Christian (Open) Brethren.
In Australia, the Baptists and Church of Christ have historically been close (shared a Bible College campus) in may ways they have become closer over the last century. (The shire I grew up in only has Churches of Christ, whereas the shire to eh south only had Baptists) English Baptists have historically been open to a sacramental type understanding of baptism (Beasley-Murray, Wheeler-Robinson and Bruce Milne) Many Baptist churches have moved to have boards, which effectively operates as an Eldership. Having communion more often.

Sounds like you are SBC (Southern Baptist) type believer on the whole....

Can I ask if you understand that salvation historically in Protestantism, is not just Regeneration and Justification but also Sanctification and Glorification. I know lots of big theological words.

Regeneration is the change to be made alive in God
Justification is the word to describe the covenantal (or often legal) change in status
Sanctification is the process of being made holy by the transformation of the Holy Spirit.
Glorification is the readying to enter heaven from the earthly realm.

Often Protestants in short hand use Salvation as meaning just Regeneration/Justification, as this are the parts that lead us to become Christians, they are the beginning steps. Much the same way we use "enlistment" to mean become a soldier, even though enlistment is signing to become a soldier, and training and passing out, followed by continuing to obey commands is equally becoming a soldier.

 

[Andrewn]

And what was before Baptists? There is the old mainline Protestant denominations like Calvinism, Anglican, Lutheran, Anabaptist, not sure I I got it 100% right if those were the old mainline Protestant denominations.

You are more or less correct. Calvinism was the theology of the Presbyterians in Scotland, and the Puritans (and Congregationists) in England. Puritans who went into exile in the Netherlands came into contact with Anabaptists and adopted from them the idea of believer's baptism. Then they called themselves "Baptists." In 1609, the year considered to be the foundation of the movement, they baptized believers and founded the first Baptist church.

The bottom line is that Baptist theology is a mixture of Calvinism and Anabaptism. But, in recent times, many have also added Dispensationalist theology to the mix.

A minority of modern Baptists have Arminian theology.

 

[Pioneer3mm]

In the US, both Baptists and Methodists had a large following on the frontier

Good point.
---
I like stories of the 'Circuit Riders'..
- especially, Methodist Circuit Riders.
- during those days/frontier..

 

[Malleeboy]

A minority of modern Baptists have Arminian theology.

I'm not sure that is correct, it may be in the USA with the calvinist revival in the SBC, but I doubt it is the case in Australia from my experience of Baptist churches here. Do you have any stats?

 

[9Rock9]

The Open Brethren are pretty similar to Baptists in their theology. The differences tend to be in their practices than in what they believe.

 

[Malleeboy]

The Open Brethren are pretty similar to Baptists in their theology. The differences tend to be in their practices than in what they believe.

Agreed, except for Dispensationalism, End Times emphasis and actually having elders.

 

[com7fy8]

If I were to be convinced that people are predestined where they will go from the beginning would that make me a Calvinist?

maybe

There are people who believe in predestination but we do not consider ourselves to be Calvinists.

What matters is the "therefore" of what you believe < I mean, if I believe in predestination, therefore . . . what? How does this affect how I live and love?

We need the right people who are good examples for us.

There are Congregational churches which are Bible based like Baptists can be. But not all Congregationalists and not all Baptists are by the Bible So, most of all we need to be able to tell the difference between people who are genuine leaders and examples, and ones who are not.

Trust Jesus to guide you. And my experience is, I need ongoing correction and constantly seeking to submit to God, so I can share with and benefit from the real Jesus people.

 

[David Kent]

Agreed, except for Dispensationalism, End Times emphasis and actually having elders.

Fundamentalist Baptists in USA are dispensational. I grew up in the open Brethren here in England. Now I am a member of an independent Baptist church similar to Grace Baptists who would be called Particular Baptist in the past. In this country many of the Brethren have closed or turned into Evangelical churches (of a sort) or charismatic. I think dispensationalism has infected many denominations in the last 100 years or so since the Scofield bible. Before 1900 in was mainly confined to The Brethren and the Catholic Apostolic Church which was successor of Irving's break away from the Scotch church in London. In the late 19th century it was widely considered to be a heresy. The Irvingites were the Charismatics in the early 19th century. Irving said he first preached on dispensationalism on Christmas Day 1825 in his Morning Watch magazine, available on Google play/Google Books. Before that Futurism was only a Catholic teaching.

 

[9Rock9]

Fundamentalist Baptists in USA are dispensational. I grew up in the open Brethren here in England. Now I am a member of an independent Baptist church similar to Grace Baptists who would be called Particular Baptist in the past. In this country many of the Brethren have closed or turned into Evangelical churches (of a sort) or charismatic. I think dispensationalism has infected many denominations in the last 100 years or so since the Scofield bible. Before 1900 in was mainly confined to The Brethren and the Catholic Apostolic Church which was successor of Irving's break away from the Scotch church in London. In the late 19th century it was widely considered to be a heresy. The Irvingites were the Charismatics in the early 19th century. Irving said he first preached on dispensationalism on Christmas Day 1825 in his Morning Watch magazine, available on Google play/Google Books. Before that Futurism was only a Catholic teaching.

Southern Baptists are sorta dispensationalist. I was brought up with that viewpoint, although the denomination allows a great deal of leeway when it comes to eschatology, and I think there is a trend away from dispensationalism.

 

[Indybap]

In church history, there are records of independent christian churches in communities seperate from RCC.. around before them.. that never needed to reform.

They had names given that were to do with key leaders in their groups.. such as Waldenses, Albigensis and Paulicians. They largely held to a pure faith, and seperated themselves from persecution by both the RCC and the Reformers.

They helped the Protestant Reformation, but weren't reformers in actually beginning during that time.

To try and link a line of churches to these ones.. from today is very very difficult.. because first.. these people weren't trying to record their history. Secondly, they were cut off and persecuted to the extreme. Thirdly, in the case of the likes of the Waldenses, they hid themselves away from persecution to survive.

But the baptistic teaching that they abided by can be found in churches today. Independent baptists.. open brethren and similar churches have close links to this teaching. They were nick named ana-baptists for re-baptising people.

I think it is a misconception to give baptists a starting date in the 1600s. I think that is when they officially declared a statement of confession of what they believe.. but it is not when they started. Famous historians have said the baptists are the only group never to have symbolised with Rome and that they were existing before the Reformation. They have also said they have no known human founder.

 

[David Kent]

In church history, there are records of independent christian churches in communities seperate from RCC.. around before them.. that never needed to reform.

They had names given that were to do with key leaders in their groups.. such as Waldenses, Albigensis and Paulicians. They largely held to a pure faith, and seperated themselves from persecution by both the RCC and the Reformers.

They helped the Protestant Reformation, but weren't reformers in actually beginning during that time.

To try and link a line of churches to these ones.. from today is very very difficult.. because first.. these people weren't trying to record their history. Secondly, they were cut off and persecuted to the extreme. Thirdly, in the case of the likes of the Waldenses, they hid themselves away from persecution to survive.

But the baptistic teaching that they abided by can be found in churches today. Independent baptists.. open brethren and similar churches have close links to this teaching. They were nick named ana-baptists for re-baptising people.

I think it is a misconception to give baptists a starting date in the 1600s. I think that is when they officially declared a statement of confession of what they believe.. but it is not when they started. Famous historians have said the baptists are the only group never to have symbolised with Rome and that they were existing before the Reformation. They have also said they have no known human founder.

But they didn't all practice baptism by immersion.

Some IFBs I know believe that you are baptized into a local church and that when you change church you should be baptised again.

 

[Indybap]

But they didn't all practice baptism by immersion.

Some IFBs I know believe that you are baptized into a local church and that when you change church you should be baptised again.

Well.. I am an IFB and believe in baptism as a pre-requisite to join a local church.. but this baptism happens just once. The re-baptism is only if going from an unscriptural church to a scriptural one. Not re-baptising every time you change.

 

[David Kent]

Well they believe only in the local church. On their forum one asked "What local church was Paul baptised into?" I answered "We are Baptized into Christ. " IFBs also believe in the pre tribulation rapture which teaching was pushed by the Jesuits.

 

[Indybap]

Well they believe only in the local church. On their forum one asked "What local church was Paul baptised into?" I answered "We are Baptized into Christ. " IFBs also believe in the pre tribulation rapture which teaching was pushed by the Jesuits.

Yeah.. I also believe the church is purely local. All redeemed I believe scripture teaches is the Family of God.. not the body of Christ. Matthew 16:18 Has Jesus introducing His church that He will build on. Matthew 18:20.. has the church being local. Why would Jesus introduce a universal church.. and then switch to a local one? That would contradict Himself.. which Jesus will not do.

It's an uncommon teaching that the church is always local.. but I think it's completely scriptural.

 

[Indybap]

But they didn't all practice baptism by immersion.

Some IFBs I know believe that you are baptized into a local church and that when you change church you should be baptised again.

It is true they didn't all practice baptism by immersion. I'm not sure mennonites and open brethren would practice baptism by immersion. But it wasn't that ana-baptists were all exactly the same, but that they were all seperated from the state church and tried to keep a pure faith.