JUST WHO ARE THOSE BAPTISTS?

Many people wonder just who are the Baptists? Most think that we are just another Protestant Denomination. Some, ignorantly think that the Baptists are a cult. The fact is that Baptist churches were never a part of the "Catholic" church, nor were we a part of those who "protested" and broke away from the Catholic church.

A true Biblical church, regardless of what name you want to call it, is never a part of a "denomination," for every church mentioned in the Bible was always independent and self governing, with the exception of the rule of the Apostles, of which there is none today.

For those who ignorantly state that Baptists are a cult, I would challenge you to do a historical and Biblical study of the origin of the Church. In my studies, I have found that cults always have three things in common. (I). They always have a human founder. (2). They always have a "works" form of salvation. (3). They always have revelation exterior to the Bible. Baptists, historically and Biblically do not have any of the above!

Charles H. Spurgeon summarized the Baptist position in the following article. I believe he did a good job. Please take time to read it. Charles Spurgeon on Baptist History.

"We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians. We did not commence our existence at the Reformation, we were reformers before Luther or Calvin were born; we never came from the Church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the Apostles themselves. We have always existed from the very days of Christ, and our principles, sometimes veiled and forgotten, like a river which may travel underground for a little season, have always had honest and holy adherents. Persecuted alike by Romanists and Protestants of almost every sect, yet there has never existed a government holding Baptist principles which persecuted others; nor, I believe, any body of Baptists ever held it to be right to put the consciences of others under the control of man. We have ever been ready to suffer, as our martyrologics will prove, but we are not ready to accept any help from the State, to prostitute the purity of the Bride of Christ to any alliance with Government, and we will never make the Church, although the Queen, the despot over the consciences of men."

Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit.

1861, p. 225