Baptist Distinctive 1

1Baptist Distinctives

27/5/98 – Sunday Discipleship Hour

• What are “Distinctives”?

• Provide
• Give
• In Short: Things which set the Baptist religion apart from others.

• Question: Do all other religions reject all doctrines of Baptists?

• Background:
  • The Reformation

3-A break from the Holy Roman Catholic Church

• -Great
• -A “ ” of the church
• -Many Christians were for their belief in these “distinctives”.

4Suggested Reading: Fox’s book of Martyrs

• A Dangerous time
• -Translation of Bible in
• -Worship in
• -Fear for their very
• Distinctive #1:
  • & of the Bible.
• Physical Defense:
  • -Verbal and plenary (God – Breathed)
• Argument:
  • -The disciples’ professions – poor
  • -The disciples’ education – poor
  • -The disciples’ writing – exceptional

  • Verbal?

  • -Men guided by the
  • Inspiration: Not audibly as in a trance, but to direct the author in such a way as to use his style and vocabulary but God’s words expressing God’s perfect person.

  • Plenary?

  • -Entire Bible is inspired
  • -Bible does not the words of God, it the word of God!
• Spiritual Defense:
  • 2 Pet.1:21 – Covering writing and prophecy
  • 2 Tim.3:16 – Covering Biblical writings
  • John 10:35 – Covering of God’s Word
  • Matt.5:18 – Covering of Biblical writings
  • No more can be added or taken away
• On Translations:
  • Modern translations can often carry the agenda of the translator
  • -The church needs to be careful of translations
  • Suggestions: King James/New King James/New American Standard/New International Version

  • Question: Why is this Distinctive crucial?

  • This distinctive is our

  • Illustration: If you were to drive from here to visit “Mum” in Nova Scotia, could you get there by me giving you verbal directions after Connection?

  • -What would you need?
  • -What if everyone made up their own? How many people would get there?

  • -If there is no master guide book, then how do we get to God?

  • READ: Eph.4:11-16
  • -We will follow any wind of that comes along
  • -Our salvation is found in building up our knowledge of the guide book in order to build
• a FALSE but popular belief:
  • There is no , make up your own
  • (Postmodernity)
  • In your own words, explain why we cannot waiver on this distinctive (no matter what religion we are).
  • When in doubt, we do not consult . If in question, we consult - READ: Col.2:8

5Conclusion: Accuracy & Authority of the Bible is our cornerstone

• We must have a - of the Bible
• We must resist the inclination to
• We must be aware of & obey the of the Bible

6Answer Sheet

• Uniqueness
• Character
• No: Methodist – Bible is accurate, no sov. Of God in Salvation, no immersion, no independence of Local Church
• Presbyterian – Bible is accurate, sov. Of God in Salvation, no independence of Local Church, no immersion
• Etc.
• Violence
• Purification
• Martyred
• Secret
• Hiding
• Lives

7Accuracy and Authority of the Bible

• Inspiration

8Holy Spirit

• Equally
• Contain
• Old Testament
• Entire
• Unity
• Completeness
• Translations can be a shopping cart for what the writer wants you to buy
• Guide book
• Map
• Doctrine
• Fortifications
• Truth
• Authority
• Bible
• Talk about traditions
• Working knowledge – Explain what a “working” knowledge is
• Laziness
• Talk about relying on sermons alone
• Be able to check up on the preacher
• Be able to identify “Gospel Truth”
  • ILL: Sermon in TTU about wearing old clothes
• Authority

• Someone out there needs a real “map”, can you help them work through it?

• Great Fathers of our Faith:

9Martin Luther (German Protestant)

10Ulrich Zwingli (Swiss Reformed Protestant)

11John Calvin (Swiss)

12John Wycliff (England)