I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church and was constantly led to imagine that John the Baptist launched the Baptist Church. Properly, it manufactured feeling: John was a “Baptist” we were “Baptists.” So John should have began the Baptist Church, right? Sure, optimistic contemplating at its best. Notion is, as they say, fact. Often our notion and Reality are in opposition. And, often, we locate out the tough way.
Looking through the Bible in its entirety, relatively than pulling out a handy verse here and there, makes the Creator’s supposed impact – illumination of Fact.
At the age of 21 I started to go through the Bible. Not the typical informal perusal by way of a handful of Psalms or Proverbs, but a deliberate, systematic examine of the 66 books that make up the Bible. Looking through the Bible caused me to appraise the items we Baptists thought and practiced.
Soon after a careful review, I realized that there had been a host of practices that we Baptists advocated that didn’t align with the Bible. But one particular Baptist doctrine stood out previously mentioned all other people – that John the Baptist established the Baptist Church.
Did John the Baptist start off the Baptist Church? Do you want to find it for by yourself, or would you like to me share what I located? If you happen to be reading this sentence, I can believe that you want me to share what I identified. Alright, below is knowledge from the Phrase of God. I hope you will verify it for your self.
We locate King Herod, in the 14th chapter of the gospel of Matthew, shelling out his birthday at his winter season palace. He’d been capable to seize and imprison John at his palace. Why did Herod want John in shackles? Since John experienced explained that Herod shouldn’t be sleeping with his sister-in-law, Herodias consequently, John was incarcerated for his incendiary statement. In fact, Herod needed to execute John, but feared the response of the crowds due to the fact the populous believed John to be a prophet of God.
Then, throughout the celebration of Herod’s birthday, Herodias’ daughter enticed Herod by dancing erotically prior to him. Evidently Herod was mesmerized by her seductive skills and promised to give her anything she needed. She’d previously been coached by her mother on what to ask for. “Give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter!” demanded Herodias’ daughter. Herod was now between a rock and the proverbial difficult-place. He didn’t want to incite the crowds, but he also experienced to exhibit that he was a man of his term. Ultimately churches in Raleigh selected to please Herodias’ daughter. Herod had John decapitated.
Why is this historical account of John’s loss of life essential? Simply because it uncovers the response to the query, “Did John the Baptist start the Baptist Church?” How does it uncover the answer? John’s dying at the hand of Herod was just before the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ made the first prophecy that any church would be developed. Jesus said that He would build a church – not John. Jesus said that it would be His church – not John’s. John the Baptist launched no church. His identify “John the Baptist” was basically a descriptive term of his mission and steps. John was a baptizer of males unto the baptism of repentance.
In the sixteenth chapter of the gospel of Matthew we uncover Jesus questioning His disciples. “Who are the crowds stating that I am?” His disciples responded, “Some are saying that you are John the Baptist. Some are expressing that you are a prophet, such as Elias or Jeremiah.” But Jesus wanted to know what His personal disciples considered. “But who do you consider I am?” Jesus questioned. Peter responded and stated, “You are the Christ (the Messiah Savior), the Son of the living God!” Jesus exclaimed that Peter was blessed due to the fact his expertise was given by God and not by flesh. Then Jesus helps make an amazing prophecy to Peter and to the relaxation of His disciples, “You are Peter, and upon this rock (the rock of belief that Jesus was the Son of God, or what we would phone the confession of religion in Christ) I will develop my church.”
It was Jesus, not John, who stated that He would create a church. We uncover that the Lord’s prophecy arrived real in the very last portion of Functions chapter two. That area of Scripture reveals that all who had been saved ended up included to the Lord’s church by God. God adds the saved to the Lord’s church. There was no earthly council, no associations, and no conventions that voted on potential church member candidates.
Furthermore, Christ’s church was a “blood-purchased” institution, as said in the twenty eighth chapter of the e-book of Acts. It was to be an essential, divine, blood-bought institution that the saved of God would be included to by God.
Consider this reality: John failed to prophecy that he would build any church. John did not give his blood for a church. John was just the fore-runner for the Christ.
History data that the Baptist Church was launched by a male named John Smyth, an Anglican priest ordained by the Church of England in 1594. Smyth became a “Separatist,” and formed the very first “Baptist” church in Holland somewhere in between 1607 and 1609 – some 1570 several years after Christ established His church. Smyth “re-baptized” himself by pouring drinking water above his head. Then he baptized (poured) his followers. 1609 is the unofficial starting of the Baptist Church.
Prior to his demise, Smyth deserted his Baptist sights and started striving to proselytize his followers into the teachings Menno Simons, and the Mennonite Church.
Present day Baptist Church customers are a group of very good, honest, ethical, and zealous individuals. Even so, they belong to a man-produced group. They belong to a church that was not purchased with Christ’s blood, hood-winked in believing that John the Baptist established their group. How is this possible? Baptist men and women have not taken the time to investigate their personal heritage. They haven’t taken the time to diligently study the Scriptures of God. They “assume” that what they have been instructed is the real truth.
Why would so many very good folks align them selves with an group that was clearly launched by a guy, alternatively of just obeying the instructions of Peter identified in the next chapter of Acts and currently being included to the church of Jesus Christ by God Himself? The solution is as plain as the nose on your experience. They just will not know. They are ignorant of these biblical and historic information.
Each Baptist need to have to know that Jesus Christ started His church and gave His blood for it. Paul instructed the church at Ephesus that Christ beloved the church and gave Himself for it. Paul also explained 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 established, or do you want to be a member of a church launched by John Smyth? My selection is Jesus. Give me the possibility to obey the directions for salvation discovered in Acts two, 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 discover the 1, true, New Testomony church of the Bible, Michael issues you to read through the guide Muscle mass and a Shovel. It truly is not only a tale that will get you immediately and not enable go, but it will challenge your existing beliefs outside of your creativity.