Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – Historic & Scriptural Baptist Position Concerning the Kingdom of God – PART SEVEN of NINE
August 9, 2019
Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – Historic & Scriptural Baptist Position Concerning the Kingdom of God
PART SEVEN of NINE
The Coming Kingdom – #2
This present and coming aspect of the Kingdom of God has been a defining matter of the New Testament church within overall Christendom. Our ancient forbears were keen in their understanding of this as is born out in ancient record. This lies at the root of deeply held convictions that led them to rather go to the stake than to recant their baptism. This is not to say that their Protestant detractors did not believe in a kingdom of their own. The Protestant reformers of Catholicism established Christian government which was wed to their state “church” system. By self-appointment, they undertook the institution of a Christianized society that would bring about a thousand years of peace. Thus, the Protestant “church”/government/society was to reign in proxy for the Lord. This state “church” kingdom was therefore considered synonymously with salvation. Children were required to be “baptized” into it and citizens were taxed to support both the government and its “church.”
Naturally, the reformers had great antipathy for those commonly called Baptists. The Baptists did not recognize the religious organization of the reformers as having any authority in things dealing with the Kingdom of God. The executorship of the kingdom was appointed to the Lord’s church. It was not for the Catholic system that came much later, not to its Protestant reformers. Those who came to them from Protestantism did so by baptism, which had nothing to do with their previous mode of baptism (sprinkling, pouring or immersion). It had everything to do with Scriptural legitimacy. This earned them the name of ‘rebaptizers’ (Anabaptists). The Protestant version of baptism is related to salvation, either mystically or literally (as it is still today). For the Anabaptists (Baptists) it was not. Salvation is by grace regardless of baptism. But Scriptural baptism is where the regenerated soul enters into the Lord’s New Testament Church.
Today, we still have the exact same issues. All Protestants (and neo-Baptists of Protestant doctrine) believe in a mystical, baptism of salvation. Their immersion is a picture of that “one true” baptism of regeneration, which is not another. Any baptism that is unto another baptism (no matter the legitimate name it claims) is not the ordinance that Christ gave His church (Example: Acts 19:3)
(CONTNUED with The Third Aspect of the Kingdom of God )
Thomas E. Kresal from: “The Mystical Invisible Universal Church” by Les Potter, Chapter 3 pg. 25-33
Book is available at a very reasonable price : www.localchurchbiblepublishers.com
NOTE from Tom: This is a nine part series and I would ask that you please read every segment before you attack the Biblical, age old doctrine held by Baptists through the centuries. Many a Baptist has unwittingly been taught Protestant theology (including yours truly) and I understand the desire to defend your position (been there done that). Please keep in mind “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” (Proverbs 18:13)
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