Loading ...Southern Baptists to reject some Baptist baptisms
flockwoodSouthern Baptists have long been vigilant about baptisms, declining to recognize infant baptisms, non-immersion baptisms, Mormon baptisms, and baptisms performed by churches which teach that baptism is necessary in order to make it to heaven. But now, the Southern Baptist Convention is raising concerns about the validity of some Baptist baptisms, too.
In order to become a Southern Baptist missionary, candidates must now have been baptized post-conversion, in water, by immersion, in a church that teaches the doctrine of “eternal security” — the belief that Christians can’t backslide so far that they end up going to hell. The shorthand: Once saved, always saved.
Baptists didn’t invent the doctrine of eternal security. Calvin called it the “perseverance of the saints.” Calvin taught that God has unconditionally chosen (or elected) some people to go to heaven. These people (the saints) didn’t choose to be one of God’s elect and they can’t escape God’s grace. They’re drawn inexorably toward God and can no more reject God than the moon can reject Earth’s gravity. Also, Jesus didn’t die for the whole world. His atonement was limited, covering only the elect.
Calvin’s five key points are known by the acronymn TULIP.
T — Total depravity. Fallen man is totally depraved.
U — Unconditional election. God has chosen his “elect” — those who will go to heaven. They did nothing to merit divine favor and have been picked unconditionally — no strings attached.
L — Limited atonement. God only died for the elect.
I — Irresistible grace. If you’re one of the elect, you can’t resist God’s grace.
P — Perseverance of the Saints. If you’re one of the elect, you’ll respond to God’s call and you’ll continue to respond to it.
Some Southern Baptists, Ken Shepherd notes, accept all five points. Many Southern Baptists don’t embrace all five points. I think it’s fair to say that most Southern Baptists, including Billy Graham, believe that salvation is available for all sinners who repent and accept Christ.
But most Southern Baptists also believe that once you’re saved, you’re always saved.
Other Baptists (such as Free Will Baptists and General Baptists) believe that Christ died so that all the world might be saved. God offers salvation to everyone. “The elect” are those who hear the invitation and accept it. Salvation is a gift that can be accepted or rejected — or even returned. Backsliders risk eternal damnation.
“One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism” now needs an asterisk at the end.
Under the new Baptist guidelines (they were passed in 2007), it appears that Free Will Baptist and General Baptist baptisms are now considered illegitimate. Likewise, baptisms by the 2.8 million-member Assemblies of God would not pass muster — at least for would-be missionaries. [Click here for AG position on eternal security.]
So here’s the irony: the SBC is now questioning the validity of millions of fellow evangelicals’ baptisms. The Roman Catholic Church, on the other hand, views Free Will Baptist, General Baptist and Assemblies of God baptisms as completely valid.
The new policy (and a ban on private prayer languages) troubles some Baptists, including a Baptist missionary official who resigned in protest last month.
June 13th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Frank: Eternal security doctrine isn’t so joined at the hip to John Calvin as your review suggests, though your short summary of Calvinism is good. A lot of Southern Baptists believe in eternal security doctrine, but are anti-Calvinist at the same time. Adrian Rogers would have been an example of that sort of SBC preacher.
It’s weird to disallow Baptist baptisms on the basis of a doctrine like “once saved always saved.” The sole basis of Christian baptism is a credible, orthodox confession of faith in Jesus Christ. While it makes consistent sense to reject non-Christian baptisms (such as Mormon baptism, since Mormonism denies all the basics of Christianity), you can be a believer in Christ and have no idea what you think about “eternal security.” No one ever had their sins forgiven by a Gracious God by believing in eternal security.
June 14th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
If adult baptism of “believers” is so all fired important, it is curious that Jesus, according to what we find in the gospels, baptized NO ONE.
Apparently he didn’t get the Baptist memo.
If he had waited around for another 16 centuries–until it got invented–he could have found out the truth of the essentials of the Baptist gospel.
June 14th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I believe he might have baptized them with the holy spirit
June 15th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
The Southern Baptists have always been more interested in racial exclusion than proper religious doctrine anyway. Remember, these are the guys who formed their own church to avoid those pesky northern baptists who opposed slavery, and were greatly strenghtened during the ’50s and ’60s by their firm pro-segregationist stand, suitably backed up by inerrant scripture. Now that it’s no longer acceptable to race-bait in public, they’ve moved on to gay bashing. One wonders who they will go after next after that avenue becomes taboo as well.