Baptism remains our symbol, but 'problems' must be answered
by Kevin Butler
This story comes from Associated Baptist Press by Marv Knox.
WACO, Texas (ABP) -- After four centuries, believers' baptism remains the symbol of Baptist identity, historian Bill Leonard stressed during a lecture series at Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary.
But in the 21st century, Baptists must respond to two pressing "problems" with baptism -- the widespread requirement that long-term Christians be immersed before joining a Baptist church and the rebaptism of church members, Leonard urged.
This year's Parchman Lectures contributed to the Texas Baptist school's ongoing celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Baptist movement. It began when John Smyth and Thomas Helwys led a group of English expatriates to start the first Baptist church in 1609 in Holland.
"Baptists were dissenters from the very beginning," noted Leonard, dean of Wake Forest University's Divinity School. The original Baptists first rebelled against what they saw as the corruption of the Anglican Church and its affiliation with the English government. Next, they split from the English Separatists for not distancing themselves far enough from the Anglicans.
And then they even dissented among themselves, he wryly observed. By 1610, that little Baptist church had split itself over the validity of its baptism.
"Baptists understood conscience and dissent in light of the need for sinners to be regenerated -- made new through conversion to Christ," Leonard said. "Yet in their assertion that conscience could not be compelled by either state-based or faith-based establishments, they flung the door wide for religious liberty and pluralism....
"Believers' baptism, ultimately by immersion, was thus a radical act of Christian commitment, covenantal relationships and anti-establishment dissent."
Their commitment drew from their identification with Christ, Leonard continued. Their relationships reflected the value they placed upon the gathered church. And their dissent against the establishment welled up from their insistence that God alone, not religious or government authorities, is Lord of the conscience.
(For the complete article, and a companion piece from the same lecture, go to Associated Baptist Press.)
WACO, Texas (ABP) -- After four centuries, believers' baptism remains the symbol of Baptist identity, historian Bill Leonard stressed during a lecture series at Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary.
But in the 21st century, Baptists must respond to two pressing "problems" with baptism -- the widespread requirement that long-term Christians be immersed before joining a Baptist church and the rebaptism of church members, Leonard urged.
This year's Parchman Lectures contributed to the Texas Baptist school's ongoing celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Baptist movement. It began when John Smyth and Thomas Helwys led a group of English expatriates to start the first Baptist church in 1609 in Holland.
"Baptists were dissenters from the very beginning," noted Leonard, dean of Wake Forest University's Divinity School. The original Baptists first rebelled against what they saw as the corruption of the Anglican Church and its affiliation with the English government. Next, they split from the English Separatists for not distancing themselves far enough from the Anglicans.
And then they even dissented among themselves, he wryly observed. By 1610, that little Baptist church had split itself over the validity of its baptism.
"Baptists understood conscience and dissent in light of the need for sinners to be regenerated -- made new through conversion to Christ," Leonard said. "Yet in their assertion that conscience could not be compelled by either state-based or faith-based establishments, they flung the door wide for religious liberty and pluralism....
"Believers' baptism, ultimately by immersion, was thus a radical act of Christian commitment, covenantal relationships and anti-establishment dissent."
Their commitment drew from their identification with Christ, Leonard continued. Their relationships reflected the value they placed upon the gathered church. And their dissent against the establishment welled up from their insistence that God alone, not religious or government authorities, is Lord of the conscience.
(For the complete article, and a companion piece from the same lecture, go to Associated Baptist Press.)
posted by Kevin Butler at
9:34 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home