Why am I making a point about not being a protestant? If it’s not clear to you, then I want you to understand how radical and distinctive the Primitive Baptists doctrine of the church is from all the major Christian groups. I love the Primitive Baptists, not just as people individually (there are many other individuals and families I also love), but as an institution and fellowship of a distinct character and separate from the world. I have faith based on the promises of God that he has preserved his church through the ages and that we have that inheritance in this time and place and I want it to stay and grow here as we move to the next generation.
We are taught in scripture, including Daniel 2:44 and Mathew 16:18, that Christ established a kingdom on earth, Jesus called it his church, and it will remain true and faithful as a witness of the Truth in every generation. If this function was carried out by the Roman empire-church, then protestants had no right to split it up and were schismatics. The fact that they started churches on terms of fellowship that had been completely lost for generations, removes them from the identity of being the church started by Christ against which the gates of hell would not prevail. Being identified with Christ is the only reason I’m concerned with church identity.
I’m not saying that the true church has always looked exactly like us, that we can name them by existing historical records, nor that there are no true churches at any other place with another name and language with heritage back to the apostles. My ignorance of them doesn’t mean that they don’t or didn’t exist. But I am saying that no church that is substantially different from us is the true church. Primitive Baptists don’t decide who is or isn’t the church, that’s the work of the Lord—the only head of this church. What we do is try to acknowledge the leadership of God in every matter, and when it comes to worship and spiritual matters, withdraw and reject those things which are incompatible with the truth. This is the only way for true fellowship and unity. Christian fellowship and unity in the church is based on Christ alone and God is not the author of confusion. Identifying other denominations as part of the Church and then maintaining a distinct identity from them is inconsistent. If they are the church then there should be no divisions in it, if they aren’t keeping themselves separate from the world, then they are of the world and we should come out from among them. 2 Cor 6:16-18.
When I get questions about why we don’t invite members of other Christian denominations to our communion table, or why we “re” baptize folks who want to convert, I’ve never been satisfied in my ability to answer them. It’s a major sticking point for many people so I thought it worthwhile to study it for better understanding and the best way I know how to master a subject is to explain it to others as cogently as I can. I want us to get a firm handle on the doctrine of the church and that includes disabusing ourselves of much of the error that comes from the Protestant view of the church that undermines church perpetuity. I don’t see myself as having all the answers here, so as I try to lay my beliefs out, I invite correction in brotherly charity to put my ideas to the test.
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