Sovereign Grace Baptists
United American Free Will Baptist
Institutional Missionary Baptist
Independent Baptist Fellowship of NorthConference
Conference of America
America Progressive National Baptist Convention
Interstate & Foreign Landmark Missionary
Baptist Association
Landmark Baptist Church Primitive Baptists
National Baptist Evangelical Life
American
and SoulBaptist Churches USA
Alliance of Baptists
National Primitive Baptist Convention of
SavingBaptist
Assembly
of the U.S.A.
Global Independent
Fellowship
the U.S.A.
Association
of Reformed Baptist Churches
American Baptist Association
of America Liberty Baptist Fellowship
National Association of Free Will Baptists
Baptist General Conference
Baptist
Bible Fellowship
International
New Testament
Association
of
BaptistNorth
WorldAmerican
Alliance Baptist Conference
Independent
Baptist
Churches
Baptist Missionary Association of
Original Free Will Baptist Convention
Central Baptist Association
America Old Time Missionary Baptists
World Baptist Fellowship Reformed Baptists
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc
Unregistered Baptist Fellowship
Colored Primitive Baptists
Christian Unity Baptist Association
United BaptistsContinental Baptist Churches
Conservative Baptist Association of
General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
Regular Baptists
America
Southern Baptist Convention
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Seventh
Day Baptist General Conference
Evangelical Free Baptist Church
Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship
General Six-Principle Baptists
National Baptist Convention of America,
Fundamental Baptist Fellowship
Separate Baptists in Christ
Inc
Southwide
Baptist
Fellowship
Association
Fundamental Baptist Fellowship of
Independent Baptist Fellowship
National Missionary Baptist Convention of
America
International
General Association of General Baptists America
General Association of Baptists
Old Regular Baptists
United American Free Will Baptist Church
Baptists are a non –creedal folk who are
identified by certain traits rather than by
doctrinal creeds. Claiming no creed but
the Bible, Baptists express their
uniqueness through a series of
distinctives. In this list the word BAPTISTS
is used as an acrostic to discuss what
defines a Christian as a Baptist.
The Bible is the final authority in all matters of belief and
practice because the Bible is inspired by God and bears the
absolute authority of God Himself. Whatever the Bible affirms,
Baptists accept as true. No human opinion or decree of any
church group can override the Bible. Even creeds and
confessions of faith, which attempt to articulate the theology of
Scripture, do not carry Scripture's inherent authority.
1st Thessalonians 2:13
The local church is an independent body accountable to the Lord
Jesus Christ, the head of the church. All human authority for
governing the local church resides within the local church itself.
Thus the church is autonomous, or self-governing. No religious
hierarchy outside the local church may dictate a church's beliefs or
practices. Autonomy does not mean isolation. A Baptist church may
fellowship with other churches around mutual interests and in an
associational tie, but a Baptist church cannot be a "member" of any
other body.
Colossians 1:18
Every born-again believer has direct access to the throne of God.
Therefore, since every child of God shares in the priesthood of the
believers, all have the same right as ordained ministers to
communicate with God, interpret Scripture, and minister in Christ's
name. This is first and foremost a matter of responsibility and
servanthood, not privilege and license.
1 Peter 2:5
We practice believer's baptism by immersion because it preserves
the picture of saving truth. No other form pictures the death, burial,
and resurrection of Christ .
Romans 6:1-5
We believe that the Lord's Supper is a symbolic ordinance,
picturing Christ's body broken for our sins and His blood shed for
our redemption. It is not a saving ordinance, but helps us
remember His death, and inspires us while looking forward to His
coming. It is to be observed by regenerate, obedient believers.
1 Corinthians 11:23-24
Every individual Christian has the liberty to believe, right or
wrong, as his/her own conscience dictates. While we seek to
persuade men to choose the right, a person must not be forced to
into compliance, realizing that it is not always the larger group
who holds the truth when, in fact, our heritage as Baptists has
demonstrated the worth of every individual believer.
Romans 14:12
Local church membership is restricted to individuals who give a
believable testimony of personal faith in Christ and have publicly
identified themselves with Him in believer's baptism. When the
members of a local church are believers, a oneness in Christ
exists, and the members can endeavor to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace.
Acts 2:41&47
The Bible mandates only two offices in the church--pastor and
deacon. The three terms--"pastor," "elder," and "bishop," or
"overseer"--all refer to the same office. The two offices of pastor
and deacon exist within the local church, not as a hierarchy
outside or over the local church.
1st Timothy 3:1-13
God established both the church and the civil government, and He
gave each its own distinct sphere of operation. The government's
purposes are outlined in Romans 13:1-7 and the church's purposes
in Matthew 28:19 and 20. Neither should control the other, nor
should there be an alliance between the two. Christians in a free
society can properly influence government toward righteousness,
which is not the same as a denomination or group of churches
controlling the government.
Romans 13:1-3
Through thirty and more centuries, he has wandered about on
earth,
He has seen far-flung empires crack and crumble,
and mighty peoples dwindle to naught…
With their kings and priests, their tyrants and princelings,
They have marched over him in vainglorious pride –
only to fall and die by the roadside.
But he, the Jew, still lives on…
– Lewis Browne, 1926
It is almost impossible to define a “Jew.”
 “Race” is not an accurate designation.
1. We think of Jews as “Semitic,” but so are
Arabs.
2. Many Jews are not Semites.
3. Modern Jewry includes many races.
 Not
1.
2.
3.
4.
all Jews are religious.
Christians are much more regular in
attendance at worship than Jews.
Jews are more interested in obeying
prescribed regulations than in theology.
Non-religious want to be considered
Jews.
Judaism is the faith aspect of being a
Jew.
 The
1.
2.

Jews are not a nation.
Israel is a nation, but not all Jewish.
Nearly twice as many Jews in U.S. and
five times as many world wide.
Being a Jew involves a sense of selfidentity – it is anyone who considers
himself a Jew.
Babylonian
587 BCE
Persian
538-333 BCE
Hellenistic
333-63 BCE
Roman
63 BCE-313 CE
Byzantine
313-636
Arab 636-1099
Crusaders 1099-1291
Mamluk 1291-1516
Ottoman 1516-1918
British
1917-1948
 We
are aware of the Biblical history but
less familiar with the post-biblical
period.
 We begin our story with the destruction
Jesus warned his disciples was coming…
"Israel is the very embodiment of Jewish
continuity: It is the only nation on earth
that inhabits the same land, bears the
same name, speaks the same language,
and worships the same God that it did
3,000 years ago. You dig the soil and you
find pottery from Davidic times, coins
from Bar Kokhba, and 2,000-year-old
scrolls written in a script remarkably like
the one that today advertises ice cream at
the corner candy store."
Charles Krauthammer - The Weekly Standard, May 11, 1998
 Rigid
monotheism
 Centrality of the Law (Torah)
 Family-centered worship
 Emphasis on deeds rather than creeds
 Emphasis on present, not future life
 Many holy days and holidays
 Orthodox
 Reform
 Conservative
 Reconstructionist
 (Kabbalahistic
Judaism)


Threat of assimilation
Threat of annihilation
 Islam
means “surrender.”
 Muslim or Moslem means “One who
submits.”
 Mohammedan implies Muslims worship
Mohammed and is thus improper.
 Brought
the many tribes of Arabia into one
community, the Ummah.
 Brought people from polytheism to
monotheism.
 Stopped the killing of infant daughters.
 Expanded laws on marriage and divorce
and provided care for widows and orphans.
 Established a religion dealing with all
aspects of life (legal, social, and political).
 Unity
of God
 Angels
 Books of Allah
 The Prophets of Allah
 Day of Judgment/Resurrection
 Creed
(recitation)
 Daily Prayer
 Fasting
 Giving Alms
 Hajj