…Bible. Baptists believe that congregational governance best reflects the practices of those churches described in the New Testament. For example, the members of a church acting in concert, not any one person or group, made major decisions (Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 15:22; 2 Corinthians 8:1-13). Salvation Only by Grace through Faith. Baptists believe that all persons who are redeemed have come by grace to saving faith in Christ, not by works, social status, or any other thing (Ephesians 2:8-10). The ground at the foot of the cross is level. Therefore, no Baptist is to lord it over another. Thus, a church is to be governed by all of the people together under the lordship of Christ. Soul Competency and the Priesthood of Believers. Persons have a God-given competence to know and to follow God’s will. Those who respond by faith to God’s grace-gift of salvation become “believer priests” (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:1-10). Each believer priest has direct access to God through the Scriptures and prayer and is free under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to determine God’s will. Furthermore, each believer also is part of a “royal priesthood” in which Jesus Christ is the High Priest (Hebrews 7-10). This…

…priests. By searching the teachings of believer priests in the past and by seeking out the wisdom of those in the present, persons are aided in their understanding of the Bible and of God’s will. The Baptist model of a church rests on the concept of the priesthood of believers. A church is made up of persons who have exercised their God-given competency by believing in Jesus as Savior and Lord and by voluntarily associating with a particular fellowship of believers. Each believer priest in the fellowship is equal to all of the others. Therefore, no one is in authority over all. Thus decisions are made by the community of priests seeking to know the will of the head of the church, the great High Priest, Jesus Christ. They do this by prayer, Bible study, meditation, discussion and decision. Conclusion So, which is it? Priesthood of the believer or priesthood of believers? It is not either/or but both/and. The term “the priesthood of the believer” communicates the biblical emphasis on the individual and soul competency. The term “priesthood of believers” communicates the biblical emphasis on community and fellowship. Throughout history in all aspects of life, a tension has existed between…

…of human thought. It is not an authority in science. It does not claim to be.” Hobbs also writes, “The Bible lays no claim to being a textbook of history, literature, philosophy, psychology or science. Yet it contains true elements of all these and more.” The Authority of the Bible Relates to Other Basic Baptist Beliefs Because Baptists regard the Bible as the sole written authority for faith and practice, the Bible is foundational for Baptist doctrine and church polity. Baptist statements of belief through the centuries have always cited Scriptures for each belief set forth. On the authority of the Bible, Baptists base beliefs in matters such as salvation by grace through faith alone, the priesthood of all believers, soul competency, believer’s baptism, the symbolic nature of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, a church membership only of those who have been born again, congregational church governance, the autonomy of churches, religious freedom, and voluntary cooperation for missions and ministry. Some of these basic convictions relate in a special way to how Baptists view and interpret the Bible. For example, belief in soul competency and the priesthood of all believers leads Baptists to insist that each believer-priest is competent to…

…and persecuted by both religious organizations and governments, to one of the largest denominations in the world? Why have Baptists sacrificed comfort, possessions and even life itself to minister to others and to work for religious freedom for all? Although no simple answer exists to questions such as these, the why of Baptist action is rooted in basic Baptist beliefs. Baptists are a vastly diverse people. Nevertheless, they hold certain basic doctrines and practices in common. No single doctrine or polity defines Baptists, but taken as a whole, they make Baptists a distinctive denomination. Some of these convictions, such as a belief in God, are held by all Christians. Others, such as belief in congregational governance, are held in common with certain denominations. However, the entire combination of beliefs, polities and practices held by Baptists makes them a unique fellowship of Christians. Basic doctrines include these: The lordship of Jesus Christ, the Bible as the sole written authority for faith and practice, soul competency, salvation only by a voluntary response of repentance and faith to God’s grace through the gift of his Son, the priesthood of all believers, baptism of believers only and only by immersion and a regenerate (born…

“Yea, I have a goodly heritage.” Psalm 16:6 “Every Baptist ought to know why he is a Baptist, and to know it from the specific commands of God’s Word. Not to have such knowledge is for our churches to be harmed in every way.” George W. Truett Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, 1897-1944 Baptists number in the millions worldwide and frequently make news. Yet little is known about Baptists by the world in general and what is known is often misunderstood. Even some Baptists are not familiar with Baptist beliefs and practices, heritage and history. For example, did you know… …a Baptist pastor established the first form of governance in America that provided complete religious freedom for all …the first Baptist missionaries from America were not Baptists when they set sail for the mission field but became Baptists on the way to the mission field …the first Baptist pastor in England was imprisoned by King James I (of King James Bible fame) for insisting that all persons should have freedom to worship …the first elected president of the Republic of Texas became an outstanding Texas Baptist layman …some of the earliest Baptists practiced baptism by pouring and not…