1. Jesus, the Head and Founder of the church was a Baptist (Matt. 16:18-19; Jn. 1:6; Matt. 3:1,13-17). (Someone might ask, "How do you know Jesus was a Baptist?" Well how do you know He wasn’t?" You know what else? He still is a Baptist!) The man God sent to make ready a people out of whom the Lord Jesus organized His church, was called by God Himself, "The Baptist". God was well pleased when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the river Jordan. John was a Baptist because his mission was to make and baptize disciples. Baptists are the only people on earth who are still working at that kind of a mission - who make men disciples, then baptize them and baptize nobody else except believers.
In our Bible, John is called "the Baptist" 14 times. In the "New American Bible" St. Joseph edition from the Catholic Book Publishing Company, he is called "John the baptizer" 13 times. And in Luke 7:28 it just says "John". Are they trying to hide something? Ironically, there are Catholic Churches called, "St. John the Baptist."
2. The material out of which Jesus built his church was Baptist material. John demanded repentance. John the Baptist baptized Christ and all the twelve apostles and Christ’s church is built on them (Eph. 2:20; 1Cor. 12:28). Since the material for the church Jesus built was made ready by a Baptist preacher, it was Baptist material and the church organized out of it was a Baptist church. The church that Jesus called "My Church" (Matt. 16:18), was therefore a Baptist church. To that church He gave His marching orders (Matt. 28:18-20).
These apostles were charter members of the first church. This church started another church and that church started another. So the command of Jesus has continued to this present hour and will continue until the rapture of the saints.
3. The church which Jesus built, being a Baptist church, was set up by the Lord Jesus in the days of His personal ministry. It had everything in it described in the Bible that goes to make up a church:
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The apostles were in it
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Prophets and teachers were in this church during His personal ministry (1Cor. 12:28)
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This church had an ordained ministry (Mk. 3:14)
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This church was in possession of the Gospel and was preaching the same while Christ was here (Mk. 1:1)
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It was through this church during the days of Christ that He baptized (Jn. 4:1,2)
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They had the Lord’s supper with the Lord (Matt. 26:26-30, (note Heb. 2:12)
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This church could exercise a rule of discipline (Matt. 18:15-17)
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Jesus gave to this church the keys of the kingdom (Matt. 16:19 - Keys: Gospel and Holy Spirit)
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It was to this church that 5000 souls were added (Acts 2:41).
4. This church had Bible Doctrine. We could give dozens of examples, but will only give a few, the most important:
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The Bible alone is their only and all-sufficient rule of faith and practice (Isa. 8:20; 2Tim. 3:16,17)
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They preach the total depravity of man (Rom. 3:10-13)
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The Sovereignty of God (Isa. 14:24)
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Unconditional election (Rom. 9:11,12; Eph. 1:4-6; 1Pet. 1:2)
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God’s order of repentance and faith (Matt. 21:32; Acts 20:21)
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Salvation by Grace (Eph. 2:8-10; Acts 4:12)
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Once for all salvation (Rom. 8:38,39; Jn. 10:27-30)
Baptists are individualists. No proxies in religion like the Mormons (Rom. 14:12). They do not baptize unbelieving infants. Baptists are sticklers for regenerated church membership.
5. This church does not have sacraments, but ordinances. They are two, namely Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Jesus walked 60 miles to be immersed in the river Jordan because that was where the first Baptist preacher was baptizing. Baptists have been following their Lord and the Book about baptism since that time. Many people over the years have been saved by reading the Bible and have traveled even to other countries to receive scriptural baptism at the hands of a Baptist preacher, through the authority of a Baptist church. The Bible says that Philip and the eunuch went down into the water (Acts 8:58). That is why Baptists do it that way today. Baptists are the only churches that in all their history have never connected salvation with baptism, neither for infants or adults; but have always contended that salvation is essential to baptism, rather than baptism being essential to salvation (Acts 2:47, 10:43-47). Baptists also believe in close Communion in reference to the Lord’s Supper. Jesus did not invite His own mother, or the man in whose house He instituted the Lord’s Supper, to be present at that supper. Even Judas (the devil) was sent on an errand before the start of that supper. Open communion is an impossibility (1Cor. 11:18-20). All doctrines that differ from the bible and the Baptists are heresies, so Paul says if there is division or heresy present it is not possible to eat the Lord’s Supper.
6. This church is the only church in which there is equality (Matt. 23:8). Equal in salvation, baptism, voice in the government, and giving for its support. Baptists are a democratic people. Baptists have no bosses or overlords. For that reason, Thomas Jefferson got his idea of democracy from the business meeting of a little country Baptist church in Virginia (1Pet. 5:1; Acts 1:15-26, 6:1-6).
7. The Baptist church is the only church that the Holy Spirit has as His habitation on this earth (Eph. 2:19-22). If you don’t have the spirit and power of the Holy Spirit, you cannot please God in anything that you do.
Why ought you to be a Baptist then? If you take the word of God seriously, if you love the Saviour (Jn. 15:14), if you want scriptural baptism, if you want to do the "all things" that Christ commanded, you will be a Baptist.
Notes by Dwayne Austin
