What
Baptists Believe about . . . . . Confessions
of Faith and Creeds
Rock
Falls Baptist Church -- Fall of
2003. Doug Crabb, pastor
A
Sunday Evening Study in preparation for a visit by the Heartland Baptist
Association Credentials Committee.
Baptists
have historically stood distinctive from most all other denominational groups in
that we have not been “creedal” people but rather “confessional” people.
The
word creed comes from the Latin word “credo” that means “to believe.” A
creed is an officially adopted, authoritative statement of beliefs that must be
thoroughly adhered to in order to be acceptable within the denominational or
religious body that embraces the creed.
The
word confession comes from the root word “confessio” that means “to
acknowledge” or “to confess.” A confession is a non-authoritative
collection, concensus, and positive expression of what Baptists generally agree
upon about matters of faith and practice.
Baptists
have rejected the use of creeds and instead have taken a “confessional”
approach to expressing their generally held beliefs and practices.
Baptists have historically refused to impose their confessional
statements upon individuals, churches, or associational bodies.
The desire for doctrinal uniformity among Baptists has never been strong
enough to adopt authoritative creeds until the last five years in Southern
Baptist life.
Baptists
have utilized confessions of faith since the first identifiable Baptist group
gathered in 1609 in Holland. These
confessions of faith were used to differentiate Baptists from other groups.
The
1963 Baptist Faith and Message of the Southern Baptist Convention, which our
church still affirms as our confessional statement for study and discussion,
includes a preamble that contained the following statements, intended to keep
the document from becoming a creed:
That
they constitute a consensus of opinion of some Baptist body, large or small, for
the general instruction and guidance of our own people and others concerning
these articles of the Christian faith which are most surely held among us.
They are not intended to add anything to the simple conditions of
salvation revealed in the New Testament, viz., repentance toward God and faith
in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
That
we do not regard them as complete statements of our faith, having any quality of
finality or infallibility. As in
the past so in the future Baptists should hold themselves free to revise their
statement of faith as may seem to them wise and expedient at any time.
That
any group of Baptists, large or small have the inherent right to draw up for
themselves and publish to the world a confession of their faith whenever they
may think it advisable to do so.
That
the sole authority for faith and practice among Baptists is the Scriptures of
the Old and New Testaments. Confessions
are only guides in interpretation, having no authority over the conscience.
That
they are statements of religious convictions, drawn from the Scriptures, and are
not to be used to hamper freedom of thought or investigation in other realms of
life.
The
1963 Baptist Faith and Message preamble concludes with these words:
Baptists
emphasize the soul’s competency before God, freedom in religion, and the
priesthood of the believer. However,
this emphasis should not be interpreted to mean that there is an absence of
certain definite doctrines that Baptists believe, cherish, and with which they
have been and are now closely identified.
The
2000 Baptist Faith and Message adds these words to the ending of the preamble:
Baptists
cherish and defend religious liberty, and deny the right of any secular or
religious authority to impose a confession of faith upon a church or body of
churches. We honor the principles
of soul competency and the priesthood of believers, affirming together both our
liberty in Christ and our accountability to each other under the Word of God.
Baptist
churches, associations, and general bodies have adopted confessions of faith as
a witness to the world, and as instruments of doctrinal accountability.
We are not embarrassed to state before the world that there are doctrines
we hold precious and as essential to the Baptist tradition of faith and
practice.