THEOLOGICAL STUDIES
THE BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE
INTRODUCTION
When we come to the Baptist Faith and Message, we come to a document which describes the beliefs of Baptists for over the past 300 years. Notice that this document describes the beliefs of the vast majority of Baptists. Unlike many other denominations, Baptists are not creedal. Creeds assume an air of infallibility and a strait-jacket form of uniformity. Baptists believe that only one document should command that kind of allegiance—the Bible. Confessions, on the other hand, are living, breathing descriptions of the beliefs, in this case, of Baptists.
BAPTIST BELIEFS IN COMMON TO ALL CHRISTIANS
Two things I want to point out here before we look at the BF&M in detail. First, I have arranged the topics in the following way: beliefs common to all Christians, the beliefs common to all evangelicals, and beliefs distinctive to Baptists. The reason I had arranged them this way is to point out the incredible amount of unity which does exist among Christians, first among all Christians and then among evangelicals. Too often denominations focus solely on what makes them distinct from other groups. Whereas there is validity to this, it is also true that focusing purely on distinctions can really disrupt the unity of Christians and the church. On the night before Jesus died, in His High Priestly Prayer, He primarily asked for one thing for the church.
What was the one thing He asked for (John 17:21)?
Now if Jesus thought that this was so important that it was one of the last things on His mind before He died, how much more should this be important to us!
Second, I started with the Doctrine of God before the Doctrine of Scripture. Why? The BF&M was written in a much different time than ours. In 1963 there was acceptance in Western Culture of the Scripture as being God's Word. Western Culture no longer accepts this as being necessarily true. We are actually back to the same kind of culture in which Christianity actually first sprang up: a pluralistic society. Christians didn't teach that Jesus was the Son of God because the Bible said so. No, they first proclaimed Jesus. The documents which proclaimed Him very soon afterwards were recognized as being man-written but God-inspired. As a result, in order to be more relevant to today (remember that the BF&M is not a creed but a living confession), we will start with the doctrine of God first, especially as it relates to Jesus.
The Belief in the Triune God
I. GOD
There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience.
According to Deut. 6:4 how many gods are there?
The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
This is the primary distinctive of Christianity, the distinctive which separates us from Judaism and Islam which also claim to be monotheistic religions: God though One exists as Three Persons. Baptists in conjunction with all major Christian denominations (Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, etc.) believe that there is only one God and that He has always existed as 3 persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Although there is only One God, the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. He is one God who exists as 3 separate Persons. Because we are mere mortals, we cannot understand how God can be 3 and yet 1; however, this is the way God has revealed Himself. For example, Deut. 6:4 categorically claims: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God; the Lord is One!" On the other hand, we see the Trinity clearly at the baptism of Jesus. What 3 things happen at Jesus' baptism which demonstrate that the One God exists as THREE persons (Matt. 3:13-17 and parallels in Mark and Luke)?
The early Christians had to defend Christianity as being monotheistic in spite of the fact that we believe the one God exists as THREE persons. The Gospel of John to a large extent addresses this issue. One of the most touching things you will see in the catacombs of Rome is the statue of St. Cecilia who was martyred in the catacombs. Where she was executed lies a statue of her body, the way Christians found it after the Romans had left. With one hand she is extending one finger, while on the other hand she is extending 3 fingers. It was her way to testify that her God was One who existed as three distinct persons.
Now our United Pentecostal brothers claim that in the beginning there was God the Father. Then He came to the earth as God the Son. After Jesus rose from the dead, He came to earth as the Holy Spirit. When He became the Son, He was no longer the Father. Now that He is the Spirit, He is no longer the Father or the Son. There are 2 problems with this. The first problem is that it is totally understandable to you and me. If God is truly so much higher than you and me, then we really should not be able to understand Him (Isaiah 55:8). Second, this view does not do justice to the Baptism scene and many verses in which we see the Father, Son, and Spirit described as three distinct persons.
Now the deity of Jesus is critical for the discussion on the Trinity. For this reason, more time will be spent on Jesus than on the other 2 persons of the Godhead.
A. God the Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.
The Fatherhood of God has become more of a hot topic. Recently, the Christian governor of Alabama claimed that only Christians were his brothers and sisters. He got into a lot of hot water over this, and being a true politician, backtracked, and claimed that all people were his brothers and sisters. In light of the BF&M, was he right to backtrack?
Defend your answer.
Gen 1:1; 2:7; Ex 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11; 20:1
Lev 22:2; De 6:4; 32:6; 1Ch 29:10; Psa 19:1-3
Isa 43:3, 15; 64:8; Jer 10:10; 17:13
Mat 6:9; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11
John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7
Rom 8:14-15; 1Co 8:6; Gal 4:6; Eph 4:6
Col 1:15; 1Ti 1:17; Heb 11:6; 12:9; 1Pe 1:17; 1Jo 5:7
B. God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself the demands and necessities of human nature and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, partaking of the nature of God and of man, and in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.
The deity of Christ is THE essential distinctive in Christianity. Other religions believe in one God (Judaism and Islam); Christianity, however, believes that the One God exists as 3 Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This belief is not based upon the Bible telling us that this is so; rather, it is based upon the Person of Jesus Himself who is the primary content of the Bible. If Jesus is God the Son, then God the Father logically exists (you can't have a Son without a Father). Moreover, because Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit as being a separate Person from Him and the Father, then 3 Persons exist in the Godhead.
According to John 1:1-2 how long has Jesus (the Word) existed?
Who is this Word? "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was _______________" (John 1:1).
Who does Jesus claim to be in John 8:58?
Too often people misunderstand what it means for Jesus to be called the "Son" of God. They think that Jesus being called "Son" means that He is less than God. The exact opposite is true. If Jesus is God the Son, then He is equal with God the Father. When man begets a son, he begets a man. From man springs forth man. In the same way, when God begets a son, He begets God. Like begets like. The main difference between our begetting a son and God begetting His Son is that Jesus' being begotten is eternal. What is Jesus called in Isaiah 9:6? "And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, _______________ Father . . .". This cannot be true of God if He has not eternally had a Son.
Now the defense for the deity of Christ is based upon the claims of those who claimed to be eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ. Now the resurrection is of such a nature, that if it occurred, then Jesus is truly who He claimed to be—God the Son. We are not speaking about resuscitation which mortal man can perform. Rather, we are speaking about resurrection: the radical transformation of the body from being mortal and weak into a splendid glorious body which is eternal and powerful. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, then He is God the Son because only God could perform such an act. According to 1 Cor. 15:5-8 how many people claimed that they saw the resurrected Jesus?
1 Cor. 15:6 is especially important because this number does not include women and children. Up to 2,000 people could have easily been present at this event.
Well, maybe these people LIED. What happened to these people which would counter the claim that they lied? (For example, look up 2 Cor. 11-23-33 to see how much Paul had suffered for his claim that he had seen the resurrected Jesus.)
According to Paul, what would be true of him and others who claimed that Jesus had risen from the dead if in fact He was not risen from the dead (1 Cor. 15:19)?
According to Colossians 1:15 Jesus is the "_______________ of the invisible God."
According to John 14:9 when you have seen Jesus, whom else have you seen?
According to 1 Cor. 15:21 what kind of a person brought death in the world and what kind of person brought the resurrection into the world?
This is the reason then that the virgin birth of Jesus is necessary. If God were not His Father, then He was nothing more than a man who needed salvation as much as the rest of us. If Mary was not His mother, then He was only God and we are still lost. Why? He needed to become man so that as Man He could pull us out of the mess we have fallen into. He had to be both God and Man. This act of Jesus and God's love for mankind which sent Jesus to us are acts of GRACE.
Scriptures to Support the Deity and Work of Jesus
Gen 18:1; Psalm 2:7; 110:1; Isa 7:14; 53:1-12
Mat 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16, 27
Mat 17:5; 27; 28:1-6, 19; Mark 1:1; 3:11
Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46
John 1:1-18, 29; 10:30, 38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50
John 14:7-11, 16:15-16, 28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20, 28
Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5, 20
Rom 1; 3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3, 34; 10:4
1Co 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8, 24-28; 2Co 5:19-21
Gal 4:4-5; Eph 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Php 2:5-11
Col 1:13-22; 2:9; 1Th 4:14-18; 1Ti 2:5-6; 3:16
Tit 2:13-14; Heb 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28
Heb 9:12-15, 24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1Pe 2:21-25; 3:22
1Jo 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14- 15; 5:9; 2Jo 7-9
Rev 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16
C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts" by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fulness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.
Gen 1:2; Jud 14:6; Job 26:13; Psa 51:11; 139:7
Isa 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32
Mat 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mk 1:10, 12
Luke 1:35; 4:1, 18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49
John 4:24; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14
Acts 1:8; 2:1-4, 38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17, 39 Acts 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6
Rom 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1Co 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11
Gal 4:6; Eph 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1Th 5:19
1Ti 3:16; 4:1; 2Ti 1:14; 3:16; Heb 9:8, 14
2Pe 1:21; 1Jo 4:13; 5:6-7; Rev 1:10; 22:17
The Holy Spirit in the NT is more of a shadowy figure than the Father and the Son. This is the way He likes it because His primary function is to point people away from Himself to Christ and subsequently to the Father.
Very briefly then, God in the OT promises to establish His kingdom of righteousness and life by sending His Spirit upon the world. He will especially anoint a Man (the Messiah/Christ which means "Anointed One") who will usher in that kingdom. After the death and resurrection of the Messiah, He will become the fountain of the Spirit. This Spirit will draw people to the Messiah, enter into them after they accept the Messiah, and then start the process of making them like the Christ. They will become "little Christs", that is, Christians. Upon the return of Christ, the Spirit will finish what He started: He will transform believers in Christ to be completely like Christ. Moreover, He will radically transform the universe into being a suitable dwelling place for not only the transformed sons and daughters of God but also for God Himself.
Conclusion
At the beginning of this discussion, we remarked that the Gospel of John deals specifically with the issue of the Trinity. How can we claim that God is One and yet exists as three Persons?
Part of our problem is that we assume we should be able to explain God fully. That's crazy. If God is God and we are mere mortal men, then there should certainly be aspects about God we shouldn't be able to understand, His very nature being one of them.
What is interesting, though, is that God does give us a glimpse into Himself at the very beginning of the Bible. According to Gen. 1:27 who is in the image of God? God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; __________ and ___________ He created ____________. It takes at least 2 people for man to be in the image of God, specifically the marriage relationship. Now look at what marriage does to 2 people: " For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become _______________ flesh (Gen. 2:24). In other words, we see even in human relationships that 2 can actually be one: the husband loving his wife in such a manner that she loving submits to his leadership thus the 2 becoming one.
We see the exact same principle operating in the Godhead. When Jesus has been attacked by the Jews for claiming to be God (John 5:18), He defends His deity PLUS the unity of God by point first to God's love for Him and His obedience to the Father: 19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do ____________ of Himself, unless it is something He sees the _______________ doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in _____________ manner. 20 "For the Father ___________ the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing (John 5:19, 20).
Notice that not once does Jesus use the analogy of the egg (shell, yoke, albumin) in order to describe the One-ness and Three-ness of God. He uses the illustration of Father/Son. We should probably limit our description of the Trinity to the illustration of the Father/Son.