Last night my Bible Study lesson focused on the 1644 London Baptist Confession of faith. In preparing for this lesson one thing that really surprised me is how many beliefs they laid out that many Baptists still hold to. You would expect as a new denomination forms that it would gradually develop its beliefs over time, but that was not the case. It is amazing how thorough these men were four hundred years ago to lay it out right the first time. Don't get me wrong, there were revisions of the document but the thoroughness is still astounding. I also learned the difference between a confession and a creed. Creeds are mandatory while confessions are voluntary. If I disagree with a creed I may be excommunicated but if I disagree with a confession there will probably be no punishment. Baptists are not a creedal people, they are sticklers on the fact that the only document that people should be held liable for is the Bible itself. It is interesting though that a fair number of Southern Baptist churches are requiring people to sign a statement that they agree totally with the Baptist Faith and Message to complete their membership. Confessions should be guides, not law because they are written by fallible men and are not inspired. Time to get off my soap box for today. Have a good one.
Got Spurgeon?: "Forgive your enemy, and you make Christ glad; distribute of your substance to the poor, and He rejoices; be the means of saving souls, and you give Him to see of the travail of His soul; proclaim His gospel, and you are a sweet savor unto Him; go among the ignorant and lift up the cross, and you have given Him honor."
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