Yesterday I posted the Cathcart Baptist Encyclopedia entry on “Confessions of Faith.” I was thinking about the subject for a couple of reasons. Today, Steve Weaver concluded his three part series on “The Use of Confessions of Faith in Baptist History.” He explained that historically Baptists have used doctrinal statements in three ways. “Baptist leaders in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries promoted the use of Confessions of Faith as summaries of essential Biblical beliefs, expressions of unity, and protection from error.”

Steve’s article served as a timely encouragement for me since our church plans to officially adopt a statement of faith next month. While we do use the Baptist Faith & Message as our confession of faith, we have never adopted it formally. Our desire to do so now springs from the fact that we also plan to reaffirm our church covenant and begin to take it more seriously. In our covenant we promise “to strive for the advancement of this Church in knowledge… and to sustain…its doctrine.” In order to fulfill that promise we must be able to point to a particular statement of faith or else the affirmation becomes nothing more than a nebulous ascent to nothing. We have selected The Baptist Faith & Message and The Abstract of Principles to serve us in this capacity.

Lakeshore Baptist Church holds to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, which states that scripture and scripture alone stands as our only infallible rule of faith and practice. Although we affirm that no man-made creed or document can be set on equal footing as the authoritative Word of God, we feel that the following text of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 and the 1858 Abstract of Principles serves as a relatively accurate reflection of our core beliefs.

In an effort to keep these statements of beliefs before us, we will begin in October, to print one article each week in our Sunday morning bulletin. We will give each church member a copy of the two doctrinal statements as well as our church covenant. We pray that this renewed emphasis on our statements of faith and our covenant relationship with each other will strengthen the body of Christ and reflect the glory of God through His church.

In addition to Steve’s articles I mentioned above, let me also recommend three other online resources; “The Role of Confessions in Baptist Faith” by Dr. Tom J. Nettles, “Baptists, the Bible and confessions – The need for statements of faith” by Gregory A. Wills, and Don’t just do something, stand there! – Southern Seminary and the Abstract of Principles by Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

Confessions of Faith. In 1611 a church of English Baptists, residing in Holland, adopted a Confession of Faith, prepared most probably by Thomas Helwys, their pastor. Not many months after the Confession was published they returned to their native country and settled in London. The Confession has twenty-six articles, and though most of them are thoroughly sound, others are AArminian, and show clearly that those who framed them were troubled by a defective knowledge of New Testament teachings.

The Confession of Faith of 1644, was adopted by seven London churches. It is the first Calvinistical creed published by our English brethren. It has fifty articles. The first name which appears on the Confession is that of the illustrious William Kiffin. The twenty-first article reads, “Jesus Christ did purchase salvation for the elect that God gave unto him. These only have interest in him, and fellowship with him, for whom he makes intercession to his Father, and to them alone doth God by his Spirit apply this redemption; also the free gift of eternal life is given to them and none else.” The thirty-ninth article is, “Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, given by Christ, to be dispensed upon persons professing faith, or that are made disciples, who, upon profession of faith, ought to be baptized, and after to partake of the Lords Supper”

An “Appendix” to this Confession of Faith, written by Benjamin Cox, and printed in 1646, has twenty-two articles, a partof the twentieth of which reads, “The apostles first baptized disciples, and then admitted them to the use of the Supper; we, therefore, do not admit any to the use of the Supper, nor communicate with any in the use of this ordinance but disciples baptized, lest we should have fellowship with them in their doing contrary to order.”

The ”Confession of Faith of Several Churches of Christ in the County of Somerset,” and of some churches in adjacent counties, in England, was issued in 1656. It was signed by the representatives of sixteen churches, and it was probably written by Thomas Collier, Who was ordained in 1655 to the “office of general superintendent and messenger to all the associated churches.” The Confession has forty-six articles; it is Calvinistic, Baptistic, and, consequently, thoroughly Scriptural.

The London Confession of Faith was signed in the English metropolis in 1660. It was prepared by members of the General (Arminian) Baptist churches. On some disputed questions it is nearer the truth than the Confession of 1611, but this statement does not apply to its representation of the doctrine of final perseverance. It has twenty-five articles. This Confession was “owned and approved by more than twenty thousand persons.”

” An Orthodox Creed,” published in London in 1678, gives another view of the doctrines of the General Baptists. It has fifty articles, and it is remarkable for its Calvinistic tone, though it came from a body professedly Arminian. Its mode of describing election, providence, free will, and final perseverance is in the main scriptural. The extent of the atonement is the only question about which it differed from the opinions of our orthodox brethren of that day.

The Confession of 1689 was “put forth by the elders and brethren of many congregations of Christians, baptized (immersed) upon profession of their faith, in London and the country.” It has thirty-two articles, and “an appendix concerning baptism.” It is in many respects the best compilation of Christian belief ever published. After dropping its lengthy appendix, and inserting two new articles, it became, in 1742, “The Philadelphia Confession of Faith,” and it was adopted by most of the early Baptist Associations of this country.

The New Hampshire Confession of Faith was written by the late Dr. J. Newton Brown while laboring in the State whose name it bears. It was prepared with a view “to pending controversies with the Free-Will Baptists, who are numerous there.” Dr. Cutting says, “It has been sometimes criticised as aiming at the difficult task of preserving the stern orthodoxy of the fathers of the denomination, while at the same time it softens the terms in which that orthodoxy is expressed, in order to remove the objections of neighboring opponents.” (Historical Vindications, p. 105.) We have unlimited faith in the goodness and sanctity of the late Dr. Brown, but we very much prefer the Philadelphia Confession of Faith, so dear to our fathers, to the New Hampshire Creed.

* The Baptist Encyclopedia: Edited by William Cathcart. (1883) p p267-8

This past fall John Piper hosted his national Desiring God conference with the theme, “Sex and the Supremacy of Christ.” A recently released book, with the same name, consists of the main sessions in written form, plus a bonus chapter on Martin Luther by Justin Taylor. Justin sent me an advanced copy of the book for review. Desiring God graciously provides the audio of the conference via mp3 download on their site. I didn’t make it to Minnesota in September, but I virtually attended through my mp3 player while walking a few months ago. I also burned the talks to CDs and placed them in our church library.

I mentioned the audio/ book in a discussion group and one of the more cynical participants noted that he would not be reading or listening to the content because he already knew exactly what evangelical Christians think about sex. He knew that the ground covered in this work would do nothing more than pound the pulpit of sex being inherently evil. He knew he would hear something along the lines of, “Living together is sin. Pornography is sin. Masterbation is sin. Premarital sex is sin. Adultery is sin. Homosexuality is sin. Sex is sinful, but God reluctantly allows it in the narrow confines of marriage only for the sake of procreation – as long as you don’t enjoy it too much.”

After reading the book and listening to the conference speakers, I safely can say that abstaining from sexual sin, while of course mentioned, didn’t serve as the main thrust of the book. Instead the authors presented a full orbed theology of sex for the glory of God. More than simply an avoidance ethic, Sex and the Supremacy of Christ celebrates the gift of sex as a God given gift that points to the ultimate joy of a all satisfying relationship with Christ.

Part 1. God and Sex

1. Sex and the Supremacy of Christ: Part One – John Piper
2. Sex and the Supremacy of Christ: Part Two – John Piper
3. The Goodness of Sex and the Glory of God – Ben Patterson

Part 2. Sin and Sex

4. Making All Things New: Restoring Pure Joy to the Sexually Broken – David Powlison
5. Homosexual Marriage as a Challenge to the Church: Biblical and Cultural Reflections – R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

Part 3. Men and Sex

6. Sex and the Single Man – Mark Dever, Michael Lawrence, Matt Schmucker, and Scott Croft
7. Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God: What Every Christian Husband Needs to Know – C. J. Mahaney

Part 4. Women and Sex

8. Sex and the Single Woman – Carolyn McCulley
9. Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God: What Every Christian Wife Needs to Know – Carolyn Mahaney

Part 5. History and Sex

10. Martin Luther’s Reform of Marriage – Justin Taylor
11. Christian Hedonists or Religious Prudes? The Puritans on Sex –
Mark Dever

Taking a cue from other nationally recognized homosexual themed film festibals, a gay group intends to bring a similar event to Baton Rouge Louisianna. “The Q Film Fest” will show seven films at the Manship Theater including “Adam and Steve,” “Sexy,” “The Ski Trip,” “Stonewall,” “Paragraph 175,” “Masha Mom,” and “The Rape of Ganymede.”

The Advocate newspaper interviewed the coordinators who acknowledged the controversial nature of the event. (See: Baton Rouge hosts gay, lesbian film festival.) An opinion poll conducted by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report indicated that over 1/3 of the city would be offended by the homosexual happening. Sponsors, including Chase Bank, provided funding for the film festival at the risk of alienating one out of three people living in the capitol city.

Tony Davis, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Greenwell Springs, demonstrated the churches disapproval by closing their Chase Bank account. He sent me a preview of the letter he plans to send to the local newspaper. It reads:

Desiring to do God’s will, and remain obedient to the Scripture, our church has decided to close our account with Chase Bank. This decision was made after we became aware that Chase used profits made through the bank to support a gay, lesbian film festival held here in Baton Rouge at the Manship Theater. We realize that Chase Bank is actively involved in community efforts and for that we are grateful. However, we cannot turn our heads and ignore that the bank is supporting an agenda the Bible clearly condemns.

It’s one thing not to discriminate against homosexuals. We don’t do that, and we wouldn’t ask our bank to do so. But we feel that Chase Bank crossed the line of propriety when they chose to promote the homosexual agenda with profits earned from account holders like Fellowship Baptist Church. We therefore have chosen to take our banking business elsewhere.

Scripture teaches us to love all people, homosexuals included, and we will hold true to that teaching of Scripture. But we must also side with the Bible in its condemnation of the homosexual lifestyle. We cannot, and indeed must not support a corporation that supports the gay, lesbian agenda. While that may not be popular in secular society, we must remain firm in our commitment to God’s Word. With Jesus Christ as our Lord and Supreme Authority, we can do no other.

Respectfully Submitted,

Tony D. Davis

Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church
14512 Greenwell Springs Rd.
Greenwell Springs, LA

John Piper preached before this year’s General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America June 16, 2005 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. You can read or listen to the sermon, “Toward Spiritual Awakening and Unity: Meditations on the Whole Counsel of God“. (highly recommended) This morning I wanted to just pull out a prayer he offered. This text serves as a wonderful pattern for my own prayer this morning. Read it slowly, meditating on the full weight of the petitions..

O God, grant us to see the fullness of the justice of Jesus Christ—how his death in our place absorbed all your righteous wrath against us so that it is just to justify the ungodly, and how it will be perfectly just for him to cast into everlasting torment those who spurn his offer of reconciliation.

And grant us to see and savor the fullness of Christ’s love in his triumphant grace that raised us into the life of faith when we were dead in trespasses and sins.

And grant us to see and savor the fullness of the strength and power of Christ in the marvelous work of his providence over the world by which not one bird falls to the ground apart from his will and the cast of every lot in the lap turns out by his design.

And grant us to see and savor as we ought the fullness of the wisdom of our Lord—“How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”