A BAPTIST MANUAL
A Research of Baptist's Belief and its Story in Malaysia
III. The Lordship of Jesus Christ as the Head of the Church
IV. The Authority of the Scriptures
V. A Regenerated Church Membership
VI. The Autonomy of the Local Church
VII. The Priesthood of All Believers
VIII. Believers Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
IX. Separation of the Church and State
X. The Church’s Mission and World Evangelism
I. Origin of the Baptist People
A. Its Starting
Point
What are the origins of the Baptist people? Some attempt to
trace their origin via the Jerusalem-Jordon-John theory, and they claim their
ancestry to the ministry of “John-the-baptizer” (Matthew 3:1-6).[1]
This claim of river Jordan ancestry can
be problematic as John’s baptism was not the same as the New Testament baptism
as the latter is a confirmation of newness of life (Romans 6:3-4).
Some attempt to advocate the “successionist” theory to
offset the Roman Catholic position as being the only church that originated
from the early church with Peter as their first pope. [2]
Baptists claim their succession as they
have been consistently adhering to baptism by immersion of believers like the
early church.
Another theory of the origin of the Baptist people relates
to the Anabaptists.[3] These were the various groups that sprang up
during the Reformation to “rebaptize” the converted who had been baptized as
infants. The Anabaptists were persecuted
both by the Catholics and the Reformers. They were imprisoned, tortured,
drowned, and burnt. [4]
Most scholars, however, agree that the Baptists, as an
English-speaking denomination, were related to the Puritan and separatist
movements in England at the beginning of the seventeenth century. The Puritans
were reformists who wanted to reform and purify the Church.[5]
They had no intention to break from the
Church of England. The separatists however were not satisfied with their
efforts to purify the Anglican Church. They left the Church and conducted
worship in accordance with the Bible.[6]
B. The First Baptist
Church in Holland
John Smyth was an Anglican priest who became a Puritan
before becoming a Separatist. He was one of the leaders of the Separatist
Church at Gainsborough. They covenanted with one another to follow strictly the
truth of the Scriptures, following worship of a free church, deviating from
Anglican way of worship, sacraments, and organization.[7]
His activity became known to the Anglican authorities and he fled for his life
and escaped to Holland. He baptized himself with more than 30 others including
Thomas Helwys. He started the first Baptist Church in Amsterdam in 1609.[8]
C. The First Baptist
Church in United Kingdom
Thomas Helwys led a group and returned to England and he
started the first Baptist Church at Spitalfield, near London in 1611. He died
in prison in 1616. His successor was John Murton who also died in prison in
1626. [9]
D. Baptist Church as a Denomination in United
Kingdom
Since the establishment of the first Baptist Church in
United Kingdom, the movement continued to grow. Despite all the persecution,
there were 5 Baptist churches in England in 1624. By 1650, there were at least
47 Baptist churches. [10]
Another source reported that there were 200 churches in 1660 with over 20,000
members. [11]
Baptist churches were born under great travail. Many of
their leaders were arrested and imprisoned. Church meetings were often held in
secret. In 1689, a turning point came when the Baptist movement was allowed to
exist when Parliament in United Kingdom passed “The Act of Toleration” [12]
bill. This freedom was incomplete however as they continued to be subjected to
the Church of England in some ways.
E. Baptist Church
Becoming a Great Denomination in America
Though the Parliament had passed the bill to tolerate
Baptists in United Kingdom, persecution still prevailed. The new continent of
America was the attraction for many Baptists in England fleeing persecution at
the beginning of the seventeenth century. Roger Williams was one of those who
fled England for the New World and he established the earliest Baptist church
in 1639. Roger Williams opposed infant baptism and strongly advocated the
authority of the Scripture and religious freedom. [13]
The Baptist congregations grew rapidly in America, and by
1700 there were 24 Baptist churches. By 1790, there were 979 Baptist churches
and they had become the largest protestant denomination in America. [14]
By 1813, there were 175,000 Baptists in the New England states and beyond. [15]
F. Southern Baptist
Foreign Mission
On September 26, 1836, the Foreign Missions Board of the
Southern Baptist Convention sent John Lewis Shuck to Canton, China. [17] This was the beginning of the Baptist work in
China. By 1951, Baptist work in China numbered 392 churches and 410 outreach
points with 123,000 members. [18]
When the Communist regime took over China, all missionaries were ordered to
leave China. These displaced missionaries were relocated to Korea, Taiwan, and
South East Asia.
II. Baptist Work in Malaysia
Way back in 1905, some Baptists from Swatow China migrated
to different parts of Malaya. They resided in different areas, and they were
not known to one another. In 1937, Madam Tan Siu Noi made an intensive and
fruitful effort to locate their whereabouts. On October 21, 1938, three
families came together to form the core of the first Baptist church in Malaya
known as Overseas Chinese Christian Church with Rev. Lim Pue Hing as their
pastor. The church was later renamed the Alor Setar Baptist Church. [19]
B. Baptist work in
the Capital City
Some Baptist ladies from China who were residing in Kuala
Lumpur made a request to the Southern Baptist Convention, and Miss Jessie Green
was sent to organize this work. She arrived in August 1951. Miss Jessie Green
who was formerly serving in southern China was fluent in Cantonese. She worked
with another Baptist missionary from Hong Kong, Rev. Loh Yan Kwong. Kuala
Lumpur Baptist Church was formed on December 14, 1952. [20]
C. Malaya Baptist Convention
In 1953, five Baptist churches were formed, and the
missionaries saw the need for greater harmony. To coordinate the flourishing
new works, the Malaya Baptist Convention was formed in Penang on August 16, 1953. In 1964, Malaya Baptist
Convention adopted the new name Malaysia Baptist Convention. [21]
D. Malaysia Baptist
Theological Seminary
Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary was established on 11
January 1954 at 35, Anson Road, Penang with three teachers and four students.
The Objective was to train workers for the mission field in Malaya-Singapore
region. In 1958, the Seminary purchased 14 acres of gently undulating land at
Batu Ferringhi Penang. [22]
E. Baptist Churches
in Malaya as at 1970 [23]
F. A Dearth of the Baptist Work in South Malaya
After going through the lists of Baptist churches in the
60’s and 70’s, one would observe that there was no record of Baptist work south
of Malaya. It looked like a missing jigsaw puzzle in the whole picture. What
was the cause of its absence in south Malaya? According to a report, there was
an agreement among the missionaries in the fifties and sixties that the
Presbyterian Church would focus on South Malaya, and the Methodist would focus
their ministries from central to northern Malaya. [24]
Was the neglect of the Baptist work related to this agreement? The writer of
this essay has no information to justify.
G. The Story of
Johor Bahru Baptist Church
Baptist work in Johor Bahru was very much neglected. It took
the vision of Pr. Victor Tan of Queenstown Baptist Church, Singapore to plant a
Baptist work in Johor Bahru, the southern tip of Malaya. His vision was
affirmed by Pr. Jarrett Ragan, then missionary stationed in Singapore from the
Foreign Missions Board of Southern Baptist Convention. Another missionary
couple Sid and Alvinda Reber were also involved. The outreach was organized
with a rented property and the work was called Johor Bahru Baptist Chapel. [25]
In the seventies, Baptist work in Johor Bahru continued to
grow with the influx of many civil servants transferred to Johor Bahru taking
up teaching and governmental posts. Many of them who relocated from Northern
Malaya had Baptist background. Foreign Missions Board had the vision to buy a
property to house the Baptist work. They bought the premises at 111, Jalan Dato
Sulaiman, Century Gardens, Johor Bahru.
H. Baptists’
Membership in Malaysia
According to Thomas C.M. Chin, by the end of 2006, there
were over 160 Baptist churches and chapels with over 19,000 members in
Malaysia. [26]According
to Rev. Chin Lee Yean, the chief coordinator of MBC, there were over 190
Baptist churches in 2019, with 29,486 members.
III. The Lordship of Jesus Christ as the Head of the Church
A. Biblical
Foundation
Christ as the Lord and the Head of the Church is the core
teaching of the Baptist people. Two Bible verses support the claim of Baptists
that Christ is the Head of the Church:
“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the
beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might
have the supremacy.” (Col. 1:18)
“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him
to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of
him who fills everything in every way.” (Eph. 1:22-23)
The Lordship of Jesus Christ was the fundamental belief of
the early church. A hymn sang by the early church in Philippians 2:5-11
illustrates the belief. The hymn speaks about the victory of Christ, and one
day every tongue shall confess Jesus as the Lord, and every knee shall bow
before Him, both in heaven and on earth. God has exalted Christ and given Him
the name above every name. [27]
Baptists paid heavy price to uphold this truth. They fought
extremely hard and sacrificed much to practice it. Baptists were not allowed to
exist as they stubbornly insisted that Jesus Christ is the Head, and not the
Pope, the King nor anybody or anything else.
B. Who Else Could Be
Lord?
One may assume that Christ as the Lord and the head of every
church is practiced by every church today. However, in practice, Christ may not
be the head of every church either in the past or even in the present.
The following could be the “Lord” of the church in some
churches: [28]
2. The pastor1. The founder of the church4. An influential person in the church3. The denominational head6. The government5. The Council, Board or Deacons
C. Implications
What is the implication of recognizing Christ as the Head of
the Church? This will cause us to seek God how a local church ought to be
governed.
A church, especially her leaders, will want to seek her Head
in all matters. The church will want to collectively follow God’s will for the
church. Leaders should exhibit servanthood leadership and not to lord over
anyone. Finally, the church believes that Christ is the living Head, and He is
able to give direction to the affairs of every church. [29]
To practice the Lordship of Christ is to seriously believe
that Christ is the living Head who can give direction for the church and for
the individual. Each church should seek Him and be guided by Him. The needs for
every church are different. Consequently, every church should seek him
individually. [31]
IV. The Authority of the Scriptures
A. Biblical
Foundations
Baptists’ belief on the authority of the Scriptures could be
traced back to 1677 in the confession of faith at London. It reads, “The Holy
Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving
Knowledge, Faith and Obedience”. [32]
The word “only” depicts uniqueness of the Bible, that no other faith or
theological writing could replace the Bible, which is the sole authority and
authenticity for all ages.
The Baptists insist their belief in the authority of the
Scriptures, and this belief is based on the following biblical truth:
“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of
Scriptures came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For
prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human,
spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Pet. 1:20-21)
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
B. History of
Upholding the Belief
During the Dark Age of the Church, the Bible was neglected
and forgotten. The forefathers of the Baptists – Anabaptists and Separatist
movements struggled hard against religious authorities of their times. [33]
They upheld the Bible as the only authority, not traditions nor the words of
anyone else. Hence, “Baptists do not
believe tradition, dogma or continuing experiences of revelation can substitute
for, replace, or add to what has already been written.” [34] The Scriptures provide the final authority for
individual faith and practices.
C. Baptists and
Creed
Unlike other denominations, Baptists refrain from embracing creed, and they confess, we have “No creed but the Bible.” [35] The word “creed” comes from the Latin “credo” meaning “I believe”. [36] Creed can become rigid in the letter, and unable to reflect its spirit. Creed will make people rule abiding, and rigid in thinking. Whereas the study of the Bible will produce prudent minds to understand its meaning. Two reasons creeds are not accepted by Baptists:
“First, Baptists recognize no human authority as having the right to frame articles of faith, laws or rites for the local church…Second, Baptists will not accept creeds as binding on the churches. These creeds are formulated by ecclesiastical councils who declare them to be applicable for all churches.” [37]
Baptists, while maintaining freedom of interpretation of
certain New Testament subjects, speak with one voice on the essential doctrines
set forth in the Scriptures. They believe in one Lord, one faith, one God and
Father of all, one body, one Spirit and one hope:[38]
“Baptists place their
uncompromising faith in the authenticity of the Scripture and stress the
necessity of every believer reading them for himself and letting them be the
guide for faith and conduct. The Scriptures are the cornerstone of Baptist
belief, the common ground on which all can agree and the point from unity is
realized.” [39]
D. The Scriptures
Meet Human Needs
Baptists believe that the Scriptures can speak to human needs,
and His truth could meet those needs. God reveals Himself and His will through
the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit enlightens each believer to make the Scriptures
useful and reliable. “The Scriptures are both timely and timeless.” [40]
They have proven to meet every need for every age.
E. The People of
the Book
The Baptist people has a description, they are called the
people of the book. This description tells us that Baptists place great
emphasis on the study of God’s Word. Baptists walk the talk; they practice what
they preach. [41]
V. A Regenerated Church Membership
A. Historical
Background
Why do the Baptists emphasize so much on church membership?
To answer the question, it is essential to investigate the Bible, history and
theology pertaining to this matter. A historian of Southern Baptist Convention
says:
"Historically, one must be born again to be accepted as
a member of a Baptist church. Theologically, Baptists recognize God’s purpose
of establishing His Church is to assist Him in fulfilling His intended purpose
for mankind. From the aspect of
practice, the Baptist Church is required to uphold its integrity. Thus
stringent membership requirements are necessary. Because of these reasons,
Baptists insist on admission of membership with responsibility and integrity,
so that the Baptist Church can be effective in influencing the world with their
testimony." [42]
B. The Importance of
Church Membership
The same scholar from
Southern Baptist Convention made the following
conclusion in his research into why Baptists emphasize so much on church
membership. The early Baptists follow the model of the New Testament in shaping
church membership. They include four principles in formulating church
membership: "1) Criteria for admission are very stringent. 2) Faith in
Christ accompanied with baptism by immersion will be the fundamental conditions
for admission. This being a reminder that a member must live out the new life
in the church. 3) Members must uphold doctrines of the church, purity, growing
spiritual life, and exhibiting love for one another in Christian service. 4)
Members must accept church discipline if they do not live up to the mark of
purity in their lives."[43]
C. The Importance of
Regeneration in Membership Admission
Baptists believe the importance of regeneration for
membership admission. They view the conversation between the Lord Jesus with
Nicodemus pertaining to spiritual birth as essential condition for admission of
membership (John 3:3-7).
The Bible in the book of Acts 2:37-41 provides the outlines
for membership admission. Conversion and baptism by immersion are the
essentials.
1. Conviction of sins (Acts 2:37)
2. Repentance from sins (Acts 2:38)
3. Regeneration or conversion (Acts 2:41; 4:32) – In all cases it is the Spirit of God using the Word of God to produce a saving faith (John 5:24; Titus 3:5-6; 1 Peter 1:23-25). In the New Testament, regeneration always precedes baptism.
4. Baptism by immersion (Acts 2:41)
5. A desire to share financial burden of the body of Christ (Acts 2:44; 4:32)
As parts of a body, every part must be functional. The
existence of dysfunctional parts will cause the body to malfunction. Romans
12:4-5 explains the relationship, “For just as each of us has one body with
many members (melos), and these members (melos) do not all have the same
function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member (melos)
belongs to all the others.” “Parts” of a physical body and “parts” of a church
are described by the same Greek word, “Melos” (G=3196). It means “a limb of the
body”. [44]
“Scriptures use the term as a figure of speech to denote a likeness between a
‘limb of the body’ and one who is ‘attached to Christ.’” [45]
Unfortunately, this truth of the interwoven relationship is often neglected to the detriment of the Christian fellowship. This neglect is obviously not the intention of God for the church, but through human neglect. No wonder many Christian fellowships do not live up to the instrument of redemption God intends them to be. [46]
VI. The Autonomy of the Local Church
A. Definition
Autonomy of the local church means that each church can
discern the will of God, so each local church should be accountable to Christ,
the Head of the local church.
“To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in
Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those
everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.”
(1 Cor. 1:2)
“The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings.
Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that
meets at their house.” (1 Cor. 16:19)
B. Biblical Basis of
a Local Body
Baptists believe that the church is a local group of
gathered believers. This means “the visible operation of the church in a given
time and place.”[47]
There is no such thing in the New Testament as an institutional church or a
denominational church. Only individual groups voluntarily united to worship and
to serve Christ.
The basis of a local church is promised in the Word of
Christ, the Head of the Church. The Head of the Church promises, “For where two
or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matt. 18:20). He
promises his abiding presence when His Church does His ministry of teaching and
disciple-making, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”
(Matt. 28:20). Christ’s abiding presence is promised to the smallest group,
even as small as two or three are gathered in His name.
Baptists adhere to the New Testament teaching that the local
body is the visible operation of the church at a given time and place. The
local body is promised the abiding presence of the Head of the Church. The
local congregation is given the authority over spiritual matters such as church
discipling (Matt. 18:15-20) and the Holy Spirit will empower the local body to
do the work of God (Matt. 28:18-20). [48]
C. The Biblical
Basis of Autonomy and Cooperation
The early church was a classic example of governing the
church with autonomy and cooperation. They were autonomous as demonstrated by
their election of a leader (Acts 1:15-26), handling of discipline in their midst (Matt. 18:15-20)
and missionary involvement (Acts 13:1-3).
The early church was not only concerned about their internal
needs, but they also built relationships with other churches. Their activities
of cooperation could be found in these examples: they welcomed transferred
members (Rom. 16:1) and they were involved with the contribution of resources
to aid the famine stricken Middle Eastern Christians (1 Cor. 16:1-4). Thus,
cooperation does not sacrifice autonomy, instead it brings mutual edification.
As indicated on the earlier bible verses of 1 Corinthians.
1:2 and 1 Corinthians 16:19, the Church in Corinth and the seven churches in
Asia Minor were independent churches, yet they were having relationship with
one another.
As revealed in Revelation 2-3, churches were independent and
localized. They were individually accountable to the Head of the Church, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, “Baptist churches are independent and
self-governing churches.” [49]
Many other denominations are governed by a central authority, but not the
Baptists.
Though Baptist churches are independent and autonomous, they
are not isolated. Baptist churches are in association with each other – forming
associations, fellowships and conventions for mutual support and ministry
involvement. These associations, fellowships and conventions do not constitute
bodies of control. Instead they serve as bodies of mutual encouragement and
strength. Those ministries pioneered by the associations or conventions would
be beyond the capabilities and resources of single local churches. The
synergies of cooperation are evident.
VII. The Priesthood of All Believers
A. The Reformation
and the Priesthood of All Believers
Historically, the doctrine of the priesthood of all
believers did not begin with the Baptists. It was the emphasis of Reformation
which swept across Europe during the sixteenth century. The Roman Catholic
Church drew a sharp distinction between clergy and laity in the church.
Priesthood was limited to the clergy who had a special authority in the church.
[50]
The great Protestant reformer, Martin Luther (1483-1546),
challenged Catholic teaching on the priesthood of the clergy and the corruption
of the Church. He proclaimed the priesthood of all Christian believers.
This Reformation principle had profound influence on the
Baptist ideals. The Baptists are only one of many Christian groups that
emphasize the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers.
B. Biblical
Foundation
The concept of the priesthood of all believers is one
distinctive doctrine embraced by Baptists. It is “a unique distinctive of
Baptists.” [51]
The biblical foundation of the priesthood of all believers can be found in the
following two verses:
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:15-16)
In the Old Testament, God raised a small group of people called the priests. They had access to God, and they were mediators between God and His people. When Christ had offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins and became our High Priest, Christians have all become priests. Christians have become a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5, 9).
Baptists believe the doctrine of the priesthood of all
believers involves two great ideas. “First, it means that all persons have
direct communion with God through faith in Jesus without the need for any other
human mediator. Second, it means that all Christians are called to be priests,
ministering to one another and sharing God’s love in a sinful world.”[52]
C. What It Means to
be a Priest?
Priests have direct access to God, and they can access the throne of grace with confidence (Heb. 4:16). As a priest, the believer can approach God directly and to know Him and to discern His will.
The adoption of the doctrine of the priesthood of all
believers naturally puts the Baptists to incline towards a congregational form
of church government. As God’s royal priests, members of the church could
individually seek the will of God for the local church. They do not need to
depend on one person or a special group of persons to govern. Collectively they
are competent to govern the church as a congregation. Hence Baptists will
incline to a congregational form of church government. [53]
D. Soul Competency
Soul competency is the twin doctrine to the priesthood of all believers. Bill J. Leonard defines it as:
“The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is closely related to a doctrine known as soul competency namely, each individual is competent to relate directly to God for salvation. Each individual is competent to interpret Scripture according to the dictates of conscience and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Each individual is free to live out the Christian faith without coercion or interference from the state.” [54]
Baptists believe that man has competency in spiritual
matters after regeneration as characterized by the following points.
1. God will communicate individually with His children as God’s priests, and they can know God’s will and the way to follow them.
2. The priest has the ability to read, interpret and obey the Scriptures.
3. The priest is given the privilege to approach God, pray directly to Him and confess his sins directly to Him for forgiveness.
4. The priest is very privileged but at the same time given many responsibilities including bringing others to Christ and assisting them in developing their gifts to serve Him.
VIII. Believers Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
Baptists embrace two ordinances given by Christ to the
Church. The word “ordinance” is not found in the New Testament; however, the
word ordinance could refer to “a decree or command”. It is the latter use that
the Baptists adopt. By this they embrace baptism and the Lord’s supper as the
two ordinances of the Church. Both baptism and the Lord’s supper are practices
instituted by the Lord (Matt. 28:19; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
A. Water Baptism
Water baptism as an ordinance is important, however “the
Lordship of Christ, the authority of the Scriptures, and regeneration are much
more important than baptism.” [55]
Baptists reject the wrong usage of baptism by the Church in
a corrupted sense that treats baptism as something supernatural and which
implies that the act in itself is a means of salvation. Thus evolved the
rituals of infant baptism and sprinkling or pouring of water. Anabaptists
insisted that only believers should be baptized. The founding father of the
first Baptist church in Holland John Smyth insisted on baptism by immersion for
believers only.
Water baptism should
reflect the real thing in the heart, i.e., the regeneration of new life. [56]
What is the significance of baptism? There are two salient points: (Rom. 6:3-4): it symbolizes one’s death with Christ and consequent burial at immersion and the baptized person’s new life in Christ when he is raised from immersion. The meaning of baptism in Rom. 6:3-4 and the study of the Greek word for “baptism” (Greek baptiso) reveal that it is actually a Greek word that means “immersion”. [57]
The founders of some major denominations promulgated baptism
by immersion: [58]
- Martin Luther: “I would have those who are to be baptized to be entirely immersed as the word imports and the mystery signifies.”
- John Calvin: "The word `baptize' signifies to immerse. It is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient church. “
- John Wesley: "Buried with Him, alludes to baptizing by immersion according to the custom of the first church."
B. The Lord’s Supper
Many denominations treat the Lord’s supper as a sacrament believing that it has some magical or supernatural effects on those who receive them. Some even treat it as the real body and blood of Jesus. Baptists’ view of the Lord’s Supper is distinct from them. Baptists treat the bread as a symbol of Christ’s body and the wine as a symbol of Christ’s blood. Partaking the Lord’s supper is to remember the work of His redemptive work, and what He has done for us.
Thus, when Jesus took the bread and he said, “This is my
body” (Luke 22:19), he was referring to the bread as a symbol of His body to be
broken and bruised. The disciples obviously knew the purpose of it, to remember
Christ’s redemptive work. This also applies to the wine, a symbol of the blood
shed for us.
Another objective of the Lord’s Supper is to declare
believers’ belief of the second coming of the Lord, “For whenever you eat this
bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor.
11:26). Thus, the Lord’s Supper can be taken as a confession of faith.
IX. Separation of the Church and State
A. Biblical Basis
Baptists believe that the Church and the State are to be
separated.
“Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is
Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.’” (Mark 12:17)
“But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes:
to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!
As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’”
(Acts 4:19-20)
B. The Historical
Experience of Baptists
Baptist believers have an incredibly unique distinctive on
religious liberty. They fought for such freedom in their early days from the
control of the political authorities in matter of their faith. The bylaw of
separation of Church and State is enshrined in the constitution of Baptist
churches. This can be read at article 17 of the Southern Baptist’s Faith and
Message 2000:
“…A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.” [59]
The belief in the separation of Church and State is
consistent with the New Testament model. The New Testament churches were
separate from the state.
C. Relationship of
Church and State
Baptists believe in the separation of the Church and State. This means the Church will not assume political power, and the State will not interfere with the Church on spiritual matters. There is no conflict to discharge a citizen’s responsibility as Romans 13:1-4 spells out unequivocally that good citizens will be obedient to the political authorities that rule over them. The only conflict will be when there is a choice to obey God or to obey man as illustrated in the example of Peter and the authority, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29).
X. The Church’s Mission and World Evangelism
A. The Biblical
Foundation
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt.
28:19)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on
you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
B. The Great
Commission
Before the ascension of the Lord Jesus to heaven, He gave
his final instructions to His disciple the Great Commission. The Great
Commission contains only one command, which is the imperative verb in Matthew
28:19 – to make disciple. Therefore, the Church must obey the command to make
disciples of all people groups on planet earth.
C. The Baptists and
World Mission
The founding fathers of Baptist churches in the early years
had strong emphasis on mission outreach. William Carey formed the first Baptist
mission organization in 1792 known as the Baptist Missionary Society. [60]
The young Baptist churches in United Kingdom not only supported mission work in
India, but they also migrated to the New World and established the biggest
denomination in America. Baptists have been outstanding in missions throughout
the world, becoming one of the greatest mission sending denominations.
Involvement in world mission is not an option for the
Church, it is a command to be obeyed by every local church as dictated by the
Great Commission. God sent His Son to the world with the good news, likewise
Christ is now sending us into the world. Getting involved with missions is the
privilege and responsibility of every believer.
As mission is the heartbeat of God, a local church will be
rewarded when she obeys the Master’s voice. The secret of a local church to be
blessed is to be involved in missions.
XI. The Governance of a Local Church
A. Types of Church Government
The word polity comes from the Greek word “politeuma”
(G=4175), Thayer defines it as “form of government and the laws by which the
church is administered”. [61]
It refers to the governing of the church. Baptist polity speaks about how a
local congregation should be governed.
B. Five Forms of Church Goverment
- Monarchial - the church is ruled by one person like a Monarch.
- Episcopal - The church is ruled by the bishops.
- Presbyterian - The church is ruled by elders.
- Free Church - The church is ruled by members by seeking God’s will for the church.
- Congregational - The church is ruled by the members (Polity of the Baptists).
C. Autonomy and Church Government
A local Baptist church derives its authority directly from
our Risen Lord. Therefore, each local Baptist church is autonomous, and
autonomy is the hallmark of the Baptist Church. Each Baptist church will
administer its own affair without interference from other Baptist churches.
Relationship between other Baptist churches is like sister churches, for
fellowship and cooperation. Baptists have a rich history of cooperation by
forming associations, assemblies, and conventions, and fellowships for mutual
strength and ministries. [62]
Majority of Baptists have historically practised
congregational church polity, “From their beginnings Baptist have espoused
congregational polity” [63].
The belief in the priesthood of all believers naturally results in governing a local
congregation with a congregational type of church government. The kind of
government recognizes that the congregation is made up of priests who can seek
and understand God’s will for the church. [64]
D. Democratic
Process of a Church Ruled by Congregation
The congregation is made up of three groups of people, the
Pastor, the leaders, and the members, all have equal right. If these three groups of people were to
understand and discharge their roles properly, they complement each other and
the church is built up; otherwise, serious conflict may arise. [65] The primary role of members is to elect godly
persons to become leaders of the church, to endorse policies, the church budget
and other matters from time to time. [66]
E. Business Meeting
– The Decision-Making Body
The power of a local church ruled by congregation is vested
in the business meeting which will be called from time to time. In business
meeting, the body acts together in decision making, no one possesses special
right, but all enjoy equal rights in decision making. The church will meet as
often as needed to decide the affairs of the church, seeking corporately the
will of Christ under the guidance of the leaders.
F. Appointment of
Leaders
These leaders are nominated, elected, and appointed solely
based on the teaching of the Scriptures (Acts 1:23-26; Acts 14:23 and Tit 1:5).
[67]
In a Baptist church, people with gifts of leadership are elected and to serve
in various capacities such as: the Pastoral team, the elders, the deacons, the
board, the council, the ministerial team, the departmental heads, and others. [68]
For leaders to lead, they must have the authority to carry out their role as
leaders.
G. Baptist Pastor
has no Power – Myth or Facts?
Unlike the monarchial type of church government, the pastor
is not the boss; however, “he is first among leaders.” [69] Anyone who desires to serve as the pastor in
a Baptist church must emulate Christ’s humility to serve as a servant leader,
“Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant” (Matt. 20:26
NLT). The perception that a Baptist pastor has no authority is viewed from a
different angle, thus it is not factual.
H. The Gender of the
Pastor
Both men and women are accepted to serve in a Baptist
church. Generally, men are preferred to take up the office of pastor. This is
the stand of the Southern Baptists on this issue, “while both men and women are
gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as
qualified by Scripture.” [70]
I. Pastor as
Shepherd, Elder and Overseer
Primary role of the pastor is to provide the role of the
shepherd, overseer, and elder of the church (1 Pet. 5:1-3). Therefore, the pastor shall feed the sheep
with spiritual food in term of teaching and preaching. [71]
Pastor is acting as an elder, the mature person to give advice to the flock.
Thus, Pastor as an elder reflects his maturity. [72]
The pastor is an overseer to provide oversight of the church in terms of good
management. He shall serve the church to ensure that the resources of the
church are properly used. [73]
J. The Pastor as A
Servant Leader, Helmsman and Administrator
The pastor of a Baptist church is a servant leader, and he shall not lord it over people (Mt 20:25-28). [74] The pastor is like a helmsman of a ship, he shall guide the ship to reach its defined destination. [75]The pastor is also an administrator, he must ensure that the resources of the church are effectively used. [76]
Footnotes:
[1] Charles
H. Morris, Baptist Distinctives and Polity (Penang: Baptist Theological
Seminary, 1987), 3.
[2] Ibid.,
4.
[3] Thomas
C.M. Chin, The Baptist People (Penang: Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary,
2007), 18.
[4] Ibid.,
20.
[5] Ibid.,
21.
[6] Ibid.,
21-22
[7] 唐佑之,《浸信会信仰—传统的动力》,香港：香港浸信会神学院，2004
, 18.
[8] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 22.
[9] Ibid.,
23.
[10] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 23.
[11] Charles
H. Morris, 6.
[12] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 23.
[13] Baptist
Handbook Revision Committee, The Baptist Handbook, Chief Editor Wayne Wei-Yuan
Siao, (Penang: Malaysia Baptist Convention, 1991), 43.
[14] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 24
[15] Baptist
Handbook Revision Committee, 43.
[16] Ibid.,
43.
[17] Ibid.,
43.
[18] Ibid.,
44.
[19] Baptist
Handbook Revision Committee, 44.
[20] Ibid.,
44.
[21] Baptist
Handbook Revision Committee, 177.
[22] Malaysia
Baptist Theological Seminary, accessed on 16th April 2021,
http://www.mbts.org.my/en/history/
[23] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 27-28.
[24] 黄满兴等，《最大的福音浪潮涌进来》，（吉隆坡：文桥传播中心有限公司，2009），221.
[25] http://jbbc.my/the-story-of-johor-bahru-baptist-church/
accessed on 4pm 13th April, 2021.
[26] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 28.
[27] 邢伟林，《浸信会信仰之根源及特色》，孙宝玲等译，（香港：香港浸信会神学院，2001），47.
[28] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 36.
[29] Ibid., 36.
[30] 邢伟林, 54.
[31] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 36.
[32] 唐佑之，《浸信会信仰 – 传统的动力》，香港：香港浸信会神学院，2004年， 26.
[33] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 37.
[34] Charles
H. Morris, 31.
[35] 唐佑之，27.
[36] Charles
H. Morris, 7
[37] Ibd., 7-8.
[38] Ibid.,
22.
[39] Ibid.,
24.
[40] Ibid.,
31.
[41] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 38.
[42]邢伟林, 98.
[43] Ibid.,
97.
[44] Charles
H. Morris, 99.
[45] Ibid.,
99.
[46] Ibid.,
99.
[47] Charles
H. Morris, 179.
[48] Ibid,
194.
[49] Thomas C.M. Chin, 45.
[50]邢伟林,
68-69.
[51] Charles
H. Morris, 75.
[52]邢伟林, 67.
[53] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 48.
[54]邢伟林,
71-72, and PDF document at
https://student.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/vol-12-2-The-Priesthood-of-All-Believers.pdf
(accessed 5 May 2021 2.52pm).
[55] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 41
[56] Rom.
6:3-4.
[57] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 42
[58] Rick
Warren, Discovering Church Membership C.L.A.S.S. 101 (Teacher’s Guide), 48
(Word Document Copy).
[59] The
Baptist Faith & Message, accessed on 5 May 2021 at 4.15pm, https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/
[60] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 24.
[61] Bible
Lexicons, assessed on 20th April 2021 at
https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/4175.html/
[62] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 62.
[63] Garrett,
Perspectives on Church Government: Five Views of Church Polity, 176, quoted in
R. Stanton Norman, The Baptist Way –
Distinctives of a Baptist Church ( Nashville: Broadman & Halman Publishers,
2005), 75-76/19, Google Book.
[64] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 48.
[65] Ibid.,
65.
[66] Ibid.,
67.
[67] Ibid.,
70.
[68] Ibid.,
69
[69] Ibid.,
75.
[70] Southern
Baptist Statement of Faith, accessed on 20 April 2021,
https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/#vi-the-church/
[71] Rick
Warren, 99.
[72] Ibid.,
99.
[73] Ibid.,
99-100.
[74] Thomas
C.M. Chin, 75.
[75] Ibid.,
75.
[76] Ibid.,
75.
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