IFB Doctrine: The Baptist Distinctives

Every morning after breakfast, we begin our pre-school program around the dining room table with my high-energy preschooler and my reserved but somehow talkative toddler. We start off with a drum roll, pounding our hands on the table faster and faster exclaiming, “It’s time for… school!” Their little hands wave and twist in curious complexity as they sing “The B-I-B-L-E,” “Obedience,” “The Lord’s Army,” and “Deep and Wide.” We recite our little poems about bunnies scurrying into their burrows and black bears saying their prayers. Little do they know that one of the most important aspects of the day is when we individually work through their phonogram flashcards, learning the basic building blocks of the English language, setting them up for success in reading, writing, and vocabulary. “/a/, /A/, /ah/.” “/sh/.” “/p/.”

Every weekday, my preschooler stands on the chair, eyes focused intently on the cards, first repeating each sound, and then racing through the cards, hands turning at lightning speed, reciting each set from memory. “/ph/ two-letter /ph/”. “/oy/ that we may NOT use at the end of English words.” Letter sounds and phonemes are the basic foundation of any language, the structure upon which everything else is established. In the same regard with religion, man develops a base-line organization and ideals for which to pier additional tenants and moral standards. In Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) Churches, the Bible is the foundation, and from this foundation comes the framework known as the Baptist Distinctives. In Christian academies, Sunday schools and Bible colleges, these distinctives are taught with little variation using what is known as the “Baptist Acrostic”:

Bible as Sole Authority of Faith and Practice
Autonomy of the Local Church
Priesthood of Every Believer
Two Church Ordinances: Baptism and Lord’s Supper
Individual Soul Liberty
Saved Church Membership
Two Church Offices: Pastor and Deacons
Separation of Church and State

Bible as Sole Authority of Faith and Practice.
The Bible, usually the King James, is the inspired, inerrant, preserved, infallible word God and is the source of all doctrine and instruction in righteousness. Baptists dispute among themselves about the definitions of the terms “inspired” and “inerrant,” many debating whether the modern versions of the Bible are God’s infallible Word. Some Baptists are considered King James Only, meaning they do not use any other version other than the King James Version, while others are King James “preferred,” taking a slightly more relaxed stance. Still yet, some churches take to the extremes of a man named Peter Ruckman who believed the Bible was re-inspired at the translation of the “King James Bible,” is currently being inspired, and that even the Greek and Hebrew are not only irrelevant, but have no authority under God.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (KJV 2 Tim 3:16).

Autonomy of the Local Church
Unlike the Catholic church and the majority of Protestant churches, each individual church is self-governing, not part of any hierarchical structure, with Christ as the head. No church or man has power or authority over another church.

“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers…” (Acts 13:1).
“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15).

Priesthood of Every Believer
Every saved individual has direct access to God through Christ and does not have to go through a priest, pastor, spouse or any other man to be able to come before the throne of God. Christ is our intercessor.

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5)
“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1:5-6).

Two Church Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
The word “ordinance” comes from two Latin words which, in their final meaning, signify “that which is ordered or commanded” and Baptists believe that these two ordinances were ordained by Christ in the New Testament to the church. Keeping these ordinances does not bring blessing or grace, nor should it be considered a means of impressing the world.

Baptism by immersion is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, completed as an act of obedience AFTER salvation.

The Lord’s Supper, a celebration and reminder of His suffering and death, is obligatory, commanded by Christ and practiced by the early church.

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:41-42).

Individual Soul Liberty
Each person has the opportunity and responsibility to accept Christ as Savior for himself.

“For as it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:11-12).

Saved Church Membership
By the Greek definition of ekklesia, the church is a “called out assembly” of baptized believers. This is probably considered most precious of all of the Distinctives because of the men who died for their belief in believer’s baptism.

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer” (Acts 2:42).

Two Church Offices: Pastor and Deacons
Baptists believe the Bible only mentions two church offices: Pastor (considered synonymous with bishop or elder in Scripture) and Deacons. The requirements for these offices can be found in 1 Tim 3:1-13, Titus 1:6-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-4.
“Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons (Phil 1:1)
“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work” (1 Tim 3:1).
“For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee” (Titus 1:5)
“The elderships which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed” (1 Pet 5:1).

Separation of Church and State
After declaring freedom from Great Britain, Thomas Jefferson used the term “a wall of separation” to a group of Baptists. Separation of church and state, in its context, was written for the purpose of defending the church, not the state, but dictated that neither the church nor the state shall attempt to control the other. Because of this, the church is free to determine its own form of faith and government but shall be carried on within the framework of the laws of the state. Should the government go against Scripture, the church “ought to obey God rather than man”.

“They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matt 22:21).

Additional Doctrines Not Covered in the Baptist Distinctives:

Salvation by Grace Through Faith– Salvation comes only by placing one’s faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, who came to this earth in the form of a servant. though still remaining to be God, lived a sinless life, and took our sins upon Himself on the cross, buried and rose again the third day. Salvation is not by baptism, being a good person, speaking in tongues, etc. Some also believe “repentance” is considered a “works salvation” (Eph 2:8-9).
Once Saved, Always Saved– Once someone receives Christ as Savior, one cannot lose their salvation. Man is commanded not to “turn the grace of God into lasciviousness” (Jude 1:4), and a changed life results in a desire to serve God, but no manner of evil living results in one losing salvation (John 10:28-29).
Holy Trinity– The Godhead is three persons in one: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit/Ghost (Matt 28:19, John 10:30).
The Deity of Christ– The Lord Jesus Christ is the “God-man.” He was 100% God and 100% man, lived a sinless life, became sin for us on the cross, and rose again the third day (John 1:14).
Holy Spirit/Ghost– Before salvation, the Holy Spirit draws the lost to salvation (John 6:44). After salvation, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, guide, and interpreter of Scripture (John 14:16-26, John 6:44). Man is indwelt with the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation. The “filling of the Holy Spirit” referenced in Scripture after salvation deals with a life in submission to Christ and His leading, rather than the actual indwelling that takes place at salvation and never changes (Eph 5:18).
Tongues/Prophecy/Signs and Wonders– These gifts were done away with a the time of the completion of the Bible/canon of Scripture (1 Cor 13:8-13, James 1:22-25)
Separation– Often referred to as “Holy Living.” God has called man to be a particular people, set apart from the world for his glory (2 Cor 6:17)
End Times– Pre-tribulation rapture: occurs before the tribulation (Rom 8:16-23, 1 Cor 15:51-58, 1 Thess 4:13-18, 2 Cor 5:1-8); and Pre-millennial Reign: Christ comes back with the saints to set up the kingdom (Matt 25:31, 34). These stances are currently in shift because of the work of men such as Steven Anderson.

*Disclaimer* This series, “Why Am I A Baptist?“, is NOT an exhaustive list of IFB doctrine. Because of the autonomous nature of IFB churches, this evaluation is of the movement as a whole, rather than a hard-and-fast rule. It may be possible to find healthy IFB churches, but they are few and far between because of various associations known as “camps”, typically surrounding well-known preachers or preference of worship style.

“Distinctives of Baptists.” Paul Chappell, 2 May 2011, paulchappell.com/2011/05/02/distinctives-of-baptists/.
* Tomlinson, Tim. “Ecclesiology.” Bible Doctrine II. Mar. 2010, Crown College of the Bible.

Why Am I a Baptist?
IFB Doctrine: The Baptist Distinctives
IFB Churches: Patriarchy in Church Polity (Part One)
IFB Churches: Patriarchy and the Leading Lady (Part Two)
IFB Churches: Patriarchy in Marriage (Part Three)
IFB Churches: Patriarchy and Keeping at Home (Part Four)
IFB Churches: Patriarchy and Sexual Obedience (Part Five)
IFB Churches: Patriarchy and Domestic Abuse (Part Six)
IFB Standards: Rigid Music and Dress Standards (Part One)