Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Sacraments and their importance
Sacraments and their importance
Sacraments and their importance
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Sacraments and their importance
Baptists: Two Ordinances Baptism and the Lords Supper
The article states that Baptists believe that baptism and the Lords supper are symbolic and not necessary for salvation. Although Baptists believe that the two sacraments are symbolic it does not mean they are not of importance, they are of great significance. They are important because of their divine origin and they are not human creations but given by God to assist us in declaring and motivating us to live the Christian life. Baptism offers the opportunity to testify publically and the Lords supper provides the opportunity of evangelism and spiritual growth. In conclusion the two ordinances that Jesus gave to the church are symbolic and significant because they both symbolize the message of grace and salvation.
Baptists: Worship
This article is all about the worship that Baptists have, the nature of the worship and the congregation worship. Worship is declaring that our God is worthy of our absolute love, total devotion and complete obedience in every aspect of life – Revelation 5:12. Baptists declare that God is worthy of all these attributes through worship, praise and daily living, worship is a time to focus on our relationship with God. Baptists believe that when in a congregation worship is essential for church life, without worship there wouldn’t be any service. There are many features and aspects towards worship for Baptists, but differs among churches but certain elements are almost always present. Whatever the form of worship a Baptist church decides to do, the worship always seek to glorify God and no one else.
Baptists and Evangelism
This article places emphasis on evangelism within the Baptist belief, evangelism is every believer’s opportunity and responsibil...
... middle of paper ...
...ptists are all over the world. Baptists are found over all the world, in over 100 countries, but the largest concentration of Baptists is in North America, between 35 and 40 million believers. The Baptist denomination is growing and spreading, the fastest growing population is in Africa. Baptists are not perfect but still make and continue to make contributions through evangelism, missions, ministering and educational opportunities. Baptists have grown from a handful of people to one of the largest denominations in the world mainly because of being rooted in basic Baptist beliefs. The Baptists story is exciting, colourful, filled with victory and defeat, sacrifice and success, agreement and dispute and although Baptists differ they concur on basic beliefs and practices. As long as Baptists remain true to these core convictions they will thrive – Ephesians 4:15-16.
The New Salem also believes that when they preach, the words come from God and not man. The other associations of the Old Regular Baptist also believe this to be true as well.
As ancient Rome began to fall, Christianity began rising. Around 2,000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth was born, later to be known as the Messiah or Son of God. When people of the Roman era began to hear of such a powerful being, they began to convert to Christianity. Why did Christianity take hold on the ancient world; Christianity took hold on the ancient world because it offered immortality, equality, and it was spread like wildfire.
Parishioners often ask me if there is really any difference between United Methodist and the Baptists down the road. The answer, “quite a lot,” generally surprises them. When they ask me to explain, I often point them in the direction of our polity and the theology it reflects.
Mead, Frank S., and Samuel S. Hill. Handbook of Denominations in the United States. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1995. Print.
One of the main reasons for the different denominations is their core, or fundamental, difference of belief concerning baptism. I hope to show many of the individual beliefs that are held by the different denominations, and to go back to the Bible and show what it has to say concerning baptism. The point is not to distinguish who is right and who is wrong, but to make people think about what they have been taught in their denomination, and to compare it to what the Bible has to say on the matter. If we go back to the original Greek we find several words used for baptism, baptizing, and baptized. All of these words have their root in the Greek word ƒÒƒÑƒàƒäƒç, Bapto; meaning to overwhelm, i.e. cover wholly with a fluid. The most common Greek word used to describe the act of baptism is ƒÒƒÑƒàƒä_ƒê_ƒÙƒå. This is the word used throughout scripture for baptism. If translated directly into the English language, its meaning is: "The process by which a man or object is completely immersed in water and then withdrawn from it again." (Barth 1948) This is what John the Baptist did; he baptized them by immersion in the Jordan River that came to him, after they repented of their sins (Matthew 3, Mark 1, and Luke 3). Here we have our requirements for baptism as laid out by the Bible: 1) You must repent of your sins 2) You must be immersed in water 3) You must come to be baptized (not be brought) Later in Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus adds to these requirements that the believer: 4)Be baptized by another believer 5)Be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit According to the scriptures "John the son of Zechariah in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberiu...
This concept boils down to the idea that even though they are a church, they are all still individuals. This is based upon the idea that every single person is created in the image of God. Due to this idea, Baptists are known as some of their individualism (p. 24). This idea of individualism is present even from the beginning of ones walk with a Christian. Saving faith is something that is personal to Baptist, not impersonal. This was an idea that was borrowed from the early reformers, most notably Martin Luther. The Baptist would agree with him in saying that salvation is between the individual and God (p. 25). Some would understand this to mean that this idea of individualism is one of human self-sufficiency, or man being able to save himself. This is far from the truth, we are saved by God’s grace; however, we are saved individual by individual and person by person. We are personally save. We are personally called to ministry or to join a church. And, we are personally called to the baptism and the Lord’s Supper along with being personally called to many other things (p. 26). The Christian walk, to Baptists, is one that is between God and an individual first and
Religious institutions have always been a fundamental piece of American culture, and their influence is evident in many aspects of American life. Especially during the 20th century, the spread of Christianity became more competitive as churches vied against one another to draw in new members. This was particularly evident in the development and growth of conservative Protestant groups. Protestant leaders responded to this competition for followers by developing radically new methods for the worship experience. They used their charisma and entrepreneurial spirit to send their messages to the masses. Protestant leader’s manipulation of these methods of outreach was able to attract many new members to the conservative protestant cause, and encouraged Americans to join these large groups of worship.
(From the Greek expository dictionary)- ?It is used in the NT in Luke 11:38 of washing oneself (as in 2Kings 5:14, ?dipped himself,? Sept.); see also Isa. 21:4, lit., ?lawlessness overwhelms me.? In the early chapters of the four Gospels and in Acts 1:5; 11:16; 19:4, it is used of the rite performed by John the Baptist who called upon the people to repent that they might receive remission of sins. Those who obeyed came ?confessing their sins,? thus acknowledging their unfitness to be in the Messiah?s coming kingdom. Distinct from this is the ?baptism? enjoined by Christ, Matt. 28:19, a ?baptism? to be undergone by believers, thus witnessing to their identification with Him in death, burial, and resurrection (e.g. Acts 19:5; Rom. 6:3-4; 1Cor. 1:13-17, 12:13; Gal. 3:27; Col 2:12). The phrase in Matt. 28:19, ?baptizing them into the Name? (RV; cf. Acts 8:16), would indicate that the ?baptized? person was closely bound to, or became property of, the one in whose name he was ?baptized.?
Their interpretation of the bible as well as their practices have clearly divided them from mainstream Christianity, even though they believe they have the true Christian religion. Whether the Jehovah’s Witnesses are legit in the eyes of other Christians may be questionable, with 239 Lands where Jehovah’s Witnesses worship, 8,201,545 Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide, 9,499,933 Free home Bible courses conducted, 19,950,019 Attendance at the annual Memorial of Christ’s death, and 115,416 Congregations, their reach is not.
In a survey conducted in 2012, LifeWay.com inquired about the importance of evangelism among members of the Christian faith. The results of the survey showed that 80 percent of people who claimed to follow Jesus Christ and had openly devoted themselves to the teaching of Christianity, felt that they had a “personal responsibility to share their religious views and beliefs about Jesus Christ with non-christians” (Wilke, LifeWay.com). Surveys such as this reflect the Christian doctrine of evangelism and the weight it holds within the Christian faith. As can be seen back in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ commanded His followers “to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).” However, Jesus never told His followers how doing this.
Richardson, William E., and Dave Kidd. “Articles.” Pentecostal Evangel. General Council of the Assemblies of God. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.
The after effects of Evangelicalism have moved in other directions. Because the Evangelicals were, from the outset, intent on expanding church membership, they managed to define the daily religious life of the United States in a way that no other movement had done before, or has done since. Ever since the Second Great Awakening, the power of Evangelicalism has derived from its practical character -- its ability to distribute its message, to help guide the religious lives of its adherents, to organize its members into cohesive groups. Modern Evangelical preachers follow in their predecessors footsteps by continuing to spread the word of God -- although now they have moved beyond rural camp meetings to take advantage of the power of television.
what is evangelism? First of all, there are several definitions of evangelism. For the purpose of research at Impact Church, I will use one of six positions which David J. Bosch uses to define evangelism. He says, “Evangelism relates to other Christian activities in a way that seed relates to fruit. We first have to change individuals by means of verbal proclamation of the gospel.” The social media ministry at Impact church will attempt to create a ministry team for outreach to people on the internet utilizing social media networks or platforms. David Hansen, a church media blogger, boils these down effectively: "Social media is both a stethoscope, magnifying your ability to listen to your congregation and community, and a megaphone, magnifying your ability to proclaim God 's word to your community."
The Sacraments that they have are Fruit of the Vine and Bread, which are grape juice and ceremonial bread. In the Baptist religion they have interfaith communion, where anyone can receive it. To the Baptists the sacrament of communion is more symbolic than what Catholics believe it to be. I found it interesting marriage and confession are not sacraments in there faith.
Ritchie, M. (1999). Community bible chapel. The story of the church – Part 4, Topic 5. The Protestant