What is a Baptist?

There are four essential and historic ways to define what it means to be a "Baptist". At the outset though, it must be stated that the term Baptist is among those myriad of names which identify a particular Christian group (e.g., Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc.). Hence, if a person is a true Baptist then they are asserting also by that claim to be a Christian.

Historically speaking, Baptists have been identified by the following distinctives: first, they are orthodox. The broadest and most widely accepted meaning of this term in Christianity refers to the Trinitarian and Christological affirmations of the early church. This means that Baptists would embrace those early Church creeds such as the Nicene (325 AD) and Chalcedon (451 AD) creeds. Each of these orthodox creeds strongly, emphatically, and unapologetically declared the witness of holy Scripture as to the true nature of God and of Christ as both God and man. Baptists therefore have always declared in their confessions and teachings the biblical doctrines of the Trinity and the Deity of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 28:19b; John 1:1,14). So then, for Baptists, there is only one God, in whose being exists eternally and equally three separate and distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, as to the identity of the Lord Jesus Christ, Baptists have maintained consistently that He is fully God and fully man, two distinct natures in one single person. This is the Baptist witness to orthodoxy.

Secondly, Baptists are evangelical. By this affirmation, Baptists assert strongly the divine authorship and authority of the Bible as the Word of God (see II Timothy 3:16,17); the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the personal revelation of God and His exclusivity as the sinner's only way to God (see John 1:1; Hebrews 1:3; John 14:6); the completeness of Christ's work in humiliation and exaltation for the redemption of His people (see John 17; Hebrews 2:9-18; 7:25; 8:1-10:18); the effectual working of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel (see I Corinthians 1:22-2:14); the necessity of an uncoerced response of repentance and faith (see Acts 2:37-39; 16:31); and the justification of the believing sinner on the basis of Christ's finished work (see Romans 3:23-28). At the heart of evangelicalism throbs the redeeming gospel of grace expressed in a missionary zeal that reaches the nations in evangelism. For Baptists, this has always been their deepest conviction which has compelled them as no other group of believers in Christian history to sacrifice all for the spread of Christ's gospel to the unreached peoples of the world. This then is the Baptist witness to evangelicalism.

Thirdly, Baptists have always been separatists. This is the most unique historical distinctive of Baptists because it persists on the biblical concept, that the gathered church is a community of regenerated sinners who have given credible evidence to this divine reality in their lives (see John 3:1-8; I Corinthians 12:12,13). The public affirmation for this regeneration is baptism by immersion (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41). For Baptists then, a church cannot exist where there is no "regenerate church membership" and no affirmation of believer's baptism. Three further separate issues for being Baptist are liberty of conscience, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state. However, as important as these three concepts of freedom are to Baptists, they cannot ever take the place of a regenerated church membership. This is really what "separates" Baptists from all other Christian denominations.

Finally, Baptists have always been confessional. Baptists have the conviction in setting forth to the world what they believe, and have done this historically by confessions. A confession of faith never takes the place of the Bible nor have Baptists regarded it as equal to the Bible. However, confessions have served the church as a positive assistance in times of doctrinal controversy, a confirmation in faith and a means of edifying believers in what is righteous. More than anything, confessions for Baptists have been wonderfully used to clarify by way of clear exposition those doctrines of Scripture that are orthodox, evangelical, and distinctively "Baptist" in their "separatist" tradition.

So, what then is a Baptist? To be Baptist means to be orthodox in one's view of the Trinity and the Person of Christ. To be Baptist also means to be evangelical in one's view of holy Scripture and salvation. To be Baptist further means to be consistently separate in one's view of the church and to seek to encourage conditions in which all may hear the gospel. Finally, to be a Baptist is to be confessional in one's doctrinal convictions by making public for all to see exactly what Baptists really do believe the Bible teaches. This is being a Baptist.