NIMROD J. EMBALZADO HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY II
April 16, 2013 Rev Ramylal Fernando Essay on the Origin of Baptist Denomination
“Every Baptist ought to know why he is a Baptist, and to know it from the specific commands of God’s Word. Not to have such knowledge is for our churches to be harmed in every way.”
–George W. Truett,
First Baptist, Second Baptist, American Baptist, Southern Baptist, General Baptist, Independent Baptist, and Primitive Baptist – the list goes on and on. Many people are confused why there are so many different kinds of Baptist. Most of the Baptists don’t want to acknowledge one another. In this essay, we will look on the theories about its origin, and how the Baptist began in the Philippines. By knowing the history and the theories, we will gain a better understanding why some Baptists accept certain practices and why others do not. Let’s look on the 3 theories of the origin of the Baptist.
THEORIES OF BAPTIST ORIGIN
Succession Theory
This theory upholds that Baptist exists since the time of John the Baptist. Many theologians advocate this theory, pointing to Jesus as the founder of the Baptist church. Robert Torbet used the phrase “Jerusalem – Jordan – John” and these Baptist churches have been the “true church” throughout history without unbroken succession of existence. Some who hold this position contend that earlier revolutionists in the Christian church were Baptists, though not in name Baptist but hold the same mark of a true church. These are: Donatists (4th century), Cathari (11th century), Waldensians (12th century) and Anabaptists (16th century).
Many theologians who advocate this position like Adam Taylor: 1818, The History of the English General Baptists identified John the Baptist as founder of the Baptist denomination, G.H. Orchard: 1838, insisted that unbroken successionism of Baptist churches is essential to their validity today, J.R. Graves (1823-93), leader of Landmarkism: adopted this theory as hallmarks of this movement that portrayed the Baptist church as only true denomination, J.M. Carroll (brother of B.H. Carroll, founder of SWBTS): 1931, Trail of Blood popularized this theory. Moreover, the supporter of this theory resisted to link the Baptist with the protestant reformation since the Baptist did not came out from Martin Luther, John Calvin or John Wesley. This is the reason why until this day, many Baptist refuses to be called protestant.
In short, Successionist historiography linked Baptist directly to the New Testament church. This includes the following point: First, Baptist could trace their origins directly to Jesus and John the Baptizer. Secondly, New Testament principles and churches had been preserved throughout history by means of the faithful remnant of nonconformist movement. Thirdly, Baptist churches alone were the true of Christians and lastly, Baptist predated the reformation and therefore should not be labelled as a protestant.
The problem of this theory cited by William Morgan Patterson was that most successionist writers wrote from an apologetically and polemical approach and that their conclusions were based upon a presuming reason and not scientific methodology. There is no evidence to support the claim and no major contemporary historian supports this theory.
Kinship Theory
A second group of Baptist historian identified as the “Anabaptist Spiritual Kinship Theory” of Baptist Origins. The Spiritual Kinship Theory was a type of Baptist successionism but different from Landmarkism. Spiritual kinship supporters started with the assumption that New Testament Christianity represented an original form of faith which became almost non-existent in the 4th century. The Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy of the middle Ages represented a further perversion of the New Testament norm. Kinship advocates the view that there has been a continuity of Baptist forms of faith through the centuries, an unbroken succession of Baptist teachings. These teachings have always been similar to modern Baptist’s faith and practice.
The theologian who advocates this theory are: Thomas Crosby: 1738-40, History of the English Baptists, 4 vols. Traced Baptist lineage through Celtic church, John Wycliffe & Lollards, and Joseph Ivimey in England; David Benedict in America (both early 19th century) and A.H. Newman of SWBTS.
The problem of this theory is that the first Baptist in England did not share the same faith and practice with Anabaptist, like the teaching of pacifist worldview. Anabaptists has the tendency to withdraw from the world, and communal sharing of worldly goods. The early English Baptists, however, denies the Anabaptist connection. In their 17th century confessions, they declared they were not Anabaptists.
English Puritan Separatist Theory
This third theory believes that Baptist originate from a group breaking with the English Puritan Separatists of 17th century England. They wanted to purify the Anglican Church. They believed the Anglican Church was trapped with too much “popery” which includes: kneeling at communion, making the sign of the cross, wearing elaborate clerical vestments, and following the Book of Common Prayer too closely.
One of the first men who take the name Baptist was John Smyth. He was raised in the Church of England and he became a Puritan, Separatist, and then later on become a Baptist Separatist. But his days ended seeking admission into the Mennonite church. Ten of his members, led by Thomas Helwys and John Murton, organized their own church, which shortly thereafter returned to London and established themself at New Gate. This was the first Baptist church on English soil and there’s a historical proof in its origin. By 1626, four additional churches had been organized, having approximately 150 members. These churches became known as General Baptists because of their belief in the General Atonement.
Particular Baptist, however, has a different origin from General Baptists. They emerged about 30 years after the General Baptists. These Baptist believed in a particular atonement that Christ died for a particular group of people, the elect. They followed the teachings of the Swiss reformer John Calvin. This group started in what was called the JLJ church, named for the first 3 pastors of the church (Jacob, Lathrop, Jessey). This was a Separatist-Puritan congregation that adopted believers’ baptism 53 members of this church split off were baptized again, and formed the first Particular Baptist Church. This happened in 1638.
The theologians who advocate this theory are: William Heth Whitsitt, George Augustus Lofton, Henry Clay Vedder, John Howard Shakespeare, Robert George Torbet, and Winthop Still Hudson.
Most of the supporters of every theory agreed that Baptists emerged from English Separatism but they also believed that Anabaptism prepared the way for Separatism both in England and on the continent. Anabaptist refugees settled in London as evidenced by persecution under Henry VIII & Bloody Mary. Indeed, Anabaptists influenced General Baptists directly & Particular Baptists only indirectly. The theories of the origin of Baptist church still remain controversial and one of the major cause why Baptist churches are divided.
The reason why most of the Baptists don’t want to associate to one another is because they are standing into different views. For the one who hold the Successesionism, they think that they are the true church that Jesus Christ established. The one who hold the Kinship have the attitude of martyrdom or depraved by others that is why they isolate themselves to the others and lastly, the one who hold that they came out from the English separatist, they are more moderate and they can associate themselves to the others because they are one of the reformer. But still, even though they have different views, they have commonality in their Doctrinal distinctive. These are the five key convictions that have been essential to Baptists from their beginnings:
* The Supreme Authority of the Bible
The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience.
* Believer’s Baptism
Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, given by Christ, to be dispersed only upon persons professing faith
* Local Church Autonomy
Each particular church has a complete power and authority from Jesus Christ to administer all gospel ordinances, provided they have sufficient, duly qualified
* Preaching and Evangelism
The work of the Christian ministry, it has been said, is to preach the gospel, or to hold up the free grace of God through Jesus Christ, as the only way of a sinner’s salvation
* Separation of Church and State
As religion must always be a matter between God and individuals, no man can be made a member of a truly religious society by force or without his own consent, neither can any corporation that is not a religious society have a just right to govern in religious affairs.
Origin of the Baptist in the Philippines
Europe is the birth place of mainstream denominations, particularly Baptist denomination.
In 1891, General and Particular Baptists united into a single body called the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland, and find it a way in the new world. In America, it was Baptists of the Particular Type that first gained influence among the Puritans and Calvinists, when Roger Williams and his companions in Rhode Island rejected infant baptism and established a church in 1639 based on the individual profession of faith. In the Southeast, the General Baptist views found acceptance, but the stricter Calvinistic ideas suited the pioneers who settled the southern mountains after the Revolution.
Early missionary activity extended the Baptist movement to the Continent and elsewhere. In the United States, the American Baptist Missionary Union was formed in 1814 to support the workers in foreign lands. In 1832, the American Baptist Home Mission Society was organized. Their effort goes all over the world reaching the coast line area, in-land area and the people group. The people who change the world like William Carey in India; Adoniram Judson in Burma and in the Philippines is of Braulio Ciriaco Miralles Manikan and Eric Lund.
The beginning of Philippine Baptist history is traced from the baptism of Braulio Ciriaco Miralles Manikan and the initial translation of the Bible into Hiligaynon language in Barcelona in 1898. By 1900, Braulio Manikan and Swedish Missionary Eric Lund went to the Philippines as Baptist missionaries with the support of the American Baptist Missionary Union (ABMU), now known as the Board of International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches. The American Baptist Missionaries are also considered as part of the history of Philippine Baptists as they interacted in organizing churches, theological education, and politics.
Two years after the gaining of the Philippines by the U.S.A. in 1898, Baptists from the U.S.A. opened a mission field in the country. Because of the work of numerous American mission societies and with division, there are at least eighteen different Baptist came in. From the early 1900's through 1934, the American Baptist missionaries and the Filipino Baptists were able to work together to organize local congregations in Panay and in neighbouring Negros Occidental. In 1935, the Filipino Baptist pastors and church leaders formally organized the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches - an association of local churches in the Philippines.
In the 1970s, the number of congregations has increased rapidly in different parts of the country including the islands of Mindanao and Luzon. This numerical and geographical expansion has been possible mainly through the leadership of the Philippine Baptists.
The translation of the Bible into Hiligaynon had played a significant role in spreading the gospel to the rural areas. Many had decided to join the Baptist church after reading the Bible in their own language. Also, the woman who took the initiative in establishing a Bible Institute and known as the Convention Baptist Bible College respond to the demands of the churches for theologically trained leaders. Not only bible school but also establishing institutions like the Family Christian Center in Iloilo City (1963), Health Aid to the Needy for Development (1970), Center for Education and Research (1974); New Frontier Ministries (1977); and program for children.
Today, Baptist is the biggest Christian denomination. According to the Barna Group researchers, Baptists are the largest denominational groupings of born again Christians in the USA 2009. Baptists may come from different derivations, may have different views and perspectives and may treat themselves as different from each other, but what is important is that they are united in one purpose, in one aim. This one purpose, despite the differences, accord them to one duty and that is to them to all work together in expanding the kingdom of God.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Christian History: The Baptists. electronic ed. Carol Stream IL : Christianity Today, 1985; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996
H. Leon McBeth, The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1987), 49-52.
Steven, Mark “A. H. Newman’s Appropriation of the Spiritual Kinship Theory of Baptist Origins as a Historiographical Via Media,” (Th.M. thesis: The Southern Baptist TheologicalSeminary, 1986), 2.
Torbet, Robert G. A History of the Baptists, 3rd Ed., (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1980), 20-
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