...and Importance of Baptism and The Lord’s Supper A Paper Submitted to Dr. David Alexander In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course CHHI 520 By Jonathan Ford- ID# 21712916 Submitted on 18 February 2013 Thesis Statement: Even though early believers in Christ kept their traditions of their Jewish forefathers they added the Christian components Baptism and the Lord’s Supper to their practice of worship. The most common action of the church is worship. Worship serves as a key component of Christian faith. To worship is to present the promise of covenant devotion to the Almighty, and to state our faithfulness as his servants. In understanding our worship today, it is important to understand what worship looked like in the earliest days of the church. Even though early believers in Christ kept their traditions of their Jewish forefathers they added the Christian components Baptism and the Lord’s Supper to their practice of worship. This research paper will examine the many definitions of worship. It will also provide glimpse of what worship was like in the early church. To help get an understanding of worship in the early church we must first examine the origin of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Pertaining to the origin of baptism, it is implied that while Christian baptism may have been commonly used by John the Baptist, baptism itself did not start off with Christians or John. This research paper will show that Jews practiced baptism as a customary...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY A Research Paper on the “The Contribution of Baptists in the Struggle for Religious Freedom” Submitted to Dr. Jason J. Graffagnino, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of CHHI 665 – B04 History of Baptists by Elizabeth Linz Barthelemy February 1, 2015 Contents Introduction 1 The Baptist Origin 2 The separatists/puritans 2-3 The First Baptists Believers 4-5 The American Baptist Contribution to “religious liberty ideal”...............................................6 Rhode Island, Plymouth, and Pennsylvania Colonies......................................................7-8 The South Colonies and Their Struggle for “Religious Liberty” 9-11 Conclusion 12 Bibliography.............................................................................................................................13-15 Introduction “Religious Liberty” is a good and perfect gift from above. Contrary to populace belief “the separation of church and state,” did not originate with the ACLU but for the most part, it originated with the first British Baptists that arrived in Colonial America they were defenders of true “religious liberty.” Moreover, the distinction between religious liberty and tolerance of religion is significant. “Religious liberty” is a right of every men, however, tolerance is...
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...Liberty University The Contribution of Baptists in the Struggle for Religious Freedom A Research Paper Submitted to Dr. Jason J. Graffagnino in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Course CHHI 665 Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary by Brian M. Hyde Lynchburg, Virginia Saturday, December 6, 2014 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 IN THE BEGINNING 2 THE STRUGGLE IN ENGLAND 4 THE STRUGGLE MOVES TO THE NEW WORLD 7 CONCLUSION 11 WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY 14 INTRODUCTION In this nation, and in much of the Western world, the right of each individual to worship as his or her own conscience dictates, or not to worship at all, is one that is all too often taken for granted. Few consider the tremendous lengths gone to and the enormous price paid by so many to obtain and preserve this right. In the United States when one does reflect on this matter his or her thoughts rightfully focus on the many men and women of the armed forces who fought to gain and keep the freedoms the citizens of this nation enjoy. What is often overlooked is the contributions of Baptists in the centuries long struggle to obtain religious freedom. Their struggle began not in the American colonies but rather in England a century earlier. “The freedom of religious belief and behavior which modern Baptists and others take for granted was forged in the crucible of persecution in seventeenth-century England” McBeth adds that, “No group can claim more credit for the Act of Toleration, passed by Parliament...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Theological Foundation of the Pastoral Ministry of Charles H. Spurgeon Submitted to Dr. Alan Outhouse, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of Semi 500 – C04 Introduction to Seminary Studies by Jason L. Kingston October 26, 2014 Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………….….……………………1 Theological Foundation……………………………………….…………………………………3 History…………………….…………………………………….…………………………4 Charles H. Spurgeon……………………………………….……….……………………………6 Pastoral Ministry……………….…………………………….……………………………7 Pastoral Foundation of C. H. Spurgeon……………………….………………………………..8 Personal Application………………………………………………………………………9 Conclusion…………………………………………………….…………………………………..9 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………9 Introduction Theology is defined as the systematic study of the nature of God and the nature of religious belief and truth. Given the broad history of Christianity, one can imagine the difficulty in summarizing the basics of Christian theology. Though the scope of this paper is not to inform the reader of historical data and information regarding theological foundations, a foundation must be laid down in order to fully understand the content within. An in depth definition and brief history of pastoral theology will be presented in order to provide clarification for the topic of this paper. Among Christians, mainly from the realm of seminary and other educational settings...
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...Theology and the Southern Baptist Convention: Historical Precedent or Revisionist Heterodoxy A Research Paper Submitted to Dr. Jonathan Yeager in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Course CHHI 525 Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary by Jeffery S. Cully Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina July, 2014 Table Of Contents Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………….3 Reformed Baptist Origins……………………………………………………………………...4 Colonial Baptists………………………………………………………………………………5 Charleston Tradition………………………………………………………………………….7 Sandy Creek Tradition………………………………………………………………………..10 Southern Baptist Convention………………………………………………………………..12 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...15 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………...17 Introduction While Arminians have through the years attempted to lay claims of exclusivity that theirs is the primary soteriological doctrine of the Southern Baptist Convention, history demonstrates otherwise and these assertions have a revisionist inflection that is in opposition to the autonomous nature of Southern Baptist congregations. It is not this papers intent to engage in the pros or cons of any given doctrine as it pertains to soteriology, but instead illustrate that what is seen by some as a modern incursion of Calvinism upon the Southern Baptist scene is in fact not without precedent and has a long standing tradition among many of this denominations most ardent practitioners. The Southern Baptist Convention is no stranger...
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...New Testament Research Paper REL 112: Introduction to New Testament Zondervan’s Pictorial Bible Dictionary Introduction This bible dictionary was originally copyrighted in 1963. The dictionary begins with a brief introduction about the author and General Editor of the Dictionary, Dr. Merrill C. Tenney. Dr. Tenney was a professor and scholar of Theological Studies at Wheaton College. The preface highlights how it is organized and designed for efficient access to all aspects of the Bible and includes multiple illustrations and pictures. It lists over five thousand entries in alphabetical order from sixty-five contributors with a predominant background of Theology. It also includes scholars from other backgrounds such as zoology and medicine. The list of contributors includes the individual’s highest level of professional degree obtained along with their current professional title and role. There is also an authorship listing of published works by each individual. Although the basis of this dictionary is from a conservative perspective, it acknowledges the individual writer is not restricted from including their views and thoughts and that they are responsible for their writings. The dictionary was designed for use not for scholars, but for ordinary individuals, ministers and Sunday School Teachers that want to further investigate and understand their readings. It provides a reference list of abbreviations for English pronunciation of vowels...
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...The First Great Awakening Research Paper Submitted to Dr. William Bryant CHHI 302-D01 201340 BY Chris Jones November 21, 2013 Introduction The Great Awakening, which found its beginnings in 1740, was the first event to effectively influence all of the British colonies. In recent years religion had become complacent, and many people were going to church, but not really benefitting from the teachings. Going through the motions and acting like they were gaining something out of it was the main thought of the time. During this time, strong minded evangelists emerged and began preaching with fire-and-brimstone on their tongues; declaring the only way to find salvation was through conversion. This spirited revival became what is known as the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening empowered people to begin thinking on their own, making their own decisions, which brought them closer in relationship with God. The Great Awakening is believed to be one of the reasons the colonists lost favor with the British Empire, and gave rise to the beginnings of the American Revolution. The Great Awakening The Great Awakening had its beginnings in the American colony of New Jersey. Frelinghuysen and Gilbert Tennent are recognized as the first to organize the Awakening. Frelinghuysen, a Dutch pastor raised in the Dutch reformed churches, began teaching the necessity of deep transformation in the 1720’s. Tennent followed his father when he continued organizing the “log colleges” where...
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...their beliefs. The LDS teachings emphasis prayer, order, obedience, love they neighbor and good works. One the LDS.org web site they have a chronological list of events in the church history. Below is a listing of some of the early events that help to set the stage of the faith that is followed today world wide. 1820 – The Prophet Joseph Smith received First Vision in a grove of trees in Palmyra and Manchester Townships, New York, near his home. 1823 – Joseph Smith visited by angel Moroni and told of the Book of Mormon record. Joseph viewed the gold plates buried in a nearby hill. 1827 – Joseph Smith obtained the gold plates from Moroni at the Hill Cumorah World Religion 3 1829 – John the Baptist conferred the Aaronic Preisthood on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in Harmony, Pennsylvania. Translation of the Book of Mormon completed. The Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses shown the gold plates....
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... A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR DOUGLAS PETERSON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BIBL364 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY ONLINE BY SEAN HIGGINS LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA DECEMBER 5, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 PENTECOST 2 THE CONVERSION OF CORNELIUS 5 TONGUES AT EPHESIAN BAPTISM 7 CONCLUSION 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY 10 Introduction The gift of Tongues has been becoming more and more popular over the past 10 years. Christians appear to have differing views on the matter. Some think it is a sign of the HOLY SPIRIT, other think it is a manifestation of demonic forces. There are Bible verses to support both of these opinions, so the issues can become rather confusing. This paper is meant to show exactly everything that the Book of Acts mentions on the subject of tongues. This paper doesn’t refer to any other parts in the Bible regarding tongues. There are three different incidences in the Book of Acts that refers to speaking in tongues. First in Acts 2:4, 6-11 at the day of Pentecost, then in Acts 10:46 at the conversion of Cornelius, and finally in Acts 19:6 at the baptism of the 12 men in Ephesus. I am going to look solely at these events in order to study exactly what the Book of Acts says about tongues. Pentecost The experience of the Spirit on Pentecost is a fulfillment of the prophecy of John the Baptist concerning the one who would baptize in the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:6; Luke 3:16; John 1:33)...
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...THEOLOGY RESEARCH PAPER The Purpose and Merits of Baptism V. King THEO350 24 November 2014 Is there a purpose behind baptism? This is a question that has been heatedly debated for decades by all religions. It is an extremely important question and carries significant meaning to those who believe and practice baptism. The Slavic word for baptism is “krst”, which in ancient German, its origin is derived from the word “kristen”.1 Kristen translates into making followers of Christ.2 The Greek word for baptize is baptizein, which translates to immerse.3 Whereas, the most commonly recognized Greek word for baptism is baptizó. There are many scriptures in the New Testament that provide the purpose of baptism. For a Christian, being baptized is an important step in a Christian’s life. It is a process of ridding one of sin so they can live their life according to God’s Will. John 3:15 tells that “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” For Christians, they need to be baptized by a form of water in order to go to God’s Kingdom. ------------------------------------------------- Those who want to be baptized must accept and proclaim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. After He is accepted as the one and only Savior, the person is baptized by going under water in the same manner as John the Baptist. There are three main components that baptism stands for: death, burial and resurrection...
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...Religion is a topic that has been universally debated tracing back to the beginning of time. Religion shapes our lives and the way we live our lives as well as the way people behave. There are too many religions to study and discuss in a single paper; therefore, this paper will take a closer look at Christianity as it is the most common religion in the world covering 33% of the world’s population (Fisher, 2005). Why do so many people believe the words of the Holy Bible and claim the Christian faith? Is Christianity the truth? To truly understand Christianity, we must dive deep into the Biblical teachings and share the primary foundation of their beliefs. “Christianity is a faith based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus” (Fisher, 2005, pg. 284). In the beginning of this story we must start with Jesus’ mother, the Virgin Mary was visited by an angel, whom told her that she would conceive a baby and he would be the Messiah. She should name him Immanuel, which means God with us. An angel visited Joseph as well, who told him that Mary was blessed by the Holy Spirit and would have a son, who would save the people from their sins. Mary and Joseph obeyed God, the baby was born in a stable, laid in a manager and they called him Jesus, meaning God with us (Matthew 1:18-25, New International Version). At the age of 30, Jesus started his mission and selected a group of 12 disciples to help him share his message. He went place to place and preached about God’s love...
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...DSMN 605 Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary By Terence McCrimmon Fayetteville, North Carolina August 6, 2013 Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………… 1 Stagnation within a Traditional Church………………………………….………. 1 Changing the Method does not Mean Changing the Message………………..….. 4 Christ at the Center of Change………………………………………………….…. 5 Change is a Process…………………………………………………………..…….... 8 Conclusion...………………………………………………………………..………… 10 Bibliography...………………………………………………………………………… 12 Introduction Leading a traditional church through change can be a very arduous task for any progressive minded leader who desires to promote growth within his context. Innovation within a traditional context tends to attract opposition from many angles. Resistance may come from the executive board of the church, members who feel they have some control, or from those who do not recognize the varying needs within the local congregation. However, change is an essential and never-ending need in the church because of the constant change in culture and church membership.1 This research paper will address the problem and offer solutions in creating a culture for change within the traditional church. Stagnation within the Traditional Church In a newspaper article published by the Telegram & Gazette, the author claims, “Once a fulcrum of rural West Sutton, the 262-year-old First Baptist, the fourth-oldest Baptist church in Massachusetts...
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...Reflection Paper #2 Introduction On this reflection paper, the topics I choose were the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” and the “Rapture”. I choose these topics because they both bring topics of debate with them. There are many different views on these two topics and I will try to shed some light on them. Through Biblical research and theological definitions, we will try to discover the purpose and meanings of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Rapture. The first topic of discussion is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This topic stirs up much debate in the denominational realms of the church. There are many different views and standpoints on this topic. John 1:33 states that when John the Baptist, after witnessing the descent of the Holy Spirit as a dove at the baptism of Jesus, recorded these words: “He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost”. Later Jesus promised His disciples, “Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:5). On the day of Pentecost, the disciples had a number of experiences involving the Holy Spirit, including the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The disciples spoke in tongues to address the gospel of Christ to many different nations in attendance of Pentecost. This event was the start of the church and its spread of the gospel of Christ to all nations. Many Christians today have confused...
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...Liberty University Research Paper The Origin of Anabaptist Submitted to Dr. Jerry Sutton “Church History” – CHHI 694 By Jonathan Whitfield August 11, 2013 Table of Content Thesis Statement 3 Introduction 4 Origins 5 History 7 Beliefs 10 Rituals and Worship 12 Ethics and Community 13 Conclusion 15 Bibliography 16 Thesis Statement The Anabaptists were distinct because of their assertion of the necessity of adult baptism, rejecting the infant baptism practiced by the Roman Catholic Church, and by defining their characteristics in the belief in the separation of church and state, and the concept that the church represents the community of the saved. Introduction Four hundred seventy years ago the Anabaptist movement was launched with the inauguration of believers' baptism and the formation of the first congregation of the Swiss Brethren in Zurich, Switzerland. The movement was formed to give men and women the opportunity to follow the whole Word of God by the virtues thought by Jesus Christ. This movement also gave a significant stance of issues that were pertinent to their beliefs and the local community. In our view of such participation we would call them dominant and forceful especially when it came to the questions on slavery. This was more than just an active voice, they responded to slavery by assisting the escape efforts of...
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...Research Paper Of “A Select Issue in Contemporary Theology: Charismatic Theology." THEO 510-C03 LUO (Fall 2012) Survey of Christian Doctrine Dr. Eunice Abogunrin, Professor Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Carol H. Montgomery (ID# 24993689) November 11, 2012 CONTENTS COVER PAGE 1 CONTENTS 2 THESIS 3 INTRODUCTION 3 CHARSMATIC GIFTS DEBATE 3-12 CONCLUSION 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY 13 INTRODUCTION This research paper will show that biblical referred to as glossolalia; the ability to “speak in tongues” is fiercely debated. While the Bible gives clear examples of genuine glossolalia, which will be examined later, the modern debate centers around the need or not, nature, importance, and usage of “tongues” today. Lastly, this paper will examine the biblical accounts of glossolalia along with more occurrences that are contemporary to determine whether modern episodes of “tongues” are needed or not needed. Out of all the gifts, the one that Paul speaks of the most controversial is the gift of tongues. "Glossolalia" is the most commonly accepted term for "speaking in tongues." It comes from the Greek words meaning "tongues" or "languages," and "to speak." Although not exclusively, "speaking in tongues" is primarily practiced by Pentecostal Christians. Glossolalia is the "prayer language" of Pentecostal churches. Some Christians who speak in tongues believe they are speaking in an existing language. Most believe they are uttering a heavenly...
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