The following material is
taken from the Southern Baptist Convention Annual, 1963, pages
269-281.
The report was adopted, item No. 122, page 63, as The Baptist Faith
and Message statement.
REPORTOF COMMITTEE
ON BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE
The 1962 session of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in San
Francisco, California, adopted the
following motion:
“Since the report of the Committee on Statement of Baptist Faith and
Message was adopted in 1925, there have
been various statements from time to time which have been made, but
no overall statement which might be
helpful at this time as suggested in Section 2 of that report, or
introductory statement which might be used as an
interpretation of the 1925 Statement.
“We recommend, therefore, that the president of this Convention be
requested to call a meeting of the men
now serving as presidents of the various state Conventions that
would qualify as a member of the Southern
Baptist Convention Committee under Bylaw 18 to present to the
Convention in Kansas City some similar
statement which shall serve as information to the churches, and
which may serve as guidelines to the various
agencies of the Southern Baptist Convention. It is understood that
any group or individuals may approach this
committee to be of service. The expenses of this committee shall be
borne by the Convention Operating Budget.”
Your committee thus constituted begs leave to present its report as
follows:
Throughout its work your committee has been conscious of the
contribution made by the statement of “The
Baptist Faith and Message” adopted by the Southern Baptist
Convention in 1925. It quotes with approval its
affirmation that “Christianity is supernatural in its origin and
history. We repudiate every theory of religion
which denies the supernatural elements of our faith.”
Furthermore, it concurs in the introductory “statement of the
historic Baptist conception of the nature and
function of confessions of faith in our religious and denominational
life.” It is, therefore, quoted in full as part of
this report to the Convention:
“(1)That they constitute a consensus of opinion of some Baptist
body, large or small, for the general
instruction and guidance of our own people and others concerning
those articles of the Christian faith
which are most surely held among us. They are not intended to add
anything to the simple conditions of
salvation revealed in the New Testament, viz., repentance toward God
and faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour
and Lord.
“(2)That we do not regard them as complete statements of our faith,
having any quality of finality or
infallibility. As in the past so in the future Baptists should hold
themselves free to revise their statements
of faith as may seem to them wise and expedient at any time.
“(3)That any group of Baptists, large or small have the inherent
right to draw up for themselves and publish
to the world a confession of their faith whenever they may think it
advisable to do so.
“(4)That the sole authority for faith and practice among Baptists is
the Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments. Confessions are only guides in interpretation, having no
authority over the conscience.
“(5)That they are statements of religious convictions, drawn from
the Scriptures, and are not to be used to
hamper freedom of thought or investigation in other realms of life.”
The 1925 Statement recommended “the New Hampshire Confession of
Faith, revised at certain points, and
with some additional articles growing out of certain needs . . .”
Your present committee has adopted the same
pattern. It has sought to build upon the structure of the 1925
Statement, keeping in mind the “certain needs” of
our generation. At times it has reproduced sections of that
Statement without change. In with instances it has
substituted words for clarity or added sentences for emphasis. At
certain points it has combined articles, other
minor changes in wording, to endeavor to relate certain doctrines to
each other. In still others(e.g., “God” and
“Salvation”(it has sought to bring together certain truths contained
throughout the 1925 Statement in order to
relate them more clearly and concisely. In no case has it sought to
delete from or to add to the basic contents of
the 1925 Statement.
Baptists are a people who profess a living faith. This faith is
rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ who is “the
same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.” Therefore, the sole
authority for faith and practice among Baptists is
Jesus Christ whose will is revealed in the Holy Scriptures.
A living faith must experience a growing understanding of truth and
must be continually interpreted and
related to the needs of each new generation. Throughout their
history Baptist bodies, both large and small, have
issued statements of faith which comprise a consensus of their
beliefs. Such statements have never been
regarded as complete, infallible statements of faith, nor as
official creeds carrying mandatory authority. Thus
this generation of Southern Baptists is in historic succession of
intent and purpose as it endeavors to state for its
time and theological climate those articles of the Christian faith
which are most surely held among us.
Baptists emphasize the soul’s competency before God, freedom in
religion, and the priesthood of the believer.
However, this emphasis should not be interpreted to mean that there
is an absence of certain definite doctrines
that Baptists believe, cherish, and with which they have been and
are now closely identified.
It is the purpose of this statement of faith and message to set
forth certain teachings which we believe.
1 9 6 3 S T A T E M E N T
I. THE SCRIPTURES
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the
record of God’s revelation of Himself to man.
It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its
author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any
mixture of error, for its matter. It reveals the principles by which
God judges us; and therefore is, and will
remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union,
and the supreme standard by which all human
conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. The
criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is
Jesus Christ.
Ex. 24:4; Deut. 4:1-2; 17:19; Josh. 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,
89, 105, 140; Isa. 34:16; 40:8; Jer. 15:16; 36;
Matt. 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15;
17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Rom. 15:4; 16:25-26;
2 Tim. 3:15-17; Heb. 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
II. GOD
There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent,
spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator,
Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in
holiness and all other perfections. To Him we
owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal God
reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of
nature, essence, or being.
T H E B A P T I S T F A I T H A N D M E S S A G E
A. God the Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His
creatures, and the flow of the stream of
human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all
powerful, all loving, and all wise. God is Father
in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus
Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward
all men.
Gen. 1:1; 2:7; Ex. 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Levit. 22:2;
Deut. 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chron. 29:10; Psalms 19:1-3; Isa. 43:3; 15; 64:8;
Jer. 10:10; 17:13; Matt. 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11;
John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Rom. 8:14-15;
1 Cor. 8:6; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 4:6; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 11:6;
12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.
B. God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ
he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and
born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will
of God, taking upon Himself the demands and
necessities of human nature and identifying Himself completely with
mankind yet without sin. He honored the
divine law by His personal obedience, and in His death on the cross
He made provision for the redemption of
men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and
appeared to His disciples as the person
who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven
and is now exalted at the right hand of
God where He is the One Mediator, partaking of the nature of God and
of man, and in whose Person is effected
the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and
glory to judge the world and to
consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as
the living and ever present Lord.
Gen. 18:1ff.; Psalms 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isa. 7:14; 53; Matt. 1:18-23;
3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16, 27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6, 19;
Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18, 29;
10:30, 38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16, 28; 17:1-5;
21-22; 20:1-20, 28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5, 20; Rom.
1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3, 34; 10:4; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2:2; 8:6;
15:1-8, 24-28; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Eph. 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10;
Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thess. 4:14-18;
1 Tim 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Heb. 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28;
9:12-15, 24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22;
1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Rev. 1:13-16; 5:9-14;
12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.
C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired holy men of old to
write the Scriptures. Through
illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ.
He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of
judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. He
cultivates Christian character, comforts
believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God
though His church. He seals the believer unto
the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the
assurance of God to bring the believer into the
fulness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the
believer and the church in worship, evangelism,
and service.
Gen. 1:2; Judg. 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isa.
61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matt. 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19;
Mark 1:10, 12; Luke 1:35; 4:1, 18-19; 11:13; 12;12; 24:49; John
4:24; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4, 38; 4:31;
5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17, 39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Rom.
8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Cor. 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11; Gal. 4:6;
Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thess. 5:19; 1 Tim. 3:16; 4:1; 2 Tim.
1:14; 3:16; Heb. 9:8, 14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7;
Rev. 1:10; 22:17.
III. MAN
Man was created by the special act of God, in His own image, and is
the crowning work of His creation. In
the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator
with freedom of choice. By his free
choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race.
Through the temptation of Satan man
transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original
innocence; whereby his posterity inherit a nature
and an environment inclined toward sin, and as soon as they are
capable of moral action become transgressors
and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into
His holy fellowship and enable man to
fulfil the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human
personality is evident in that God created man in
His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every man
possesses dignity and is worthy of respect
and Christian love.
Gen. 1:26-30; 2:5, 7, 18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5;
Isa. 6:5; Jer. 17:5; Matt. 16:26; Acts 17:26-31;
Rom. 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6, 12, 19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18, 29; 1
Cor. 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Eph. 2:1-22;
Col. 1:21-22; 3:9-11.
T H E B A P T I S T F A I T H A N D M E S S A G E
IV. SALVATION
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered
freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as
Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption
for the believer. In its broadest sense
salvation includes regeneration, sanctification, and glorification.
1. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby
believers become new creatures in
Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit
through conviction of sin, to which the
sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.
Repentance is a genuine turning from sin
toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment
of the entire personality to Him as
Lord and Saviour. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal
upon principles of His righteousness
of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification
brings the believer into a relationship of
peace and favor with God.
2. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by
which the believer is set apart to God’s
purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual
perfection through the presence and
power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should
continue throughout the regenerate
person’s life.
3. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final
blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
Gen. 3:15; Ex. 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matt. 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26;
27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14, 29; 3:3-21, 36;
5:24; 10:9, 28-29; 15:1-6; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31;
17:30-31; 20:32; Rom 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10;
6:1-23; 8:1-18, 29-39; 10:9-10, 13; 13:11-14; 1 Cor. 1:18, 30;
6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Cor. 5:17-20; Gal. 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15;
Eph. 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Phil. 2:12-13; Col. 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1
Thess. 5:23-24; 2 Tim. 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Heb. 2:1-3; 5:8-9;
9:24-28; 11:1-12, 8, 14; James 2:14-26; I Peter 1:2-23; 1 John
1:6-2:11; Rev. 3:20; 21:1-22:5.
V. GOD’S PURPOSE OF GRACE
Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He
regenerates, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It
is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the
means in connection with the end. It is a
glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, and is infinitely
wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes
boasting and promotes humility.
All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in
Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit,
will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to
the end. Believers may fall into sin through
neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their
graces and comforts, bring reproach on the
cause of Christ, and temporal judgments on themselves, yet they
shall be kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation.
Gen. 12:1-3; Ex. 19:5-8; 1 Sam. 8:4-7, 19-22; Isa. 5:1-7; Jer.
31:31ff.; Matt. 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22, 31; 25:34:
Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24;
6:44-45, 65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6, 12, 17-18;
Acts 20:32; Rom. 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7, 26-36; 1 Cor.
1:1-2; 15:24-28; Eph. 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Col. 1:12-14;
2 Thess. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:12; 2:10, 19; Heb. 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter
1:2-5, 13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2.
VI. THE CHURCH
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of
baptized believers who are associated by
covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the
two ordinances of Christ, committed to His
teachings, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in
them by His Word, and seeking to extend the
gospel to the ends of the earth.
This church is an autonomous body, operating through democratic
processes under the Lordship of Jesus
Christ. In such a congregation members are equally responsible. Its
Scriptural officers are pastors and deacons.
The New Testament speaks also of the church as the body of Christ
which includes all of the redeemed of all
the ages.
Matt. 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42, 47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3;
14:23, 27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2;
3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11, 21;
5:22-32; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:18; 1 Tim. 3:1-15; 4:14;
1 Peter 5:1-4; Rev. 2-3; 21:2-3.
T H E B A P T I S T F A I T H A N D M E S S A G E
VII. BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the
name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith
in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the
believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the
resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It
is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead.
Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the
privileges of church membership and to the Lord’ Supper.
The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of
the church, through partaking of the
bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the
Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.
Matt. 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke
3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39;
16:30-33; Acts 20:7; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 10:16, 21; 11:23-29; Col.
2:12.
VIII. THE LORD’S DAY
The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It is a Christian
institution for regular observance. It
commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should be
employed in exercises of worship and
spiritual devotion, both public and private, and by refraining from
worldly amusements, and resting from
secular employments, work of necessity and mercy only being
excepted.
Ex. 20:8-11; Matt. 12:1-12; 28:1ff.; Mark 2:27-28; 16:1-7; Luke
24:1-3, 33-36; John 4:21-24; 20:1, 19-28; Acts 20:7;
1 Cor. 16:1-2; Col. 2:16; 3:16; Rev. 1:10.
IX. THE KINGDOM
The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the
universe and His particular kingship over
men who willfully acknowledge Him as King. Particularly the Kingdom
is the realm of salvation into which
men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ.
Christians ought to pray and to labor that the
Kingdom may come and God’s will be done on earth. The full
consummation of the Kingdom awaits the return
of Jesus Christ and the end of this age.
Gen. 1:1; Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 23:5-6; Matt. 3:2; 4:8-10, 23; 12:25-28;
13:1-52; 25:31-46; 26:29; Mark 1:14-15; 9:1;
Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:2; 12:31-32; 17:20-21; 23:42; John 3:3; 18:36;
Acts 1:6-7; 17:22-31; Rom. 5:17; 8:19; 1 Cor. 15:24-28;
Col. 1:13; Heb. 11:10, 16; 12:28; 1 Peter 2:4-10; 4:13; Rev. 1:6, 9;
5:10; 11:15; 21:22.
X. LAST THINGS
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its
appropriate end. According to His
promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to
the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ
will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be
consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting
punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies
will receive their reward and will be dwell
forever in Heaven with the Lord.
Isa. 2:4; 11:9; Matt. 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27, 30, 36, 44;
25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40, 48; 16:19-26;
17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Rom. 14:10; 1
Cor. 4:5; 15:24-28, 35-58; 2 Cor. 5:10; Phil. 3:20-21;
Col. 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thess. 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thess. 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Tim.
6:14; 2; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13; Heb 9:27-28; James 5:8;
2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Rev. 1:18; 3:11;
20:1-22:13.
XI. EVANGELISM AND MISSIONS
It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of
every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to
endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man’s
spirit by God’s Holy Spirit means the birth of
love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus
upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life,
and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of
Christ. It is the duty of every child of God to
seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by personal effort and by
all other methods in harmony with the gospel
of Christ.
Gen. 12:1-3; Ex. 19:5-6; Isa. 6:1-8; Matt. 9:37-38; 10:5-15;
13:18-30, 37-43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18;
24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8, 16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2;
8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Rom. 10:13-15; Eph. 3:1-11;
1 Thess. 1:8; 2 Tim. 4:5; Heb. 2:1-3; 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter 2:4-10;
Rev. 22:17.
T H E B A P T I S T F A I T H A N D M E S S A G E
XII. EDUCATION
The cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with
the causes of missions and general
benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support
of the churches. An adequate system of
Christian schools is necessary to a complete spiritual program for
Christ’s people.
In Christian education there should be a proper balance between
academic freedom and academic
responsibility. Freedom in any orderly relationship of human life is
always limited and never absolute. The
freedom of a teacher in a Christian school, college, or seminary is
limited by the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, by
the authoritative nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct
purpose for which the school exists.
Deut. 4:1, 5, 9,14; 6:1-10; 31:12-13; Neh. 8:1-8; Job 28:28; Psalms
19:7ff.; 119:11; Prov. 3:13ff.; 4:1-10; 8:1-7, 11; 15:14;
Eccl. 7:19; Matt. 5:2; 7:24ff.; 28:19-20; Luke 2:40; 1 Cor. 1:18-31;
Eph. 4:11-16; Phil. 4:8; Col. 2:3, 8-9; 1 Tim. 1:3-7;
2 Tim. 2:15; 3:14-17; Heb. 5:12-6:3; James 1:5; 3:17.
XIII. STEWARDSHIP
God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that
we have and are we owe to Him. Christians
have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship
in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in
their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him
with their time, talents, and material
possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to
use for the glory of God and for helping
others. According to the Scriptures, Christians should contribute of
their means cheerfully, regularly,
systematically, proportionately, and liberally for the advancement
of the Redeemer’s cause on earth.
Gen. 14:20; Lev. 27:30-32; Deut. 8:18; Mal. 3:8-12; Matt. 6:1-4,
19-21; 19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Luke 12:16-21, 42; 16:1-13;
Acts 2:44-47; 5:1-11; 17:24-25; 20:35; Rom. 6:6-22; 12:1-2; 1 Cor.
4:1-2; 6:19-20; 12; 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 8-9; 12:15; Phil. 4:10-19;
1 Peter 1:18-19.
XIV. CO-OPERATION
Christ’s people should, as occasion requires, organize such
associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation
for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations have
no authority over one another or
over the churches. They are voluntary and advisory bodies designed
to elicit, combine, and direct the energies of
our people in the most effective manner. Members of New Testament
churches should co-operate with one
another in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and
benevolent ministries for the extension of Christ’s
Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament sense is spiritual
harmony and voluntary co-operation for
common ends by various groups of Christ’s people. Co-operation is
desirable between the various Christian
denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and
when such co-operation involves no violation
of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as
revealed in the New Testament.
Ex. 17:12; 18:17ff.; Judg. 7:21; Ezra 1:3-4; 2:68-69; 5:14-15; Neh.
4; 8:1-5; Matt. 10:5-15; 20:1-16; 22:1-10; 28:19-20;
Mark 2:3; Luke 10:1-ff.; Acts 1:13-14; 2:1ff.; 4:31-37; 13:2-3;
15:1-35; 1 Cor. 1:10-17; 3:5-15; 12; 2 Cor. 8-9; Gal. 1:6-10;
Eph. 4:1-16; Phil. 1:15-18.
XV. THE CHRISTIAN AND THE SOCIAL ORDER
Every Christian is under obligation to seek to make the will of
Christ supreme in his own life and in human
society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and
the establishment of righteousness among
men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted
in the regeneration of the individual by the
saving grace of God in Christ Jesus. The Christian should oppose in
the spirit of Christ every form of greed,
selfishness, and vice. He should work to provide for the orphaned,
the needy, the aged, the helpless, and the
sick. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and
society as a whole under the sway of the
principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. In order to
promote these ends Christians should be ready
to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being
careful to act in the spirit of love without
compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.
Ex. 20:3-17; Lev. 6:2-5; Deut. 10:12; 27:17; Psalms 101:5; Mic. 6:8;
Zech. 8:16; Matt. 5:13-16, 43-48; 22:36-40; 25:35;
Mark 1:29-34; 2:3ff.; 10:21; Luke 4:18-21; 10:27-37; 20:25; John
15:12; 17:15; Rom. 12-14; 1 Cor. 5:9-10; 6:1-7; 7:20-24;
10:23-11:1; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:12-17; 1 Thess. 3:12;
Philemon; James 1:27; 2:8.
T H E B A P T I S T F A I T H A N D M E S S A G E
XVI. PEACE AND WAR
It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on
principles of righteousness. In accordance with the
spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to
put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The
supreme need of the world is the acceptance
of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the
practical application of His law of love.
Isa. 2:4; Matt. 5:9, 38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Luke 22:36, 38; Rom.
12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Heb. 12:14; James 4:1-2.
XVII. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from
the doctrines and commandments of men
which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and
state should be separate. The state owes to
every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its
spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no
ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state
more than others. Civil government being
ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal
obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the
revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil
power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ
contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The
state has no right to impose penalties for
religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose
taxes for the support of any form of religion. A
free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies
the right of free and unhindered access to God
on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions
in the sphere of religion without
interference by the civil power.
Gen. 1:27; 2:7; Matt. 6:6-7, 24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts
4:19-20; Rom. 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Gal. 5:1, 13; Phil. 3:20;
1 Tim. 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.
HERSCHELH. HOBBS,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (President of the Southern Baptist
Convention)
Chairman
HOWARD M. REAVES, Mobile, Alabama
ED. J. PACKWOOD, Phoenix, Arizona
C. Z. HOLLAND, Jonesboro, Arkansas
W. B. TIMBERLINE, Pomona, California
C. V. KOONS, Washington, District of Columbia
MALCOLM B. KNIGHT, Jacksonville, Florida
DICKH. HALL, JR., Decatur, Georgia,
Secretary
CHARLESR. WALKER, Marion, Illinois
WALTER R. DAVIS, Hammond, Indiana
GARTH PYBAS, Topeka, Kansas
V. C. KRUSCHWITZ, Elizabethtown, Kentucky
LUTHER B. HALL, Farmerville, Louisiana,
ROBERTWOODWARD, Frederick, Maryland
DOUGLAS HUDGINS, Jackson, Mississippi,
Vice-Chairman
PAULWEBER, JR., Springfield, Missouri
R. A. LONG, Roswell, New Mexico
NANE STARNES, Asheville, North Carolina
C. HOGEHOCKENSMITH, Columbus, Ohio
HUGH R. BUMPAS, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
DAVID G. ANDERSON, North Charleston, South Carolina
E. WARREN RUST, Cleveland, Tennessee
JAMES H. LANDES, Wichita Falls, Texas
R. P. DOWNEY, Salem, Virginia
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