Ecumenical Baptists?
By Mark King
2nd Corinthians 6:17, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”
It would be good in my opinion for many who call themselves Baptists in our
day to give up the name and claim another. The name "Baptist" is more than
just a catchy banner, but one whose bearers have carried through the
centuries because of their uncompromising stand on the Bible teaching of
"Separation."
I recently saw an advertisement of services in our newspaper for special services at the Central Baptist Church here in Minneapolis, listing the participating churches. Listed were "Bethel Temple, Central Baptist, Elim Covenant, Warrendale Presbyterian, S.E. Asian, Rose Hill Alliance, Simpson Memorial, Summit Ave. Assembly of God, Calvary Evangelical, Taiwan Christian." And just what do you suppose was the special occasion? It read, "Maundy Thursday 7:30 P.M., Supper with Our Lord, Midway Good Friday, Services At Central. 12 Noon –1:30 P.M."
Baptists uniting with such a smorgasbord of Protestants for Roman Catholic observances? This is not true Baptist practice, because this is not true Bible practice. This is what is often favorably referred to as "Ecumenism." Satan's plea to the religions today is "Lay down your differences and unite under the banner of 'love'." Leading people to the truth is not at all the order of the day; rather, compromising with error.
What does God's Word have to say about all this?
First let's consider the direction Ecumenism leads. The Bible prophesies that there will be a universal religious "Babylon" in the last days. Having deceived the world, she will be destroyed and burned by the ten nations who will give themselves unto the Antichrist. In Revelation 17:5, "Mystery, Babylon The Great" is the name given to the false universal religious system of the last days. Read what Rev. 17 prophesies about her. Many today have been lead into this ecumenical movement and are unknowingly being used of Satan to set things up for the Antichrist. True Baptists have not, but many are Baptist in name only!
Then secondly, does the Bible give us any clear instruction as to our responsibilities concerning Ecuminism? The answer is an emphatic "Yes!" True Baptists have nothing to do with the Ecumenical movement, because true Bapists follow the teachings of God's Word on Separation.
Colossians 2:8 says, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." False teachings are dangerous, and we need to be warned against such.
God's Word asks in Amos 3:3, "Can two wald together except they be agreed?" The Bible says to us in Eph. 5:11, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." The Word of God says in Rom. 16:17, "...Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."
We are never given freedom to compromise the truth of God's Word! Stand for the truth. It may cost you friends, but there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Thirdly let's look at the attention getter of such Ecumenism. A flawed concept of Biblical love is always the central motivation factor behind such unscriptural unity. People are being duped by seminary professors and "ear scratching" preachers to lay down disagreements over fundamental teachings because of a "love" for God's people. They are told that "God is love" by men who haven't begun to understand the Bible principle of Divine love. I would in no wise claim that I have grasped the understanding of the love of Christ to its fullest, but I can say without fear of ever having to back down that those who boast of laying aside their differences for the cause of unity have not come close!
So many misled Christians charge full speed ahead into compromise because of a frail definition of the deep principle of Divine love.
You may be asked, "Do you love the Lord enough, the family of God enough, the cause of Christ enough, or have compassion on the souls of the unsaved of this world enough to fellowship with us though we may not agree on everything?" (Compromise) But my question to Baptists or prospective Baptists is, "Do you love the Lord enough, the family of God enough, the cause of Christ enough, or have enough compassion on the unsaved souls of this world to obey God, stand up against error, and be separate?"
Just as we show our love for the Lord by keeping all His commandments which include separation from false doctrine (which is sin), even so, we can only show true Biblical love for the brethren when we love God and keep His commandments. I John 5:2,3 says, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments:"
Dear saint of God, you will never help the brethren or anyone else by falling into the ditch of doctrinal compromise. You can truly help only when your feet are moving faithfully upon the path of God's commandments which are found in the Holy Scriptures.
If your church is involved in the Ecumenical Movement, by God's grace, take a stand for the truth and separate! Find yourself an independent Baptist church that is bearing the reproach of Christ for the sake of the Truth. Jesus had to walk 30 miles to find the Baptist, and your move will be well worth the cost to walk with the people of God!
END
The Nature Of The Church
By Wendell Rone, 1945
According to the Baptists “There is no word in Christian literature whose primary meaning is so fully agreed upon as the term translated Church; and yet there is no word in that literature (not excepting Baptism) whose meaning has been so perverted and made the basis of subversive error."
The term "Church" is used in the English Bible to translate the Greek word ecclesia, from the verb ekkaleo, "to call together, to convene." Its primary meaning, etymologically, is:
"An organized assembly, whose members have been called out from private homes or businesses to attend to public affairs. The definition necessarily implies prescribed conditions of membership.
"This meaning, substantially; applies alike to the ecclesia of a self-governing Greek City-State (Acts 19:39), the Old Testament ecclesia or convocation of National Israel (Acts 7:38), and the New Testament ecclesia."
Ecclesia, denoting the institution founded by our Lord Jesus Christ, and referred to by Him as "My ecclesia" in contrast to that of the Jews and the Greeks, is found in the New Testament a total of 109 times, and always it retains its primary and simple meaning, a public assembly or congregation. No elaborate proof of the meaning of the word translated "Church" is necessary as the majority of Biblical scholars are agreed on it.
In 96 out of the 109 times the word ecclesia is used in a Christian sense in the Greek New Testament, its reference is unmistakably to a local congregation or assembly of Christ's people, in keeping with the primary and simple meaning of the term. There is sharp division of opinion among Baptist scholars over the meaning of the remaining 13 instances: Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22; 3:10; 3:21; 5:23; 5:24; 5:25; 5:27; 5:29; 5:32; Colossians 1:18; 1:24; and Hebrews 12:23.
From these passages many Baptist Bible students deduce that the term "Church" refers to a "universal, invisible Church," "the entire community of the redeemed," "the body of Christ," and other kindred and descriptive terms, all setting forth the concept of all believers of all time, in heaven and on earth, as composing "the Church."
The author has always rejected this view, believing that those who hold to it have confused the Kingdom of God and the Church, making them one and the same thing. We do not believe that the New Testament will warrant such a conclusion. In the Author's opinion, the disputed passages above may be classified as follows:
a. The Church referred to as an institution, i.e., in the abstract or generic sense. Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22; 3:10; 3:21; 5:23; 5:24; 5:25; 5:29; 5:32; Colossians 1:18; 1:24.
But in application the generic and abstract become particular, individual, and concretely evident.
b. The Church referred to as "in glory," i.e., prospective rather than actual. Ephesians 5:27; Hebrews 12:23.
This "general assembly" has not met as yet, but it will meet in God's appointed time. But the term "Church" still retains its meaning, a congregation or assembly, and it will meet in a place, Heaven. The Greek term "Ecclesia" is never used in Biblical or classical Greek in an unassembled sense.
The Author makes the contention, furthermore, that the terms "body," "temple of the Lord," "house of God," "flock," etc., are figures of speech, and as such are applicable to particular congregations of the people of the Lord, but these terms are never used to refer to all of the particular congregations as a whole or collectively. It is highly doubtful if the notion of universality (catholicity), either "visible" or "invisible," is allowed to attach itself to the term ecclesia in the usage of either the Apostles or the early Christian writers.
"The two ideas, that of a local organism on the one side, and that of a scattered and unaffiliated world-community on the other are too incongruous to dwell harmoniously together under a common designation. To admit the idea of a Church universal, at all, is to make that 'The Church,' and relatively to derogate from the importance of, and the honor due to, the local Churches. . . . As every idea seeks to embody itself, he who regards himself as a member of the Church universal (either `visible' or `invisible' W. H. R.) will naturally seek to adjust himself to the demands of the larger, as more important than the smaller, body to which he belongs.
John Henry Newman, smitten with enthusiasm for the Church universal, which must from its very nature be one and historically continuous, went logically to Rome. Others, dreaming of a like Church as essentially ideal in organization, have looked contemptuously on the `sects'; exhorting men to join a kind of `choir invisible,' where denominationalism shall no longer hinder the communion of saints.
Such sentimentalism is apt to degenerate into a Christianity as 'invisible' as the vaporous constituency to which it fancies itself allied. He who loves the Church universal, while despising the Church particular, is of no particular use to either. God `setteth the solitary in families.' This is as true in the religious as in the social sphere, and 'free love' is as disreputable and baneful in one as in the other."
Baptists, believing that the "local" Church is the only one with which we can be concerned in an active manner in this world, have stated that:
"A visible Church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word."
New Hampshire Confession of Faith, ARTICLE 13
"The individual Church may be defined as that smaller community of regenerate persons, who, in any given community, unite themselves voluntarily together, in accordance with Christ's laws, for the purpose of securing the complete establishment of His Kingdom in themselves and in the world."
"They (Baptists) hold that a Church is a company of disciples, baptized on a profession of their faith in Christ, united in covenant to maintain the ordinances of the Gospel, and the public worship of God; to live godly lives, and to spread abroad the knowledge of Christ as the Saviour of men."
"A Church is a congregation of Christ's baptized disciples acknowledging Him as their Head, relying on His atoning sacrifice for justification before God, united in the belief of the Gospel, agreeing to maintain its ordinances and obey its precepts, meeting together for worship, and co-operating for the extension of Christ's Kingdom in the world."
