- THREE -
BAPTIST APOSTASY AND THE ORDINANCES
I Corinthians 11:2 Now I praise you,
brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and
keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
Many Baptist churches have abandoned the
scriptural practice of the ordinances. There is a
falling away from scriptural baptism and closed
Lord's Supper. The practice of the Lord's Supper
is open in many Baptist churches and close in
others. No longer do they practice and teach that
only the redeemed and scripturally baptized saint,
who is right with his church, can participate in the
Supper. In many of our Baptist churches,
members are now allowed to participate in a close
Supper practice. The Lord's Supper is to be a time
of remembering our Saviour, a time of heart
searching, and a time of revival among the
members of the church. It is not to be a time of
ecumenical associations. It is done in remembrance
of our Lord. How can the unsaved remember
Christ? How can a backsliding saint safely attend
the supper? (I Corinthians 11:23-34).
In the matter of Baptism, there is a falling
away from the Biblical practice of believer's
baptism. Baptism in many Baptist churches has
become a community affair. Many Baptist
churches are accepting baptism from other
churches, as long as it is by immersion. Even non-
Baptist baptism is accepted. Some of these
churches would not accept the doctrine of9
Pentecostal, Protestant, or cultic churches, yet they
are accepting their baptism, which is just as alien as
their doctrine. Many of these false churches preach
another gospel. Baptist baptism is to fit our Gospel
- the death, the burial and the resurrection. Baptist
baptism is the proper candidate (one who is saved),
immersed into a scriptural church, declaring the
design of that baptism (the resurrection to a new
life), and done under the authority of a scriptural
church. Christ only gave baptism to His true
churches. And the Protestant churches, the Catholic
churches, and the cults do not have authority to
baptize (Matthew 28:16-20). There is a deepening
apostasy in many Baptist churches concerning the
practice of the ordinances. It is time to return to
the faith of our fathers.10
- FOUR -
BAPTIST APOSTASY AND SEPARATION
We are seeing in our day a great falling away
in the Bible doctrine of separation. Many of our
Baptist churches do not practice Bible separation.
We see a great truth concerning separation in
I John 1:5-6 This then is the message which
we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we
say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in
darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.
We are to separate from darkness. Whatever
is contrary to the will and nature of God is
darkness. God's will for every saint is found in
I Peter 1:15-16 But as he which hath called
you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I
am holy.
It is God's will that we perfect holiness in the
fear of God (II Corinthians 7:1). We are to have no
fellowship with the works of darkness.
Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove
them.
Baptists who fellowship, follow, or feast at
the fountain of those who call the Pope a great
Christian are walking in darkness. I would not trust
any man or school to teach me anything, if he
cannot discern the difference between Bible
doctrine and Roman Catholic doctrine. Baptists
who fellowship, follow, or feast with those who11
have evidence of disobedience to the Word of God
in the area of separation are in danger of
apostatizing themselves. We are to separate from
everything contrary to God's will and nature.
Baptists who are now falling away from Truth have
started, in a small, subtle way, to lower their
standards of separation (I Timothy 6:3-5; II
Timothy 3:5; Amos 3:3). We can only maintain
purity and holiness by the practice of scriptural
separation. We are commanded to practice
holiness.
Baptists who use the New Evangelicals, the
modernists, the Protestants and the psychologists
for their teaching are flirting with the works of
darkness. Baptists will soon lose their testimony
and identity and become another fish in the pond of
the ecumenical age we are in, if they do not
maintain Biblical separation. The command is to
come out from among them and be ye separate. (II
Corinthians 6:14-17; Romans 16:17).12
- FIVE -
BAPTIST APOSTASY AND DIVORCE AND
REMARRIAGE
Another doctrine that has suffered greatly
and has been abandoned much in these last days is
the Bible teaching on divorce and remarriage. Our
age is being greatly affected by the environmental
trends of the age. Many influences are changing a
correct exegesis of Scripture in this present age.
Present day Baptists should remember that in the
first five centuries, all Greek writers and all Latin
writers, except one, agreed that remarriage
following divorce was adulterous. The marriage
bond, to these writers, was only to be broken by
death. If a partner was guilty of adultery, they
taught separation from that partner, but never did
they teach divorce and remarriage. Even though
these early church writers had many variations of
their view, they all agreed (except one writer) that
remarriage was unscriptural. Even in the case of I
Corinthians 7:15, which was called the Pauline
privilege, the early church fathers said that the
deserted spouse had no right to remarry. The
Roman Catholics said a believer deserted by an
unbeliever could remarry. But what saith the
Scripture:
Matthew 19:8b ...but from the beginning it
was not so.
It has been this writer's observation that
many Baptist pastors and churches are altering
their position on this doctrine to accommodate the13
age. The New Evangelical writers, pressure of
members, electronic ministers, seminars, etc., are
having a great effect on many Baptists. Yet, the
Bible is clear and has not changed. An example is
false teaching concerning the so-called "exception
clause" and what they call the bondage issue. Who
determines what is the exception? Man or the
Scripture? Moses granted an exception, because of
the hardness of their heart, but the Scripture says
that from the beginning it was not so. Baptist
preachers are sitting at the confessional booth in the
Baptist churches, determining who has an
exception and can remarry. What is the difference
between that and a confessional booth in the
Catholic church? What is the difference between
that and some so-called scholar telling us what is
God's Word and what is not? Even such early
writers as Origen, Tertullian, Justin Martyr,
Clement of Alexandria, etc., refused to compromise
on this doctrine, yet modern Baptists are. Clement
went so far as to say that the marriage of those
who had separated, while either spouse was alive,
was not marriage but fornication. Evidently, he felt
the first marriage partner is the only one God
recognizes. We can be sure of one thing. The
modern trend of divorce and remarriage is not
based on a careful study of Scripture. It is based on
compromise and convenience. Nearly all early
writers on the subject believed that marriage was
an indissolvable union. Where are the Baptists of
today, who still believe this? Baptist apostasy is
deepening. It is time to return to the faith of our
fathers on this very important doctrine.14
- SIX -
BAPTIST APOSTASY AND REPENTANCE AND
FAITH
Luke 24:47 And that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in his name
among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
There are some very unusual things being
said by Baptist preachers these days on the subject
of repentance and faith. The trumpet is giving an
uncertain sound in some Baptist pulpits on the
matter of salvation. Many have abandoned the
doctrine of repentance. One well known Baptist
preacher called the preaching of repentance heresy.
John the Baptist did not think it was heresy. Our
Lord preached repentance, as did all of the early
apostles. Yet, we have some today who say
repentance is not necessary. But according to Acts
3:19, it is. II Corinthians 7:8-10 teaches Godly
sorrow and repentance. The doctrines of grace are
a thing of the past in some Baptist churches. Now
we are being inundated with an easy believism that
is filling churches with unregenerate members, who
know nothing of the Grace of God. The inner
witness of the Spirit of God in the heart is an
unknown factor in many Baptist churches these
days. These must then prove to themselves that
they are really saved by their religious efforts.
According to I John 5:9-13, the truly saved know
it. Repentance and faith produce a knowledgeable
faith. Repentance is not a work. It is the gift of
God, brought about by the Spirit of God. Without15
it no man will be saved. Baptist apostasy on the
doctrine of repentance and faith is deepening and
Baptists must not fall away from this very
important doctrine.16
- SEVEN -
BAPTIST APOSTASY AND THE LORDSHIP OF
CHRIST
The proverb that says, "Either Christ is Lord
of all or He is not Lord at all" is still true. Many
Baptists claim that those who preach the Lordship
of Christ have no scriptural basis. My answer to
that is, "Is there any other kind of lordship?"
Lordship is in salvation. When a person sees
himself as a sinner, under the convicting power of
the Holy Spirit, realizes his only hope is in Christ,
and then turns to Christ, what is he receiving? Not
just a Saviour, but also a Master. To receive Christ
is to receive Him as Lord. The seeking sinner may
not understand all of the theological terms, but he
will be saved, if he repents and puts his faith in
Christ. The Spirit of God indwells, seals, and places
the repenting sinner in Christ. That same Spirit will
continue to purify him and every day of his life, he
will be confronted with Who is the Lord of his life.
The new birth produces a new creature, who is
under the Lordship of Christ (Acts 4:12; Ephesians
1:15-23; Colossians 1:15-22). Does not Christ
become the Lord of those He saves? Yes, some do
rebel, but He is still the Lord of His creation. Our
Lord often does correct those He has redeemed.
Jesus Christ is Lord and all men need Him.
Baptists need to preach, as they once did, on the
Lordship of Christ. Baptists, of all people, should17
follow the first Baptist's example:
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must
decrease.18
- EIGHT -
BAPTIST APOSTASY AND PREACHING
II Timothy 4:2-4 Preach the word; be instant
in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time
will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall
be turned unto fables.
Here we see another passage of exhortation
to Timothy to remain faithful in the time of great
apostasy. Paul tells Timothy to preach the Word.
Preaching today has become a thing of the past in
many of our Baptist churches. The Biblical
emphasis is on preaching.
I Corinthians 1:18, 21 For the preaching of
the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto
us which are saved it is the power of God. For
after that in the wisdom of God the world by
wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Here we see again the Biblical emphasis on
preaching. Many of our Baptist churches have
replaced much of their preaching with videos, TV,
satellites, seminars, etc. There is less preaching
today in the majority of our Baptist churches than
at any other time in history. It appears that many
churches are trying to compete with all of the
media to hold and motivate their members. Yet,19
nothing motivates people better than hearing the
Word as it is presented in the power of the Holy
Spirit. The Bible emphasis is on preaching and
hearing.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
This has made those churches who stick to
preaching and teaching strong Baptist churches.
Those churches who do not place the emphasis on
preaching and put more on videos, etc., have
become entertainment centers. Television has
created a generation of watchers, not listeners.
People are so entertained by TV, videos, etc.,
outside the church, that they are fascinated by
pictures and not by words. God's method,
however, is by words, preaching and teaching.
Some of our members sit in the services like
zombies, just waiting for something sensational to
entertain them. We cannot, nor should we,
compete with the entertainment world in our
churches. Preaching is God's method. The TV or
video screen emphasized seeing rather than
hearing. Let's get back to the old fashioned
preaching method, which is a Biblical command.
The use of celebrities to bring in a crowd creates
hero worship. Good sound Holy Spirit preaching
will do more to build a church and keep it pure
until Christ returns than any other method. The
use of overhead projectors, films, slides, videos, etc.,
are only minor aids to the major method of
preaching. One can teach the Truth with some of
those methods, but the greatest fruit is produced
through preaching. It's time to pull the plug on TV,20
videos, seminars, etc., and get back to preaching.
The less preaching we have, the deeper the
apostasy!21
- NINE -
BAPTIST APOSTASY AND THE GREAT
COMMISSION
In Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15 and
several other passages of Scripture, we see our
Lord's command to preach the Gospel to the
regions beyond. This is commonly called the Great
Commission. Most would agree that we are to
spread the Gospel to the entire world. The real
difference comes when we discuss how it is to be
done. Modern methods like the printing ministry,
radio, television, etc., are only methods of getting
the Gospel to a lost and dying world. However,
the question of who has the authority to do all of
this is a serious one. Most would agree that the
church of divine origin, the New Testament Church
that Jesus built, has the authority to baptize, teach,
and send. Yet, some of those churches who agree
to that then yield to some mission board or agency.
They do so by allowing the mission board to
control the local missionary, his finances, and his
discipline. This is contrary to the scriptural
responsibility of the local church in the work of the
Great Commission. Only the local church has the
authority to preach, baptize, teach, and send. The
mission board concept is not found in Scripture.
The only mission sending agency in the Scripture
was a local church (Acts 13:1-4). There are a lot of
Baptist churches falling away from the Biblical
pattern in spreading the Good News. Church22
authority rests on Scripture. The Great
Commission was given to the New Testament
church, not to any board, agency, fellowship, or
convention. It is time for present day Baptists to
evaluate their present missionary efforts and return
to the Biblical pattern of carrying out the Great
Commission by sending their workers directly from
the local church. Apostasy is deepening in the area
of local church authority in the spreading of the
Gospel. Let us return to the Biblical pattern, which
is an indigenous pattern where the local body of
believers is self-financing, self-governing, and self-
propagating.23
- TEN -
THE CONCLUSIONMany true believers are being effected by the
apostasy of these last days. It is true they are not
apostates, but they are being neutralized by
apostate tendencies. They are being swept along in
the flood tide of the denials of the age. They are no
longer the "salt of the earth." They have lost their
savor. Many have developed a system of
compromise and denial, which sounds very
convincing. But apostasy is apostasy. Our
forefathers stood by the Truth, and so should we.
We must not abandon it for convenience or for
temporary peace with the world.
It is time for those who hold to the faith of
the Book to stand up, speak up, and proclaim it.
(Jude 3-4).Evangelist Gordon Silcox, DD, LLD
P. O. Box 159 - Larimore, ND 5825124