The Take-Away - Baptists

John Smyth

Today's lesson from Christianity's Family Tree was about Baptists.  We were enlightened to the history and development of the Baptist denominations.

Baptists began as radical reformers with a disagreement over baptism.  These reformers rejected infant baptism and believed that individuals cannot be baptized until they can make their own personal decision to do so.  In fact, in 1609 John Smyth (often thought to be the founder of the denomination) re-baptized all adults who had been baptized as infants. 

Baptists also rejected elements of worship such as liturgy and altar tables, feeling they were "too Catholic."

Today there are 40-45 million Baptists in the world, with 33 million of those Baptists living in the United States.  There are many different branches of the denomination - American Baptist, Southern Baptist, Northern Baptist, and Independent Baptist, for example.  There is a large amount of autonomy given to each Baptist church; in fact, perhaps due to their nonconformist background, there is no governing board.  Instead, they can associate with like-minded churches into "conventions" (Southern Baptist Convention, for example).

Baptists believe that God chose every word in the Bible to be a timeless commandment, so this would be why they believe that women should not be pastors or leaders in the church.


Central Beliefs
1. The inspiration and infallibility of Scripture
2. Emphasis on a personal relationship with Christ
3. Salvation through faith alone not by works


What Baptists Can Teach Us
1. Bible Study - With time, Bible reading begins to shape who we are.
2. Missions - Sharing faith with others is important.
3. Simple Salvation Message - There is a great value in claiming the faith for yourself. For example, many people may have grown up in a Christian home or feel that they can achieve Christianity through osmosis. Taking time to accept the path to follow Jesus on your own is important and valuable.


--------------
Hamilton, Adam.  Christianity's Family Tree.   Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.

The Take-Away - Anglicanism

Last week our section of Christianity's Family Tree focused on Anglicanism.  King Henry VIII sought an annulment from Catherine of Aragon.  The Pope excommunicated him from the Roman Catholic Church.  King Henry VIII declared that the KING should be the leader of the Church, and he developed a new group - the Catholic Church of England.  Religious chaos ensued, and Queen Elizabeth I sought to find the via media ("middle way") between Catholicism and Protestantism.  She brought forward the Book of Common Prayer.  James I thought that a new translation of the Bible was needed, and the translation that became the Bible of the via media was the King James Bible.

Anglicans wanted a "middle road" between Catholicism and Protestantism:

Catholicism - Bishops, priests, and deacons
                       Seven Sacraments
                       Sense of reverence and liturgy

Protestantism - Baptism makes everyone a minister of the Gospel
                         Bishops, priests, and deacons can be married and can be women

Anglican's beliefs are centered on the "Three-Legged Stool" of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason

Adam Hamilton emphasized the importance of prayer to the denomination.  Their phrase, lex orandi, lex credendi, translated from Latin as "As you pray, so you believe."  The Apostle Paul advised Christians in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing."

Here's a funny meme that I found, and I thought you all would enjoy it  :-)

Also, I came across this article on the differentiation between the Anglican Church and the Episcopalian Church.  I never knew this and thought it may be helpful for you, too!



--------------
Hamilton, Adam.  Christianity's Family Tree.   Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.

The Take-Away - Lutheranism

 Martin Luther

Adam Hamilton's summary of what we can take away from Lutheranism:

Lutheranism sprang from Martin Luther's dissatisfaction with the Roman Catholic Church.  He grew up in a home where religion was based on fear.  The Protestant Reformation arose as many people believed the Church needed reform.  Indulgences infuriated Luther, and he stated his rejection of many current Church practices in the 95 Theses.  Lots of other people were struggling in their beliefs also, and this message of discontent spread like wildfire.

Central beliefs of Lutheranism
1.  Priesthood of all Believers - Everyone is called to use the gifts God has given us.  All of us are called to be in ministry.
2.  The Christian's Compass - God speaks to ordinary people through the Scriptures.
3.  Justification by Faith - Luther searched for a God of mercy and determined that God is looking for us to trust Him and trust in His love.  Our right standing before God is a gift of God - NOT because of good works.  We need to live in a grateful response and trust in His love.  God affirms us and loves us.  He loves us more than we can ever believe.

--------------
Hamilton, Adam.  Christianity's Family Tree.   Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.