Thursday, August 30, 2007

Baptist Distinctives: Church autonomy (part 1)

John T. Christian wrote "A History of the Baptists" published by Bogard Press. There are two volumes to this magnificent work. I shall attempt to present exerpts that struck me as interesting.

"A New Testament Church is a company of baptized believers voluntarily associated together for the maintenance of the ordinances and the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ."
"The distinctive characteristics of this church are clearly marked in the New Testament."
"Such a church was a voluntary association and was independent of all other churches. It might be, and probably was, affiliated with other churches in brotherly relations; but it remained independent of all outward control, and was responsible to Christ alone, who was the supreme lawgiver and the source of all authority." (From chapter 1 The New Testament Churches. p 13)