Guide for Worship and Doctrine: B

Following is the first draft of the "B" section of the forthcoming "Guide for Worship and Doctrine," a glossary of liturgical, biblical and theological terms. I post it here with hopes that it will be beneficial to some who happen upon it, and that I might receive some constructive feedback on it. Please comment with spelling/grammar corrections, and to suggest words I have not included, or to suggest eliminating some of the words I have included. Also, it would be helpful for me to know if the descriptions are too vague, too thorough, or too difficult to understand. In case you missed my "preface" to the project, it is an expansion of a guide produced by Immanuel's former pastor, Dr. Jim Jarrard. If you missed the "A" section, they can be found here. Here's the "B" list:


Baptism: The baptism found in the New Testament is that of believers, and the mode of baptism is immersion (being taken completely under the water), in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptists believe that the act of baptism is a symbolic and visible demonstration, symbolizing the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and our participation with Jesus in his death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:3 ff.). We therefore call baptism an “ordinance” (something done in obedience to a command, or “order”), rather than a “sacrament” (something which confers, by the doing of it, a new dispensation of grace, or gift from God). We reject the belief that baptism is necessary for salvation, but encourage baptism as a step of obedience to Christ and a testimony to one’s faith in Him. We believe Jesus called us all to be baptized, as He was baptized, after one makes a faith commitment to follow the calling of God to salvation and ministry. Baptism is an outward demonstration of that choice, and provides a rite of passage into the church.

Baptism of the Holy Spirit: The prophet Joel foresaw the day when God’s people would receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32). The initial onset of this phenomenon occurred on the Day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2. Since that day, at the moment an individual places his or her faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the individual is baptized with the Holy Spirit. This means that the individual is immersed in the presence of God – He dwells within that individual in the person of the Holy Spirit. His presence brings conviction of sin, the enlightenment of understanding God’s word, and the empowerment for service by gifting Christians for the edification of the church. Baptists do not believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit happens some time after salvation, nor do we believe that it is the result of rituals or works, nor is it evidenced by any particular outward signs. Evidence of the Spirit’s presence in a person’s life is found in the “fruit” He produces, identified in Galatians 5:22-23 as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. While the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs only once in a person’s life, at the moment of conversion, Christians should seek the constant “filling” of the Spirit, whereby he or she lives under the control of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

Baptist: The question of what a Baptist is often divides even Baptists themselves. A minimal definition would include the following core beliefs: Regenerate church membership (one must be a born-again believer in Christ to be a member of the church); autonomy of the local church; congregational government; priesthood of all believers; symbolic understanding of the ordinances of baptism and church membership. Though there are many different varieties of Baptists, and much variation within each Baptist denomination, these core beliefs are hallmarks of the Baptist tradition. Southern Baptist beliefs are summarized in the Baptist Faith and Message.

Baptist Faith and Message: A confession of the consensus of Baptist belief on the core issues of the Christian faith. It is a confession, not a creed, meaning that it does not dictate what a Baptist must believe, but rather reports what most Baptists do believe. The most recent edition of the Baptist Faith and Message was adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000. Each article of the document is supported with Scripture references on which the statements are based. Copies of the Baptist Faith and Message are available from the church office upon request. It can also be found online at www.sbc.net/bfm.

Baptist Worship: For Baptists, the chief manifestations of the visible church is the gathered church, or the church together in worship. Although Baptists have always recognized the church as the larger body of believers world-wide who comprise the Body of Christ, Baptists have traditionally maintained that it is in the local congregation that that Body of Christ finds its highest function.

Baptist worship is primarily a celebration of God as He has revealed Himself through His word and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Baptists do not have a fixed order of worship or liturgy, but Baptist worship is not “disordered.” We favor “freely ordered worship” over “forcibly ordered worship”. Worship that is careless or undisciplined is to be discouraged no less in the Baptist church than in a more liturgical church. We are reminded that Paul wrote of worship and said, “all things should be done decently and in order,” (I Cor 14:40). He further encouraged “let all things be done for edification … so that all may learn and all may be encouraged…For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” (I Cor 14:26-33).

Each Baptist church may worship as it feels so led, so a visitor to several different Baptist churches may find as many different styles and emphases for worship as congregations he/she visits. Because of the cherished principle of autonomy, Baptist churches are free to choose whatever elements of worship best serve the task of that congregation’s authentic worship of God and participation in God’s grace. Typically, one will find congregational singing, prayer of confession and intercession, and the preaching of the Bible in Baptist worship.

Baptistery: Baptism is central to the tradition of the Baptist Church. Our baptistery is set into the front wall of the sanctuary, and it is that structure upon which our eyes first focus as we enter the sanctuary. The baptistery is deep enough to immerse an individual (about chest-high for an adult). Dressing rooms on either side of the baptistery permit those being baptized to dry off and dress in privacy before returning to the sanctuary for worship.

Beatitude: From a Latin word meaning “blessed,” the word is applied to the opening sentences of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12). These statements of our Lord Jesus define the character of the Christian life and describe the blessedness that is ours in spite of contrary circumstances.

Bible: When Christians speak of the Bible, they are referring to the sixty-six books that comprise the Old and New Testaments (39 books of the Old Testament; 27 books of the New Testament). These writings are “inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). The Baptist Faith and Message says: “The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is 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. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. 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. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.” Supporting scriptures cited in the Baptist Faith and Message are: Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

Baptists have been traditionally known as “People of the Book”. In our worship services, everything should be informed by Scripture, from the songs we sing to the prayers we pray. In addition the reading and teaching of the Bible takes preeminence in the worship and ministry of the church. Because of the centrality of the Bible in Baptist life, some have accused Baptists of worshiping the Bible. In fact, Baptists hold to the position that the Bible is central in our worship, for without we neither know God nor how to approach Him in worship. Therefore, the teaching of the Bible is fundamental to the life and work of any true church.

Bible Versions: The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek (with the exception of some small portions written in Aramaic). Throughout the history of the Christian church, the Bible has been translated into other languages. Some very important early manuscripts of the Bible are versions that have been found in other languages. There are several reliable English versions of the Bible available, including the King James Version, New King James Version, New International Version, and New American Standard Bible. One should choose a Bible version that is a literally accurate translation and that is easy to understand as it is read.

Bishop: In New Testament passages such as Acts 20:28, we find that the terms “elder,” “bishop,” and “pastor” are used interchangeably to refer to the same position of leadership in the church. In Baptist life, there are no “bishops” external to the local church. The role of bishop is that of pastor, and the title of pastor is preferred.

Blasphemy: To speak in a defiling or irreverent way about God or His word.

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: An unforgivable sin discussed by Jesus in Matthew 12:31, Mark 3:28-29, and Luke 12:10. In its biblical context, the sin is understood to be the labeling of Jesus as a satanic agent of evil serving to further the kingdom of the devil rather than the divine Son of God on mission to establish the Kingdom of God. It is the stubborn and persistent refusal to acknowledge that God, rather than Satan, is at work in and through Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom.

Why is this sin unforgivable over all others? Because a person whose sense of judgment is so corrupted and so perverse is beyond repentance. If he or she wanted to repent, it would be impossible to do so, for the individual is incapable of discerning good from evil, light from darkness, God from Satan. How then can he or she know what to turn away from and to what or whom to turn? If Jesus is of Satan, then from where will forgiveness come? What other means has God provided for the salvation of our souls? If we reject the salvation God has provided in Christ, then there is no other Savior, and therefore no other offer of forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

Born-Again: A biblical term used repeatedly by Jesus in John 3 to describe the spiritual reality of Christian conversion. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Apostle Paul says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” The New Testament speaks of new Christians as “newborn babies” or “infants” (1 Peter 2:2; 1 Corinthians 3:1). The born-again Christian is forgiven of sin and has a brand-new life. Through the intake of the Word of God, the believer is to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Bylaws: A contract or agreement among the members of the church which governs the way the church conducts its affairs. Immanuel Baptist Church’s current bylaws were adopted upon incorporation in May, 2007 and are available in the church office upon request.