The Biblical Distinctives of Baptist - Student

1
Memory Verse:
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
Confession of Faith:
“We believe that the Baptist church is the only kind of church the Lord Jesus Christ established.”
I. Lesson Introduction
A. What Are Baptist Distinctives?
1. “Baptist Distinctive, we mean the historical facts and Biblical doctrines that had
___________ Baptists as the true people of God from their inception to the present time.”
2. Baptist Distinctives are those teachings which __________________ us or make us distinct
from other church groups such as Catholics, Protestants and the like.
3. These distinctives are _______ the only truths we believe from the Bible but these are the
primarily beliefs concerning church policy and practice which distinguish us from other
churches.
4. These distinctives have always been true of Baptists historically and may not be held by
________ Baptists churches today.
B. What Are The Baptist Distinctives?
To make it simple to understand, we made it into a B-A-P-T-I-S-T-S Acrostic.
B – _____________________________________________________
We Baptists believe that the Bible is our final authority. No word of man or council of
men can ever supersede the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
A – _____________________________________________________
We Baptist believe that the local church is an independent body accountable to no
one but to our Lord Jesus Christ only. There is no person or organization on earth that
can dictate what a local church can or should do. (Matthew 18:15-17)
P – _____________________________________________________
Every believer today is a priest and may enter the presence of God directly through
our Mediator, our Great High Priest Jesus Christ. There is no need for any human
mediator. (1 Peter 2:5-9)
T – _____________________________________________________
The Bible teaches that there are only two ordinances for the local church to practice
today – Baptism and Lord’s Supper. (Acts 2:41-47;
1 Corinthians 11:23-32).
The Bible teaches that there are only two offices in the church – Pastor and Deacon.
There is no Scriptural support for the hierarchy of offices in many churches today.
(Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23)
I – _____________________________________________________
We Baptists believe that every individual has the liberty to believe as his own
conscience or soul dictates. A person should not be forced to believe anything against
his will. Of course, that liberty is not freedom to do wrong or even promote heresy and
initiate division among the brethren. (Romans 14:5-12)
S – _____________________________________________________
The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018
Baptist Distinctives | Student Copy
2
Every person who is saved should be baptized by an authorized local church.

Furthermore, only saved and baptized individual should be allowed to become member
of a local church. (Acts 2:41-47)
T – _____________________________________________________
Democracy is not a biblical concept of church government. We believe that in
theocracy, God rules His church through His divinely called man, the Pastor.
S – _____________________________________________________
The church and the state are two separate spheres, and the one should never control
the other. (Matthew 22:15-22)
C. How These Did Come To Be Known As Baptist Distinctive?
Baptists have always interpreted the Bible literally and practice these teachings
____________ while many other churches were not doing so. In time these teachings came to
be the distinguishing marks of the Baptists. These are not just denominational ideas but
Biblical truths that the Baptists believe and practice.
D. Why Is It Important To Study These?
1. We Baptists may know where we ___________ and hold on to these beliefs and practices.
Assurance of salvation is the most important truth that we should know and being part
of a true church comes next. It would be tragic if the true Christian were in a bogus
church or errant church.
2. We Baptists would be a Baptist by ________________ and not just by convenience.
3. We Baptists would not only be a Baptist by name but by _____________.
4. We Baptists may be strengthened. The more we understand who and what we are, the
more Baptist we should be.
5. We Baptists may do our part in upholding the Baptist _____________ of our church. If we do
not know and maintain our position, we become vulnerable to error and deception.
Truth is not only worth believing but also worth maintaining.
6. We Baptists may always be ____________ to answer any question asked about us. (1 Peter
3:15)
II. Lesson Application
A. General Principle
A study of the Biblical Baptist Distinctives will surely brings with knowledge that we
must carry out in our lives.
B. Our Responsibilities
1. We should practice what Baptists practice.
2. We should support our Baptist church by our attendance, giving and ministering.
3. We should be involved ourselves in soul winning and discipleship.
4. We should support outreaches and mission works.
5. We should help a struggling Baptist church or help start a new one.
6. We should thank the Lord for our church that believe and stands on the truth.

3
Lesson One
THE BIBLICAL AUTHORITY
Memory Verse:
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35
“The Bible is the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man as the Baptists only basis
of faith and practice.”
In our study of our distinctive, there are two things that ought to be in our minds. One is
that we Baptists ___________ and secondly we ___________ Biblical Baptists.
II. Lesson Exposition
A. How Do We Define Biblical Authority?
We Baptists believe that the _________ Bible is our sole and final authority in every matter
it covers. This is the foundation of our beliefs and practice. It is our foundation in matters of
salvation, baptism, church policy and government, and other doctrines. Moreover, it is our
foundation in matters of science, history, sociology, etc. It is always, “What the Bible _______.”
B. What Is The Final Authority Of Other Churches And Cults Today?
1. The Roman Catholic Church upholds the ____________ ____________ and ecclesiastical
tradition as having a higher authority.
2. The adherents of the locally made Iglesia ni Cristo depend upon their own ____________ as
their authority.
3. Protestant churches ___________ traditions with the Bible as their authority.
4. Other cults like the Mormons, Seventh Day Adventist, Charismatics and the like have
other inspired _____________________ aside from the Bible with equal authority.
C. What Are The Declarations Of The Bible Concerning Its Authority?
Key Question: “Is the Bible a book from man or a book from God?”
1. Jeremiah 1:1-4
“Then the word of the LORD came unto me saying,”v.4
The expression of the “word of the LORD” or a similar one like “______ _______ ______
________” is found over 300 times in the Old Testament.
2. 1 Corinthians 14:37
Paul emphatically _________________ that the things he wrote was of the Lord and not of
man.
3. Galatians 1:11-12
A categorical statement that every Paul’s ____________ is by revelation of Jesus Christ.
4. 1 Thessalonians 2:13
The Thessalonians ____________ the word “…not as the word of men, but as it is in truth,
the word of God…”

4
5. 2 Timothy 3:16
This is the foundation text of the ______________ of the Bible. The entire Bible is God-
breathed. We believe therefore to the truths that every word in the Bible is from God
(Matthew 5:18) and that there are no errors in the original writings of the Bible. It is
worthy to note also that the Bible has been wonderfully a miraculously preserved even
today.
6. 2 Peter 1:21
The holy men of God were moved (driven along) by the ________ ________ to write God’s
Book. There are two conclusions flow from this if the Bible is from God therefore it is
our authority and so we must obey.
III. Lesson Application
A. General Principle
We Baptists must ________________ the entire Bible as the sole and final authority of our lives
and obey it completely.
B. Our Responsibilities
1. We should read, study and meditate the Word of God daily for our own ________________
__________.
2.
We should keep God’s word in our hearts by memorizing verses that would help us in
our daily _________ with God.
We should a live godly life as a ____________ testimony that we truly recognize the __________
testimony, the Bible as our final authority.

5
Lesson Two
The Autonomy of the Local Church
Memory Verse:
“Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:21
“We believe that the church is the only institution established by God and a local church is
independent from any human authority but accountable only to God.”
Biblical Authority emphasized our dependence upon the Word of God as our sole and final
authority of faith and practice. In this lesson, we emphasize two things: that the local church
(Bible – believing Baptist church) is the only institution established by God for the propagation
of the Gospel and the work of the ministry, and that we are independent from any human
authority, but accepting full accountability to the Lord.
A. What Do Baptist Mean By The Autonomy Of The Local Church?
Baptist believe that the local church (whatever its size) should not be controlled in any
way by a denomination, headquarter, synod, convention, another local church, foreign
missionary or any person. Each local church is free and accountable only to the Lord.
What Kind Of Things Does Higher Authority That Other Local Churches Allow To Control? (such as
Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, United Methodist,
B. Presbyterians, Lutherans, American Baptist, Southern Baptist and etc).

There are varying degrees of control, but some of the matter commonly controlled in
local churches are:
1. Calling a Pastor
2. Owning a church property
3. Arranging the order of service
4. Selecting missionaries to support
5. Deciding on how much to give to missions
6. Church budget
C. What Does The Bible Say About The Autonomy Of The Local Church?
1. Matthew 18:15- 17
This particular text suggests several things:
a. The church is already in ____________ before Pentecost.
b. This is the ____________ procedure for handling the problem in the church.
c. And this shows the independence of the local churches in matter of _________________.
There is no higher appeal beyond the church. The church ought not always to
exercise this kind of authority (the first priority of the church is the Gospel), only in
extreme cases wherein the testimony of the church is at stake and unrepentant
hearts.
6
2. Acts 6:1-7
This is the ______________ of seven men as servants (the office of the deacon). Again,
this emphasizes the choosing of officers by the church without outside interference.
3. Acts 13: 1-3; Acts 14:26-27
This text records the first church that _______ missionaries to mission field – Paul and
Barnabas. The missionaries were sent out by the church and accountable to the church.
The sending of missionaries and pastors to the mission field is exclusively the work of
the local church.
4. Acts 15:1-35
This speaks of ________________ _________ not control.
a. The young church in Antioch recognized the ______________ of the older church in
Jerusalem.
b. The church in Jerusalem recognized the _____________________ of the church in Antioch.
5. 1 Corinthians 5:1-12; 2 Corinthians 2:6-7
These teaching indicate that the local church is the final ______________ in matter of
discipline.
6. Revelation 2 & 3
These chapters record the letters to the seven churches. The important point here in
regard to the independence of the local church is that the Lord addressed each church
__________________ through its pastor (“angel”). He did not send a postal letter to the bishop
Asia Minor and ask him to read it in all the church under his control.
In fact, the Scripture never speaks of the church as a collective body of churches but
always uses the term churches to signify that every local church is free and independent
and can operate on its own.
D. What Should Our Local Church Do Because It Is Autonomous?
Be _______________ - self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating. Every local
church should work and progress until it is self–propagating. Our church is an example of a
free and independent church.
However, freedom brings responsibility:
1. We are responsible in the growth of the church.
2. We are responsible in the unity of the church.
3. We are responsible in preserving the testimony of the church.
4. We are responsible in praying for the church.
5. We are responsible in faithfulness to the Lord.

7
Lesson Three
The Priesthood of All Believers
Memory Verse:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light:” 1 Peter 2:9
“We believe that every believer is a priest before God and there is only one Chief Priest, the Mediator
between God and man which is Christ our Lord.”
A. What Is The Function Of A Priest? (without thinking of any kind or rime period)
A priest is one who is a ______________ between God and man. He goes before God (or any
person or thing people may worship) on behalf of the people.
There were priests in the Old Testament who did this very thing, but the Old Testament
priesthood ceased when the veil in the temple was torn at the time of the death of Christ.
The rent in that veil showed that man, not only the priest, could enter the presence of God
in the basis of the work of Christ. (Matthew 27:50-51; Hebrews 10:10-12)
B. What Churches Today Still Have A Special Priesthood?
Basically, the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Episcopalians churches today still
gave a special order of priests.
C. What Is Denied To The People Of These Churches That Still Have Priesthood?
These people are denied the ___________ access to God, the Father. They also deny the
_________ priestly office of the Lord Jesus Christ.
A. What Do We Mean When We Say That We Believe In The Priesthood Of All Believers?
We mean that all believers are on the same level before God and that all believers have
___________ access to God through Jesus Christ. We do not have to go through any ___________
mediator to approach God. There is no special group of people who have more access or
power before God than any others. All believers with contrite and obedient heart can
approach the presence of God through Jesus Christ.
B. What Do The Scripture Say About The Priesthood Of All Believers?
1. Believers are to come confidently to the throne of grace in ____________. (Hebrews 4:14-
16)
a. Why can we come to God confidently?
• Our great ________ ____________ can sympathize with our infirmities and weaknesses.
The reason is that He was tempted like we are; yet with one major difference – He
did not sin.
• Since we have a great High Priest who knows what we are going through, we are
invited to come to the throne of grace with confidence.
b. Believers are to draw _________ to God in full assurance of being accepted when they
come in prayers. (Hebrews 10:19-22).

8
• Believers are forgiven because we have a High Priest who offered Himself as the
supreme sacrifice for sin. (Vs.15-18)
• Because of this forgiveness, believers can enter the holy place by the blood of
Jesus (v.19). The holy place is the very presence of God in prayer.
• One of the privileges and responsibilities of a believer – priest is to come to God
in prayer.
c. Believers are to _________ spiritual sacrifices to God and praise Him (1 Peter 2:5,9;
Hebrews 13:15-16)
• Believers are lively stones the Lord built as a spirit house.
• Believers are a chosen generation and a royal priesthood.
A. We should be determining to be __________ __________ of our church.
B. We should learn to always be in the _____________ of prayer.
C. We should definitely pray for others.
D. We should have a regular prayer time each day.
Lesson Four
9
The Two Church Ordinances and Offices

A. TWO ORDINANCES
A-1: BAPTISM
Memory Verse:
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Biblical Baptism which is Baptist Baptism is very much in ____________ with Catholic,
Orthodox, and Protestant baptism.
Infant baptism is a ____________ doctrine. This is one of the main reasons why Baptists were
persecuted by the Catholics and Protestants alike.
Baptism is not a _______________. It is an ordinance. Baptism is not a part of salvation. It is
__________________ on the part of the saved.
A. The Importance Of Baptism
1. It is a _________________. (Matthew 28:19)
2. The Lord Himself ________________ to baptism. (Matthew 3:13-17)
3. The Bible records the baptism of believers. (Acts 2:41; 8:26-40; 9:18; 10:48; 16:15,33;
22:16)
4. It is the __________________ for Church membership. (Acts 2:41)
B. The Meaning & Symbolism Of Baptism (Romans 6:3-7)
1. It symbolizes the believer’s identification with the __________ of Christ. (v.3)
2. It symbolizes the __________ of the believer to sin. (v.4)
3. It symbolizes the believer’s __________________ to a new life. (v.5)
C. The Relationship Of Baptism To Salvation
1. Baptism is _______ needed for salvation. Seeming contradiction: (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38)
2. Baptism should _________________ follow salvation. (Acts 2:41; 8:12, 30-34; 9:17-18;
10:44-48; 16:14, 15, 30-34)
3. As salvation opens up life eternal, baptism opens up a life of ___________ in the local
church.
D. Prerequisites For Baptist Baptism
1. Proper ______________: Only saved people (Acts 2:42; 8:36-38)
2. Proper _____________: New Testament Baptist Church, the divinely appointed custodian.
3. Proper ____________: Symbolism
4. Proper ____________________: Fully authorized Baptist Elder or Preacher, recognized by the
local Church of which the baptized becomes a member.
5. Proper __________: only by immersion. Baptism taken from the Greek word “baptizo” or
“bapto” meaning to dip or immerse in water.

10

A. General Principle: Baptism is ______________ but _______ ____________ for the believer.
B. In Soul-winning, _________ the importance of Baptism.
C. As a member, set a personal goal of baptism.
D. As a Church, set a goal of on how many converts should be baptized each year.
A-2: LORD’S SUPPER

Memory Verse:
“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same
night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take,
eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also
he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft
as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11: 23-25
There are two prominently wrong views of the communion service:
A. __________________________
The belief held by the Roman Catholic Church that in the sacrifice of the mass the bread
and wine are changed by the power of the priest at the time of consecration into the actual
body and blood of Christ. The word literally means _____________ of substance.
Please take note that the "sacrifice of the mass” is foreign in the Scripture. The Sacrifice of Christ has
ended all Old Testament sacrifices for He has given
Himself as a sacrifice for sin once and for all. (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12, 22-29; 10:10-14)
B. ________________________
The belief held by Lutherans that body and blood of Christ (His “substance”) are
somewhat mystically present with (‘con’) the elements of communion service; that is, “He is
present as the soul in the body or magnetism is in the magnet.”
A. The Historical Background Of The Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-27; Mark 14:22-26;
Luke 22:5-20)
1. It is done __________ the Passover feast. The Lord ended old covenant and ushered in the
New Covenant. A covenant is an arrangement or an agreement with man involved the
death of Christ and the means of salvation that He provided for all men.
2. It is performed ________ to the immediate and faithful members of the local church. Judas
was not present.
3. It is _______________ a church ordinance.
4. It is led by the __________ and participated by everyone.
5. It is a ___________ and serious ordinance.
B. The Scriptural Teaching About Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11: 17-22)

11
We believe that the only elements of the Lord’s Supper are only symbolic of the body
and blood of Christ and do not in anyway become or join with the bread and the fruit of the
vine.
1. _______________ ____________ (v. 24)

A fitting symbol for the _________ of Christ, for as that bread was broken handed to the
disciples, so Christ’s body was broken. Although there was no bone broken (John 19:31-
33):
• the spear broke the flesh in His side
• the crown of thorns broke the flesh in His head
• the whipping broke the flesh on His back
• the nails broke the flesh on His hands and feet
Our position is that bread should not have ____________ (sin) which symbolized the
purity of Christ.
2. The ________ (v. 25)
A fitting symbol for the ____________ of Christ, our position is that wine must be
_________________, pure juice of the fruit of the vine (grape) as a symbol of the purity of the
blood of Christ.
a. The ___________________ (v.26)
The Lord’s Supper proclaims (silently preaches) the death of Christ until His
return. The Lord’s Supper then looks back, to the death of Christ; to the present, to
the believer’s life in Christ; and to the future, to the return of Christ.
b. Participating ________________ (vs. 27, 29)
• Unconfessed sin or rebellion in the life of the believer.
• Not regarding very seriously the body and blood of Christ and their significance.
c. The ___________________ (v. 28)
One must examine himself first and make the matter right before he partakes.
d. The _______________ (v. 31)
Because some believers in Corinth participated in an unworthy matter, some
were sick and some had even died. These are severe consequences.
e. The _____________________ (vs. 31,32)
The means from avoiding this judgment from God is for each believer to judge
Himself and take care of the matters of sin in his life. However, God does not chasten
the believer to hurt him but to help him.
f. The _________
We as Bible Baptists believe in closed communion; that is, only the members of
our church can participate in the Lord’s Supper, they who have made things right
with God.
g. In ____________________
“This do in remembrance of me.” This is the purpose of the Lord’s Supper. God
knows that believers forget important matters easily and so He designed this service
12
to help each believer remember the death of Christ. Notice also that the believers are
not just allowed to participate but he is actually commanded to do so.
h. The _________ (v. 26)
This indicates that the believer ought to participate every time there is Lord’s
Supper in his own church. As a general rule, it should not be held so often that it
loses its meaning and becomes just a habit and obligatory or even mere tradition.
A. Each member should put into _____________ his participation in the Lord’s Supper.
B. Each member should realize what Christ had done for us on Calvary’s cross.
Lesson Four
The Two Church Ordinances And Offices
13
B. TWO OFFICES
B-1: THE PASTOR
The Bible does not teach the doctrine of the color of the clergy in the church in the
church such as Pope, cardinal, archbishop, monsignor, etc.
The Bible only emphasizes the pastor as the ____________ of the church.
A. Definition: It is ______________ _____________ laid down on His word to be exercised by the man
divinely called to lead and feed God’s flock (1 Timothy 1:11,12). The Greek word for
“Pastor” is poimeu which is related to the word “flock” as poimnion and “feed” as poimanino.
B. Different Titles For The Office Of Pastor And Their Meaning:
1. ____________ – (Jeremiah 3:15) refers to the feeding, caring ministry of the man called the
pastor. This tile encompasses all the responsibility of such man.
2. __________ – (Titus 1:5; 1 Peter 5:1) refers to the characteristics of maturity, wisdom and
dignity which is sometime associated with age. Even a young man may be an elder if he
exhibits these characteristics of course with a special calling.
3. ____________ – (Acts 20:28) refers to the Pastor’s job of ruling and leading.
4. _____________ – (1 Timothy 3:1,5) refers to the administrative role of the Pastor, for he is
to lead the church. He is the one responsible for all that goes in the church.
5. _______________________ – (1 Peter 5:4) being under Christ as the Chief Shepherd.
6. ____________________ – (2 Timothy 3:17) he is a man but divinely called of God for a divine
task.
7. ________________________________ – (1 Peter 5:5) He is God's minister that carries out all
divine responsibilities.
C. Designated Responsibilities Of The Pastors:
1. Feed The Flock (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2)
2. Rebuke, Exhort (2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:13)
3. Preach The Word (2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 1:9)
4. Being Example (1 Peter 5:3)
5. Magnify His Office (Romans 11:13)
6. Ordain Elders (Titus 1:5)
D. Designated Qualification Of The Pastor:
(1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:1-4)
1. blameless
2. husband of one wife
3. vigilant
4. sober
5. of good behavior
6. given to hospitality

14
7. apt to teach
8. not given to wine
9. no striker
10. not greedy of filthy lucre
11. patient
12. not a brawler
13. not covetous
14. one that ruleth well his own house
15. having his children in all subjection will all gravity
16. not a novice
17. must have a good report on them that are without
18. holding fast the faithful word
19. not self willed
E. Defined Attitudes And Responsibilities Of The Flock To Their Pastor:
1. worthy of double-honor (1 Timothy 5:17)
2. partaker of his fruits (2 Timothy 2:6)
3. remember him (Hebrews 13:7)
4. obey and submit to him (Hebrews 13:17)
5. salute him (Hebrews 13:24)
6. humble yourselves (1 Peter 5:5)
7. support him materially (1 Corinthians 9:11)
8. not be against him (1 Corinthians 9:9; 1 Timothy 5:18)
❖ All of these can be done on the basis of _______and _____________.

God has appointed the pastor to lead the local churches on the human level. 1 Timothy 5:17
instructed us to honor our Pastor. We should do this since he is the only human leader God has
given to the church.
❖ What are some ways that we can honor and encourage our Pastor?
A. We can pray for him more.
B. We can speak a word of encouragement to him.
C. We can write him a card of letter to show honor to him and encourage him.
D. We can speak more highly of him to others.
E. We can invite him and his family over to our home.
F. We could send him a gift or give him a plaque of appreciation.
G. We should have a “Pastor’s Appreciation Day” during his birthday or celebrate with his
wife their wedding anniversary.

15
H. We should also learn to appreciate his family especially the Pastor’s wife being his
helpmeet.
The Pastor ought not to be the one to initiate this but the more close and loyal to the Pastor or
his officers and teaching staff.
BUILDING A PASTOR
We have heard of building a church but what about building a Pastor? It is true that you can build a
Pastor, or you can turn him down. A great pastor will build his church and great church will build her
pastor. The church is as responsible on what she does to her Pastor, as is the Pastor for what he does
for the church. How can we, as members of church help make our Pastor’s ministry more effective?
1. Build his spiritual power by praying for him.
2. Build his reputation by speaking well of him.
3. Build his leadership by cooperating with him.
4. Build his pulpit power by hearing him.
5. But the greatest thing you can do for your Pastor is to follow the Christ he preaches and obey
God’s Word.
B-2: THE DEACON
Memory Verse:
“For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great
boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 3:13
I. Lesson Introduction:
The office of the deacon is not a ‘status quo’ but it serves as a need (Acts 6:1-7). It is our
position that the Bible does not impose this as a rule that the church should have deacons
when they do not supply the need. At times, they become problems more than helps.
Other Christian churches, especially the evangelical and Protestants have made the deacons
as an advisory or electing board so that they appear and many times they are above the pastor.
The pastor is at the mercy of the Board. This is totally unscriptural and with no biblical basis.
II. Lesson Exposition:
A. The Scriptural Definition of Deacon
The word office is not actually applicable to the word deacon. Deacons are not ____________ ____________.
The pastor is the only official in the church having divine calling and authority.
The word deacon comes from the Greek word ‘diakonos’. The verb of which is
‘diakoneo’. This word is used and translated as:
1. “ministered” (Matthew 8:15)
2. “Minister” (Matthew 20:26-28; Romans 15:25; Ephesians 6:21)
3. “ministering” (Matthew 27:55)
4. “served”(Acts 6:1-7)
5. “servants”(Romans16:1)
Thus we can define the word deacon as having responsibility in the church as a servant
under the _______________ of the pastor.
B. The Scriptural Qualification Of The Deacon
(Acts 6:1-7)

16
1. Positively:
a. They serve the church.
b. They serve the pastor.
c. They are also involved in the ministry of evangelism (example: Stephen & Philip):
2. Negatively:
a. They are never given any governing authority in the scripture.
b. They are to be servant not masters.
c. They are advisers to the pastor.
d. They are not to run the church.
III. Lesson Application:
Our lay preachers, teachers, and workers are in a sense occupying the responsibilities of
deacons. Thus we can apply these things to them.
As a church, what can we do for our laymen and workers?
A. We should pray for their personal lives.
B. We should pray for the Lord to give them wisdom in their ministry
C. We should ask the Lord to help them in the particular area of the church for which they are
responsible.
D. We should pray for their families.
E. We should pray that they would stick to their job and be so loyal to the pastor.
F. We should extend to them our hand of appreciation.
Lesson Five
The Individual Soul Liberty
17
Memory Verse:
“One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be
fully persuaded in his own mind. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 12” Romans
14:5, 12
Individual soul liberty is essentially religious liberty. We believe that a person should not be
forced ________________ his will to believe something. When the person is being forced to believe
something, this is already a curtailment of religious freedom whether he is a believer or an
unbeliever.
The Baptists have been the champions of individual or personal soul liberty.
Why is it wrong to force someone to believe something? It is wrong because you cannot
____________ man’s heart or mind by physically forcing him to do something. His heart must
change first. This is a Biblical principle that cannot be denied.
A. The Meaning Of Individual Soul Liberty:
Every individual whether a believer or unbeliever has the liberty to choose what his
________________or soul decides is best. It is the same as religious freedom.
No one is forced by external or physical means. There has never been a Baptist army or
Baptist inquisition period.
On the contrary, there have been Baptists down through the years that have been the
victims of such tactics.
When a country does not allow religious persecutions occur.
B. The Biblical Indications Of Individual Soul Liberty
The main principle set forth in Romans 14:5-12. A person must be willing and fully
persuaded to believe in something and no person is to be judge of another. Each one of us is
________________ to God in judgment someday.
C. Other Principles Of Individual Soul Liberty:
1. We are to preach the Word not to _________ the Word of someone else.
2. We are to tell someone about someone about salvation but we cannot force him to be
saved.
3. Man does the telling, preaching, impressing but God does the _________________,
_______________ and the _________________.
D. Limitations To Individual Soul Liberty:
1. One soul liberty ends when one soul’s liberty begins.
2. Soul liberty does not mean a believer does what he wants to and does not care about
others.
3. Soul liberty is not justification for ______________ the scripture.
4. Soul liberty is not a freedom to _______ but enjoy life in the realm of God’s will.
IV. Lesson Application

18
A. Some Of The Proper Means God Has Given Us To Help Person Change His Mind About
A Spiritual Matter:
1. We can pray for him.
2. We can be a testimony for him.
3. We can share him some Scriptural truths that pertain to the subject.
4. We can give him literature to read on the subject.
5. We can encourage him to be faithful in all church services to hear the preaching of God’s
Word.
6. We can exhort him to talk to the Pastor personally when a subject is not yet clear in his
mind.
Lesson Six
The Scripturally Saved, Baptized Church Membership

19
Memory Verse:
“Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as
should be saved.” Acts 2:47
Baptism and church membership are not given any importance among many Christian circles
today. After having been saved, a person is not given any instruction in his biblical
responsibilities and is just told to attend to any church of his choice, read a modern Bible
version and try to share his faith.
As a result, anemic, irresponsible, untrained, malnourished Christian is produced.
The church is the only institution established by the Lord Himself during His personal earthly
ministry to carry out the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
A. The Great Commission Threefold: (All these are the work of the local church)
1. Make _______________out of all nations.
2. Make _____________ out of those disciples.
3. Make __________ and ________________ people out of them.
B. Three Most Important Things In A Christian’s Life:
1. His ______________ (most important)
2. His ____________ (church membership)
3. His __________________ (as a Christian)
A. The Importance Of Church Membership: (The biblical instruction of a saved and
baptized church membership.)
* Two thoughts are explored here:
First, only saved and baptized people ____________ church members.
Second, saved and baptized people should always be ___________ church members.
1. Saved people identified with other believers in a local church and become actively
involved (Acts 2:41-47)
2. Apostle Paul wrote to saved and baptized people in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:1-16).
3. Apostle Paul called the Thessalonians brethren a church and commended them for their
labour and faithfulness (1 Thessalonians 1)
4. Believers are instructed to meet regularly with other believers (Hebrews 10:25).
B. The Practical Benefits:
1. Of A Saved And Baptized Church Membership:
a. ___________ the purity of the church and its teaching.

20
b. __________ the church when members believe the same things; there is less chance of
division.
c. ________________ the believers to be obedient to the Word of God.
2. Of Church Membership:
a. A believer will feel more a _______ of the church and its people.
b. He will have a greater _______________ to the church since it will be his church.
c. He will be able to _____________ more effectively and scripturally.
d. He will have his own ___________ to help him in times of need.
e. He will have the best opportunities of spiritual growth and maturity.
A. A believer in Christ should immediately make this important decision now.
B. As a member of church, I should start to give (or give more).
C. I should pray for my church more.
D. I should attend the church services regularly.
E. I should not speak negatively about my church.
F. I should be involved in the ministries of my church.
G. Is should always be of help around the church.
Lesson Seven
The Theocratic Form Of Government

21
Memory Verse:
“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they
that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”
Hebrews 13:17
Church government is varied. The Roman Catholic Church for example believes that
ecclesiastical authority rests upon the Pope. Some Protestant churches have denomination
bishops and resort to hierarchical authority. Most other Evangelical and Baptist churches
believe in a congregational or democratic type of church government.
However, it is a Bible Baptist Distinctive that government of the church should be
THEOCRATIC.
A. Definition: The word is derived from the Greek “theos” meaning, God and ‘Kraiter’
meaning to rule. Hence it denotes the rule of God. Thus, theocracy means God rules His
church through His divinely _______________ man.
B. Old Testament Examples (Exodus 19:4-9; Deuteronomy 33:4-5)
1. God ruled His people Israel through Moses, Joshua, the Judges, etc.
2. The law of the king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20) recognizes the ultimate control of the
Lord.
3. The human agencies provided to enable Israel to carry out Jehovah’s will included not
only kings but also a success of prophets, culminating in the great prophet like Moses
(Deut. 18:14-15). Priest and Levites were included also, to whom God gave the duties of
presenting the typically redemptive sacrificial blood to the Lord, pointing forward to the
blood of Christ, and the duty of teaching the people the moral law, the statutes, the
judgments, the sacred history, prophecy and poetry of the Old Testament (Leviticus
10:8-11; Deuteronomy 31:9-11).
C. The New Testament Principles Can Be Seen In The Following Reason:
1. The Lord Jesus is the _________ Pastor of the church. (Matthew 16:18)
2. The Holy Spirit is the _______________ of the church. (Acts 20:26)
3. God calls men directly for the _____________ task.
4. Christ churches today are commanded to make Christ _______________. (Colossians1:17-
18)
5. The Lord Jesus is still the ________ of the churches of today.
6. The titles given to the pastor in the New Testament __________ that theocracy should be
the form of government. He is called Undershepherd, Overseer, Bishop, Pastor and
Elder.
Repeatedly, the Scriptures command submission and respect to divine
________________.

We should recognize that as Christ is the head of the His Church, He must be the head of our lives. We should follow His
directions and commands.

22
A. We should not fellowship with churches, which is anti-theocratic.

B. We should never remove ourselves from the church whose head is the Lord Jesus Christ.
C. We should submit ourselves to the authority of the Pastor.
D. We should be servants and laborers realizing that God is our Lord and Master.
Lesson Eight
The Separation Of The Church And State
Memory Verse:
23
“They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which
are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” Matthew 22:21
Many countries have a state church which means that the state controls the church. For
example, the Anglican Church is the state church of England. Communist countries control the
churches. History abounds with instances of the state controlling the church and in some cases,
the church controlling the state. Both directions of control are wrong.
A. Definition: We believe that the Bible teaches that:
1. There should be no organic __________ between the church and the state.
2. The state should not control the __________ of the church.
We do grant that our churches should gladly submit to building and safety codes
establishment by the state, but the state should not dominate, control or interferes with the
affairs of the church.
In the area of education for example, the state requires through the department of
education that private and church schools should be recognized by the government that
permission should be granted in the operation of the school. We recognize this requirement
but there must be any control or interference from the state.
B. The Scriptural Basis Of The Separation Of The Church And State
1. The earthly sphere (government) and heavenly sphere (God) are separate. Each has
authority and is to be obeyed. The church is the ____________ form of God’s realm today.
(Matthew 22:21)
2. Christ’s realm is separate from the earthly realm. When the state controls the church, it
makes Christ’s realm a ___________ realm, which it must not be the case. (John 18:36)
3. When the state makes a demand that conflict with what Christ demands, we must _______
Christ rather than the state. (Acts 5:29)
C. Possible Government Control Of Church:
1. There could be some control exerted by laws, which the legislators make.
2. There could be control by the decisions, which courts make.
3. There could be control by the actions of government agencies. We need to be aware and
vigilant in these areas.
D. Current Issues In Church-State Relations:
Some of the areas involve taxation of churches and schools, certifications of teachers and
other matters in Christian school movement, religious groups meetings in public places such as
high school and college campuses.
The separation of the church and state is a biblical truth we Baptists have championed and
that we must defend. What can we do as individual believers to help maintain this biblical truth
and national freedom?
A. We can pray for our leaders and for our country.
B. We can inform others of these issues.
C. We can write our country leaders on these matters.
24
D. We can vote for people whom we believe will defend this truth.


The Biblical Distinctives of Baptist - Student

Încărcat de

Informații document

Titlu original

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptist - Student

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

1

Every person who is saved should be baptized by an authorized local church.

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

B. Presbyterians, Lutherans, American Baptist, Southern Baptist and etc).

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

The Two Church Ordinances and Offices

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

III. Lesson Application

A-2: LORD’S SUPPER

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

1. _______________ ____________ (v. 24)

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

III. Lesson Application

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

IV. Lesson Application

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

version and try to share his faith.

As a result, anemic, irresponsible, untrained, malnourished Christian is produced.

ministry to carry out the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

III. Lesson Application

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

A. We should not fellowship with churches, which is anti-theocratic.

The Biblical Distinctives of Baptists | Revised 2018

S-ar putea să vă placă și

1. ___ (v. 24)