-
The Meaning Of Ecclesia
"And I say 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. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven …”—Matthew 16:18-19 This passage, Matthew 16:18-19, has been for many centuries a battle-ground of theological controversies. Though millions of the disputants have passed away, the questions which arrayed them against each other still survive to align their successors in hostile array. The most important of these divisive questions are: 1. What is the church? 2. Who established it and when?…
Further Study
The References To Ecclesia
-
Thoughts On Closed Communion
Is the Communion Table open or closed? Since all Christians recognize the Communion Table is restricted to professing believers, at the exclusion of all unbelievers, it is safe to say that there is no such thing as a purely open Table. And, since all discerning Baptists recognize the Communion Table is restricted to professing Christians that have been baptized, at the exclusion of all other Christians, it is safe to say that there is no such thing as a purely open Table among Baptist churches. It therefore reeks of hypocrisy when the ‘Open Communionists’ accuse their brethren who subscribe to a restricted Table as being uncharitable, unkind, judgmental and legalistic. Unlike the open Communion Baptists who recognize only two restrictions on the Table (regeneration and…
-
14. The Lord’s Supper
John Gadsby—The following meager scraps are all I have been able to meet with as to my father's observance of the Lord's Supper. If there were any one part of the services of God's house in which he was more solemn and impressive than another, it was at this ordinance, and every time, month after month and year after year, he was always favoured with something new to lay before the people. On leaving the vestry and reaching the table, he first gave out a suitable hymn, which was sung. He then, if any persons were to be received into the church, they having previously taken their seats in the tablepew, he requested them to stand up; and he then frequently addressed them collectively after…
-
The Historic Affirmations
The Affirmations set forth in the following statements are representative views of the historic values maintained by Strict (restricted table) and Particular (restricted atonement) Baptist churches, before and up to the mid-twentieth century. Since the Second World War, most historic churches have (1) adopted the Westcott and Hort text, thereby departing from the high view of verbal inspiration; (2) adopted the teachings of Fullerism, thereby departing from the high view of Sovereign Grace; (3) adopted the philosophy of Ecumenism, thereby departing from the high view of strict communion; (4) adopted an adaptation of Presbyterianism, thereby departing from the high view of Baptist polity. It appears many Strict Baptists have failed to understand that moving with the times does not mean churches must move from the…
-
Strict Communion
-
Chapter 2: The Significance of Baptism
The advent of John the Baptist into the world was not an unexpected event. Although his birth had not been announced by angels, as was Christ's, yet God had declared, "I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me."—Mai. 3:1. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."—Mai.4:5,6. Jesus declared that it was John of whom this was written. —Matt. 11:10. He also testified that Elias (Elijah) must first come, but declared that he had already come, and they knew him…
