We Believe in Ministerial Authority

Today on Words of Grace, we come to our final message in our series on the standard Statement of Faith or Abstract of Principles of historic Baptists in the United States and also Primitive Baptists of today, a document which we commonly refer to as the Articles of Faith.

The subject matter of today’s Article has to do with what we will call ministerial authority. While this might seem like a strange point of view to include in a document as important as the articles of faith, it’s actually very fitting to include it!

Article 12. We believe that no minister has a right to administration of the ordinances, only such as are regularly baptized, called, and come under the imposition of hands by a presbytery.

Radio broadcast for June 18, 2023. Continue reading “We Believe in Ministerial Authority”

We Believe in the Ordinances

As you know, we’re presently undertaking a survey of the basic tenants of the historic Baptist faith, as represented in the Articles of Faith of historic Baptist and contemporary Primitive Baptist Churches. Our subject matter for today shifts the focus from what we might call doctrinal or theological concepts to ecclesiological concepts, as we review the specifics of the ordinances.

From Flint River’s Statement of faith:

Article 9 – We believe that baptism, the Lord’s supper, and washing of the saints’ feet are ordinances of Jesus Christ, and that true believers are the only subjects of these ordinances, and the true mode of baptism is immersion.
Article 13 – We believe that none but regularly baptized members have a right to commune at the Lord’s Table.

Radio broadcast for June 4, 2023

Continue reading “We Believe in the Ordinances”

The Importance of Nonnegotiable Truths

On this weekend’s edition of Words of Grace, we consider the importance of ideas that aren’t up for debate. The Bible tells us to buy the truth and sell it not. This means once a truth is known, it’s not to be reconsidered. We may explain it, but we should never entertain movements to redefine it. Truth is truth.

Churches commonly have official, voted upon statements of faith that serve as a list of “nonnegotiable” concepts that are necessary to submit to in order to join and remain in good standing. We call these the “Articles of Faith,” and at Flint River, ours date back to our founding in 1808.

Radio broadcast for April 2, 2023. Continue reading “The Importance of Nonnegotiable Truths”