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1925
Baptist Faith and Message Statement
of the
Southern Baptist Convention
Report of a Committee
on
Baptist Faith and
Message
As presented to and adopted by
The Southern Baptist Convention
in Session
1925, Memphis, Tennessee
____________ From the minutes
of May 15:
M.A. Phillips, Louisiana, offered the following resolution
which under suspension of the rules, was adopted; "Whereas the action of the
convention yesterday upon the Statement of the Baptist Faith and Message is
being interpreted by some as an endorsement of Evolution, Therefore be it
resolved:
1. That such an interpretation is a misinterpretation.
2. That no paragraph, sentence or word in our Statement of Faith and
Message can truly be cited as an endorsement of Evolution.
On motion of
M.A. Phillips, Louisiana, the Sunday School Board was instructed to print the
statement of Baptist Faith and Message and the above resolution, and mail
copies of the same to every pastor in the Convention.
Presented to
the Southern Baptist Convention, in session at Memphis, Tennessee on May 14,
1925:
Your committee begs leave to report as follows:
Your
committee recognizes that they were appointed "to consider the advisability of
issuing another statement of the Baptist Faith and Message, and to report at
the next Convention."
In pursuance of the instructions of the
Convention, and in consideration of the general denominational situation, your
committee has decided to recommend the New Hampshire Confession of Faith,
revised at certain points, and with some additional articles growing out of
present needs, for approval by the Convention, in the event a statement of the
Baptist faith and message is deemed necessary at this time.
The present
occasion for a reaffirmation of Christian fundamentals is the prevalence of
naturalism in the modern teaching and preaching of religion. Christianity is
supernatural in its origin and history. We repudiate every theory of religion
which denies the supernatural elements of our faith.
As introductory to
the doctrinal articles, we recommend the adoption by the Convention of the
following statement of the historic Baptist conception of the nature and
function of confessions of faith in our religious and denominational life,
believing that some such statement will clarify the atmosphere and remove some
causes of misunderstandings, friction, and apprehension. Baptists approve and
circulate confessions of faith with the following understandings, namely:
(1) That they constitute a consensus of opinion of some
Baptist body, large or small, for the general instruction and guidance of our
own people and others concerning those articles of the Christian faith which
are most surely held among us. They are not intended to add anything to the
simple conditions of salvation revealed in the New Testament, viz., repentance
towards God, and faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
(2) That we
do not regard them as complete statements of our faith, having any quality of
finality or infallibility. As in the past so in the future, Baptists should
hold themselves free to revise their statements of faith as may seem to them
wise and expedient at any time.
(3) That any group of Baptists, large
or small, has the inherent right to draw up for themselves and publish to the
world a confession of their faith whenever they may think it advisable to do
so.
(4) That the sole authority for faith and practice among Baptists
is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Confessions are only guides in
interpretation, having no authority over the conscience.
(5) That they
are statements of religious convictions drawn from the Scriptures, and are not
to be used to hamper freedom of thought or investigation in other realms of
life.
1. THE SCRIPTURES We believe that the Holy Bible was written
by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction;
that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any
mixture of error, for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God
will judge 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 opinion should be tried.
2. GOD There is one and only one living and true God, an
intelligent, spiritual and personal being, the Creator, Preserver and Ruler of
the universe, infinite in holiness and all other perfections, to whom we owe
the highest love, reverence and obedience. He is revealed to us as Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division
of nature, essence or being.
3. THE FALL OF MAN Man was created by the special act of
God, as recorded in Genesis. "So God created man in his own image, in the image
of God created he him; male and female created he them." (Gen 1:27) "And the
Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Gen 2:7) He was created
into a state of holiness under the law of his Maker, but, through the
temptation of Satan, he transgressed the command of God and fell from his
original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity inherit a nature
corrupt and in bondage to sin, and are under condemnation, and as soon as they
are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.
4. THE WAY OF SALVATION The salvation of sinners is wholly
of grace, through the mediatorial office of the Son of God, who by the Holy
Spirit was born of the Virgin Mary and took upon him our nature, yet without
sin; honored the divine law by his personal obedience and made atonement for
our sins by his death. Being risen from the dead, he is now enthroned in
heaven, and, uniting in his person the tenderest sympathies with divine
perfections, he is in every way qualified to be a compassionate and
all-sufficient Saviour.
5. JUSTIFICATION Justification is God's gracious and full
acquittal upon principles of righteousness of all sinners who believe in
Christ. This blessing is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of
righteousness which we have done, but through the redemption that is in and
through Jesus Christ. It brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor
with God, and secures every other needed blessing.
6.THE FREENESS OF SALVATION The blessings of salvation are
made free to all by the gospel. It is the duty of all to accept them by
penitent and obedient faith. Nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest
sinner except his own voluntary refusal to accept Jesus Christ as teacher,
Saviour and Lord.
7. REGENERATION Regeneration or the new birth is a change of
heart wrought by the Holy Spirit, whereby we become partakers of the divine
nature and a holy disposition is given, leading to the love and practice of
righteousness. It is a work of God's free grace conditioned upon faith in
Christ and made manifest by the fruit which we bring forth to the glory of God.
8. REPENTANCE AND FAITH We believe that repentance and faith
are sacred duties and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the
regenerating Spirit of God; Whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt, anger,
and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with
unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; at the same time
heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest and King, and
relying on him alone as the only and all-sufficient Saviour.
9. GOD'S PURPOSE OF GRACE Election is the gracious purpose
of God, according to which he regenerates, sanctifies and saves sinners. It is
perfectly consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means
in connection with the end. It is a most glorious display of God's sovereign
goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy and unchangeable. It excludes boasting
and promotes humility. It encourages the use of means in the highest degree.
10. SANCTIFICATION Sanctification is the process by which
the regenerate gradually attain to moral and spiritual perfection through the
presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in their hearts. It continues
throughout the earthly life, and is accomplished by the use of all the ordinary
means of grace, and particularly by the Word of God.
11. PERSEVERANCE All real believers endure to the end. Their
continuance in well-doing is the mark which distinguishes them from mere
professors. A special Providence cares for them, and they are kept by the power
of God through faith unto salvation.
12. A GOSPEL CHURCH A church of Christ is a congregation of
baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the
gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by his laws, and
exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by his word, and
seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Its Scriptural officers
are bishops or elders and deacons.
13. BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER Christian baptism is the
immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit. The act is a symbol of our faith in a crucified, buried and risen
Saviour. it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation and to the
Lord's Supper, in which the members of the church, by the use of bread and
wine, commemorate the dying love of Christ.
14. THE LORD'S DAY The first day of the week is the Lord's
day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the
resurrection of Christ from the dead, and should be employed in exercises of
worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private, and by refraining from
worldly amusements, and resting from secular employments, works of necessity
and mercy only excepted.
15. THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED There is a radical and
essential difference between the righteous and wicked. Those only who are
justified through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Holy
Spirit are truly righteous in his sight. Those who continue in impenitence and
unbelief are in his sight wicked and are under condemnation. This distinction
between the righteous and the wicked holds in and after death, and will be made
manifest at the judgment when final and everlasting awards are made to all men.
16. THE RESURRECTION The Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus
rose from the dead. His grave was emptied of its contents. He appeared to the
disciples after his resurrection in many convincing manifestations. He now
exists in his glorified body at God's right hand. There will be a resurrection
of the righteous and the wicked. The bodies of the righteous will conform to
the glorious spiritual body of Jesus.
17. THE RETURN OF THE LORD The New Testament teaches in many
places the visible and personal return of Jesus to this earth. "This same Jesus
which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have
seen him go into heaven." The time of his coming is not revealed. "Of that day
and hour knoweth no one, no, not the angels in heaven, but my father only."
(Matt 24:36) It is the duty of all believers to live in readiness for his
coming and by diligence in good works to make manifest to all men the reality
and power of their hope in Christ.
18. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY God alone is Lord of the conscience,
and he has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are
contrary to his Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be
separate. The state owes to the church protection and full freedom in the
pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical
group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil
government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal
obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The
church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of
Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The
state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The
state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A
free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right
of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to
form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by
the civil power.
19. PEACE AND WAR It is the duty of Christians to seek peace
with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and
teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the pure gospel of our Lord. The
supreme need of the world is the acceptance of his teachings in all the affairs
of men and nations, and the practical application of his law of love.
We urge Christian people throughout the world to pray for the reign of
the Prince of Peace, and to oppose everything likely to provoke war.
20. EDUCATION Christianity is the religion of enlightenment
and intelligence. In Jesus Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge. All sound learning is therefore a part of our Christian heritage.
The new birth opens all human faculties and creates a thirst for knowledge. An
adequate system of schools is necessary to a complete spiritual program for
Christ's people. The cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate
with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along
with these the liberal support of the churches.
21. SOCIAL SERVICE Every Christian is under obligation to
seek to make the will of Christ regnant in his own life and in human society;
to oppose in the spirit of Christ every form of greed, selfishness and vice; to
provide for the orphaned, the aged, the helpless, and the sick; to seek to
bring industry, government and society as a whole under the sway of the
principles of righteousness, truth and brotherly love; to promote these ends
Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause,
always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their
loyalty to Christ and his truth. All means and methods used in social service
for the amelioration of society and the establishment of righteousness among
men must finally depend on the regeneration of the individual by the saving
grace of God in Christ Jesus.
22. CO-OPERATION Christ's people should, as occasion
requires, organize such associations and conventions as may best secure
co-operation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations
have no authority over each other or over the churches. They are voluntary and
advisory bodies designed to elicit, combine and direct the energies of our
people in the most effective manner. Individual members of New Testament
churches should co-operate with each other, and the churches themselves should
co-operate with each other in carrying forward the missionary, educational and
benevolent program for the extension of Christ's Kingdom. Christian unity in
the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary co-operation for
common ends by various groups of Christ's people. It is permissible and
desirable as between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be
attained is itself justified, and when such co-operation involves no violation
of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and his Word as revealed in
the New Testament.
23. EVANGELISM AND MISSIONS It is the duty of every
Christian man and woman, and the duty of every church of Christ to seek to
extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. The new birth of man's spirit by
God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort own the
part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life. It is
also expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. It is the
duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by
personal effort and by all other methods sanctioned by the gospel of Christ.
24. STEWARDSHIP God is the source of all blessings, temporal
and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to him. We have a spiritual
debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding
stewardship in our possessions. We are therefore under obligation to serve him
with our time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all
these as entrusted to us to use for the glory of God and helping others.
Christians should cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately and
liberally contribute of their means to advancing the Redeemer's cause on earth.
25. THE KINGDOM The kingdom of God is the reign of God in
the heart and life of the individual in every human relationship, and in every
form and institution of organized human society. The chief means for promoting
the Kingdom of God on earth are preaching the gospel of Christ, and teaching
the principles of righteousness contained therein. The Kingdom of God shall be
complete when every thought and will of man shall be brought into captivity to
the will of Christ. And it is the duty of all Christ's people to pray and labor
continually that his Kingdom may come and his will be done on earth as it is
done in heaven.
Since matters of science have no
proper place in a religious confession of faith, and since it is desirable that
our attitude towards science be clearly understood, your committee deems it
proper to submit the following statement on the relation between science and
religion, adopted in 1923 by this Convention in Kansas City, and request that
it be published in the minutes of the Convention.
SCIENCE AND RELIGION
- We recognize the greatness and value of the service which
modern science is rendering to the cause of truth in uncovering the facts of
the natural world. We believe that loyalty to fact is a common ground of
genuine science and the Christian Religion. We have no interest or desire in
covering up any fact in any realm of research.. But we do protest against
certain unwarranted procedures on the part of some so-called scientists. First,
in making discoveries, or alleged discoveries, in physical nature, a convenient
weapon of attack upon the facts of religion; second, using the particular
sciences, such as psychology, biology, geology and various others as if they
necessarily contained knowledge pertaining to the realm of the Christian
religion, setting aside the supernatural; third, teaching as facts what are
merely hypotheses. The evolution doctrine has long been a working hypothesis of
science, and will probably continue to be, because of its apparent simplicity
in explaining the universe. But its best exponents freely admit that the causes
of the origin of species have not been traced, nor has any proof been
forthcoming that man is not the direct creation of God as recorded in Genesis.
We protest against the imposition of this theory upon the minds of our children
in denominational, or public schools as if it were a definite and established
truth of science. We insist that this and all other theories be dealt with in a
truly scientific way, that is, in careful conformity to established facts.
- We record again our unwavering adherence to the supernatural
elements in the Christian religion. The Bible is God's revelation of himself
through men moved by the Holy Spirit, and is our sufficient, certain and
authoritative guide in religion. Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary,
through the power of the Holy Spirit. He was the divine and eternal Son of God.
He wrought miracles, healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead. He
died as the vicarious, atoning Saviour of the world, and was buried. He arose
again from the dead. The tomb was emptied of its contents. In his risen body he
appeared many times to his disciples. He ascended to the right hand of the
Father. He will come again in person, the same Jesus who ascended from the
Mount of Olives.
- We believe that adherence to the above truths and facts is a
necessary condition of service for teachers in our Baptist Schools. These facts
of Christianity in no way conflict with any fact in science. We do not sit in
judgment upon the scientific views of teachers of science. We grant them the
same freedom of research in their realm that we claim for ourselves in the
religious realm. But we do insist upon a positive content of faith in
accordance with the preceding statement as a qualification for acceptable
service in Baptist schools. The supreme issue today is between naturalism and
supernaturalism. We stand unalterably for the supernatural in Christianity.
Teachers in our schools should be careful to free themselves from any suspicion
of disloyalty on this point. In the present period of agitation and unrest they
are obligated to make their positions clear. We pledge our support to all
schools and teachers who are thus loyal to the facts of Christianity as
revealed in the Scriptures.
Signed by the Committee
E.Y.
Mullins, Chairman
S.M. Brown
W.J. McGlothlin
E.C. Dargan
L.R.
Scarborough
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