Who are Baptists from the point of view of Orthodoxy? Instructions for communicating with Baptists.

Historians, as a rule, date the emergence of Baptistism to the beginning of the 17th century. At this time, part of the radical wing of the Puritans, representatives of English Calvinism, came to the conclusion that infant baptism “does not correspond” to the New Testament and therefore one must be baptized at a conscious age. The head of this community, John Smith, baptized himself (by pouring water on his forehead), and then his followers. It is curious that Roger Williams, the founder of the first Baptist community in the USA, also baptized himself (although, according to another version, he was first baptized by a member of the community, who was obviously not baptized himself, and only then Williams baptized everyone else). These facts can be used for polemics with Baptists - is it possible to justify self-baptism with the Bible? In this regard, we can also use the fact that the most popular Baptist preacher of the 20th century, American Billy Graham, was baptized three times! He was first baptized as a child in the Presbyterian Church, then Baptist as an adult, but then he became a member of the conservative Southern Baptist Convention, and according to the rules of that denomination, even those baptized in other Baptist groups are baptized. Ask Baptists to clarify whether baptizing the same person three times is justified by the Bible? Granted, childhood baptism is not valid for Baptists, but Graham was consciously baptized twice in different Baptist groups!
At first, Baptistism was not particularly popular, since the Protestant world was dominated by representatives of “liturgical Protestantism” - Lutherans and Calvinists. In essence, Baptistism was a radical wing of Calvinism, and on most fundamental issues adhered to strict Calvinist positions. For example, they adhered to the doctrine of double predestination - the dogma that God, even before the creation of the world, without any reason, decided to save some people and send others to hell. Only in the 18th century did Baptists have their first missionary successes - in particular, their preaching among the black population of the United States was quite successful. At the same time, it is curious that some Baptists, especially in the southern states, were against the abolition of “black slavery” and tried to justify it with the help of the Bible. Today Baptists are the most widespread Protestant denomination in the United States and number about 50 million people (20% of the US population). Among African Americans, the share of Baptists is estimated at 50 to 70%. One of the most famous Baptists of the 20th century can be called the famous human rights pastor Martin Luther King, a fighter for the rights of black Americans, who died at the hands of a hitman.
In our country, Baptists appeared at the end of the 19th century and were often associated with the activities of foreign missionaries. The first surge in the popularity of Baptists occurred during the years of Soviet power - 1917-1927, which Baptists themselves call the “golden decade.” At this time, the Soviet government tried with all its might to destroy Orthodoxy, but Baptists were treated noticeably more liberally, since it was considered to have suffered from the “tsarist regime.” However, from the late 20s, persecution of Baptists also began. The next surge of Baptist activity in our country occurred in the late 80s and early 90s. The Protestant missionary expansion of the 90s increased the number of Baptists in our country several times.

Controversy with Baptists

Baptists, like other neo-Protestants (Adventists and Pentecostals), like to emphasize their own religiosity and spirituality, in contrast to the Orthodox, who, in their opinion, are for the most part non-believers and generally lost sinners. Here we must immediately make a reservation that in our country in post-Soviet times a specific situation has developed when the vast majority of people call themselves Orthodox, but in reality they are not, therefore it is completely incorrect to judge Orthodoxy by them. Any religion must be judged by the people who actually profess it. Yes, the Orthodox have many sins, and one cannot help but see this, but we do not propose to judge Baptists by pop singers - alcoholic Britney Spears and drug addict Whitney Houston, or by presidents - adulterer Bill Clinton, who actively lobbied for gay rights, or Harry Truman, who ordered the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which immediately killed about 200,000 people. But all these people were raised in the Baptist spirit and never (at least publicly) renounced their faith. So - let's compare those who are considered models of piety in one or another confession.
Note that Baptists, like American evangelicals in general, read several chapters from the Bible every day, and usually know at least several hundred verses by heart. Consequently, the Orthodox must not yield to them in this. Here it is worth recognizing that reading the Holy Scriptures in the Orthodox environment, alas, is often not a daily activity - although this is not prohibited by the Church, but, on the contrary, is approved by it. Of course, for the Orthodox, the interpretation of Scripture is mediated by Tradition, and Baptists believe that they interpret the Bible directly - and in this case there is a reason to talk about the status of Scripture in Orthodoxy and neo-Protestantism. Baptists often say that the Bible alone is sufficient for salvation - in which case, ask them how this is justified by the Bible itself? The words of Christ “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” which Baptists usually cite as evidence, do not prove anything - the thesis “Scripture alone” cannot be accurately derived from them.
After all, the Baptists did not take their interpretations of the Bible directly from it - Jesus did not appear to each of them face-to-face and dictate which interpretation of Scripture was true. Baptists borrowed their interpretations from the sermons of the pastor, certain books of their own tradition, as well as from their own experience and the experience of their fellow believers. If we go to any Baptist bookstore, then most of the books there will not be editions of Scripture, but books reflecting the spiritual experience of American evangelicals, or their Russian brethren (the latter, however, are much smaller). Consequently, Baptists also have Tradition, only it covers not the experience of the Church over 2000 years, but the experience of radical Protestants over the last 400 years. Thus, the difference between Orthodoxy and Baptistism is not the difference between Tradition and Scripture, but the difference between Tradition and traditions.
As a rule, Baptists agree that they have tradition, but at the same time they say: but the Scriptures are more important than tradition. It all depends on what you mean by tradition. Of course, the Orthodox do not equate the status of the books of Scripture with, for example, the status of the works of the Church Fathers. The Bible as the word of God is infallible. However, for the Orthodox, Scripture is part of Tradition, i.e. continuous church experience of communion with God. The Church's communion with God existed even when there were no books of Scripture. But even now, when there are books of Scripture, communion with God exists not only on the pages of the Bible - it is characteristic of the Church everywhere and always. Otherwise, where would Scripture itself and its true interpretations come from? Baptists often say that the Church is not needed for salvation - Scripture alone is enough, which supposedly gave birth to the Church. But who created the Scriptures? Obviously, members of the Church. Ask Baptists: How do we know that the Bible should include exactly the books that are included in it today? Why do the Orthodox include 77 books, and the Baptists - 66?
Did Christ or the apostles say anything about this? No. We will not see in the Bible itself any list of canonical or non-canonical books. Some books of the Bible are not quoted anywhere else in its other books, or never mention the Name of God (eg, Song of Songs). What are the rational criteria for recognizing certain books as biblical? It is clear that there are no such criteria - the criterion here is only in the inspiration of the Church of Christ. In the same way, it can be shown to Baptists that all their external criteria for the correct interpretation of the Bible are easily destroyed: for example, the principle that the darker passages of the Bible are interpreted by means of the “clearer” ones. But who will decide which parts of the Bible are clear and which are not? Different confessions address this issue in different ways: for Catholics it is obvious that the Bible speaks of purgatory, for Calvinists it is clear that salvation cannot be lost, and for Pentecostals there is no doubt that the Bible “permits” speaking in tongues. After all, neither the prophets, nor Christ, nor the apostles said which fragments of the Bible are “clear” and which are “dark” - it all depends on the subjective choice of one or another Protestant denomination. This means that the true interpretation of the Bible is not ensured by compliance with certain logical rules - grace is necessary, poured out by God through the Church.
Otherwise, we will get the “chaos of interpretations” that we see in Protestant confessions. Ask your interlocutor - where does this chaos of opinions come from, often on very important issues? This only demonstrates that quotations from the Bible by themselves do not prove anything - fragments from the books of Holy Scripture can be cited to support many, even completely opposite positions. And vice versa, the same verse can be interpreted in exactly the opposite way - for example, the words of Christ “let the children come to me” - for the Orthodox serve as an argument in favor of infant baptism, i.e. children are not alien to the action of grace, and for Baptists this is an argument that children, even without baptism, are not alien to God, since they have a different view of the meaning of baptism.. Of course, an Orthodox Christian should know those quotations from the Bible that are cited in defense of Orthodox teaching (they are easy can be learned from books like the “Anti-sectarian Catechism” by Father Nicholas Varzhansky), but you should remember that these quotes as such will not be so conclusive for Baptists - at best, they will convince your opponent that you are no worse acquainted with the Bible than he is.
It must be borne in mind that despite good knowledge of the biblical text, the vast majority of Baptists have a poor understanding of the history of the Church, or even, for example, the history of the Reformation. That is why among Baptists they want such fakes as, for example, the film “For the Orthodox about Orthodoxy”, which in terms of the level of lies is quite comparable to Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code”, and in its intellectual narrowness is somewhat reminiscent of Soviet atheistic propaganda. In this situation, it is necessary to remind Baptists that Christ promised that His Church will always exist, its existence in history is continuous (see Matt. 16, 18). However, Baptistism appeared only in the 17th century, and many of its doctrines were not known during the first 15 centuries of Christian history - so, the Church, contrary to the words of Christ, was mistaken in fundamental questions of faith for 1500 years?! Your interlocutor will most likely say that the Church was not mistaken in the dogmas about the Trinity and the God-manhood of Christ, and the rest, they say, is unimportant... But how does it matter when Baptists accuse the Orthodox of idolatry and paganism? If they are “serious”, then how can one trust such a Church at all? But it was the Church that approved the New Testament canon, it was she who defended the truth of the Trinity of God and the doctrine of the Incarnation in the fight against heretics. How could the “pagans and idolaters” do this?! Conclusion - the Church remained the Body of Christ all this time.
Finally, Baptists profess the doctrine of salvation by faith alone, but it was not known to Christians until Martin Luther, i.e. until the 16th century. Luther himself considered it the most important dogma of Christianity. It turns out that the Church of 15 centuries did not understand at all how a person is saved? So, the gates of hell defeated her? And here you can draw the attention of your interlocutor to the person who first began to talk about salvation by faith. As you know, Martin Luther was far from a saint - he constantly cursed his opponents in the most obscene terms, proposed exterminating Jews and killing German peasants. Can we believe that this particular person, for the first time in 15 centuries, correctly understood the doctrine of salvation? Another leader of the Reformation, Calvin (and Baptistism grew out of his teachings and still adheres to many doctrines associated with Calvin), persecuted dissenters in Geneva as best he could, not even stopping at the death penalty. Of course, many crimes could also be committed in the name of Orthodoxy. But here we are talking about people who laid the fundamental foundations of Protestant dogma - after all, all Protestants, despite many disagreements, still believe in salvation by faith. And if the people who “discovered” this dogma are like that, then how can you continue to listen to their opinion, passing it off as evidence of Scripture?
The defense of the Orthodox doctrine of salvation in a dispute with Baptists can be structured as follows: 1. Emphasize that the words of St. Apostle, beloved by Protestants. Paul about “justification by faith” (Rom. 3:28) mean that a person is saved independently of “the works of the law,” i.e. Old Testament law. The apostle speaks only against “earning salvation”, relying on works, but he nowhere claims that a person does not participate in his salvation. Ap. James, on the contrary, emphasizes that faith without works is dead. 2. Christ's parable of the sower insists that although people can believe in Christ, they regularly fall away from the faith and do not bear fruit, i.e. salvation depends on a person, and he can either accept it or reject it, but even after accepting this gift, he then often rejects it - therefore, there can be no question of guaranteed salvation. 3. Christ’s words that the believer is saved are spoken by him either after healing, and therefore do not have the meaning of eternal salvation, or it is implied that the believer is a person living by Christ, and not just mentally accepting Him, i.e. salvation depends on works.
4. The Bible (both Old and New Testaments) is full of calls to constantly repent, consider yourself a sinner and keep the commandments - what would be the point if salvation was immediately guaranteed without the possibility of losing it? 5. Russian Baptists admit that salvation can still be lost, but ask them - are you sure that you are saved? They will say “yes, let’s go to heaven right now” - this means they are sure that despite their sins, they will still be in heaven, i.e. You can sin, but this does not affect your guaranteed salvation and does not lead to falling away? 6. Baptists claim that at the very first moment of turning to God, when they accepted Christ as a “personal Savior” (pay attention to this expression - the Church has nothing to do with it, God saves everyone one by one), God forgave them all their sins, and therefore, although they sin, their sins are not such for God. The question arises: firstly, how can all sins be forgiven in advance? Of course, nothing is impossible for God, but the doctrine according to which you are forgiven sins that have not yet been committed, for which you have not repented, looks very strange! It turns out that God forgives in advance uncommitted murders, thefts, and adulteries? But then you can safely sin! Of course, Baptists will not be able to draw such an absurd conclusion, but does this not mean that their original doctrine is incorrect? If a student is told before starting his studies that he is guaranteed a diploma with honors, and his studies will have virtually no effect on this, will he study with full diligence? 7. If salvation does not depend on man (and this is what the doctrine of salvation by faith advocates), then Baptists, like other Protestants, have only one way out - the doctrine of strict predestination. This means that God does not want to save everyone for reasons incomprehensible to us. Can Baptists believe in a God who is love, but not for everyone, but only for the elect?
It is important for the Orthodox to clarify that the Church has never believed that salvation can be “earned.” Orthodoxy has never believed that a person can have “merits” before God. The Catholic Church was inclined towards this, but in Orthodoxy, for example, there were no indulgences. Orthodox Christians do not believe in merit, but in the fact that a person interacts with God in the process of salvation and freely participates in his own salvation. And therefore, you cannot be sure in advance that you will be in heaven - a person can fall away from God at any moment. Yes, salvation is by grace - Orthodox and Baptists agree here - but mercy is always unobtrusive and non-violent - it does not save if you don’t want it. And in order to dispose a person to grace, to drive out sin, certain “exercises” are necessary, which in themselves do not save, but with the help of God, they turn out to be useful - hence fasting in Orthodoxy and other “asceticism”. A Baptist does not need this, because... The doctrine of instant salvation believes that sin has already been cast out and will no longer plague you. The Orthodox remember the words of the Apostle - “if we say that we have no sin, the truth is not in us.”
Baptists often raise the issue of venerating saints and icons, accusing the Orthodox of paganism and idolatry. In this case, the Orthodox should immediately ask: has the Baptist read in at least one Orthodox book calls to worship wood and pray to paints? Does he seriously think the Orthodox are so stupid? Make a reservation that we are arguing about the actual position of Orthodoxy, and not about the “opinions of grandmothers.” It is also necessary to clarify that the commandment “thou shalt not make for yourself an idol” also presupposes that one must not make “any images” - but for some reason Baptists easily violate this clause and depict Christ or biblical events.
Here it is necessary to explain how the Orthodox differentiate between veneration, which belongs to the icon (image) and worship, which is due only to God (the prototype). We wait only for God for salvation, but He gives it to us through the Church - through His saints and His shrines. He doesn’t need this type of salvation—we need it. In the Bible we see that people are saved through people - don't Baptists read the Scripture that came to us through His saints - God did not dictate the Gospel to them directly.. In the same way, we see that God saves people through material shrines - for example, the ark and the temple, as it was in the Old Testament. Baptists say - but in the New Testament there are no direct commands to paint icons! Yes, no... But there are also no direct commands to celebrate Easter and Christmas, and there are no hymns from the Baptist collection either. It’s just that all Christians understand: what is acceptable is what is not prescribed by letter, but corresponds to the spirit. So the veneration of shrines corresponds to the Christian spirit - a person consists of soul and body, therefore it is natural for him to be sanctified through material shrines - hence the temple, icons, water in baptism, bread and wine in communion; hence the ritual - through material things we show the beauty of the Heavenly Kingdom. Where rituals have been abandoned, the service is simply boring.. It’s like New Year without a tree, sparklers and gifts - in black suits and with gloomy faces..
In the Old Testament, believers knelt before the ark and the temple; today Christians kneel before icons. When Baptists ask, isn't this idolatry? - ask them - if a young man kneels in front of a girl, confessing his love to her, is this idolatry? Are American Protestants kneeling in front of their country's flag and kissing it committing idolatry? Or do they just love their homeland? Why is it possible to kneel in front of the US flag, but not in front of the icon of Christ?
As for prayers to the saints, here we must immediately tell Baptists - the Orthodox do not believe in certain “merits” of the saints, they do not deify them, and do not put them on the same level as Christ - any prayer to the saints is a prayer to Christ - we ask the saints to pray to our Lord , so that He would help us with His grace, and not the saints would help us with some of their own magical powers. Let's ask the Baptists - do you ask your fellow believers to pray for you, realizing that your prayers alone are not enough, because you are far from being as holy as Christ? In the Church, everyone prays for each other, and everyone asks each other for prayers. The Orthodox simply claim that this prayerful connection between members of the Church is not interrupted even when the saints find themselves in heaven - thanks to Christ, thanks to the fact that we are one body in Christ, the saints pray for us in heaven, and can hear our prayers addressed to him on earth, which is confirmed by the entire history of the Church. If Baptists are confident that a mother’s prayer for children has great power before God, and they ask their mothers to pray for them, then why do they deny this to the Mother of Christ Himself?? These are the ones whose prayers are strong before God, stronger than any mother on earth...
It is very important to discuss the issue of sacraments with Baptists. You can limit yourself to only baptism and communion. The main disagreement is this: Baptists do not need the sacraments for salvation. This is their delusion. After all, if baptism and communion are not necessary for our salvation, then why should we be baptized and receive communion at all? Christ commanded us to baptize all nations and give communion to everyone - but according to Baptism, we can easily do without this.. Does this mean that Christ commanded nonsense?? Baptists say to this that the main thing is faith... Yes, faith, but faith presupposes that we believe that Christ commanded us to perform baptism and communion for our sanctification and salvation - otherwise it turns out that our faith is absurd. Believe that baptism and communion will not affect your salvation in any way, believe that they are only signs - this is the Baptist creed! In connection with this understanding, it is difficult for Baptists to understand why we baptize children - after all, a child cannot “indicate” that he is already saved. But the Orthodox have a different meaning - in baptism a person is given grace for liberation from sin, giving birth to eternal life. Baptists will not argue for long that children are not strangers to God’s grace and need salvation, but then why not baptize them with a baptism of grace? For Orthodox Christians, baptism is a healing medicine: would Baptists agree to give their child medicine when he is sick, although the child does not know what he is sick with or how the medicine works? This is why the Orthodox advocate infant baptism.
Likewise with the sacrament. Just eating bread and drinking wine, remembering the suffering of Christ - this is important, of course. Only then is it better to read the Gospel. But to commune with Christ Himself is necessary for salvation, because if we are not one with Christ, then how will we enter heaven with Him? Simple bread and wine will not save anyone - only the Body and Blood of the Lord Himself... So communion is appropriate only if it is a saving sacrament, and not just a “rite of breaking bread”, in which Christ, in fact, is not present. Where the saving sacraments have disappeared, we see a dull service, pop music, and very bad poetry. Did the Lord really come down to earth to give birth to only this?

1. Prot. Nikolai Varzhansky. Anti-sectarian catechism. - M., 2001.
2. The sword of the Spirit. – Krasnodar, 1995.
3. Deacon Andrey Kuraev. Protestants about Orthodoxy. Heritage of Christ. 10th edition. – Klin, 2009.
4. Priest Daniil Sysoev. A Protestant's walk through an Orthodox church. – M., 2003.
5. Deacon Sergius Kobzar. Why can’t I remain a Baptist and a Protestant in general. – Slavyansk, 2002.
6. Deacon John Whiteford. Scripture alone? – Nizhny Novgorod, 2000.

The emergence in our time of a large number of sects and heretical teachings encourages us to give the Orthodox Christian the opportunity to become acquainted with the teaching of the Holy Orthodox Church regarding some of these errors.

We present to the attention of pious Christians this small brochure, published at one time by the Optina elders. We hope that it will help to establish ourselves in the Holy Orthodox Faith and arm ourselves against false teachers, especially those who are intensifying their activities now - during the period of spiritual transformation of society.

May our Lord strengthen us all in all piety and purity.

Their origin

Their original name was Anabaptists, that is, re-baptists, since the baptism received in childhood was considered invalid by the sect and baptized again. This sect, one of the violent ones, is a product of the Western Reformation of the 16th century. Pastor Thomas Munzer (1523) considered Catholicism and Protestantism not only useless, but even dangerous, because they distorted the commandments of God. Therefore, he called a new generation, enlightened by His Spirit. Muntzer's sermons flattered human passions, the people sought to listen to them, and Muntzer's followers were all rebaptized. Soon the farmers in Franconia, numbering more than forty thousand, rebelled against the owners, but the rebels were defeated. Münzer was captured and executed. In 1533, the Anabaptists caused a new turmoil in Westphalia in the city of Munster, where, having overthrown the city government and taken possession of the city, they proclaimed the apprentice tailor John of Leiden king of the new Zion. The army of the Bishop of Munster besieged the city, John of Leiden and his associates were captured and given a painful death. Among the remarkable false prophets of the Anabaptists in the half of the 16th century was Melchior Hoffmann, who gave his name to a special sect; he spread many nonsense about the thousand-year kingdom and died in Strasbourg, where he was imprisoned for his teachings. But the strongest and most lasting influence on his fellow believers was Simonides Mennon, a Friesland Catholic priest who accepted the teachings of Luther; he united the Anabaptists into a community and replaced their shaky beliefs with positive teaching.

In addition to the Dutch and German Anabaptist sects, there is a Baptist sect in England, Scotland and North America. From the beginning of the 17th century they could already unite into communities; their main imaginary ones: baptism of adults only and faith in the Redeemer Christ without works. Then they reject the Apostolic Council, the Sacraments, the Hierarchy, Sacred Tradition, fasting, monasticism and the entire church system in general; also veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos, invocation of saints, veneration of relics, icons and prayers for the dead.

The teachings of Baptists originated from the Western Reformation, the era of the struggle of human passions. They appeared on the world stage as self-proclaimed preachers and teachers, thereby violating the divine order established by the Founder of Christianity, the Lord Jesus Christ; for He said to the Apostles, and through their successors: As the Father sent Me, so I send you(), and as the Apostle Paul says: No one accepts this honor of his own accord, but he who is called by God, like Aaron ().

So, the Baptist sect is a phenomenon of recent times; They appeared with their preaching on their own, without divine testimony, which justified the words of the Savior: He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs elsewhere, is a thief and a robber. ().

Here is the unfoundedness of their teaching:

About baptism for adults only

Baptists, by not baptizing infants, forget that in the Old Testament Church circumcision was established by God on the eighth day after birth with the naming of a name (). It was a sign of entering into a covenant with God, union with Him in spirit and inheritance of His promises. It, as a great, necessary matter, was protected by a threat: “On the eighth day the life of the uncircumcised man will be cut off from his people.”(). It served as a prototype of baptism, which is rebirth into a spiritual, holy life, about the omission of which it is strictly said: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.”(). Therefore, a baby who dies before reaching adulthood, that is, is not baptized, remains outside the promises. There is no prohibition in the Holy Scriptures from baptizing infants; on the contrary, there are clear indications of examples of child baptism: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and receive the gift of St. Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children."(). Sectarians say that children are clean from original sin even without baptism, their sins are forgiven for the sake of the Name of Jesus (), they are holy (); but the world has also been redeemed by the blood of Christ (), but can it be saved without baptism? No, as stated above ().

About faith and works

Faith is a person’s heartfelt attraction to God: “Have faith in God, therefore I say to you: whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and it will be done for you.” ().

Faith is also knowledge about God: “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”(). Gentiles can also have heartfelt faith, such as the centurion () and the Canaanite wife (); pagans can also have good deeds, like the centurion Cornelius (). Consequently, whoever has heartfelt faith and good deeds, but does not have the true doctrine, is like a good pagan, but is not a true Christian, and therefore sectarians who do not have the true doctrine cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven, for it is said: “That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, by the craftiness of men, by the cunning craft of deceit.”(). And elsewhere the Apostle Paul clearly says: “If we, or an angel from heaven, brings you more good news than good news, let him be anathema.”(). And so, Baptists self-confidently teach that the justification of a person lies in faith alone without works, referring to the fact that Christ made a sacrifice for the sins of people for all time, and thus they pass over in silence the teaching about the good works of the Savior and the Apostles. Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, teaching the people good deeds, charged them with the duty to achieve perfection in them: “Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect”(), - and at the Last Judgment, according to the teachings of the Savior, only works will justify believers (). Apostle James says: “Faith, if you have nothing to do, is dead about yourself”(). The Apostle Paul, teaching the Corinthians good works, shows them the Apostolic works as an example: “In everything we show ourselves as servants of God, in great patience, in adversity, in need, in difficult circumstances. Under blows in prisons, in exiles, in labors, in vigils, in fasts.”. The Apostle lists the same similar cases in his Epistle to the Hebrews (). But Baptists put forward a lie against such clear and obvious truths, in truth: "Lie to yourself"(), that is, according to St. Athanasius: “untruth has become exhausted.”

About the Church

“Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.”(). With this saying the Baptists cover up their unauthorized gathering, but the composition of the Church is completely different: "And he(Christ) He appointed some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, and others as shepherds and teachers. For the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”(). Eternity of the Church: “And I say to you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build mine, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (); “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”(). Unity of the Church: “And so you are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God. Being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” (). “One Lord, one faith, one baptism”(). Holiness of the Church: holy because it was sanctified by Jesus Christ through His teaching, prayer, suffering and through the sacraments: “Sanctify them by Thy truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And for them I consecrate Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth. I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in Me, according to their word; that they may all be one: as You, the Father are in Me, and I in You, so may they also be one in Us.”(). But there may also be sinners in the Church of Christ, as can be seen from the Apocalypse; for the Church of Ephesus is reproached for having abandoned its former love (), - the Church of Pergamon for the fact that there are Nicolaitans there (). Sacraments of the Church: John Chrysostom says: “As the Son of God is our nature, so we are His essence; and just as He has us in Himself, so we have Him in us.” This is accomplished in Baptism and is supported by repentance and communion. Blessed Theodoret also says: “Just as Eve was created from Adam, so we are from the Lord Christ. We are buried with Him and rise in baptism, we eat His body and drink His blood: “Eat My flesh and drink My blood, you will have an eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (). There is no salvation outside the Church, as Christ said: “If he does not listen to the Church, then let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.”(). After this, what about the meeting of Baptists? These are those who say that they are true Christians, but are not such, but lie; this is a syndicate of Satan ().

About the Hierarchy

Sectarians call themselves saints, referring to the saying: “And he made us kings and priests to his God and Father”(); but this is said in the Old Testament conditionally: “If you keep my covenant, you will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”(). The hierarchy has a historical origin, its beginning was laid by God Himself, who called Aaron and his sons to officiate in the Tabernacle (); her dignity is protected by a terrible punishment: “If any stranger approaches, he will be put to death.”(). But the Old Testament priesthood, as imperfect, was replaced by the most perfect priesthood of Christ, which is irrevocable, eternal, for it is strengthened by the oath of God; “The Lord has sworn and will not repent: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”(). By establishing the Hierarchy, Christ granted only the Apostles, and through their successors, the right to teach people the faith, perform the sacraments for them and guide them to salvation. Appearing to the disciples after the Resurrection, Christ said: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth; Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”(). In the Church of Christ, three degrees of priesthood have been established: episcopal (), presbyteral (), deacon (). The Apostles call self-proclaimed teachers false teachers, false apostles, and deceitful workers. The Apostle Peter says: “There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and, denying the Lord who bought them, bring upon themselves swift destruction.”(), also the Apostle Paul says: “False apostles, deceitful workers, disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, because Satan himself takes the form of an angel of light."(). So, the Word of God finally deposes the Baptist teachers, also the 6th rule of the Gangra Council reads: “Whoever, apart from the Church, forms special meetings and, despising, wants to do church work, without having a presbyter with him by the will of the Bishop, let him be under oath.” Unfortunately, sectarians have ears and do not hear.

About Sacred Tradition

Before receiving the law, Moses fasted for forty days, did not eat bread or drink water ( ). Christ, teaching about the expulsion of evil spirits, said: “This generation is driven out only by prayer and fasting”(). The Savior showed the example of the great faster and hermit as follows: “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has never risen greater than John the Baptist.”(). The benefit of fasting is that it curbs carnality and promotes exercise in prayer, while Baptists stand for the opposite, which promotes only bodily life. Monasticism is the highest spiritual life, likening the angelic life; Jesus Christ showed her as an example, as it is said: “And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the beasts, and angels ministered to Him.”(; ). This is what monastic ascetics have done throughout all times of Christian history. “Those of whom the whole world was not worthy wandered through the deserts and mountains and defiles of the earth.”(). Truly these were men of high spirit; their exploits consisted in glorifying God, in spiritual help and consolation of their neighbors; besides this, they were seers and prayer books about the salvation of people, they were "light of the world, salt of the earth", their deeds are kept by history on its tablets.

Baptists say that for salvation one Holy Scripture is sufficient, which everyone has the right to understand and explain according to their own conviction; but under such a condition, is general agreement and unity possible? Doesn't the Scripture say: “Try to maintain unity of spirit in the bond of peace. One Lord, one faith, one baptism"(), that is, the path to unity is opened by faith, which is the same for everyone, as if monotonous. This concept also follows from the words of the Savior: “Let them all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so let these also be one in Us.”(). Can this be in a society where everyone has their own point of view, where the ability to understand is endlessly varied? And such absurdity is called teaching! However, the entire teaching of the Baptists is daring absurdity. “I am saved,” they say furiously, inspired by a flattering spirit, satisfied with their blasphemy.

Their prayer meetings are limited to singing, reading and preaching; at the end of everything there is a ritual of breaking bread: the bread and wine in this ritual are nothing more than a sign of the Body and Blood of Christ: crumbled bread and wine poured into glasses are placed on the table, and the eldest of the brethren invites everyone to eat. Thus, the sacrament of the Eucharist, established by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper and commanded to the Apostles and through their successors with these words: “Do this in remembrance of Me”(), Baptists blasphemously portray at their meeting and sacrilegiously assume the appearance of builders of the Mysteries of God.

So, Baptists are not from a distant time. They are not sent by God, but came on their own, as self-proclaimed teachers. Their difference is obvious: they did not enter by the door, that is, not by succession from the Apostles, but as thieves (thieves) and robbers () to kidnap and destroy the simple-minded and ignorant from the flock of Christ. The whole work of their false teaching is this. to deceive the listener that the path to heaven is close and calm: “Just believe that you have been redeemed by Christ, and you are saved.” Keeping silent what the Savior said: “Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life”(); but due to their insolence, having a seared conscience, the sectarians do not subordinate themselves to the Gospel, but subordinate the Gospel to their false interpretation and instead of the true teaching they bring outrageous lies and evil words, with which they pretend to justify their evil thoughts. Comparing the Orthodox Church and the Baptist community, we see that the history of the Apostolic Church, in all times to this day, has a host of holy men and women who, like stars in the sky, shine with heavenly glory and miraculous power; whereas the past and present of the Baptists have no divine testimony; these are people living according to the elements of the world, calling themselves wise, but they have gone mad (); for through their pride they have fallen into an evil heresy and, except for fanaticism, cannot imagine anything worthy of life of a higher order. Therefore, brethren, know the danger of listening to heretical teachings, when the councils of the Holy Fathers prohibit, even under the threat of church prohibition, praying with Jews in synagogues, or with heretics in their meetings . Sectarians cannot understand that contradiction to clear and proven truth, like the rejection of the Apostolic Church, that is, the Orthodox faith, is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and is not excusable in this and the next century. The Prophet David () prayed for deliverance from such people; and the Apostle Paul gave us a commandment as a warning: “Even if we, or an angel from heaven, were to preach to you a gospel other than what we preached to you, let him be accursed.”(). Knowing that “The Apostolic Church is the pillar and foundation of the truth”(), we are running away from people living and acting under an oath.

Question:

Hello dear Yuri Kirillovich, could you answer my question. In our charismatic church, special emphasis is placed on the obligatory tithing. We are even excluded from membership for failure to comply with this condition. At the same time, the reasons why people sometimes cannot tithe are not taken into account. My family belongs to the low-income category; for 12 years I always brought tithes. But lately I have often begun to wonder whether money is being spent on God’s work. Our church is very large, we do not support any charitable projects, we have been building a house of worship for 15 years. The well-being of the pastor's family is at a high level even according to the standards of the world. And sometimes I cannot provide the necessary things and products for my own children. This hurts me. But I’m not going to ask anyone for financial help. My question is: Should all Christians always tithe, or can we limit ourselves to smaller amounts? It would be easier for me to tithe if I knew that it was going to charity. Lyudmila.

Answer:

Greetings, dear sister Lyudmila. The New Testament does not give any new law except the commandment of love. The law given by God to Moses remains a perfect law. It is not cancelled. However, with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the mystery of the appearance of God's grace into the world was completed. " For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" John 1:17. Christ fulfilled the Law, which gives believers in Jesus Christ the right to become righteous. And as righteous people, people living according to the law of freedom are presented with higher moral demands. Read the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus Christ. Higher demands in all areas. Including having money at your disposal. The New Testament principles of life and ministry were just being formulated and formed, and money was already in use. Immediately after the baptism of the first Christians, money was included in the orbit of community life. In part, this was a continuation of the practice of the Jews, for whom tithing was the generally accepted norm. So, for example, a Pharisee praying in the temple introduces himself to God: “ I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of everything I acquire.” Luke 18:12. Christ did not praise this Pharisee, for he humiliated the tax collector, but another time he said: “For, I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 5:20. Of course, tithing in the New Testament is not justified by this example. A stronger reason for tithes in the New Testament church is that Christ is a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Heb. 5:6. This is the priest of the most high God, to whom Abraham donated a tenth. Life 14:18-20. For the first Christians, participation in the material needs of the church, believers, apostles, and ministers was so obvious that not only tithes, but also all their property was dedicated to serving God. So the Macedonians were so zealous in giving to the believers in Jerusalem that Paul especially notes their sacrifice in his letter to the Corinthian church. By the way, this letter most clearly expresses this special spiritual work in the church, which Paul calls ministry to the saints. " They very convincingly asked us to accept the gift and their participation in serving the saints" 2 Corinthians 8:4. Encouraging the Corinthian believers to engage in material service, Paul writes to them: “It is not required that there should be lightness for others and heaviness for you, but that there should be equality. Now your abundance is to make up for their lack; and then their abundance to make up for your lack, so that there is equality, as it is written: whoever gathered a lot had no excess; and whoever had little had no lack.” 2 Corinthians 8:13-15. With this word he indicates acceptable selectivity in making donations. Particularly valuable is a voluntary offering, from the heart, as a service to God. " Each one should give according to the disposition of his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver" 2 Corinthians 9:7. " So that your already announced blessing may be ready as a blessing, and not as a burden." 2 Cor. 9: 5. New Testament churches themselves establish the procedure for collecting money. Some impose a church tax in the form of a mandatory tithe (ten percent of income) for all church members. Such a decision is clearly contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. Some are at the church member’s own discretion, “according to the desire of the heart.” It is the responsibility of the pastor, the teacher of the church, to faithfully teach the Teachings of Jesus Christ. It is the responsibility of every church member to live in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ, fulfilling His commandments. Tithe for Christians was a kind of starting point, which someone later formulated as follows. Tithe is the Law. More than a tithe is grace. Less than a tithe is lawlessness. From the above texts of Scripture, it is obvious that the money was collected to help those in need. In a special way, the Apostle Paul notes the collection of money to support ministers. “When collecting for the saints, do as I prescribed in the churches of Galatia. On the first day of the week, let each of you put aside and save as much as his fortune allows, so as not to have to make preparations when I come. When I come, those whom you choose, I will send with letters to bring your alms to Jerusalem.” 1 Corinthians 16:1. It is obvious that from the first days the holy apostle accustoms the church to the systematic collection of money, and again points out: as much as the state allows! The collection for the saints in Jerusalem is, of course, a special collection. Every local community has inevitable everyday expenses. Minister's salary. Maintenance of the building, if owned, or rental of meeting space. Expenses for supporting missionaries. Social service, which is expressed in helping the poor, treating the sick, feeding the hungry. This is an obligatory service of the church, in which care for the members of the church is shown first and foremost. Various emergency needs may arise for which money is collected, but every church member should always know the purpose of the money he donates, and also be sure that the money is spent exactly for the stated purposes. Each such church has its own rules. Folk wisdom, recognizing the right of each community to its own rules and characteristics, developed a law. “They don’t go to someone else’s monastery with their own rules.” I also do not at all intend to violate the wisdom developed by the people over centuries. However, once the question is asked, you have to answer.

The Evangelical Church is not a monastery at all. The evangelical church does not belong to the pastor, or even to the church council where such a thing exists. The gospel church belongs to the Lord, is governed by the Lord through His holy word with the assistance of the Holy Spirit.

The primacy of Jesus Christ is achieved by the unquestioning fulfillment of the teachings of Jesus Christ by the Church. Briefly this can be expressed as follows. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Bible, is the only, sufficient, infallible source of knowledge about God. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Bible, is the word of God, which gives the necessary rules for the life of every person, as well as for the life of the church.

Based on these principles, the Church of Jesus Christ is a community of believers, united by the Spirit of God, subject to the commandments of God, living in harmony and love to fulfill God's commands. God's command for the church is expressed this way: “And He appointed some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some shepherds and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, until we all come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, in a perfect man, to the measure of the full stature of Christ" ; Eph.4:11-13. So, the task for the church set by Jesus Christ is: “Equipment of the saints for the work of ministry”! To put it simply, God places ministers in the church who should make holy, perfect, Christ-like people!

The work of ministry is expressed by Jesus Christ as follows:

“And he said to them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15,16.

Since your question expresses doubt about the correctness of the structure and life of the community, I will not develop the thesis about the ministry of the gospel, about preaching to the whole world. The fact is that if the church lives untruely in itself, violates God's principles in relation to itself, then its ministry to the world will be unfaithful, distorting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a very important condition. The Church, which does not fulfill the commands of Jesus Christ in relation to itself, distorts the Gospel and incorrectly broadcasts it to the world.

You specify that your church is charismatic. Often, churches with this name contain several fundamental deviations from the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. The deviations are not at all harmless. Deviations are sometimes so radical that the actual evangelical Christian virtues disappear, and mercantile values, such as wealth, health, and career success, come to the fore.

Christ teaches us. “And you do not call yourself teachers, for you have one Teacher - Christ, yet you are brothers; And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven; and do not be called instructors, for you have only one instructor—Christ. Let the greatest of you be your servant: for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:8-12. The Lord himself gave us an example when he washed the feet of his disciples. In the Church of Jesus Christ, the primacy of the Lord is emphasized by the fact that the pastor - elder - never exalts his role. He doesn't dominate. “I beg your shepherds, a fellow shepherd and witness of the sufferings of Christ and a sharer in the glory that is to be revealed: feed the flock of God that is among you, overseeing it not under compulsion, but willingly and pleasing to God, not for vile gain, but out of zeal, and not lording over the inheritance of God, but setting an example for the flock”; 1 Peter 5:1-3.

« I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" John 10:11.

The Evangelical Church lives according to the Testaments of the Savior Jesus Christ, the main one of which: “ love one another, just as I have loved you, so you also love one another." From the days of the apostles, the Church of Jesus Christ was distinguished by its special dedication to each other, to such an extent that “All the believers were together and had everything in common. And they sold estates and all kinds of property, and distributed them to everyone, depending on the need of each.” Acts 2:44,45.

The evangelical churches of the apostolic period were so devoted to caring for one another that “the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul; and no one called anything of his property his own, but they had everything in common.” Acts 4:32.

This is not at all an episode in the history of the Christian church. This is the rule given by the Head of the Church Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul, affirming the law of sowing and reaping, calls on the church: “ So, while we have time, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of our own in the faith." Gal.6:10. In the book of the Acts of the Apostles there is a story about the charity that Tabitha performed. “In Joppa there was one disciple named Tabitha, which means “chamois”; she was full of good deeds and did a lot of alms.” Acts 9:36. Chamois died, there was great mourning for her, and the Lord commanded Peter to resurrect her. None of the apostles received such an honor. If, as you say, your church does not perform charitable services for the people, and besides, the members of the church are left without care, so that you can barely make ends meet, things are bad. The Lord shows the final picture of Christian civilization. All nations are gathered before God. What does He say to His faithful? “Then the King will say to those on His right hand: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me." Matthew 25:34-36. If in your church such ministry is not performed, if in your church there are even church members without care, then it is not a church at all. Thus says the Lord: “Many will say to Me on that day: Lord! God! Have we not prophesied in Your name? and was it not in Your name that they cast out demons? and did they not perform many miracles in Your name? And then I will declare to them: I never knew you; Depart from me, you workers of iniquity." Matthew 7:22,23. Miracles for the sake of miracles, prophecies for the sake of prophecies, shows for the sake of pleasure, only discredit the Evangelical Church. What's in the finale? Let us listen to what the Lord Christ says. "I never knew you! Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity." Why?

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand: Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger, and they did not accept Me; I was naked, and they did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and they did not visit Me.” Matthew 25:41-43.

Today, three components of success are at the forefront. Wealth. Glory. Power.

To achieve these proposals of the devil, rejected by Jesus Christ, his agents are ready to put on any clothes. Psychics use religious paraphernalia, and false pastors with the gospel in their hands make full use of methods of inciting mass psychosis, hypnotizing the crowd, putting them into a trance, instilling in people the idea that this is grace, creating an addiction similar to a drug. Pleasure is a hot commodity. Everything you want is on the self-assembled tablecloth. From rags to riches, without labor, without effort, a longed-for dream for a person. Prosperity theology, a staple of charismatic church leaders. Success is already in front of you. Pay money. They are ready to use any rhetoric. Religious is in demand because it is profitable. Religious beyond suspicion. Religious is holy by definition, for it comes from God himself. Religious activities are exempt from paying taxes to the state. It took you twelve years before you started asking the question. "There are a lot of us. Everyone tithes. And where is everything going?” Read books by Sunday Adelaje. He tells how he made a million. He has thousands of seduced followers who also dream of making a million. He teaches that we need to sacrifice more. They donate. Sunday has been a millionaire for a long time, they continue to donate and are waiting in the wings.

The devil offered Jesus Christ, when He was in the desert, bread, glory, power. Christ, without hesitation, rejected all the offers of the devil. However, materialism, vanity, the thirst for power, literally domination, flourishes in charismatic churches today, turning the church into a commercial organization. When material wealth, fame and power become the main measure of success and the meaning of service, the Spirit of God leaves such a community. Such a vector in the life of the church inevitably leads to the dictatorship of the pastor.

A pastor who does not coordinate the plans of the church with the members of the church is not an evangelical pastor.

A pastor who does not report to the congregation on the expenditure of funds is not an evangelical pastor.

A pastor who allows himself to live luxuriously, as you say “even according to the standards of the world,” is not an evangelical pastor. A pastor who neglects the lives of his church members, who doesn't even notice those in need, is not an evangelical pastor.

A pastor who excommunicates people for not paying tithes is not a pastor at all, he is a dictator.

Such a pastor cannot be doubted about the correctness of his statements; he perceives them as a personal insult. If you try to object to such a pastor, he will call it blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

If you try to express your need to such a pastor, he will easily tell you: “Don’t like it? Leave"!

And this is the only time when it is worth following the advice of your pastor.

The winners of the All-Russian competition “Parental Record - 2014” of the Generation Foundation Andrei Skoch were honored on June 28 on the city’s Cathedral Square. This year, the bonus fund, increased from 10 to 15 million rubles, was equally divided between four record-breaking families: the Nikolaevs (Chelyabinsk region), the Shishkins (Voronezh region), the Kuznetsovs (Leningrad region) and the Skorovs (Belgorod region).

In the category “Mother of Many Children,” the prize was awarded to Elena Shishkina from the Maslovsky state farm, Novousmansky district, Voronezh region. Together with her husband Alexander, in 2004 they were included in the Russian Book of Records as the largest family in the country. The record holders have been together for almost 38 years. Over the years of their marriage, 20 children were born into their family.

This is, so to speak, official information.

The winners were awarded by Governor Savchenko and Skoch.

That’s how I see the auntie in a gauze scarf, so one hundred percent - she’s a Baptist. So it turned out with Shishkina.

I decided to read about the family and found a not very encouraging article - http://slavyanskaya-kultura.ru/news/ruskoe-delo/semja-shishkinyh.html. Not everything is as beautiful and joyful as in the video. I don’t even know if it’s right: to give birth all your life. Is it good or bad? And who is good and who is not so good?

By chance, I remembered one story.
Once upon a time, back in 1997, I was lying in a postpartum ward with a woman who had already given birth to her third child. To be honest, Nadya looked tired, even exhausted. Almost immediately, I determined that she belonged to the Baptists (her hairstyle, scarf - they are unique). We started talking. I asked her: “Nadya, are you going to give birth again?” Answer: “Yes, as many as God will give. Our mother has 11 of us.” She spoke with such faith about her family, about her brothers and sisters in faith, that we all (and there were seven of us in the room) listened. Well, everyone is so correct and decent. They don't drink, don't smoke, don't go out - this is incompatible with faith. Guests actively visited Nadya (at first we thought they were all relatives. No - fellow believers), broadcasts almost every hour - every desire was satisfied. Need some kefir? Let's run away now. My husband, of course, also checked in every day.

But that's not what this post is about. Nadya (she turned out to be a strong aunt) was the first to check out. And as soon as the door of the room closed behind her, the girl from the last bed “burst.” She, as it turned out, knows Nadya’s husband very well. He and his friend repeatedly went on a spree with her and her friend, not denying themselves any pleasures, incl. and alcohol.

This is their faith and truth.

By the way, for some reason sects are flourishing here. Temple-palaces were not built in the worst areas of the city. From time to time preacher(s) wandering around the entrances are annoying. Where is the official church looking, I wonder?

Each religion has its own characteristics and fans. One of the directions of Protestant Christianity, Baptistism, is the most popular all over the world. According to his rules, many famous politicians and show business figures were baptized. However, when interested in Baptistism, it is important to remember that it is a sect. We suggest finding out who Baptists are.

Baptists - who are they?

The word "Baptist" comes from "baptizo", which is Greek for "immersion". Thus, Baptism means baptism, which must occur in adulthood by immersion of the body in water. Baptists are followers of one of the directions of Protestant Christianity. Baptistism takes its roots from English Puritanism. It is based on the voluntary baptism of a person with strong convictions and who does not accept sinfulness.

Baptist symbol

All directions of Protestantism have their own symbolism. Supporters of one of the popular beliefs are no exception. The sign of the Baptists is a fish, symbolizing united Christianity. In addition, for representatives of this faith, complete immersion of a person in water is important. Even in ancient times, fish personified Christ. The same image for believers was a lamb.

Baptists - signs

You can understand that a person is a supporter of this belief by knowing that:

1. Baptists are sectarians. Such people always unite in a community and invite others to come to their meetings and.
2. For them, the Bible is the only truth where they can find answers to all their questions, both in everyday life and in religion.
3. The invisible (universe) church is one for all Protestants.
4. All members of the local community have equal rights.
5. Only reborn (baptized) people can receive knowledge about Baptism.
6. There is freedom of conscience for believers and non-believers.
7. Baptists believe that church and state should be separate.

Baptists - pros and cons

If for an Orthodox Christian the teachings of the Baptists may seem incorrect and completely contrary to the Bible, then there may be those who will be interested in Baptists. The only thing a sect can attract is the unification of people who are not indifferent to you and your problems. That is, having learned who Baptists are, a person may feel that he has found himself in a place where he is truly welcome and is always welcome. Can such good-natured people wish evil and guide you on the wrong path? However, thinking like this, a person moves more and more away from the Orthodox religion.

Baptists and Orthodox - differences

Baptists and Orthodox Christians have much in common. For example, the way Baptists are buried is reminiscent of the funeral of an Orthodox Christian. However, it is important to understand how Baptists differ from Orthodox Christians, because both consider themselves followers of Christ. The following differences are called:

1. Baptists completely reject Holy Tradition (written documents). They interpret the books of the New and Old Testaments in their own way.
2. Orthodox believe that a person can be saved if he keeps God’s Commandments, cleanses the soul through church sacraments, and certainly lives piously. Baptists are confident that salvation happened earlier - on Calvary and there is no need to do anything additional. At the same time, it is not so important how righteously a person lives.
3. Baptists reject the cross, icons and other Christian symbols. For Orthodox Christians, all this is an absolute value.
4. Supporters of Baptistism reject the Mother of God and do not recognize the saints. For the Orthodox, the Mother of God and the saints are protectors and intercessors for the soul before God.
5. Baptists, unlike Orthodox Christians, do not have a priesthood.
6. Supporters of the Baptist movement do not have an organized worship service and therefore they pray in their own words. Orthodox Christians consistently serve the Liturgy.
7. During baptism, Baptists immerse a person in water once, and Orthodox - three times.

How are Baptists different from Jehovah's Witnesses?

Some believe that Baptists are . However, in reality these two directions have differences:

1. Baptists believe in God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit, and Jehovah's Witnesses consider Jesus Christ to be the first creation of God, and the Holy Spirit to be the power of Jehovah.
2. Supporters of Baptistism do not believe that it is necessary to use the name of God Jehovah, but Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the name of God must be mentioned.
3. Jehovah's Witnesses prohibit their followers from using weapons and serving in the army. Baptists are loyal to this.
4. Jehovah's Witnesses deny the existence of hell, but Baptists are sure that it exists.

What do Baptists believe?

To distinguish a Baptist from a representative of another denomination, it is important to understand what Baptists preach. For Baptists, the main thing is God's word. They, being Christians, recognize the Bible, although they interpret it in their own way. Easter for Baptists is the main holiday of the year. However, unlike the Orthodox, on this day they do not go to church services, but gather as a community. Representatives of this movement profess the trinity of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Baptists believe that Jesus is the only mediator between people and God.

In their own way they understand the Church of Christ. For them, it is like a kind of community consisting of spiritually reborn people. Anyone whose life has been changed by the gospel can join a local church. For supporters of Baptistism, what is important is not churching, but spiritual birth. They believe that a person must be baptized as an adult. That is, such an act is very important and must be conscious.

What should Baptists not do?

Anyone who is interested in who Baptists are should know what Baptists are afraid of. Such people cannot:

1. Drinking alcohol. Baptists do not accept alcohol and consider drunkenness to be one of the sins.
2. Be baptized in infancy or baptize your children and grandchildren. In their opinion, baptism should be a conscious step of an adult.
3. Take up arms and serve in the army.
4. Be baptized, wear a cross and venerate icons.
5. Using too much makeup.
6. Use protective equipment during intimacy.

How to become a Baptist?

Anyone can become a Baptist. To do this, you need to have a desire and find the same believers who will help you start your path in Baptistism. In this case, you need to know the basic rules of Baptists:

1. Be baptized as an adult.
2. Visit the community and receive communion exclusively there.
3. Do not recognize the divinity of the Mother of God.
4. Interpret the Bible in your own way.

Why are Baptists dangerous?

Baptistism is dangerous for an Orthodox person for the very reason that Baptists are a sect. That is, they represent a group of people who have their own views on religion and their own beliefs in their correctness. Often, sects use hypnosis or other methods in order to convince a person that they, being with them, are on the right path of salvation. There are frequent cases when sectarians, through fraudulent means, take possession of not only a person’s consciousness, but also his material means. In addition, Baptistism is dangerous because a person will follow the wrong path and move away from the true Orthodox religion.

Baptists - interesting facts

Orthodox and representatives of other religious beliefs are sometimes surprised by certain things, such as, for example, why Baptists have a sauna in their church. Supporters of Baptistism respond that here believers cleanse their bodies of accumulated chemicals that do not allow further spiritual progress. There are many other interesting facts:

1. There are 42 million Baptists worldwide. Most of them live in America.
2. There are many well-known political figures among the Baptists.
3. Baptists recognize two positions in the church hierarchy.
4. Baptists are great philanthropists.
5. Baptists do not baptize children.
6. Some Baptists believe that Jesus atoned for sins only for the elect, and not for all people.
7. Many famous singers and actors were baptized by Baptist supporters.

Famous Baptists

This belief was and is of interest not only to ordinary people, but even to famous personalities. Many popular people were able to find out who Baptists were through personal experience. There are such celebrity Baptists:

1. John Bunyan- English writer, author of the book "Pilgrim's Progress".
2. John Milton- English poet, human rights activist, public figure also became a supporter of the world-famous movement in Protestantism.
3. Daniel Defoe- is the author of one of the most popular works of world literature, the novel “Robinson Crusoe”.
4. Martin Luther King- Nobel Peace Prize laureate, ardent fighter for the rights of black slaves in the USA.