A Faith to Confess: The Baptist Confession
of Faith of 1689
Rewritten in Modern English
©1975, Carey Publications, Ltd.,
75 Woodhill Road, Leeds, U.K., LS16 7BZ
THE catholic or universal church is invisible in respect of the
internal work of the Spirit and truth of grace. It consists of the
whole number of the elect who have been, who are being, or
who yet shall be gathered into one under Christ who is the
church's head. The church is the wife, the body, the fullness of
Christ, who 'fills all in all'.
Eph. 1:10,22,23; 5:23,27,32; Col. 1:18; Heb. 12:23.
All persons throughout the world who profess to believe the
gospel and to render gospel obedience unto God by Christ are,
and may be called, visible saints, provided that they do not
render void their profession of belief by holding fundamental
errors or by living unholy lives; and of such persons all local
churches should be composed.
Acts 11:26; Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:20-22.
The purest churches under heaven are liable to be troubled by
mixture and error, and some have so far degenerated as no
longer to be churches of Christ at all, but 'synagogues of Satan'.
Nevertheless, Christ always has had a kingdom in this world of
such as believe in Him and profess His name, and He ever will
have such a kingdom to the world's end.
Ps. 72:17; 102:28; Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 5; 2 Thess. 2:11,12; Rev. 2; 3; 12:17; 18:2.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the church. By the
appointment of the Father, all authority requisite for the calling,
establishment, ordering and governing of the church is supremely
and sovereignly invested in Him. It is impossible for the Pope
of Rome in any true sense to be the head of the church, for he is
the antichrist, described in Scripture as 'the man of sin', 'the son
of perdition,' who 'exalts himself' in the church against Christ
and 'above all that is called God', whom 'the Lord shall destroy
with the brightness of His coming'.
Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 4:11,12; Col. 1:18; 2 Thess. 2:2-9.
In the exercise of the authority which has been entrusted to
Him, the Lord Jesus, through the ministry of the Word and by
His Spirit, calls to Himself out of the world those who are given
to Him by His Father, that they may live in His sight, rendering
Him the obedience prescribed by Him for them in the Scripture.
He commands those thus called to form particular societies or
churches to promote their common welfare, and to engage in the
public worship which He requires them to carry on while they
continue in the world.
Matt. 18:15-20; 28:20; John 10:16; 12:32.
The members of these churches are saints by reason of the
divine call, and in a visible manner they demonstrate and declare,
both by their confession of Christ and their manner of life, that
they obey Christ's call. They willingly consent to hold fellowship together according to Christ's instructions, giving themselves
to the Lord and to one another as God wills, and yielding full
assent to the requirements of the gospel.
Acts 2:41,42; 5:13,14; Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 9:13.
To each of these churches thus gathered according to the
divine will made known in His Word, the Lord has given all the
power and authority requisite for the carrying on of the form of
worship and discipline which He has appointed for their observance. This extends to the provision of such commands and
rules as are needful for the rightful and proper use of the power
conferred on the churches.
Matt. 18:17,18; 1 Cor. 5:4,5; 5:13; 2 Cor. 2:6-8.
A local church, gathered and fully organized according to the
mind of Christ, consists of officers and members. By Christ's
appointment the officers to be chosen and set apart by the church
as called and gathered, are bishops (otherwise called elders) and
deacons. It is their special responsibility to arrange for the
carrying out of what the Lord has ordained, and to use the
powers entrusted to them for the execution of their duties; and
such arrangements are to continue in the church until the world
ends.
Acts 20:17,28; Phil. 1:1.
By Christ's appointment, any person who has been qualified
and given the necessary gifts by the Holy Spirit for the work of
bishop or elder in a church, must be chosen and called to that
office by the common suffrage of the church itself. He must be
solemnly set apart by fasting and prayer, with the laying on of
the hands of the existing eldership, if there be such. Similarly,
deacons are to be chosen by the common suffrage of the church,
and set apart by prayer and the laying on of hands.
Acts 6:3,5,6; 14:23; 1 Tim. 4:14.
Pastors are required to give constant attention to the service
of Christ in His churches; they are to be engaged in the ministry
of the Word and in prayer, and to seek the welfare of men's
souls as those that must give account to the Lord. It is therefore
imperative that the churches to which they minister should give
them, according to the churches' ability, not only all due honor,
but such abundance of this world's material good as will enable
them to live in comfort, without the need to entangle themselves
in secular employment, and which will also suffice to enable them
to exercise hospitality towards others. Such an arrangement is
required by the law of nature itself, and by the express command
of our Lord Jesus, who has decreed that 'they that preach the
gospel should live of the gospel'.
Acts 6:4; 1 Cor. 9:6-14; Gal. 6:6,7; 1 Tim. 3:2; 5:17,18; 2 Tim. 2:4;
Heb. 13:17.
Although it is the duty of the elders or pastors of the churches,
according to their office, to be constantly active in preaching the
Word, yet such a work is not to be regarded as confined wholly
to them, for the Holy Spirit may qualify others for the same work
by giving them the necessary gifts. In this case, when such men
are approved and called to the work by the church, they may and
ought to perform it.
Acts 11:19-21; 1 Pet. 4:10,11.
All believers are under obligation to join themselves to local
churches when and where they have opportunity to do so. It
follows that all who are admitted to the privileges of church
fellowship also become subject to the discipline and government
of the church in accordance with the rule of Christ.
1 Thess. 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:6,14,15.
Any church members who have taken offense at the behavior
towards them of other church members, and who have obeyed
the instructions laid down in Scripture for dealing with such
cases, must refrain from disturbing the peace of the church, nor
should they absent themselves from church assemblies or the
administration of church ordinances on account of their being
offended by certain of their fellow-members; but they must wait
upon Christ in the further proceedings of the church.
Matt. 18:15-17; Eph. 4:2,3.
All members of each local church are engaged to pray continually
for the good and the prosperity of all churches of Christ,
wherever located, and upon all occasions to assist all other
believers, within the limits of their own areas and callings, in the
exercise of their gifts and graces. It follows, therefore, that
churches should seek fellowship one with another, so far as the
providence of God provides opportunity for the enjoyment of
such benefits.
Ps. 122:6; Rom. 16:1,2; Eph. 6:18; 3 John 8-10.
When difficulties or differences occur in respect of doctrine or
church government, and peace, unity and edification are at risk,
one church only may be involved, or the churches in general may
be concerned. Again, a member or members of a church may
be injured by disciplinary proceedings not agreeable to truth and
church order. In such cases as these it is according to the mind
of Christ that many churches in fellowship together should meet
and confer together through their chosen representatives, who are
able to give their advice on the matters in dispute to all the
churches concerned. It must be understood, however, that the
representatives assembled are not entrusted with any church
power properly so called, nor have they any jurisdiction over the
churches themselves to exercise discipline upon any churches or
persons, or to impose their conclusions on the churches or their
officers.
Acts 15:2,4,6,22,23,25; 2 Cor. 1:24; 1 John 4:1.
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