Most Baptists Don't Know What Their Own Confession Teaches

A conversation on sacraments, confessions, and what Baptists have forgotten about their own tradition

Most Baptists don’t know what their own confession teaches about church membership.

The 1689 Second London Baptist Confession, the document that historically defines what it means to be a confessional Baptist, does not teach regenerate church membership. That may sound like clickbait but it’s not. In fairness, most churches who promote regenerate church membership actually practice what the 1689 calls professing church membership.

Professor Josh Tinkham, who teaches at Founders Seminary and pastors Covenant Community Church in Newark, Ohio, joined me on Full Proof Theology to walk through confessional subscription, the real presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, and what baptism actually does according to our own tradition.

The average evangelical church in America operates with what’s called the “memorial view” of the Lord’s Supper. That means it’s just a symbol, a time of remembering, and if you have the Lord’s Supper too often (like weekly) it somehow loses its uniqueness.

Josh and I discussed how this view came about and how it is different than what the 1689 LBCF teaches. We go through the history of Baptists and their views on the Lord’s Supper (among many other things). This is the longest podcast I have recorded to date.

We also got into why Baptists used the word “ordinance” instead of “sacrament” (it’s polemical, not a denial) and why indefinitely delaying the baptism of young believers can do real spiritual damage to their walk with Christ.

Paid subscribers get early access below. Enjoy.