The Good Name “Baptist”

I wish to be a “Voice” and leave a legacy for the greatness of the name “Baptist.” The book of Proverbs twice tells us, “Remove not the ancient landmark.” Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” The name Baptist is a “good name” and “an ancient landmark.” It ought not to be removed.

The book The Indomitable Baptists by O.K. Armstrong, in the chapter “The Zealous and Baptists” pages 17-31 records some of the beginning of the modern Baptist Church nearly five hundred years ago in Zurich among the Swiss Brethren who were called “Anabaptists.”

“Ana” in Greek means “again.” In derision and contempt the Anabaptists were called “baptizers again,” “re-baptizers,” because they baptized by immersion their members upon individual profession of faith even though each had been baptized as an infant by a priest of the Church. Anabaptists insisted upon conversion prior to Church membership and rejected infant baptism. They became a hated ministry much like the early “Christians” (little Christ) who accepted the derisive term “Christian” as their badge of honor. We dropped the prefix and accepted the name “Baptist.” So the Anabaptists accepted the name Baptist as a badge of honor. God’s enemies gave us our name – “Baptist.” We have worn it proudly and gratefully since 1525.

Baptists were martyred for their Biblical faith and their insistence upon a salvation experience for every person.

Anabaptist Pastor Michael Sattler was condemned by “cutting out his tongue, then forging him fast to a wagon where glowing iron tongs tore pieces from his body. Then his body was taken, and he was burned alive.” Anabaptist Pastors Balthasar Hubmayer and Felix Manz were drowned. Both were tied to chairs and lowered in the river and brought up for air for one last chance to recant. Felix Manz’ mother stood on the riverside. Her last words to her martyr son were, “Felix! Do not recant! Do not recant!” Felix Manz’ answer was “I will be true to my belief!” He was drowned with the executioner’s words, “You like water. We will give you lots of water.” Such was the faithfulness of our Baptist forefathers. How can we abandon the good name “Baptist” that was purchased at so great a price?

As I see it we should put the name Baptist in the name of our Church, the sign out front, and in all publications and announcements. Dr. R. G. Lee said, “Be proud you are a Baptist.” Being a Baptist means you believe in an inerrant Bible, verbal inspiration, the Blood of Jesus, salvation by grace, the power of the Holy Spirit, primacy of the local Church, the Lord Jesus as the only Hope of salvation, and in reaching the lost through evangelism and missions. We should be grateful and proud we are Baptists. The name Baptist means something. We must not abandon it.

God is not dead. When the preacher stands in the pulpit to preach Christ with an open Bible in his hand, the lost will be reached in a BAPTIST Church. We should not start generically named Churches. We should start BAPTIST Churches. Cooperative Program funds and Golden State offering funds should only be used to start full hearted BAPTIST Churches . . . as I see it. Prospective Church planters should be provided thorough training by the Convention in Baptist history and Baptist doctrinal distinctives. We should start lots of Baptist Churches each year!

We have the integrity of our character at stake. It is not wise to use Baptist dollars to start Churches which are doubtful about being Baptist. What we are doubtful about in one generation, we will discard in the next. Baptist is a good name. Be proud you are a Baptist. We are not merely in a post-Christian age or a post-denominational age. We have been in an evil age since the Fall. It has never been a favorable time to preach the Gospel, but “greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” I John 4:4 The world is no friend to grace, but we must preach the Word.

We must stay with our roots, affirm the Baptist Faith and Message and preach the Word! In 1965 after preaching a Crusade in New York City, Billy Graham was criticized by a liberal newspaper Religion edition. “Billy Graham has set the Church back two hundred years,” he wrote. Upon hearing the criticism, Graham responded, “Then I have failed. I meant to set the Church back two thousand years.” Our legacy must be linked to the apostolic Biblical doctrine, which is Baptist doctrine.

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In His Marvelous Grace
Roger P. Freeman, Pastor
First Baptist Church, Clarksville