Why Do They
REJECT CONVENTIONISM?
Lesson Text: Matthew 20:25-28.
Devotional Reading-Subject: Glory in the Church, Ephesians 3:20,21.
AIM: That the pupil learn that each New Testament church is sovereign under Christ.
HOME READING
Church Commissioned, Matt. 28:16-20.
Church Council, Acts 15:1-6.
Church Messengers, 2 Cor. 8:16-24.
Church Missionary, 2 Cor. 11:7-9.
Church Support, Phil. 4:15-20.
Fellow Laborers, 1 Cor. 3:9.
1. An Explanation.
It is difficult to combat an error without having misunderstandings. It is difficult for people to keep from taking things personally. For example, one can oppose the doctrinal error of a particular denomination, but some take it as a personal attack on themselves. They say, “I used to be a member of one of those churches, and there are some fine people in them. I don’t appreciate your talking about them.” Or, “My mother is a member of one of those churches, and I don’t want you talking about my mother.” If people could see error needs to be opposed regardless of where one finds it, perhaps they could keep from making it such a personal matter.
This lesson is not a personal attack on the churches commonly called “Southern Baptist churches”. Many Missionary Baptist have been members of Southern Baptist churches at one time or another. Many have relatives who are now members of such churches. Therefore, if the student will see this as a study of the convention system, not churches and members personally, the study will be more beneficial.
2. Because of Its Purpose.
According to the charter of the Southern Baptist Conventional as recorded in the 1958 Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention on page 26, “… said corporation being created for the purpose of eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the BAPTIST DENOMINATION OF CHRISTIANS, for the propagation of the gospel…” That was the original purpose of the convention at its origin in 1845, and it is still the purpose as stated in its constitution.
Since it is God’s purpose to use New Testament churches to propagate (spread) the gospel, one can see conventionism clearly supplants the work of the Lord’s churches. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). If It is the business of the Lord’s churches to propagate the gospel, any other organization claiming to have that same purpose is unnecessary, if not totally unscriptural.
Also, notice how conventionism purpose to elicit, combine, and direct the energies of Baptist churches. Elicit means to draw out the energies of churches. Combine means to put together the energies of churches. Direct means to regulate, govern, and control the energies of the churches. That is too near supplanting the work of the Holy Sprit (John 16:13; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8).
For Discussion. Does any human organization have a right to elicit, combine, and direct the energies of Baptist churches?
3. Because of Its Messenger Representation.
The constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention states the basis of determining how many messengers represent each church. Each church has a right to have a messenger, of it contributes to the convention work. However, additional messenger are allowed on the basis of membership numbers and how much was contributed to the convention work with a limit, of course. One can see churches with large memberships and large contributions have more messengers and votes than the smaller churches with smaller contributions.
Such a method denies the principle of church equality and could lead to violating the very principle Christ enjoined on His followers (Matt. 20:28). Is allowing larger churches to be “lords over God’s heritage” any more scriptural than allowing a pastor to be one (1 Peter 5:3)?
4. Because of Its Missionary Practice.
On page 34 of the Adult Quarterly for Baptist Training Course in lesson 8 studied on April 25 1976. Harold Davis said the mission policy of the Foreign Missionary Board of the convention is to hold “the responsibility of receiving applicants, judging qualifications, deciding the field of labor, setting salaries, and handling the funds of missionaries who work on foreign fields.” His conclusions came from the Encyclopedia of Southern Baptist. This writer heard a missionary say. “My wife and I applied to the board to see if it would accept such unworthy servants on the foreign mission field.” In other words, the board decides who goes and where they go.
The Holy Spirit and God’s churches should determine the qualifications and the field of labor for missionaries. Acts 13:2, 3 teaches that. “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” It certainly should not be the place of a board to determine these matters.
5. Because of Its Doctrinal Stand on the Church.
In “The Baptist Faith and Message” adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1963, there is a paragraph under section VI. THE CHURCH, which states, “The New Testament speaks also of the church as the body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed for all ages” (The Baptist Messenger; Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma; Oklahoma City, Okla., 1959; Vol. 58. No. 32, p.14).
That is the universal church idea! The New Testament will not support such a view.” Acts 14:27 speaks of gathering “the whole church together.” Acts 15:22 speaks of “the whole church,” which was only one church congregation. These passage certainly would not support such a general view as “The Baptist Faith and Message.” Some feel Hebrews 12:23 teaches a universal view of the church; however one has to be grabbing for straws to make the church the same as “the general assembly” in that passage.
For Discussion. Are there other doctrinal errors the class needs to discuss on this topic?
6. Because of Its Promotion of the Good News for Modern Man.
The Baptist General Convention of Texas gave away literally thousands and thousands of the second edition of the Good News for Modern Man. The title page reflects the American Bible Society published them especially for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Additionally, the Broadman Press of the Southern Baptist Convention had the American Bible Society to publish a special edition marked “Broadman Press Edition.” It is clear, conventionism supports this version of the New Testament.
However, this version omits the word “blood” in reference to Christ in several places (Col. 1:14, 20; Heb. 10:19; 1 Peter 1:19; etc.). Also, it states Joseph was the father of Jesus (Luke 2:33, 3). The version cast reflection on the virgin birth of Christ in Luke 1:27, as well as removing the word “virgin” in other passages. There are other serious objections to the Good News for Modern Man, but these serve to indicate the gravity of conventionism’s support for such a heretical version.
