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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions:

  1. Why “Bible Baptist”?
  2. What’s “Expository Preaching”?
  3. Why “Intentional” Evangelism?
  4. Why hymns?

1. Why “Bible Baptist”?

Well, firstly “Bible” comes before “Baptist” because I believe a local church should first and foremost be “biblical.” That means the purpose, mission, model, polity, and practice of a local church should be based on and built around what the Bible says about the local church.

Secondly, I believe the historical line of Bible-believing churches are, for the most part, Baptists. Take for example, the eight “Baptist Distinctives”:

1. Biblical Authority: Baptists have historically accepted the 66 books of the Bible as the final authority in all matters of faith (what we believe) and practice (what we do; how we live). The Bible contains the inspired words of God (2Tim 3.16-17) and it is, therefore, the same words God would speak to us if He were to do so in an audible voice (Mat 4.4). Because God only (and always) speaks with ultimate and final authority, the Bible is our final authority.

2. The Autonomy of the Local Church: Baptists have historically believed that the local church should be an independent body accountable directly to the Lord Jesus Christ (Col 1.18; Acts 20.17-32). The Bible provides no other framework or external governmental structure for the existence and operation of a local church (e.g., the hierarchical structure of the Roman Catholic Church is not biblical, nor is the current popular “campus church” model that seeks to connect multiple church “sites” under one “mother church” that pipes out the pastor’s preaching by video).

3. The Priesthood of the Believer: Baptists have historically believed that each born-again saint (believer, Christian, disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ) is a “priest” in the sense that he or she may enter into the presence of God through our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ (Heb 4.14-16; 1Pet 2.5). No other mediator is needed between God and men (1Tim 2.5). In Christ, all have equal access to God (Gal 3.26-28).

4. Two Ordinances: Baptists have historically believed the New Testament establishes two (and only two) ordinances (not “sacraments”), namely baptism and the Lord’s Supper (often called “communion”). Biblical baptism is of believing adults by full immersion in water (Acts 8.36-39) and is the first act of obedience for a Christian. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial (a remembrance) of Christ’s substitutionary death (1Cor 11.23–25) and a reminder of His imminent return (1Cor 11.26). It was given to help the members of a local church keep themselves free from sin and strife (1Cor 11.27–34). These ordinances have no part in salvation.

5. Two Offices: Baptists have historically believed in the biblical mandate of only two offices within the local church, those of pastor (also called elder and bishop) and deacon. These two offices are to be filled by godly men of integrity in each local church (Acts 6.1–7; Php 1.1; 1Tim 3.1–13; Titus 1.6–9; 1Pet 5.1-4).

6. A Saved, Baptized, and Holy Church Membership: Baptists have historically believed that members of a local church should have a clear testimony of personal salvation (2Cor 6.14), a public testimony of identification with Christ through water baptism (Acts 10.47-48; 16.30-34), and an ongoing testimony of personal holiness in their daily lives (2Tim 2.19; 1Pet 1.16).

7. Separation of Church and State: Baptists have historically believed that God established both the church (1Tim 3.15) and the civil government (Gen 9.5-6), and He gave each its own distinct sphere of operation. The government’s purposes are outlined in Romans 13.1-7 and the church’s purposes in Ephesians 4.11-16. Neither should control the other, nor should there be an alliance between the two. Christians are called to submit to the civil government over them (Titus 3.1; 1Pet 2.13-17) and should seek to properly influence their government toward righteousness (1Tes 4.11-12; Titus 2.10; 1Pet 2.12). A denomination or group of churches should not control the government, and the government should have no power to intervene in the free expression of religious liberty (1Tim 2.1-2).

8. Individual Soul Liberty: Baptists have historically believed that every individual, whether a believer or an unbeliever, has the liberty to choose what he believes is right in the religious realm. No one should be forced to assent to any belief against his will (Josh 24.15; John 6.66-68). Baptists have always opposed religious persecution (Rom 12.14). However, this liberty does not exempt one from responsibility to the Word of God or from accountability to God Himself.
 Each individual is responsible before his Creator for his acceptance or rejection of the general revelation of creation (Ps 19.1-6; Rom 1.18-20) and conscience (Rom 2.14-16), and for his acceptance or rejection of God’s special revelation of Scripture (including the gospel, the message of salvation; Rom 10.9-17). Men are called upon by God Himself to choose life (Deut 30.19) by choosing to repent (turn from sin; Acts 17.30-31) and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (turn to Him and Him only for salvation; John 3.15-18; 14.6; Acts 4.12).

2. What’s “Expository Preaching”?

Expository preaching is preaching that derives its theme and central message directly from the biblical text. By design it draws the attention of the congregation to the Bible, not to the preacher (his ideas, his knowledge, his creativity, his personality, etc.). For example:

1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. [Neh 8.1-3]

In Nehemiah 8.4 we see the only mention in the Bible of the word “pulpit,” and it is found in the context of expository preaching. The reason the people of God (Israel in the Old Testament and the Church in the New) have a pulpit is to preach the Word of God, and the biblical manner of doing that is “expositorily”:

4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. [Neh 8.4]

The following passage in Nehemiah 8 (especially verse 8) gives us a good definition and description of expository preaching:

5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. [Neh 8.5-8]

The preacher takes the Scripture, he opens it, he reads it distinctly (clearly, not letting a word fall to the ground; 1Sam 3.19), and he gives the sense (he explains the passage he just read) so that the people can understand what the Bible says. That’s it.

This is the primary task God has assigned to the pastor of a local church (1Tim 4.6-16; 5.17; 2Tim 3.14-4.5), and it is why one of the necessary requirements of a pastor is that he be “apt to teach” (1Tim 3.2; Titus 1.9). He needs to be able to explain a passage of Scripture sufficiently well so that his people understand what the Scripture says. Once the pastor-teacher has done that, he has fulfilled his ministry. That is what God expects of pastors and teachers.

In this way (by expository preaching), the people’s attention is drawn to the Scripture and its authority rather than to the preacher/teacher and his authority. In this way the people are called to submit to the Bible as their authority, not to the man in the pulpit.

And please understand, also, that expository preaching is not simply a boring, monotonous “running commentary” of Bible verses. Expository preaching, when done correctly, is an effective communication of the timeless truth of God through a passage of the Word of God to the people of God. It is not an “academic lesson” but rather a precise application of Scripture to the problems and needs of the people today.

Expository preaching also helps the preacher stay off his “hobby horses.” The expository preacher does not go to the Bible to look for verses that support his own ideas. Rather, he goes to the Bible to learn what it says and draw his ideas from the text itself. In this way, both the themes for his messages and the points of his sermons come from Scripture. Then, through expository preaching, the preacher communicates God’s truth to his congregation.

In this way, the preacher avoids the tendency to only preach what interests him. Many have come to be labeled as “prophecy preachers” or “holiness preachers” because they tend to bring their ideas (their favorite themes) to the Bible to make a message. But by preaching expositorily, the preacher can avoid this because he will have to develop all his teaching based on “the whole counsel” of God and not just talk about his “pet” themes.

Expository preaching gives the Bible teacher the balance he needs. The Lord does not want “specialist preachers” but rather those who will declare all His counsel.

Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. [Acts 20.26-27]

If you would like to listen to an example of what expository preaching it like, feel free to listen to my sermon series on the Book of Ephesians (the link will take you to my personal website: Theology 101).

3. Why “Intentional” Evangelism?

Honestly… because for most of us, evangelism is difficult and probably even disagreeable. We have been charged by our Lord to “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16.15). No one in the Body of Christ is excluded. If you are one of those who have been reconciled to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, you have been given this “ministry of reconciliation,” the mission of taking the “word of reconciliation” (the gospel) to those who need it. So, how are you doing with that?

Todd Friel, in his booklet titled “Terrified!” says this:

No one expects a soldier to go into battle untrained or unarmed. Yet this is exactly what is expected of a Christian: to witness without training and without weapons.

“Intentional” evangelism begins with training and tools. I think with the proper training, people want to put that training in practice (because they see how effective it is). And having the proper tool at hand only makes it that much easier. If you want an idea of what this might look like, check out the following (part of my evangelism training; the links will take you to my personal website):

“Intentional” evangelism also means we plan evangelism. Yes, we should be equipped and ready to witness whenever God “opens a door of opportunity.” But if we only do that, we can never fulfill the Great Commission to “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16.15 cf. 1Tim 2.4 and 2Pet 3.9).

I believe a local church should training each member in the work of evangelism (how to do it). I believe one’s local church should provide the tools necessary to evangelize (tracts, Bibles, etc.). But I also believe a church should plan and program various evangelistic events for the members to participate in throughout the year. That could take many different forms:

That’s what I mean by “intentional” evangelism. We just don’t wait for it to happen by “divine appointment.” God already set the appointments when He commanded us to preach the gospel to every creature in the world (Mark 16.15). We intentionally train and equip ourselves for the task He gave us. And then we do it–we plan it, program it, and go out and do it intentionally.

As a side benefit of that intentionality, we get a lot of “practice” evangelizing, and that makes our casual encounter testifying (with family, friends, or people in a supermarket line) just that much easier. Mark Cahill talks about that (Practice! Practice! Practice!) in his book, One Think You Can’t Do in Heaven.

4. Why hymns?

I’ll have more to say on this in detail in the future. Suffice it to say for now that allowing a worldly, concert-type, entertainment-oriented party atmosphere in the church’s services is akin to the Canaanization of God’s people, Israel, in the Old Testament that led to their “rapture” off the land in judgment–taken off the land and taken into judgment.

And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them… Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight… [2Kg 17.15-18]

The “song service” (music and singing) of a local church should be in submission to the purpose of the local church as declared by God: the edification of the saints.

…when ye come together… Let all things be done unto edifying. [1Cor 14.26]

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:[Eph 4.11-12]

Singing (with or without musical instruments) should serve this purpose. It should be edifying. And edification occurs through the teaching and application of Scripture (2Tim 3.16-17 cf. Eph 4.13). Congregational singing in a church should be biblically edifying (it should “teach” and/or “admonish” based on the “word of Christ”):

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. [Col 3.16]

The traditional hymns were designed with this purpose in mind. They were designed for congregational singing (not for an entertainment performance on a stage) and for the spiritual edification of the saints. They are certainly not “perfect, inspired, and free from doctrinal error.” But they are vastly superior to the superficial “worship” music being produced and sold in today’s Christian market.