What it Means to Be a Baptist: Seven Distinctives by Michael W. McDill

Despite (or perhaps because of) the deluge of new church groups which poured upon the scene of history after the Reformation, the question of how to define the church still hovers in the atmosphere of our times and causes confusion and discomfort for those who claim the name Christian. Although Protestants seized upon a new theology of salvation founded upon faith, they failed to clarify or debunk the idea that salvation is received through the church and infant baptism. The great reformers not only retained infant baptism, but also embraced the medieval devotion to the state-supported church. To be born and baptized was to receive salvation and also to be registered as a citizen. The question arises: are these biblical ideas?

Baptists, on the other hand, have always believed that one must be saved to be in the church. Believer’s baptism is the baptizing of those who have made a conscious decision to follow Christ and, according to His word, have received salvation. Baptism is thus the public and symbolic expression of having already accepted redemption, reconciliation, and rebirth by faith in the promise of God accomplished by Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Baptists name this arrangement, which they claim is derived from Scripture, a believers’ church or a regenerate church.

The aim of this book is to outline several distinctive Baptist beliefs. How are they unique? How can they be distinguished from other Christian denominations? As these questions are confronted, the author will access historical and biblical evidence in an attempt to answer them. Are you a Baptist? Perhaps this book will help you understand more thoroughly the principles that go with the name. If you are not a Baptist, then hopefully you will gain a clearer understanding of what Baptists believe. The book will explore seven crucial principles that make Baptists distinct: biblical authority, believer’s baptism, a believers’ church, congregational rule, cooperation for missions, the priesthood of every believer, and religious liberty.