Baptist Distinctives
BAPTISTS
Number 1 was “BIBLE” – the Bible is the ONLY authority!
Number 2 was AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
Number 3 was PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER
Number 4 was TWO ORDINANCES
Number 5 was INDIVIDUAL SOUL LIBERTY
Number 6 was: Saved, Baptized Church Membership
Number 7: TWO OFFICES
Scripture mandates two offices in the local church.
The pastor leads, feeds, guides, and guards the church at the direction of Christ, from the Word of God. The Bible terms “pastor,” “elder,” and “bishop” refer to different responsibilities of the same office, or person.
Each church is to have its own leaders.
“For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee” (Titus 1:5).
“And when they had ordained them elders in every church and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed” (Acts 14:23).
Since this is clearly the New Testament pattern, any outside form of control over the New Testament church is unbiblical.
Every pastor is to be God-called, scripturally qualified and ordained.
New Testament churches are not to be led by unordained men or men who cannot do the whole work of a pastor/elder-bishop. Every pastor is to be a preacher, a teacher, a spiritual protector, and a ruler or overseer (Ac. 20:28; 1 Ti. 3:2; Tit. 1:9-11; 1 Pe. 5:1-2).
Deacons are never referred to in the capacity of ruling or overseeing the churches (Acts 6:1-6; 1 Timothy 3:9-13).
The deacon is a servant in the ministry, working under the authority of the pastors and the church, not a ruler of the church. Church rule by a deacon board is unscriptural and has caused great harm in many assemblies.
Deacons help the pastor care for the flock, so he can give priority to prayer and the ministry of the Word. The Bible gives qualifications for each office.
These two offices are to be filled by godly men in each local church. Once again, we see no hierarchical structure of outside authority even suggested in Scripture.
1 Timothy 3:1-13; Acts 6:1-7; Philippians 1:1
Baptists believe the Bible. The Bible teaches the Two offices of the church, so I am a Baptist.
