Why Baptist?
Very good question...why do we say Baptist and not just
Christian? First of all I'd like to point out that Jesus
had no problem calling His cousin John the Baptist. This
was because the term baptist defined what John was doing.
It told what set him apart. This has been the same ever
since for anyone called by the title Baptist. Believers
were called Christians several years after Christ's
ascension by those around them who saw their life and how it
reflected Jesus. It was meant as a derisive term but in
fact was a compliment. The term Christian literally
means "little Christ" and I prefer to let other people
praise me (if I earn it) and not my own lips.
These days the term Christian is so widely used that the
understanding of the word is vague and misunderstood among
the majority of people. "Christian" is how we as born-again
children of God ought to act. "Baptist" on the other hand
indicates exact doctrines that that person holds to.
Baptistic doctrines include the deity of Christ, believer's
baptism by immersion, belief in the three-in-One triune God
Jehovah, and local church authority. We can find all of
these doctrines taught in the Bible quite clearly so we
arent teaching anything God didnt teach all of us.
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