By Ken Blue
“While some Baptists understand the absurdity of making a distinction between church history and Baptist history many would still refer to non-Baptist believers as Christians. I don’t believe that you can be a Christian without being a Baptist. I did not say you can’t be saved without being a Baptist and that would be absurd because you cannot become a Baptist until being baptized after salvation. The question must be asked, “What is a Christian?” A Christian is not just one that trusts Christ as their Savior. A Christian is one who is a follower of Christ – including AFTER salvation. May I say that one who gets saved and then backslides or never grows in the Lord is not a Christian. They may have trusted in Christ but they are not following Christ in their life. To be a Christian is to follow the ways and teachings of Christ. How could a believer be a Christian without being a member of the institution of the local church which He started”
(Ah, here is the heart of the matter. How could anyone be a Christian and not be a member of a Baptist brider church? Notice the argument always moves to the subject of baptism. But, if his definition of a Christian is correct, where can we find a Christian in the brider church? Is the brider going to tell me he is a “follower of all Jesus taught”? If you think they do, compare the first commission to the brider church in Matthew 10 and see if any brider follows it. If the brider is right when he says a Christian is a follower of the “ways and teachings of Christ,” then I can assure you that there is not a Christian on this planet. Or perhaps the brider will cut other briders some slack in his definition. The fallacy:
The major premise: The church at Antioch was Baptist and the bride of Christ
The minor premise: Those who joined the church at Antioch were Christians.
The conclusion: Only those who join a Baptist bride church today are Christians.
The fallacy: The church at Antioch was not Baptist, or the bride. In the syllogism the major premise is wrong, therefore, the conclusion is wrong..)
” How could a saved Methodist be a Christian with their infant baptism? How could a Pentecostal believer be a Christian with their speaking in tongues? How could a Church of Christ member be called a Christian when they are trusting in baptism for salvation? How could a Presbyterian believer be a Christian when they don’t believe in eternal security and practice sprinkling? Being a Christian is more than believing in Christ and going to a church that historically believes in Christ instead of other gods. As Spurgeon said, “We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians.” As Baptists we don’t treat the polity of new testament churches as optional suggestions and we don’t add to our practices the contradictory writings and creeds of men. If Jesus were physically on earth today he would be a member of a Baptist church because a (true) Baptist church is a practical copy and an actual descendant of the church that Christ started during His earthly ministry. Don’t be ashamed my brethren, only Baptists are Christians.”
Pastor Ken Blue was born in Boswell, Ark. In 1955 he accepted Christ as his Savior. He and his wife Joyce were married in 1955. They have 5 children. He graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College in 1969 and started the Open Door Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Wa. where he pastored for 39 years. Because of health issues (ALS) he was forced to resign as pastor. It is his desire to continue to be used of God to help pastors and believers through this ministry.