AUDACITY OF THE BAPTIST BRIDE
By Ken Blue
Several years ago I wrote a book called, Baptist Brider Bologna. I had no idea just how thick the bologna was until a fellow pastor called my attention to a Baptist Bride webpage. It contained the article below. We could title it “The Switch and Bait Game.”
Briders believe they have the only correct doctrine, and therefore, only those who embrace it are Christians. You may be saved and in the family of God, but if you are not of their cut, you are not in the bride. You will notice that they make the word Christian synonymous with a Baptist Brider. Then they say if you don’t accept their Baptist teaching, you are not a Christian.
What all that means is, if you aren’t baptized by someone, who was baptized by someone, who was baptized by John the Baptist, you are not a Christian. If you are not a member of a Baptist Bride Church, you are not a Christian. If you do not have closed communion, you are not a Christian. If you fellowship with anyone who is not a Brider, you are not a Christian. If you use any Bible except the King James Bible, you are not a Christian. If you don’t believe in eternal security, you are not a Christian. If you are baptized by anyone except a Brider Pastor, you are not a Christian. If you are not faithful to all the Baptist Church services, you are not a Christian. If you don’t tithe, you are not a Christian. If you don’t go soul winning, you are not a Christian. If you disagree with the pastor, you are not a Christian. And, if the sign on your church doesn’t say Baptist, you probably aren’t a Christian. We say “nuts” to all this!
[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Baptist Briders believe they have the only correct doctrine[/pullquote]
What these birds have done is set up a series of personal standards and doctrines, they think early believers believed and practiced. Then they teach that these original believers constituted the Baptist Bride Church, whose members lived by those standards. Adherence to their Baptist teachings identified them as Christians. Therefore, if you do not accept their Baptist Bride doctrines and behavior, you are not a Christian. It’s that simple, boys and girls.
Posted by JTR on 7/01/2010
“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? 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.”
(Emphasis is mine. I am not ashamed to be a Baptist; I am ashamed of some Baptist!)
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.
And all GOD’S PEOPLE said, “AMEN!” Preach on, Brother Blue!
Preacher, you are one of my heros, keep looking up. Connie and love you dear Brother.
Pastor, sounds like what I deal with every day down here in Utah, with Joseph Smith believing that He had the true church. Do the Briders practice polygamy also!!!! I enjoy the messages
really enjoyed the quote at the end of the article; how true it is!
I second! Great quote at the end.
Dear Sir
I have been a Baptist Brider for over 26 years and have attended many bible conferences at New Testament Baptist Churches (Baptist Brides) all over the country and have never once heard from the pulpit or any fellowship that if you are not a baptist you are not saved. That is a complete and total misconception and misrepresentation of what the Lords Church (Baptist Bride) teaches. Please sir visit our website to read the facts found in Gods word. thank you Tom
Dear Mr. Krause,
If you will read my article again, and carefully, you will notice that I never said Baptist Briders teach that non briders are not saved. Also, if you will read the second section of the article which is in quotes, you will discover that the brider who wrote is said, “non-Briders are not Christians.”
He said, “I don’t believe that you can be a Christian without being a Baptist.” He also said, “How could a believer be a Christian without being a member of the institution of the local church which He started?” These are not my words, they are the statement by a brider. He is very clear that you are not a Christian unless you embrace the teaching of the Baptist Bride Church, to which I responded “Nuts.” The above is from the official Brider web site.
Dear Mr. Blue
Thank you for your response and correction. I did read your article again, carefully, and did notice you never said Baptist Briders teach that non Briders are not saved.
A definition of the word Christian would be necessary to understand what the “Brider” was saying. A Biblical definition would be describing those members of the Lords Church. The first of three times used in scripture is Acts 11:26 and was used as a derogatory term by the Antiochenes, describing members of the Church at Antioch. The next two times used is Acts 26:28 and I Peter 4:16, Both describing members of the Lords Church. The meaning of the word, however has evolved (as many English words do) to encompass even those born into a Christian family today, i.e. my parents were Christian so therefore I am Christian.
What in fact the “Brider” was saying is if you are not a member of one of the Lords Local New Testament Baptist Churches you will not be in the Bride of Christ. You will however be a guest at the marriage, and have a part or place in the new heaven and earth as described in Revelation 21, but you will not have a part in “that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God” Revelation 21:10.
Dear Mr. Krause, I fully understood what the writer said, and implied. The deception is the view he takes of what a Christian is, and then teaches that those who do not accept his view are not Christians. That is asinine.
Let me ask you a few questions, and then give you a challenge. Can you prove where the church started? No matter what you say, are those that choose a different date in the bride? Can you prove that the body of Christ is a bride? Can you prove that non briders are the guest at the supper?
Jesus commanded His disciples to teach their converts to observe, “All things which I have command you.” Now, let’s you and I be completely honest. Do you or anyone you know obey “all” that Jesus taught? Will you defend yourself by picking only those items that fit Baptist Brider doctrines? Based on your interpretation of a Christian, do you know one, and how do you know?
Hi Bro. Blue – If I may throw in my 2 cents’ worth, this Big B Baptist local church only, no universal church-ism seems so absurd we wonder if these people actually read their KJV or just wave it around in the air! Eph.1:22-23, for example, makes it clear that “the church” and the Body of Christ are synonymous. Then consider that Paul said to the Roman believers that “We, being many, are all one body in Christ” (Rom.12:5). At this point, Paul had not even met most of the people he was speaking to, much less was he a member of their local church. Similarly, he was not a member at Corinth either, but at Antioch (I Cor.10:17).
While most briders would be horrified to be accused of imitating Rome, that is exactly what they do with their exclusive claims. For a number of years, I was involved in such a fellowship of like-minded Big-B churches, and the reality is that “our variety of Baptists are more acceptable to God than other believers,” and that difference lies in something other than the work of Christ. That, by definition is legalism, which is Pharisee-ism, which is heresy.
Mr. Krause, we are still waiting for your answers to my questions. Is the delay because you don’t know the answers to them. Just in case this the answer, we extend the questions to all Briders who might happen to read the questions. I have found over the years that no Brider can answer the questions. If you can, please inform us.
AND, YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT?
WHAT ARE YOU ASKING? I HAVE NO IDEA.
COULD YOU DIRECT US TO THAT ANSWER?
Dr. Blue,
Must one be baptized today in order to be faithful to Jesus? If so does it matter how they are baptized?
I believe one should be baptized by immersion. Why? It pictures the gospel we preach. God bless you.
Was reading this stuff and wanted to thank you Bro Blue for all your work in this Brider stupidity.