5 PB Distinctives
Often people ask me where my family goes to church. When I respond with, "I attend the Primitive Baptist Church," this inevitably leads to the question - "What makes Primitive Baptist's different from all of the other types of Baptists?" In response to that important question, that I suspect PB’s encounter quite a bit, I offer up five Primitive Baptist distinctives for your consideration:
1. SUCCESSFUL SAVIOR - Jesus Christ set out to save a people and he gets the job done.
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:30)
2. SECURE PEOPLE - All those for whom Christ died will live in glory with Him.
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:37-40)
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)
3. IMMEDIATE HOLY SPIRIT REGENERATION - God imparts life directly to his elect without mediation.
“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” ( John 5:25)
4. APOSTOLIC PATTERN OF WORSHIP - following closely with the primitive New Testament example.
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” (Ephesians 5:19-20)
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16)
5. THE BIBLE IS WRITTEN TO HIS PEOPLE - he who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (I Corinthians 2:11-14)
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Timothy 3:16-17)
For those interested in learning more about these distinctinctives, Elder Neil Phelan, Jr's excellent sermon on the matter proves helpful. Primitive Baptists realize that our beliefs puts us very much in the minority, so far as the broader evangelical world is concerned. Nevertheless, we are persuaded that these are important truths that resolve numerous theological dilemmas that more popular theological systems either relegate to antinomy or otherwise inadequately explain.
Search the scriptures to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11)
- Elder Daniel Samons