What is a Calvinist? Don’t they stifle evangelism?

Calvinism is termed so, because heresies were popping up left and right on salvation, or how man is saved. The writings of Calvin on the subject of salvation (he wrote profusely), were used to combat heresy that was entering the church. It is not a worshipping of Calvin, but a term coined for the doctrine he spoke so clearly on.  You can read more on the Doctrines of Grace, or as Luther cried, “salvation by faith alone”, here.

As far as stifling, or being against evangelism, one only needs to look to church history to see the fallacy of that statement. The Great Awakening was led by George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards, both calvinists. The Scottish and Irish revivals were led by calvinists. What of Spurgeon? When he started preaching at the New Park Chapel there were 232 members. By the end of his ministry, he had baptized 14,942! The Bible and the Reformed faith demands evangelism, and a glance through history will show that the great revivals and awakenings were led by Calvinists.

But Confessions and Catechisms? Aren’t they old and outdated? Shouldn’t we have “no creed but Christ”?

In fact, we all have “creeds”. The word creed is latin, and simply means “belief”. Do you only believe in Christ, or do you have a belief in God the Father, the Holy Spirit, prayer, obedience, repentance and so on? Then, you have a “creed”, or belief. You just don’t write it down on paper.

Confessions or catechisms are used to explain different truths, or teachings, and divided into subjects much like the concordance in the back of your Bible. A confession, or statement of belief, is written on the “Fall of man”, or the “Lord’s Table”, with some explanation, and the scripture verses are written under that explanation to show where those truths on that subject can be found in the Bible, just like your concordance. The difference is the concordance doesn’t have a creed or belief.

Confessions are the result of many faithful brethren that have put down on paper different doctrines contained in the scriptures, and are used for instruction and guidance in matters of faith. As a Reformed Confessional Church member, you will know what will be taught, what can never be taught, and what is held dear to the church. Have you ever sat in a church and a missionary, visiting preacher, or teacher gets up and says something you wish you and your family never heard? In a Reformed Confessional Church that would indeed be rare, as we try to maintain a like-mindedness based on beliefs or truths contained in the scriptures and summarized in the confession. For more on confessions click here.

Looking at Catechisms, the Bible instructs us to “raise and train our children up in the admonition of the Lord”, and catechisms are a great way to do that. Some say, “Making them memorize doctrine won’t make them believers”. True. However it will teach them “the admonition of the Lord”, which we are instructed to do. The Bible doesn’t instruct us to make believers, but to teach them the ways of the Lord.

Catechisms use a method of questions and answers to learn doctrine. Some say, “Rote learning is not good, or spiritual”. Yet they agree with scripture memorization. And scripture memorization is present in Sunday schools today. It just happens one day a week, instead of seven, and generally has the child learn one random verse a week, instead of memorizing several verses all pertaining to the subject at hand. If you were to learn anything else, which method would you use?

Children in today’s Sunday schools learn one Bible verse and then they get candy if they can recite it. What is the message there? What is the purpose to get a child to learn a verse a week? Is it so at the Thanksgiving party at the church they will be able to all get up and recite 12 verses?

We have been called to “take heed of our doctrine” and our children's. It is serious business, and is not done one day out of the week. It has often been said that we would not have JW’s around if every child had simply learned the Athanasius Creed. As adults, they would have had “red flags” go up when the JW’s at the door spoke of Christ. Why don’t people use catechisms and confessions more today? Because it takes work, it takes time and energy to learn the things of our Lord and put them to memory.  Learn more here...

Baptists? You mean like Southern Baptist or American Baptists?

No, we mean that we hold to the doctrine of credo-baptism. Remember, creed means belief, so we say we hold to a believer’s baptism instead of paedo-baptism, that is, infant baptism. We differ from other “reformed” churches in this area.

But the word baptism, or baptistic, means more than that. It states who we believe are fit members for Christ’s church. Only believers. This again differs from the paedo-baptists’ churches, but is like many “independent” or “community” style churches today.

Being Baptist also means that we are independent in our church government. There is not a presbytery or a synod over us. We are autonomous in government much like many “independent “or “community” style churches today. 

But we do differ from them, in that we are not part of a denomination, but an association. We link ourselves (while remaining independent), to other “like-minded” churches in our area, or across the nation. We do so for a variety of reasons, the main reason being to organize missionary efforts, as this is the duty of the church, not para-church organizations (e. g., Campus Crusade). Associations are also beneficial for pulpit supply. Remember that we maintain a set of beliefs, and using pastors from like-minded churches ensures that you and your family will only hear doctrines you have already approved. For more information on Reformed Baptists click here for a long version, or here for a shorter version.

What is Reformed?

This has to do again with Church history. It is a time when the word “protestant” came into use. The people protested about the means and ways of salvation, and the authority of scripture. People protesting the Catholic church in these areas were called Protestants. Below are the five ”solas” of the Protestant Reformation.

1. 1.Sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone. The Bible is the complete, closed and clear authority in all matters of faith. This is instead of church tradition, church rule, or the Pope dictating otherwise.
   

2. 2.Solus Christus: Christ Alone. Our confidence is in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. This is instead of faith in the church, baptismal regeneration, or paying penance for our sins.
   

3. 3.Sola Gratia: By Grace Alone. Grace secured redemption by God without reference to works. This is instead of man working his way towards God by works, indulgences, or anything that makes God obligatory in salvation.
   

4. 4.Sola Fide: Faith Alone. We are declared righteous by God through faith alone. This is instead of faith with some penance or blessing from a man on earth. This is instead of faith plus baptism or receiving grace and righteousness from the abomination called the Mass.
   

5. 5.Soli Deo Gloria: To God alone be the Glory. The goal of creation and redemption is God’s praise. If all the above is wholly of God, then to Him alone be the Glory.
   

For more information on the five solas