Altered Abstract w/ Scripture
The Abstract of Principles is a solid, simple confession written in 1858. It was the first confession drawn up by Southern Baptists for the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is in use by many churches today. I like it, but the language is a bit archaic and there are a few things I would say differently, or not say at all.
This is a hack on the Abstract that makes it better for our church. The language has been modestly updated, we made some minor adjustments in a couple of places, and – get this – we added Scriptural support to each article. I am not sure why, but I have not seen a copy of the Abstract with Scriptural proofs. I am sure it’s out there, but until we put this together we have not seen it. What many will not like is that we removed the second clause on the article on the Lord’s Day that reads, “resting from worldly employments and amusements, works of necessity and mercy only excepted.” I am sure many will not like this, but others may. So here it is: what we use as our confession, or statement of faith.
I. The Scriptures
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience. (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
II. God
There is but one God, the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things, having in and of Himself, all perfections, and being infinite in them all; and to Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence and obedience. (Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; 1 Tim. 1:17)
III. The Trinity
God is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being. (Mt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)
IV. Providence
God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not in any way to be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures. (Heb. 1:3; Mt. 10:39-31; Prov. 16:33)
V. Election
Election is God’s eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life-not because of foreseen merit in them, but of His mere mercy in Christ-in consequence of which choice they are called, justified and glorified. (Rom. 8:30; Eph. 1:3-6; Acts 13:48)
VI. The Fall of Man
God originally created Man in His own image, and free from sin; but, through the temptation of Satan, he transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity inherit a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law, are under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors. (Gen. 1:27; 3:4-7; Rom. 5:12-21; Eph. 2:1-3)
VII. The Mediator
Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God, is the divinely appointed mediator between God and man. Having taken upon Himself human nature, yet without sin, He perfectly fulfilled the law; suffered and died upon the cross for the salvation of sinners. He was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended to His Father, at whose right hand He ever lives to make intercession for His people. He is the only Mediator, the Prophet, Priest and King of the Church, and Sovereign of the Universe. (Mt. 3:17; 1 Cor. 15:3-7; 1 Tim. 2:5; Rom. 5:6-11; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb 1:3)
VIII. Regeneration
Regeneration is a change of heart, wrought by the Holy Spirit, who gives life to those who are dead in trespasses and sins enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the Word of God, and renewing their whole nature, so that they love and practice holiness. It is a work of God’s free and special grace alone. (Jn. 3:1-8; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:3)
IX. Repentance
Repentance is an evangelical grace, wherein a person being by the Holy Spirit, made sensible of the manifold evil of his sin, humbles himself for it, with godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self-abhorrence, with a purpose and endeavor to walk before God so as to please Him in all things. (Mk. 1:15; Acts 20:21; 2 Cor. 7:9)
X. Faith
Saving faith is the belief, on God’s authority, of whatsoever is revealed in His Word concerning Christ; accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification and eternal life. It is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and is accompanied by all other saving graces, and leads to a life of holiness. (Jn. 1:12; 5:24; Eph. 2:8, 9)
XI. Justification
Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal of sinners, who believe in Christ, from all sin, through the satisfaction that Christ has made; not for anything wrought in them or done by them; but on account of the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith. (Rom. 3:23-24; Rom. 5:1-2; 18, 19; 2 Cor. 5:21)
XII. Sanctification
Those who have been regenerated are also sanctified by God’s word and Spirit dwelling in them. This sanctification is progressive through the supply of Divine strength, which all saints seek to obtain, pressing after a heavenly life in heartfelt obedience to all Christ’s commands. (Jn. 17:17; 2 Thes. 2:13; Heb. 12:14)
XIII. Perseverance of the Saints
Those whom God has accepted in the Beloved, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere to the end; and though they may fall through neglect and temptation, into sin, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, bring reproach on the Church, and temporal judgments on themselves, yet they shall be renewed again unto repentance, and be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. (Jn. 10:28-29; 1 Jn. 2:19; Rom. 8:30)
XIV. The Church
The Lord Jesus is the head of the Church, which is composed of all His true disciples, and in Him is invested supremely all power for its government. According to His commandment, Christians are to gather together into local churches; and to each of these churches He has given needful authority for administering that order, discipline and worship which He has appointed. The regular officers of a Church are Elders, and Deacons. (Col. 1:18; Mt. 16:18; 18:15-18; 1 Tim. 3:1-15; 1 Pet. 5:1-4)
XV. Baptism
Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein he is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of giving himself up to God, to live and walk in newness of life. (Mt. 28:19-20; Rom. 6:3-5; Acts 8:38-39)
XVI. The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of Jesus Christ, to be administered with the elements of bread and the fruit of the vine, and to be observed by His churches till the end of the world. It is in no sense a sacrifice, but is designed to commemorate His death, to confirm the faith and other graces of Christians, and to be a bond, pledge and renewal of their communion with Him, and of their church fellowship. (Mt. 26:26-27; 1 Cor. 10:16-17; 11:23-26)
XVII. The Lord’s Day
The Lord’s Day is a Christian institution for regular observance, and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private. (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Col. 2:16; 3:16; Rev 1:10)
XVIII. Liberty of Conscience
God alone is Lord of the conscience; and He hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in anything contrary to His word, or not contained in it. Civil magistrates being ordained of God, subjection in all lawful things commanded by them ought to be yielded by us in the Lord, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:17)
XIX. The Resurrection
The bodies of men after death return to dust, but their spirits return immediately to God-the righteous to rest with Him; the wicked, to be reserved under darkness to the judgment. At the last day, the bodies of all the dead, both just and unjust, will be raised.
(1 Cor 15; Jn. 5:28, 29; Phil. 3:21)
XX. The Judgment
God hath appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world by Jesus Christ, when every one shall receive according to his deeds; the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment; the righteous, into everlasting life. (Mt. 25:31-46; 1 Cor. 15:35-58; 2 Cor. 5:10)
This is interesting to me on several levels. One, I find it interesting as a pastor who is working through our own confession. On another level, I find it interesting historically to see what content, other than language, present Baptists seek to modify. I especially note article XVII on “The Lord’s Day.” I believe that if most “Reformedish” Baptists revised the Abstract, you’d find the most modification there.
Oh, and I meant to add that I appreciate your sharing this. Thanks!
Thank you!! I have been waiting for somebody to my work for me:)
I think your Church has done a great job!!
So Joe, I’ll bite. Why change the article on the Lord’s Day that reads, “resting from worldly employments and amusements, works of necessity and mercy only excepted” ?? Or maybe you could just point me to something else online that I could read about this issue? I feel that there is plenty of scriptural support for this and I find it very interesting for it to be missing from the cafeteria line
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Peace out,
Matt
Simply put, I am not a sabbatarian. I held to that view for years, but as I continued to study Scripture I became less convinced of the Puritan model of it. I think Calvin’s view is better and it is much closer to mine.
At our church we believe that the Lord’s Day/1st Day of the week (not the sabbath) should be the day the church gathers for worship and fellowship. The latter may be expressed in a game of softball on the grounds or in the park. The clause we removed speaks against such “amusements.” We changed it to be (in our estimation) faithful to Scripture and honest about ourselves.
Very few of the people I know who claim to hold the sabbatarian view are consistent in not working others (restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, etc.) and doing unnecessary work on the “sabbath” themselves.
Joe,
It is not my goal to cause trouble, but this subject of the Sabbath troubles me. I can see how you agree with Calvin’s 1st use of the Sabbath, but how do you square softball playing with this:
“We must call upon his name and exercise ourselves in his word. If we spend the Lord’s Day in partying, games and sports is this honoring God? No! Is it not mocking him and misusing his name? Yes!”
and again,
“Now, if the Lord’s Day is spent playing games and in other empty pastimes, and in things that are clearly contrary to God, so that men think that the way to keep the Day ‘holy’ is by offending God in different ways, and if God’s holy regulations which he ordained to bring us to himself are broken in this way, then is it any wonder that men act as brute beasts the rest of the week?”
As I read the sermon, it seemed to me that Calvin was pretty much a Sabbatarian as I have heard it described by those I respect with such a view.
I really hate this discussion because it raises the specter of legalism, but I am reluctant to dismiss it because it was so universally held that Sunday was “The Lord’s Sabbath” until very recently, historically speaking. That, and many of my mentors are Sabbatarians.
Brad, there is debate about Calvin’s view of the sabbath, but most understand that his view is different than the puritans in a few ways – approach/emphasis and perhaps practice. There is also debate about his own activity on the Lord’s Day – check out the biographies on the man. In the end, I like his view better and said it is closer to mine. His essential treatment of it is in line with mine, though his application of it is different. For me, it is not about Calvin’s view, but what I am convinced of Scripturally.
Christians do not keep the sabbath. After Christ’s res’ and appearances the early church began gathering on the Lord’s Day. After after his res’ the early church does not seem to confuse the “Lords Day” with the Sabbath.
The issue for me is uncomfortable because I like my theology to fit into neat categories and line up in ways my mind finds appealing. On the surface the sabbatarian view does this for me. Unforunately, I am not biblically convinced by the arguments for a sabbatarian practice on the Lord’s Day. I think we should gather and worship together as the early church did. Beyond that its an involved discussion.
How do we view the law, the Decalogue, the fourth commandment in particular, etc. Then – with the fourth commandment, what has changed about it? The day? Anything else? And very importantly, how do Heb 4 and Col 2 help us in the discussion.
I understand the arguments for the sabbatarian view. I used to hold to it, but the hermeneutical circle has led me away from it. It is not something I get worked up about at all. But the biblical argument is not as easy as some would suggest, and keeping it is even more difficult – though that, in and of itself, has no bearing on its validity.
Joe,
Thanks for taking the time to answer. I am working at this from the opposite view; I have never been a convinced Sabbatarian. I understand the arguments, and I am not yet persuaded. The reason I experience such trepidation over this is because of the vast numbers of discerning, biblical writers who hold and held this position, Boyce not the least!
I know what you mean man. It’s never comfortable out here when the guys I look up to are “over there” on an issue. Thankfully it’s rather uncommon for me.
I never made much of this issue. Some of members my family, though, have massive issues even with, say, grocery shopping on Sundays. I guess I see it more as an issue of conscience.
We made some similar changes to the Abstract when Providence Church adopted it.
Most notably, perhaps, we really changed I, IV, VI, and XVII.
I. The Scriptures were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience. The Bible’s 39 Old Testament books and the 27 New Testament books are regarded as inerrant and infallible in their respective Hebrew and Greek original manuscripts. (much more defined in our inerrancy)
IV. … nor does He destroy the free agency and responsibility … (free agency was less confusing for our folks than freewill)
VI. The Fall of Man
God originally created humanity in His own image, and free from sin; but, through the temptation of Satan, Adam transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby all of humanity were cursed and his posterity inherit a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law and are under condemnation. All our actual transgressions proceed from this original corruption, by which we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and totally inclined to all evil. (the original appeared to some to allow for and potentially suggest the notion of the “age of accountability,” so we borrowed some from the WCF and came up with a nice elaboration)
XVII. The Lord’s Day
The Lord’s Day is a Christian institution for regular observance, and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private. (nobody really knew what “worldly amusements were” and we’re not really what some would consider sabbitarian anyway)
One question I do have for the sabbatarians, not meaning to be contentious or anything like that, but …
What would a church member have to do in order to be disciplined for violating the sabbath?