The first thing that makes us Baptists is the spiritual birth. I realize that many (perhaps most) Christians know very little about the new birth. This is mainly because of the improper application of a 'spiritual' or figurative interpretation of Bible verses dealing with it. The fact is, however, that every born again son of God has been "baptized into Jesus Christ" (Romans 6:3). This baptism is the Holy Spirit immersing the believer's spirit into the body of Christ. See 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; and 1 Corinthians 6:17. So, the child of God's spirit is presently sitting "in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6).
Since the baptism of the believer's spirit is a part of the new birth, every saved person has been spiritually baptized into Jesus Christ. So every saved person automatically becomes a Baptist by virtue of the spiritual birth.
The second thing that makes us Baptists is that we believe the scriptural truth about water baptism. That truth is water baptism doesn't save anybody, and has no part in anyone's salvation at all. Water baptism is merely a figure (1 Peter 3:20-21). When a person gets saved, we baptize him no matter how many times he was baptized before he got saved. We baptize a Christian to symbolize what God has done to that Christian spiritually. Since he has been immersed into the body of Jesus Christ, we immerse him into a pool of water. We 'rebaptize' if necessary which is what our forerunners, the Anabaptists, did and what their forerunners, the Waldenses, the Albigenses, the Montanists, the Donatists, and the Paulicians did.
Along with believing the truth about water baptism, these Bible believing Christians throughout church history and the Dark Ages believed in salvation by faith only; that is, faith "on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 16:31) without water baptism, sacraments, or works of any other kind. And being sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14), all true believers are eternally secure.
Another thing that is an historical Baptist doctrine is the priesthood of all believers with no distinction between clergy and laity. An assembly of Christians should be run by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18) through a praying group of elders instead of one or two pastors. And there should be participation in the fellowship that includes many of the members instead of having all of the responsibility, burden, and work being put on just a few leaders. There should be several preachers and teachers of the word of God in a fellowship of believers instead of only two or three while the rest of the members are lazy and inactive.
In the New Testament, a local church is "a local congregation of believers who have been called out of the world system for purposes of assembly (Acts 2), worship (Acts 4), prayer (Acts 4), mutual aid and assistance (Acts 11), teaching and preaching the Bible (Acts 13), missionary endeavors (Acts 16), and as a testimony for Jesus Christ to the pagan population among whom they dwell" [Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, New Testament Church History, Volume One, Chapter Two, page 19].
Our Bible believing forerunners, previously named as the Paulicians, the Waldenses, the Albigenses, the Montanists, the Donatists, and the Anabaptists, were also autonomous local churches. They were against the Roman Catholic Church and any other system which tried to run the lives and faith of other people. They were completely anti-Catholic. They protested the Catholic Church and the pope long before any recognized 'Protestants' thought about a reformation. Actually, these historic groups of Bible believers cared nothing about reforming the Catholic Church. They were only interested in stealing their members by preaching the true gospel resulting in the salvation of Catholics.
Bible believing Christians throughout church history have been Christians who cherished and believed the scriptures. They believed the scriptures that they had in their possession was the word of God. They believed in the final authority of the scriptures. The Syriac and the original Latin Vulgate (not Jerome's) were believed to be the very words of God that God had preserved infallibly through copying and translating for the Christians who possessed them. And on through the centuries Christians who were fortunate enough to have any part of the scriptures cherished and believed them to be God's words. Paul said, "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:..." Acts 24:14. Paul believed all things written in the scriptures that God had provided for him and was called a heretic for his faith in the word of God. Bible believing Christians today believe all things written in the scriptures provided for them and we are called heretics for believing that our English Bible that God preserved for us is infallibly given by inspiration of God.
Bible believing Christians also recognized the writings of Paul to the church as the doctrines and ordinances for the local church, not, however, to the complete exclusion of the Old Testament and other New Testament books.
Summary:
A true Baptist in the historical sense, according to what the Anabaptists, the Waldenses, the Albigenses, the Montanists, the Donatists, and the Paulicians believed, believes the following doctrines:
1. Salvation by faith only without works.
2. Eternal security of the believer.
3. Water baptism for believers only after salvation. Rebaptism for believers who were not saved when baptised.
4. Priesthood of all believers with no distinction between clergy and laity.
5. Jesus Christ as the head of the local church.
6. The Bible as the authority for all matters of faith and practice, believing it to be preserved, infallible, and given by inspiration.
7. A militant stand against the Roman Catholic Church and its doctrines.
8. Public preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of Pagans, Infidels, and Heretics.
9. Worshipping and praying to God and only God, purposely ignoring Mary, all the saints, and other idols.
10. Teaching and preaching of Paul's writings as church age doctrines and ordinances.
Defining Independent Baptist - Jeff Williams
Why do you call yourself independent?
By the term "independent" we simply mean that we are not part of any convention, association or union. All of the churches in the New Testament were self-governing, independent churches without any form of outside control. We do fellowship with other churches of like faith and practice, but our guidance comes from the Holy Spirit and the written word of God - not from an ecclesiastical body.
Are you part of the Baptist denomination?
Technically speaking, there is no such thing as a "Baptist denomination" - the "Baptists" do not have a human founder as such. The term "baptist" was first applied to local groups of believers in Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries who believe much like we do today. In fact, because we hold to a literal interpretation of God's Word, churches like ours can be found throughout church history, although by various names, all of the way back to the early New Testament churches, as well as around the world today.
So where did the "independents" come from?
At one time, ALL Baptist churches were independent assemblies. Though many formed unions and conventions for various reasons, many others have chosen to remain independent bodies throughout the centuries. Independent Baptist churches are not something new, but something very old and well established in church history.
[Copied from Jeff Williams, Pastor, Marlborough Bible Baptist Church, Blenhiem, New Zealand, http://www.mbbc.org.nz/faq
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