Baptist Faith and Message (2000): The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) statement is a theological declaration, signpost, and guide for Baptists. I am meeting with some professors today at a local Baptist university about possible adjunct work (philosophy), so I wanted to refresh on Baptist theology. In terms of theology, I am probably more closely aligned with Baptists than any denomination. This is perhaps what theologian Sam Storms means when he writes on his website that he is “credo-baptistic.” As I read through this morning, I found several lines absolutely delightful due to the conciseness and truth contained therein. Click here to read the statement yourself. Here are a few:
“The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation.” What a beautiful statement. Thus, the view that gender is a binary (only two, male and female) and corresponds with biological sex is not restrictive, but glorious, being God’s design. Freedom, not bondage, is the result of God’s decree and design.
“There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ.”
“Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God.”
“The freedom of a teacher in a Christian school, college, or seminary is limited by the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, by the authoritative nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct purpose for which the school exists.”
“In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography.”
“Marriage is . . . the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards . . .”
“Parents are to teach their children . . . to make choices based on biblical truth.”
B.J. Condrey, Ph.D. 