The Baptist is ... Baptists - what kind of faith? Baptists - sect

Adherents of one of the branches of the Protestant church are called Baptists. The name is derived from the word baptize, which translates from Greek as "dipping", "baptizing, immersing in water." According to this doctrine, to receive baptism is necessary not in infancy, but at a conscious age by immersion in consecrated water. In short, a Baptist is a Christian who consciously accepts his faith. He believes that the salvation of man consists in selfless faith in Christ.

The Church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists. History of occurrence

Communities of Baptist adherents began to form in the early seventeenth century in Holland, but their founders were not the Dutch, but English congregationalists, who were forced to flee to the mainland to avoid persecution of the Anglican church. And so, in the second decade of the 17th century, namely in 1611, a new Christian doctrine was formulated for the English, who were destined to live in the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam. A year later, a church of Baptists was established in England. Then the first community appeared, professing this faith. Later, in 1639, and in North America, the first Baptists appeared. This sect was widely spread in the New World, especially in the United States. Every year the number of its adherents grew with incredible speed. Over time, the Baptist evangelists also spread throughout the world: to countries in Asia and Europe, Africa and Australia, well, and the Americas. By the way, during the civil war in America, most black slaves accepted this faith and became its ardent followers.

The spread of Baptism in Russia

Until the seventies of the 19th century, virtually no one in Russia knew who Baptists were. What kind of faith unites people who call themselves that way? The first community of followers of this faith appeared in St. Petersburg, its members called themselves evangelical Christians. Here the Baptist came from Germany together with foreign masters, architects and scientists, invited by Russian tsars Alexei Mikhailovich and Peter Alekseevich. This trend was most widespread in the Tauride, Kherson, Kiev, Ekaterinoslav provinces. Later it reached the Kuban and Transcaucasia.

The first Baptist in Russia was Nikita Isaevich Voronin. He was baptized in 1867. Baptism and evangelism are very close to each other, but they are nevertheless considered two separate trends in Protestantism, and in 1905 in the northern capital of their adherents created the Union of Evangelists and the Union of Baptists. In the first years of Soviet power the attitude to any religious trends became biased, and the Baptists had to go underground. However, during the Patriotic War, both the Baptists and the Evangelists once again intensified and united, creating the Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists of the USSR. To them after the war joined the Pentecostal sect.

Ideas of Baptism

The main aspiration in life for devotees of this faith is the ministry of Christ. The Baptist Church teaches that one must live in harmony with the world, but not be of this world, that is, obey the earthly laws, but only with the heart of revering Jesus Christ. At the heart of Baptism, which arose as a radical Protestant bourgeois trend, lies the principle of individualism. Baptists believe that the salvation of a person depends only on the person himself, and that the church can not be an intermediary between him and God. The only true source of faith is the Gospel - Scripture, only it can find answers to all the questions and, fulfilling all the commandments, all the rules contained in this holy book, you can save your soul. Every Baptist is sure of this. This is an undeniable truth for him. All of them do not recognize the church ordinances and holidays, do not believe in the miraculous power of icons.

Baptism in Baptism

Adherents of this faith go through the rite of baptism, not in infancy, but at a conscious age, because the Baptist is a believer who is fully aware of what he needs baptism for, and refers to this as a spiritual rebirth. In order to become a member of the community and receive baptism, candidates must pass a probationary period. Later they pass through repentance at a prayer meeting. The process of baptism involves dipping into the water, then the rite of bread goes. These two rituals symbolize the belief in spiritual union with the Savior. Unlike the Orthodox and Catholic churches, which consider baptism to be a sacrament, that is, a means of salvation, for the Baptists this step demonstrates the conviction of the rightness of their religious views. Only after a person is fully aware of the depth of faith, only then will he have the right to go through the rite of baptism and become one of the members of the Baptist community. The spiritual leader performs this rite, helping his ward to dip into the water, only after he was able to go through all the trials and convince the members of the community of the unshakable nature of their faith.

Baptist settings

According to this teaching, the sinfulness of the world outside the community is inevitable. Therefore, they advocate strict observance of the norms of morality. The evangelical Christian Baptist should completely abandon the use of alcoholic beverages, the use of curses and curses, etc. Encouraging mutual support, modesty and responsiveness. All members of the community have to take care of each other, to help those in need. One of the main responsibilities of each of the Baptists is the conversion of dissenters into their faith.

Baptist dogma

In 1905, the First World Congress of Christian Baptists was held in London. On it the symbol of the Apostolic Faith was approved as the basis of the dogma. The following principles were also adopted:

1. Only people who have gone through baptism can be the followers of the Church, that is, the evangelical Christian Baptist is a spiritually revived person.

2. The Bible is the only truth, it can find answers to any questions, it is an infallible and unshakable authority both in matters of faith and in practical life.

3. The universal (invisible) church is one for all Protestants.

4. Knowledge of Baptism and the Vespers of the Lord are taught only to the baptized, that is to the regenerated people.

5. Local communities are independent in practical and spiritual matters.

6. All members of the local community are equal. This means that even an ordinary Baptist is a member of a community that has the same rights as a preacher or spiritual leader. By the way, the early Baptists were against the church hierarchy, but today they themselves create something like ranks within their church.

7. For all - both believers and non-believers - there is freedom of conscience.

8. The church and the state should be separated from each other.

Sermons of Baptists

Members of the evangelical communities gather several times a week to hear a sermon on a particular topic. Here are some of them:

• About suffering.
• Heavenly kneading.
• What is holiness.
• Life in victory and in abundance.
• Can you listen?
• Evidence of the Resurrection.
• The secret of family happiness.
• The first bread-baking in life, etc.

Listening to the sermon, believers try to find answers to the questions that tormented them. The sermon can be read by everyone, however only after special training, obtaining sufficient knowledge and skills, in order to speak publicly before a large group of coreligionists. The main services of the Baptists are held weekly, on a Sunday. Sometimes the community meets on weekdays, in order to pray, study and discuss information found in the Bible. Divine service takes place in several stages: preaching, singing, instrumental music, reading poems and poems on spiritual themes, as well as retelling biblical stories.

Holidays of Baptists

Followers of this church current or sect, as it is customary to call it in our country, have their own special calendar of holidays. Each Baptist honors them. This list, which consists of both the general Christian holidays, and the solemn days inherent only in this church. Below is their full list.

• Any Sunday is the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• The first Sunday of every month is a day of bread.
• Christmas.
• Epiphany.
• The Presentation of the Lord.
• Annunciation.
• The entrance of the Lord to Jerusalem.
• Holy Thursday.
• Resurrection (Easter).
• Ascension.
• Pentecost (Descent into the Apostles of the Holy Spirit ).
• Transfiguration.
• Harvest Festival (exclusively Baptist holiday).
• Day of Unity (commemorated in 1945 in memory of the unification of Evangelists and Baptists).
• New Year.

Famous Baptists all over the world

Followers of this religious trend, which has spread in more than 100 countries, not only in Christian, but also Muslim, and even Buddhist, are also world famous writers, poets, public figures, and others. For example, the Baptists were the English writer John Bunyan (Banyan), who is the author of the book The Pilgrim's Journey; The great English poet, human rights activist, public figure John Milton; Daniel Defoe - author of one of the most famous works of world literature - the adventure novel "Robinson Crusoe"; Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King, who was an ardent fighter for the rights of black slaves in the United States. In addition, the Baptists were large businessmen, the Rockefeller brothers.