Comparing Two Statements of Faith: Part One

This series was originally posted a couple of years ago while I was a seminary student at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.  I was asked to remove it by an adjunct professor after one of his students "used" the material for a similar assignment.  Lesson: good schools are checking up on the assignments submitted by their students.    

INTRODUCTION

          I love studying history.  Of course, those who know me would not be surprised to learn that this includes church history but I am also quite interested in world history.  The history lessons taught in so many schools neglects the impact that the church has had on history over the centuries.  This sad truth is a topic for another day!

The study of various confessions of faith is essential in understanding the changes that occurred in different periods of history.  Such a study is also necessary for the student desiring to more fully understand how the positions of differing denominations formed and how things came to be in the present day.  To that end, this monograph will compare and contrast the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith (1833) with the Treatise on the Faith and Practice of the Free Will Baptists (1834).  Both groups share a common understanding of a number of issues and yet they differ on others.  Given the constraints of the current assignment, this paper will compare three similar positions held by both confessions and then contrast three positions.

          The three positions both confessions hold in a similar view are on the Scriptures, the Fall of Man, and the Attributes of God.  The differences to be discussed are the Ordinances, Election versus the Gospel Call, and Perseverance of the Saints.  The Treatise on the Faith and Practice of the Free Will Baptists (1834) is fully Armenian in theology while the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith (1834) is decidedly Calvinistic in theology.  It is for this reason the differences between these points is so stark when compared side by side.  While any number of other combinations are certainly possible, these similarities and differences are of great interest to me.  The conclusion will briefly offer the my thoughts on both confessions as well as the possibility of cooperation between congregations that would embrace either confession.

And so it begins...

It has been a few weeks since I last posted a new blog, a fact that was brought to my attention on Friday afternoon.  I have been considering what my next topic might be and it occurred to me that something personal to get things going again might be a good idea.  So here we go!

          This very weekend last year my family and I were in Lynchburg, VA at the commencement ceremony of Liberty University.  Gov. Mitt Romney, the eventual GOP nominee for president, was our speaker and the nation was in the midst of an election season that still divides people.  At that time I still had to complete two more classes to take over the summer before I would finally be finished with the MRE program at the seminary. 

I knew then that the Lord had more for me and was already praying about the next step in my education.  Sometime during my final class at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary I felt lead to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Doctor of Education program.  Placing everything in the Lord’s hands, I began the application process shortly after my MRE was conferred.  My regular readers know I was eventually accepted into the Ed.D program.  I thought the application process was stressful but now there is hard work ahead!

This brings me to two things: first, the photo in this post.  That is photo of some of the resources I will be using in my first class Theological Foundations for Educational Research (92010).  I would greatly appreciate your prayers over my studies concerning clarity of thought, good time management (something I am not always good at doing), and reminders not to neglect my time with the Lord or my family during the next thirty months.

Second, the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention generously supports the six seminaries of our convention which helps to hold the cost of seminary education down.  The normal tuition for the Ed.D program is $24,900 however the discounted rate for members of SBC churches is $14,900.  This is a tremendous blessing yet the costs that remain are quite significant and will exceed $20,000 including tuition, books, travelling and lodging expenses to/from campus, fees, etc.  Please prayerfully consider supporting my journey financially.  If you feel so led, a donation in support of my Doctor of Education in Leadership can be sent to:

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Attention: Accounting

2825 Lexington Road

Louisville, KY 40280

In the memo field of your check, please include:

For Christopher Sanchez’s EdD Tuition S. I. 211863

If you choose to make a donation, thank you!  Please know that I know all too well that I do not deserve such blessings.  My family and I are grateful for your kindness and generosity as we continue to follow God’s perfect will for our lives. 

As always, I am so grateful to my regular readers who faithfully visit my site and send me words of encouragement.  This blogging journey has been amazing and I am just as excited about it today as I was with my very first post.  Praying for you all!

Blessings,

Chris