From whom did the Baptists break away? Who are Baptists

I understand well the dangers of Baptistism and Protestantism in general, because I have a first-hand understanding of it, as they say: before accepting Orthodoxy, I was in an active spiritual search, which led me to various Protestant communities. This danger is stagnation of spiritual growth, reluctance and the resulting inability to look beyond the horizon of one’s current spiritual state in order to change it for the better, more perfect. Protestantism states salvation as an accomplished fact and understands it in a purely legal plane. But the same danger, which is inherent in the very principle of Protestantism, I, unfortunately, often notice today in Orthodoxy, where it exists on, so to speak, illegal grounds, arises spontaneously. This does not mean that it is therefore easier to eliminate it, far from it. After all, a person comes to this stop not by dogmatizing the fact of salvation, but by the process of “cooling” faith, its lukewarmness. And it is difficult for a cold Orthodox Christian to explain that the “minimum”, which is often contained in the purely ritual side of Orthodoxy, is not enough to save the soul. Protestants, on the other hand, often turn out to be warmer and even ardent in matters of faith, but, unfortunately, only those that relate to active social activities. Nevertheless, I am also grateful to Protestants for the feeling of ardent religious enthusiasm, which, unfortunately, I see so little in my Orthodox brethren. It was this fact that did not allow me to see at the very beginning of my journey in Orthodoxy the very Church that Christ created. This does not mean that there is no ardent faith at all in Orthodoxy: there are even more Christians with a burning heart and sincere faith in the Orthodox Church - as I later personally verified - even more than in any other Christian denomination. But if we talk about the percentage, then, alas, it is not in our favor.

But no matter how important religious enthusiasm is for a Christian, it alone, as you understand, is not enough for saving Faith. After all, if this were so, then we would be forced to recognize Islam or Hinduism as the most correct faith, where the intensity of religious feeling is so high that the bearers of these spiritual ideas themselves often burn in this flame. Therefore, when the first surge of my Protestant delight passed, I tried to give way to reason and began to reason: why Protestantism, what’s wrong with the faith that my ancestors professed? As you well know, Protestants have standard explanations for their parishioners why Orthodoxy is bad and not saving. But I (this is probably my Khokhlyat stubborn character :-)) have never been satisfied with other people’s opinions: even if they are the most correct (like, for example, faith in the victory of communism on earth), I always hasten to test them with the arguments of my own reason. And I don’t see anything sinful in this, for the ability to reason sensibly, like reason itself, is a gift from God. In addition, it seems to me that it is not entirely decent to entrust this procedure to someone else, even the most intelligent and authoritative person. So, when I independently answered all the questions that arose before me as I became acquainted with Orthodoxy, when I became more closely acquainted with the bearers of this ancient Faith themselves, touched their tradition (which, by the way, I also don’t see anything wrong with), I suddenly he clearly saw the haste of his choice made in favor of Protestantism. And having realized this, I once and for all entered (or better yet, returned) to that Church, which never left anywhere, never ceased to exist, which alone has such a depth of spiritual knowledge, about which those who do not have the slightest idea who have never been seriously acquainted with its teachings and practice.

Who are BAPTISTS?

1. They recruit unfortunate people who are in grief so that they become their adherents and renounce everything they have... So that you walk down the street and bring the good news to those who will spit on you...
2. Baptists are a sect of peculiarly lost people, which has nothing to do with the Church of Christ and the salvation of God. They, like all sectarians and heretics, study the Bible incorrectly, falsely and erroneously. Turning to them and communicating with them is a sin that causes grave harm to the soul.

   I don’t know if your ban will help in this case. We must try to explain their untruths and point to the Holy Fathers of the Church as the only true source of spiritual enlightenment, including in relation to the Holy Scriptures.

   Baptists are a Protestant sect that appeared in 1633 in England. Initially, its representatives were called “brothers”, then “baptized Christians” or “Baptists” (Baptisto from Greek means immerse), sometimes “Catabaptists”. The head of the sect, at its inception and initial formation, was John Smith, and in North America, where a significant part of the followers of this sect soon moved, was Roger William. But here and there the heretics soon divided into two, and then into several factions. The process of this division continues to this day, due to the extreme individualism of the sect, which tolerates neither obligatory symbols and symbolic books, nor administrative tutelage. The only symbol recognized by all Baptists is the apostolic symbol.

   The main points of their teaching are the recognition of Holy Scripture as the only source of doctrine and the rejection of the baptism of children; Instead of baptizing children, blessing them is practiced. Baptism, according to the teachings of Baptists, is valid only after the awakening of personal faith, and without it it is unthinkable and has no force. Hence, baptism, according to their teaching, is only an external sign of confession of a person already “internally converted” to God, and in the action of baptism the divine side of it is completely removed - God’s participation in the sacrament is eliminated, and the sacrament itself is relegated to the category of simple human actions. The general character of their discipline is Calvinistic.

   According to their structure and management, they are divided into separate independent communities, or congregations (hence their other name - congregationalists); moral restraint is placed above doctrine. The basis of their entire teaching and structure is the principle of unconditional freedom of conscience. In addition to the sacrament of baptism, they also recognize communion. Although marriage is not recognized as a sacrament, its blessing is considered necessary and, moreover, through the elders or generally officials of the community. The moral requirements from members are strict. The apostolic church is set as a model for the community as a whole. Forms of disciplinary action: public admonition and excommunication. The mysticism of the sect is expressed in the predominance of feeling over reason in the matter of faith; in matters of doctrine, extreme liberalism predominates. Baptistism is internally homogeneous.

   His teaching is based on the doctrine of Luther and Calvin about predestination. Baptism differs from pure Lutheranism by its consistent and unconditional implementation of the basic tenets of Lutheranism about the Church, the Holy Scriptures and salvation, as well as hostility towards Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Church, and an even greater tendency towards Judaism and anarchy than in Lutheranism.

   They lack a clear teaching about the Church. They deny the Church and the church hierarchy, thereby making themselves guilty of the judgment of God:

   Matt. 18:
   17 But if he does not listen to them, tell the church; and if he does not listen to the church, then let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.

3. So I think all these Christian communities want to have dominance in Europe. That is, the same as the Catholic Church had in the Middle Ages. Orthodoxy is a church that has overtaken the Catholic Church. The main enemy of the Orthodox Church is the government and all reformed Catholic communities!
4. Baptists are not a sect. Good Christians in general. They are divided into people like Pastor Rogozin (“why don’t I..” author of the book.) and like Billy Graham. I prefer fellowship and prayer with the likes of Billy Graham. Baptists have done much to preach the gospel and protect human rights. M. L. King, for example, crushed negative attitudes towards blacks in the southern United States.
5. One of the denominations of Christianity.
6. Baptists are people who are baptized at random, from the word Baptizo - immersion, i.e. in one immersion!
   “Be baptized not into my death, but into life - into the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit” - Christ.
   That is, it is placed in triple immersion, in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

   I have an acquaintance, he is friends with a Baptist who was baptized in a barrel in a barn in one immersion!

7. Mostly they write nonsense. The pro-Orthodox, this pure false teaching, painted icons for themselves and bow to them instead of God. In the city of Rostov-on-Don it is written on the church: Candles bought outside the church are not a sacrifice for God. So now worship is a business. But Baptists, unlike many other teachings, are as close as possible to what is written in the Bible, and anyone in doubt can study it. And in the photo posted by Genady Karaulov - Pentecostals or charismatics, they just go crazy, raise their hands in the air, fall backward, speak in languages ​​​​incomprehensible to no one, as if on drugs.
8. One of the largest Protestant denominations (approx. 100 million worldwide). Originated at the beginning of the 17th century. in Holland/England. The main difference from all other Protestants is their rejection of infant baptism and any form of supra-church hierarchy. Their theology is summarized in the Seven Baptist Principles (I think early last century):
   1) Holy Scripture is the only source of authority in matters of faith.
   2) The Church should consist only of spiritually reborn people (i.e., those who have experienced conversion).
   3) The commandments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper apply only to regenerated people.
   4) Equality of all members of the local church.
   5) Autonomy of the local community.
   6) Freedom of conscience for everyone.
   7) Separation of Church and State.
9. Unlike Catholics, they act according to the gospel. They are similar to the First Apostolic Church, neither the Apostle Peter nor Paul were baptized, did not venerate icons, did not kiss the priest’s hand, etc. If anyone is familiar with the history of Christianity, then he knows that all these rituals stuck together like a snowball Catholic and Orthodox Church. I am writing this note with the fear that I will be imprisoned because a law has been passed that violates the constitution, about protecting the feelings of ONLY Orthodox Christians.
10. Unhappy people are carried away by all these false teachings, because they have withdrawn from God and reached the point of darkness
11. Why read Wikipedia
    and in general
    RS ECB
    MSC ECB
12. Baptism (from ancient Greek: baptism; from immersed in water, baptized 1) one of the directions of Protestant Christianity 2.

    A denomination that emerged from among the radical English Puritans 1. The basis of the Baptist doctrine, which gave its name to the entire movement, is the principle of voluntary and conscious baptism in the faith of adults with strong Christian convictions and renunciation of a sinful lifestyle. Infant baptism is rejected as inconsistent with the requirements of voluntariness, consciousness and faith. Like other Protestants, Baptists recognize the Bible, consisting of 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, as Holy Scripture, which has exclusive authority in everyday and religious life.

    In the practice of church life, Baptists adhere to the principle of universal priesthood, as well as the independence and autonomy of each individual church community (congregationalism). The presbyter (pastor) of the community does not have absolute power; the most important issues are resolved at church councils and general meetings of believers.

    Baptists hold their main weekly worship service on Sunday 3; on weekdays, additional meetings may be organized specifically dedicated to prayer, study and discussion of the Bible and other religious activities. Worship services consist of a sermon, singing accompanied by instrumental music, improvised prayers (in one’s own words), reading of spiritual poems and poems 4.

13. Baptists are a Protestant Christian church. This is not a sect, but one of the denominations of the Protestant Church. The Ecumenical Council recognized only three denominations as Christian - Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox. All the rest are sects.
14. This is a closed sect with its own rules and charter!
15. In the photo - charismatics. I have friends who are Pentecostals. Their married women all wear headscarves, and no one has short hair at all.
16. But those in the photo, by the way, are not Baptists, but most likely some kind of Pentecostals or charismatics... Modern Baptists, as a rule, are quite adequate people, although there are different communities... You can easily read about their creed on any Wikipedia.
17. Baptists are True Believers, and they are not sectarians. I personally have well-known Baptists who are highly decent people.
18. Masters of Gehenna intimidation.
19. Haah, God is one and therefore one immersion in water
20. You've created some garbage here. I didn’t really learn anything about them from your comments. You don’t know, so why write here?

About human tradition and Apostolic Tradition, about what texts of the Holy Scripture speak about the need to follow Tradition, why the doctrine of the “invisible Church” contradicts what Christ commanded and what the Church of Christ is, and also about how to conduct a debate with sectarians sectologist Andrei Ivanovich Solodkov talks about these topics in his next lecture-conversation.

Those who have departed from the Orthodox faith and are blinded by destructive heresies, enlighten with the light of Your knowledge and bring Your Holy Apostles to the Catholic Church.

From morning prayers

In the last two conversations and lectures in the series “The Mission of the Church in a Non-Orthodox Environment,” we talked about and. The first lecture examined the emergence of Protestantism in Europe and the necessary conditions for preaching the intact Gospel to people who found themselves in sects. In the second, I shared my experience of organizing and operating a rehabilitation center and the methodology for returning those who have fallen away to the fold of the Church. Today, as part of our conversation, we will briefly look at the history of Baptistism, and also touch on some practical aspects of the methodology of the debate about Holy Tradition and the Church.

Baptistism

Baptistism arose in England in 1609 and was put forward as a religious movement by the Puritan and Congregationalist party. The founder of Baptistism was John Smith, who organized a small congregation in Holland. First, he baptized himself through pouring, and then, having met the Mennonites, he received baptism from them. In 1612, Smith and his follower Thomas Helwys organized small communities in England and baptized all members of the community. These were general, or general, Baptists. Later, particular, or private, Baptists appeared.

On the issue of predestination to salvation, General Baptists adhered to the teachings of one of the leaders of the Reformation, James Arminius, who believed that God determined all people to salvation, but whether to accept it or not depends on the free will of man. Particular Baptists relied on the teaching of Calvin, according to which God from eternity predestined some people to salvation, and others to condemnation and destruction.

By about 1641, a doctrine characteristic of modern Baptistism had already developed. Baptism among both private and general Baptists began to be performed through immersion.

At first, Baptists were persecuted in England by the Episcopal Church, and were also persecuted by civil authorities, subjected to severe punishment as participants in the liberation movement, because they were associated with Anabaptists, who committed violence and pogroms (this was discussed in the first lecture of our series). The famous Baptist John Bunyan spent twelve years in prison, where he wrote his books “The Pilgrim’s Progress to the Heavenly Country” and “Spiritual Warfare,” which are popular among modern Baptists.

In 1869, the “Act of Toleration” was adopted in England, thanks to which Baptists began to enjoy government protection along with other heterodox ones. In 1905, the Baptist World Union was created in London, with its center in Washington. His goal was to spread Baptistism throughout the globe. There are currently more than 30 million Baptists worldwide, 25 million of whom live in the United States.

After the Russian-Turkish wars of the 18th century, Baptistism appeared in Russia. Then the southern regions, including Crimea, were annexed to the Russian Empire, forming the Kherson, Tauride, and Yekaterinoslav provinces. To develop new lands, the government of Catherine II decided to populate the outskirts of the country with foreign settlers - Protestant colonists. By the middle of the 19th century, Baptist communities were already widespread in Ukraine, the Caucasus, and St. Petersburg.

The entire creed of modern Baptists is based only on the Holy Scriptures, which they interpret and understand in the spirit of heresy, relying on their own reason, without accepting the vast spiritual experience of the Holy Orthodox Church. They reject the Holy Tradition, calling it “false teaching and the creation of human hands.”

What is Church Tradition

Does Scripture Explain Itself?

We have already said that all heterodox people, including Baptists, believe that the Bible explains itself and does not need Tradition. The reformist principle put forward by M. Luther is well known: “Sola Scriptura” - “The Bible and only the Bible.” But if we carefully read the texts of the Bible and do not resort to Luther’s “methodology” (let me remind you that Luther excluded the Epistle of the Apostle James from the canon of the Bible, since it contradicted his idea of ​​justification by faith), then we will see that the principle “The Bible is sufficient for understanding biblical texts” is refuted by the Bible itself. In the 2nd letter of the Apostle Peter we find the following words:

“And consider the longsuffering of our Lord to be salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, as he speaks about this in all his epistles, in which there is something difficult to understand, which the ignorant and unstable, to their own destruction, turn as also the other Scriptures” (2 Pet. 3:15-16).

From these words we see that in the epistles of the Apostle Paul there is something incomprehensible - difficult to understand - which the ignorant and unstable turn to their own destruction. People who have not heard the word of the Gospel at all are called ignorant, and those who heard the word about Christ are called unconfirmed, but received it not from the mouth of the Church, but in a damaged state and, thus, fell away from unity with the Church and were not established in the purity of the truth. . It is said: The Church is the house of the living God, “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). We will return to the question of the Church later.

So, we see from this text that it is possible to read the Bible and distort the understanding of its text, as the Apostle Peter states, “to our own destruction.”

A correct understanding of the Holy Scriptures is the work of our salvation

A correct understanding of the Holy Scriptures is one of the important conditions for the work of our salvation. “Search the Scriptures, for by them you think you have eternal life; and they testify of Me” (John 5:39). The Apostle Peter, beginning his exhortation on this matter, draws special attention to this. Let us return once again to the beginning of the text read above: “Count the longsuffering of our Lord as salvation” (2 Pet. 3:15). The criterion for understanding the texts of the Bible is not an abstract or philosophical question, but the most serious one concerning our salvation!

Stick to the Tradition!

The criterion for correct understanding of Holy Scripture is Holy Tradition. All sectarians, without exception, reject Tradition and confirm their rejection with certain texts of the Bible - and such texts actually exist.

The Gospel of Mark, chapter 7, speaks of a tradition that Christ rejects.

“The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered to Him, and when they saw some of His disciples eating bread with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands (the Jews had a whole ritual of washing their hands - A.S.), they reproached Him. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, holding to the tradition of the elders, do not eat without washing their hands thoroughly... There are many other things that they accepted to adhere to...” (Mark 7: 1-4).

And Christ condemns them for this, saying:

“In vain do they worship Me, teaching doctrines the commandments of men. For you, having abandoned the commandment of God, hold to the tradition of men...” (Mark 7: 7-8)

“And he said to them, “Is it good that you set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition?” For Moses said: Honor your father and your mother (this is the fifth commandment - A.S.); and: He who curses his father or mother shall die by death. But you say: whoever says to his father or mother: Corvan, that is, a gift to God that you would use from me, you already allow him to do nothing for his father or his mother, eliminating the word of God by your tradition, which you have established; and you do many similar things” (Mark 7:9-13).

There is a parallel passage in the Gospel of Matthew, in chapter 15.

In a debate about Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, the opponent will cite precisely these texts of the Bible and, relying on them, will assert the uselessness of Tradition.

But let us remember the statement of St. Irenaeus of Lyons: “It is impossible to treat sick people without knowing the cause of their illness, so some were much more skillful than me, but they could not overcome the heresy of Valentinus, because they did not know their teaching exactly.” What is the reason for the unhealthiness of Baptists in this matter? They take only part of the biblical revelation and present it as the full truth. But there are texts in the Bible that speak of the need for Sacred Tradition.

In the Apostle Paul we find the following words:

“I praise you, brothers, because you remember everything that is mine and keep the traditions just as I handed them down to you” (1 Cor. 11:2).

The Apostle praises Christians who adhere to Tradition. And in 2 Thessalonians he writes:

“So, brethren, stand and hold legends, which you taught either by word or our message"(2 Thess. 2:15).

From this text the necessity of Tradition is obvious. It is said: first, “keep the Traditions that you have been taught”; secondly, “in words”; thirdly, the “message”.

It must be said that Tradition is always primary. How did Moses know how God created the world? God revealed it to him and he wrote it down. How did Noah know which animals were clean and which were not, since this was not mentioned until much later, after the flood? Both Moses and Noah knew about this not from what was written in the Bible, but from oral Tradition.

Often the opponent says that Tradition is the canon of the Bible: 39 books of the Old and 27 books of the New Testament. No. We must repeat again: the Apostle Paul details and clarifies: taught by tradition (παραδόσεις), by the word (λόγου - the Bible, the word of God), by epistle (ἐπιστολη̃ς - which we read). That is, there are three components in teaching the truth, and the Apostle Paul insists that it is necessary to adhere to them: these are “tradition, word, epistle.”

And here it is appropriate to ask the question: how do you, Protestants, say that you live according to the Bible, observe Tradition? After all, the Apostle Paul warns:

“We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother who acts disorderly, and not according to tradition (παραδόσεις), which was received from us"(2 Thess. 3:6).

Thus, Tradition is not what the Church invented, but what it accepted from apostolic times and preserved.

In the Holy Scriptures there is the concept of apostolic Tradition and human tradition. Human tradition is rejected by Christ

Let us emphasize: the Orthodox also do not accept human tradition. And heterodox human traditions have many. These include the fabrications and writings of their “teachers”, on which all sectarian dogma is built; Based on their authority, the interpretation of the Bible is given. Adventists, for example, have books by Ellen White; Jehovah's Witnesses have the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. Baptists have their own writers: John Bunyan and other authors and interpreters.

The tradition that the Orthodox Church adheres to - and this must be repeated again and again - is not limited to just a set of books and creations. Non-Orthodox people have a false idea of ​​the Orthodox Tradition. They think that we want to attach some other books and apocrypha to the Bible.

And here it will be opportune to recall the canon of Holy Scripture. And you can ask the following questions: “How do we know that Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark? How do we know that John wrote the Gospel of John? Why are the four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - considered canonical, while the Gospel of Thomas, for example, is a non-canonical book? Or the Gospel of Andrew? After all, you do not read these Gospels and do not recognize them. Why? Because they are not canonical. Who said which books are canonical and which are not?” The Church spoke on the basis of Holy Tradition and the Council Reason! The Church approved this canon, defining what is false and what is true. On what basis did the Church approve this canon? Based on Tradition.

Hear, accept and know the Truth

The heterodox, having fallen away from unity with the Church, have lost the ability to perceive biblical teaching in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, who, since the time of Pentecost, has continually instructed the Church created by Christ on earth. Those who have fallen away have lost the ability to perceive the fullness of revelation and Christ Himself in His inherent light.

Vladimir Lossky, a Russian theologian, writes the following about the inseparability of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition: “If Scripture and everything that can be said in written or other symbols are different ways of expressing the Truth, then Holy Tradition is the only way to perceive the Truth: no one can to call (know) Jesus Lord, as soon as by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12: 3) ... So, we can give a precise definition of Tradition, saying that it is the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church, life that gives every believer the ability to hear, receive, to cognize the Truth in its inherent Light, and not in the natural light of the human mind.”

Any person or society, having severed the connection with the Church, loses the ability to hear, accept and know the Truth. These abilities are returned to a person only upon reunification with Christ in the Sacraments.

We will consider the topic of the Sacraments of the Church later, in the following conversations, now I will only recall the Gospel story about Luke and Cleopas going to Emmaus:

“That same day two of them went to a village sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, called Emmaus; and talked among themselves about all these events. And while they were talking and reasoning with each other, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept, so that they did not recognize Him.

He said to them: What are you talking about as you walk, and why are you sad? One of them, named Cleopas, answered Him: Are You really one of those who came to Jerusalem and do not know about what has happened in it these days? And he said to them: about what? They said to Him: What happened to Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him up to be condemned to death and crucified Him. But we hoped that He was the One who was to deliver Israel; but with all that, it is now the third day since this happened.

But some of our women astonished us: they were early at the tomb and did not find His body, and when they came, they said that they had also seen the appearance of Angels, who said that He was alive. And some of our men went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Him.

Then He said to them: O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Is this not how Christ had to suffer and enter into His glory? And beginning with Moses, he explained to them from all the prophets what was said about Him in all the Scriptures.

And they approached the village to which they were going; and He showed them that He wanted to go further. But they restrained Him, saying: stay with us, because the day has already fallen towards evening. And He went in and stayed with them.

And as He reclined with them, He took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him” (Luke 24: 13-31).

We see that the Lord Jesus Christ explained to them the prophecies from the Scriptures of the Old Testament about Himself, but they remained “foolish and slow in heart,” and only after Christ Himself gave them Communion and They were reunited with Him, “their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him."

About some Bible translations

I will say a few more words about confessional translations of the Bible. Here, for example, is a translation of the Bible made in the village of Zaoksky by Adventists. (We will talk about the Seventh-day Adventists and the history of their delusion in one of the subsequent lectures-conversations; now we will only touch upon the issue of Tradition.) The translators of the Bible Institute at the Adventist Seminary went by editing the texts of the Bible in accordance with their teaching-delusion. If in their translation we look at the texts about Tradition, we will see the following. The word "Tradition" in Greek, as we saw above, is παραδόσεις ( paradosis). Adventists, as is known, reject Tradition in their doctrine just as much as Baptists do. In making their translation, they apparently decided to remove the concept of apostolic Tradition once and for all, since it would not interfere with their dogmatic error.

In general, there has already been a similar precedent. We saw it in the history of the Reformation: Luther threw out the entire Epistle of the Apostle James from the canon of the Bible, declaring it apocryphal, because it did not coincide with his idea of ​​“justification by faith alone,” and in the epistle there are verses that say: “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26).

Adventists in their edition are not so decisive, but, nevertheless, in the texts that speak positively about the need for Sacred Tradition - 1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6 - they replaced the word παραδόσεις, translating it with the words “teaching”, “truth”; and where tradition is spoken of negatively as human tradition, there the word παραδόσεις was left. If we open the Greek text, we will see that in all the above texts about Tradition there is the word παραδόσεις - without any alternative to any other reading or absence of this word, which would give the right to replace it in meaning according to certain translation rules.

An attempt to perceive Divine Revelation with rational thinking and without incorporating the truth about human tradition and the Apostolic Tradition leads, to put it mildly, to such uncleanliness when translating the Bible. And so on many issues in which sectarian communities get lost.

So, one more time. In the Bible there are such concepts as: human tradition and apostolic tradition; the church is the harlot of Babylon and the Bride of Christ; idols of other gods and holy images; the cup of demons and the Holy Eucharist.

The principle of “consent of fathers”

There is another Protestant objection to the question of contra traditia. They say: “How do you, Orthodox, determine what is true and what is false among your Church Fathers? Indeed, in their works one can find contradictions on certain issues.” It is not entirely correct to blame the Orthodox Ecumenical Church for this. Roman Catholics, yes, quite appropriate. There are frauds in Catholic traditions as a result of the deviation of the Bishop of Rome from the Ecumenical Confession of Faith, and therefore, in general, such a phenomenon as the reform movement arose in Europe. In previous lectures it was already said that Protestants and their followers protest against Catholic dogma, automatically transferring this protest to Orthodoxy. Here is one piece of advice for Protestants - first get acquainted with Orthodoxy, and then put forward a protest.

As for some disagreements in the teachings of the fathers, the last word on the question of what is truth and what is heresy does not belong to the pope - the Bishop of Rome, against which Protestants protested and continue to protest. This issue is resolved in the Church conciliarly and through the principle of “consent of the fathers” (consensus patrum). Conciliarity is not an invention of subsequent centuries of Christianity. The basis for conciliar resolution of issues was laid back in the apostolic period. When disagreements arose in the Church, in particular about how to receive pagans and what they should observe after baptism, the Council decided: “For it pleases the Holy Spirit and us not to place on you any more burden than this necessary: ​​to abstain from things sacrificed to idols and blood, and strangulation, and fornication, and not to do to others what you do not want to do to yourself. By observing this, you will do well. Be healthy” (Acts 15:28). As we see, the Council and its definition are the voice of the Holy Spirit: “for it pleases the Holy Spirit and us.”

Also, by the decision of the V-VI Ecumenical Council, it was established that if there are any discrepancies in the judgment of the fathers on a particular issue that is not set forth in the council’s definitions (oros and canons), then it is necessary to be guided by the opinion of the 12 fathers. Subsequently, the Council decided to be guided by three fathers and to consider their teaching on this or that issue exemplary. These are Saints Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian. All other opinions that contradict the conciliar definitions and the teaching of the three saints are not the teaching of the Church, but only private judgments.

The principle of “consensus of the fathers” (consensus patrum) was formulated in the 5th century by the Venerable Vincent of Lirinsky: “We must endure the judgments of only those fathers who, living, teaching and being in the faith and in Catholic communion, holy, wisely, constantly, were deemed worthy or died with faith about Christ, or die blessedly for Christ. And one must believe them according to the following rule: that only either all of them, or the majority of them unanimously accepted, supported, transmitted openly, often unshakably, as if by some prior agreement among the teachers, then be considered undoubted, faithful and indisputable; and what anyone, whether he is a saint or a scientist, a confessor and a martyr, thought about, not in agreement with everyone or even contrary to everyone, is attributed to personal, secret, private opinions, different (secretum) from the authority of the general, open and popular belief; so that, leaving the ancient truth of the universal dogma, according to the wicked custom of heretics and schismatics, with the greatest danger regarding eternal salvation, we do not follow the new error of one person.”

From all that has been said, it is clear that Tradition is the Holy Spirit living in the Church. Rejection of Church Tradition is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which, according to the Savior, “will not be forgiven either in this age or in the future” (Matthew 12:32). There is something to think about.

What is the Church

Usually, non-Orthodox, including Baptists, to confirm their understanding of the Church, refer to the text from the Gospel of Matthew, 18:20: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.” Like, these are the grounds for organizing the Church. Let us take a closer look at the context and find out what we are talking about here, and to do this we will turn to the previous verses of this chapter, because verse 20 is the conclusion of Christ’s instructions to His disciples.

So, we read from verse 15:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone; If he listens to you, then you have gained your brother; But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established; if he does not listen to them, tell the church; and if he does not listen to the church, then let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. Truly I also say to you that if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven, for where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18: 15-20).

This entire fragment is about how to act in the Church. First, the Savior says how to act in the Church with a brother who sins: verses 15-17. Then - how to pray in the Church: verses 18-20; in Matt. 18:20 - about congregational prayer. Christ did not teach us to pray: “My Father,” but: “Our Father.” Nothing is said here about the creation of the Church. We are talking about the power of congregational prayer.

Baptists teach about the invisible Church. They say that in every denomination there are sincerely believing people whom the Lord will gather during the Last Judgment. That is, sincerity is the criterion of truth. But you can be sincerely mistaken. If we sincerely believe a lie, our sincerity will not make it true.

If the invisible Church is made up of sincere believers in all Christian denominations, then how can I fulfill the commandment of Christ: “If he does not listen, tell the church”? What, should I run around all denominations and look for sincere believers in order to fulfill the words of Christ: “tell the church”? How can you tell if it's invisible? And where is the indicator and principle of verifying sincerity? I would not be surprised if a lie indicator is proposed for this procedure.

An Orthodox person does not think of salvation outside the Church, and therefore outside of Christ. With Baptists everything is different, and when conducting a dispute with them you need to know this. To be saved, according to Baptist teaching, it is not necessary to belong to any Church. They teach this based on the verse from Ephesians 2:5, like this: “A person who is dead in trespasses and sins receives salvation through Jesus Christ” - and they add on their own: “being outside the church.” Elsewhere: “We must not forget the greatest and most precious truth, that it is not the Church (whatever it may be) that saves us, but Christ, who died for our sins on Calvary.”

In Baptist consciousness, the Church is separated from Christ. The church simply does not exist if we do not gather in another Bible study circle on the “two-three” principle. They went home - and there is no Church; gathered - and eat again. Some kind of folklore. Play the accordion, it works. What unites us is the congregation of faith in the name of Christ - this is the principle and foundation of the Church in the heterodox understanding.

Knowing their error in this matter, let us consider, based on the Holy Scriptures, whether such an interpretation of the biblical texts corresponds to the teaching of the Church.

So, in the debate about the Church, we cite the following text: Gospel of Matthew, 16: 18. When the Apostle Peter, on behalf of all the apostles, confessed Christ: “You are the Son of the Living God,” then Christ said to him:

“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

Very important words that need to be explained: firstly, the words “I will create the Church,” and secondly, “the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” What does “I will create a Church” mean? Christ says: “I will create a Church my”, and not: “I will create churches My" It is said in the singular: οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν - “I will create the Church my" We also find the following words in the Apostle Paul:

“There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all” (Eph. 4:4-6).

Sometimes an opponent may agree with us that Christ really created the Church in apostolic times, but it was damaged by retreating from the purity of the Gospel for the sake of paganism. It is not true. Such a false statement about the possible damage to the Church is born as a result of a false understanding of the nature of the Church. The Church, according to Christ, is invincible, and therefore indestructible.

Let us ask the question: “Do you believe Christ and the words of Christ?” They will answer: “Of course.” So, Christ says: “I will build My Church [one], and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The Church, according to Christ’s definition, is one and invincible. The Church is not only ἐκκλησίαν, that is, a meeting of people, as sectarians teach. The Church was brought together by Christ Himself. And it is not enough to believe in Christ, as Baptists argue, and gather together to become Christ’s Church. The Gospel of John says: “And when He was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many, seeing the miracles that He performed, believed in His name. But Jesus Himself did not entrust Himself to them” (John 2:23-24). To whom did Christ entrust Himself, and whom was He chosen to serve? - Apostles. “Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in which you also are being built into a habitation of God by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:20-22) , writes the Apostle Paul. Like this: “being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” In the following lectures we will consider the issues of election of the legal priesthood, ordination and grace, now I will only say that the foundation of the Church is not faith, not the Bible, but Christ Himself: “For no one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” ( 1 Cor. 3:11).

To found a new Church, it is necessary that Christ be born again, choose disciples for Himself, suffer on the cross, die and rise again, and on the fiftieth day the Holy Spirit descends on the Church. The structure of the Church by self-will is impossible. There is no repetition of these events, there is no other Church. The Church is not interrupted in the history of mankind, and through apostolic ordination it exists to this day. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” (Matthew 28:20), says Christ. And again: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you” (John 15:16). Christ chooses and appoints Himself to serve. And the grace of chosenness is transmitted through ordination. The Apostle Paul writes to his successor Timothy: “Stir up the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6).

The Russian Orthodox Church can show the gift of succession from Apostle Andrew to Patriarch Kirill. His Holiness Patriarch 179th in succession. “I know whom I have chosen” (John 13:18), says the Savior.

There is an objection to this: they say, just as the Apostle Paul was chosen by Christ on the road to Damascus (see: Acts 9), so Christ chose us. But if we carefully read this chapter of the Acts of the Apostles - not selectively, but completely - we will see that a disciple of Christ from the 70 - Ananias - is sent to the Apostle Paul, who became blind after meeting Christ, to join him to the Church through baptism and consecration hands of the apostleship:

“Ananias went and entered the house and, laying his hands on him, said: Brother Saul! The Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the path you walked, sent me so that you could receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately, as if scales fell away from his eyes, and suddenly he received his sight; and he stood up and was baptized” (Acts 9:17-18).

Despite the fact that Christ appeared to him personally, the Apostle Paul needs to be united with the Church through the successor chosen by Christ, through baptism and the laying on of hands of the apostle by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The Church is not only an ecclesia, that is, a collection of people, as sectarians teach. The Church is also the body of Christ

Christ and the Foundation, He and the Founder of the Church. The Church is not just a collection of like-minded people, the Church is the body of Christ, as the Apostle Paul said in the Epistle to the Colossians: “And He is the head of the body of the Church” (Col. 1: 18).

The Church is the body of Christ, Christ is the Head of the Church. The separation of the Head from the body is, to put it mildly, blasphemous theology. Can Christ be overcome? No!

The Church is a Divine-human organism. Christ the Head is present in the Church in her Sacraments, through which we, as living cells, are united with Him by grace into His God-manhood. “Abide in Me and I in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it is in the vine, so neither can you unless you are in Me. I am the Vine and you are the branches; He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in Me will be cast out like a branch and wither; and such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15: 4-6).

It often sounds like an argument against the Church to accuse the Orthodox of sinning. Yes, no one is immune from falling into sins, it is said: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands beware lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). But if there is sin in the Church, then it is not a sin of the Church, but a sin against the Church. Did Christ say: “I will create My Church, but if you behave badly, then create another”? No! Nothing like that was said. The falling into sins of individual members cannot harm the Church; such a person comes to confession for correction. I have heard more than once from sectarians that, having believed in Christ, they no longer fall into sin. The Apostle John writes that anyone who claims this is a deceiver: “Whoever says he is without sin is a liar, and there is no truth in him” (1 John 1:8). If we are talking about the heretical error of an Orthodox Christian, then he himself breaks off communion with the Church if he does not repent of his error and persists.

The Church is not defeated or damaged, since neither Christ nor the Holy Spirit, who governs the Church and dwells in the Church, can be damaged. Anyone who claims the opposite is likely to be damaged himself.

In the following lecture-conversations, speaking about the dispute with sectarians on issues of salvation, infant baptism, icon veneration, we will return to the issue of the Church.

I would like to conclude today’s conversation with the words of the Hieromartyr Cyprian of Carthage: “To whom the Church is not a Mother, God is not a Father.”

And we will call all those who were baptized, but who have fallen away from the Mother Church, often through a misunderstanding, and who have fallen into error, to repentance and return home - to the “Church of the Living God, (which is) the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15), especially at this favorable time - during the days of Lent.

Sources and literature:

1. Bible: books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. M.: Ross. bib. society, 2002.
2. Alexandrova L. History of Baptists in Russia. M., 2010.
3. Horse R.M. Introduction to sect studies. N. Novgorod, 2008.
4. Lossky V.N. Dogmatic theology. Publication of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 2001.
5. Irenaeus of Lyons, martyr. Five books of denunciation and refutation of false knowledge. M., 1996.
6. Cyprian of Carthage, saint. Creations: At 6 hours. Part 2. M., 1999.
7. Rules of the V-VI Ecumenical Council // http://www.krotov.info/acts/canons/0787cano.html.
8. Baptists respond / Comp. M. Ivanov. St. Petersburg, 2008.
9. Creed of the ECB // http://rus-baptist.narod.ru/verouc.html.
10. Vince Ya. Our Baptist principles //

Of course it was written there that this is not a cult . From a legal point of view. However, there is a lot more on the Internet. For example, you can often find headlines: “Baptists are sectarians”, “Caution! Sect!" And so on. Agree, it sounds scary...

I, then still a young girl, was very scared. This word stuck in my head and did not give me peace. But I had no idea where I could find out the truth about who Baptists are. Therefore, today, when I have been called a “Baptist” for 11 years, but in fact, I believe in the crucified and risen Christ, I want to talk about who they are, what kind of faith they are, what Baptists believe in, how they treat the Orthodox, how they differ from Orthodox believers.

Baptists - these are adherents of one of the branches Protestant Church . The name itself comes from the word βάπτισμα and is translated from Greek as “to dip”, “to baptize by immersing in water.” Baptists believe that Baptism must be taken not in infancy, but at a conscious age. Baptism is immersion in consecrated water. In a word, a Baptist is a Christian who consciously accepts faith. He sincerely believes that human salvation lies in wholehearted faith in Christ. Christianity, as you know, is divided into three branches: Protestantism, Catholicism and Orthodoxy. What unites them is that they believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Baptist communities first began to form in the earlyXVIIcentury in Holland. However, their founders were not the Dutch, but English Congregationalists. They were forced to flee to the mainland because they were oppressed by the Anglican Church. In 1611, the English in Holland formed a new Christian doctrine, and a year later the Baptist Church was created in England. Protestantism became widespread in the New World, especially in the United States. Evangelical Christians - Baptists today are all over the world: in Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, America.

Often Russians, when encountering Protestants for the first time, think that they are "American Faith". And if they come across an American in the church, it is almost impossible to convince them that the church is Russian and not at all American. Yes, indeed, if in Russia most of its citizens are Orthodox, then in America every second one is Protestant. There are no Orthodox churches in American films. But there are often Protestant ones there.

However, this does not mean that the Baptist church is “American.” It’s just that in Russia the Baptist movement began to spread quite late, in the 70s XIX century. For many Russian people who were baptized in childhood and consider themselves Orthodox, it is not clear why people like Baptists are needed. However, a person is not saved from the fact that he was baptized in childhood. He is not saved by wearing a cross. And he is not saved from the fact that he celebrates Christmas and Easter. For most Russian people, Orthodoxy is more of a tradition rather than a sincere belief in the living God. Baptists are baptized at a conscious age. That is, when in the life of a person there was a meeting with God, repentance. A person consciously accepts faith.

What do Baptists believe?

Baptists believe into One God and the Trinity confess the Apostles' Creed and celebrate Communion. The main motive of a Christian's life is God and His Glory . The only source of revelation of God's will on earth is God's Word - Bible . Baptists believe that its author is God Himself - the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is the Bible that is the criterion and rule for any decision in life. (2 Tim. 3:16-17), Col. 2:8). To be a Christian, according to Baptists, means acknowledge Christ as your Savior and accept Him as Lord of all life . Faith, according to Baptists, is manifested in a changed life (2 Cor. 5:17, Eph. 2:10, Philip. 2:9-11)

At the same time, Baptists do not reject the Holy Tradition, the experience of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church and the spiritual experience of world Christianity. Baptists pray as if they were talking to God, in their own words. However, they can also pray with words from the Bible or use as a model wonderful prayers from the spiritual heritage of all Christians in the world. Baptists believe in a universal priesthood. This means that every member of the church is a priest of God, that is, a leader in prayers for other people, a minister of goodness and truth in the world. This does not mean that there is no structure in the church. The church is led by an ordained priest - a presbyter, who is also assisted by ordained deacons. The dominant features of church services are the reading of Holy Scripture, preaching and prayer. Baptists love to sing. Therefore, every divine service is necessarily accompanied by the singing of the choir or all those gathered for the service. A church building can be either large and beautiful or a very simple rural house. This is due to the fact that for Baptists a building is a place of worship of God, a place of prayer, and the Church is the people (community) who make this building a place of worship. Of course, if there is no other possibility, then you can worship God anywhere, but like all Christians, Baptists prefer to use special buildings for this. The building becomes such only after the consecration service. Thus, the community of believers dedicates it to God. Inside, a cross is usually used as decoration, as a symbol of God and his sacrifice.

Baptists believe that every person is a sinner, but God saves man. Therefore, there are no worse or better people, everyone is equally sinful before God, He died and rose again, so that everyone would have the opportunity to come to Him, so that everyone would have the opportunity to be saved. However, not everyone is saved. But only those who accept this sacrifice are saved. Who believes in Christ who came in the flesh, died and rose again.

How do Baptists relate to Orthodox Christians?

Baptists are Protestants. Protestants, just like Orthodox and Catholics, are Christians. Christians believe in One God. Christians believe in Christ. Yes, all three branches of Christianity worship Him in different ways. Some people are closer to the Orthodox Church, some find solace in the Catholic Church, others like Protestants. Man is a unique Creation and each person has his own path to God. And true believers have one thing in common - love for God and love for people, reverent attitude towards the Holy Scriptures. If you don’t have this love, then no matter what you call it, what’s the use of the so-called "faith" there won't be enough. And those who have known the Love of God - the Father, who gave His Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life, have love.

Each religion has its own characteristics and fans. One of the directions of Protestant Christianity, Baptistism, is the most popular all over the world. According to his rules, many famous politicians and show business figures were baptized. However, when interested in Baptistism, it is important to remember that it is a sect. We suggest finding out who Baptists are.

Baptists - who are they?

The word "Baptist" comes from "baptizo", which is Greek for "immersion". Thus, Baptism means baptism, which must occur in adulthood by immersion of the body in water. Baptists are followers of one of the directions of Protestant Christianity. Baptistism takes its roots from English Puritanism. It is based on the voluntary baptism of a person with strong convictions and who does not accept sinfulness.

Baptist symbol

All directions of Protestantism have their own symbolism. Supporters of one of the popular beliefs are no exception. The sign of the Baptists is a fish, symbolizing united Christianity. In addition, for representatives of this faith, complete immersion of a person in water is important. Even in ancient times, fish personified Christ. The same image for believers was a lamb.

Baptists - signs

You can understand that a person is a supporter of this belief by knowing that:

1. Baptists are sectarians. Such people always unite in a community and invite others to come to their meetings and.
2. For them, the Bible is the only truth where they can find answers to all their questions, both in everyday life and in religion.
3. The invisible (universe) church is one for all Protestants.
4. All members of the local community have equal rights.
5. Only reborn (baptized) people can receive knowledge about Baptism.
6. There is freedom of conscience for believers and non-believers.
7. Baptists believe that church and state should be separate.

Baptists - pros and cons

If for an Orthodox Christian the teachings of the Baptists may seem incorrect and completely contrary to the Bible, then there may be those who will be interested in Baptists. The only thing a sect can attract is the unification of people who are not indifferent to you and your problems. That is, having learned who Baptists are, a person may feel that he has found himself in a place where he is truly welcome and is always welcome. Can such good-natured people wish evil and guide you on the wrong path? However, thinking like this, a person moves more and more away from the Orthodox religion.

Baptists and Orthodox - differences

Baptists and Orthodox Christians have much in common. For example, the way Baptists are buried is reminiscent of the funeral of an Orthodox Christian. However, it is important to understand how Baptists differ from Orthodox Christians, because both consider themselves followers of Christ. The following differences are called:

1. Baptists completely reject Holy Tradition (written documents). They interpret the books of the New and Old Testaments in their own way.
2. Orthodox believe that a person can be saved if he keeps God’s Commandments, cleanses the soul through church sacraments, and certainly lives piously. Baptists are confident that salvation happened earlier - on Calvary and there is no need to do anything additional. At the same time, it is not so important how righteously a person lives.
3. Baptists reject the cross, icons and other Christian symbols. For Orthodox Christians, all this is an absolute value.
4. Supporters of Baptistism reject the Mother of God and do not recognize the saints. For the Orthodox, the Mother of God and the saints are protectors and intercessors for the soul before God.
5. Baptists, unlike Orthodox Christians, do not have a priesthood.
6. Supporters of the Baptist movement do not have an organized worship service and therefore they pray in their own words. Orthodox Christians consistently serve the Liturgy.
7. During baptism, Baptists immerse a person in water once, and Orthodox - three times.

How are Baptists different from Jehovah's Witnesses?

Some believe that Baptists are . However, in reality these two directions have differences:

1. Baptists believe in God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit, and Jehovah's Witnesses consider Jesus Christ to be the first creation of God, and the Holy Spirit to be the power of Jehovah.
2. Supporters of Baptistism do not believe that it is necessary to use the name of God Jehovah, but Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the name of God must be mentioned.
3. Jehovah's Witnesses prohibit their followers from using weapons and serving in the army. Baptists are loyal to this.
4. Jehovah's Witnesses deny the existence of hell, but Baptists are sure that it exists.

What do Baptists believe?

To distinguish a Baptist from a representative of another denomination, it is important to understand what Baptists preach. For Baptists, the main thing is God's word. They, being Christians, recognize the Bible, although they interpret it in their own way. Easter for Baptists is the main holiday of the year. However, unlike the Orthodox, on this day they do not go to church services, but gather as a community. Representatives of this movement profess the trinity of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Baptists believe that Jesus is the only mediator between people and God.

In their own way they understand the Church of Christ. For them, it is like a kind of community consisting of spiritually reborn people. Anyone whose life has been changed by the gospel can join a local church. For supporters of Baptistism, what is important is not churching, but spiritual birth. They believe that a person must be baptized as an adult. That is, such an act is very important and must be conscious.

What should Baptists not do?

Anyone who is interested in who Baptists are should know what Baptists are afraid of. Such people cannot:

1. Drinking alcohol. Baptists do not accept alcohol and consider drunkenness to be one of the sins.
2. Be baptized in infancy or baptize your children and grandchildren. In their opinion, baptism should be a conscious step of an adult.
3. Take up arms and serve in the army.
4. Be baptized, wear a cross and venerate icons.
5. Using too much makeup.
6. Use protective equipment during intimacy.

How to become a Baptist?

Anyone can become a Baptist. To do this, you need to have a desire and find the same believers who will help you start your path in Baptistism. In this case, you need to know the basic rules of Baptists:

1. Be baptized as an adult.
2. Visit the community and receive communion exclusively there.
3. Do not recognize the divinity of the Mother of God.
4. Interpret the Bible in your own way.

Why are Baptists dangerous?

Baptistism is dangerous for an Orthodox person for the very reason that Baptists are a sect. That is, they represent a group of people who have their own views on religion and their own beliefs in their correctness. Often, sects use hypnosis or other methods in order to convince a person that they, being with them, are on the right path of salvation. There are frequent cases when sectarians, through fraudulent means, take possession of not only a person’s consciousness, but also his material means. In addition, Baptistism is dangerous because a person will follow the wrong path and move away from the true Orthodox religion.

Baptists - interesting facts

Orthodox and representatives of other religious beliefs are sometimes surprised by certain things, such as, for example, why Baptists have a sauna in their church. Supporters of Baptistism respond that here believers cleanse their bodies of accumulated chemicals that do not allow further spiritual progress. There are many other interesting facts:

1. There are 42 million Baptists worldwide. Most of them live in America.
2. There are many well-known political figures among the Baptists.
3. Baptists recognize two positions in the church hierarchy.
4. Baptists are great philanthropists.
5. Baptists do not baptize children.
6. Some Baptists believe that Jesus atoned for sins only for the elect, and not for all people.
7. Many famous singers and actors were baptized by Baptist supporters.

Famous Baptists

This belief was and is of interest not only to ordinary people, but even to famous personalities. Many popular people were able to find out who Baptists were through personal experience. There are such celebrity Baptists:

1. John Bunyan- English writer, author of the book "Pilgrim's Progress".
2. John Milton- English poet, human rights activist, public figure also became a supporter of the world-famous movement in Protestantism.
3. Daniel Defoe- is the author of one of the most popular works of world literature, the novel “Robinson Crusoe”.
4. Martin Luther King- Nobel Peace Prize laureate, ardent fighter for the rights of black slaves in the USA.