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Welcome to Kingdom Bound Church at 74 Kelly Road Extension in Middlebury, Connecticut.
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We gather for worship at ten A.M.
00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:10.000
on Sundays.
00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:55.039
And what I want to talk about in this segment is what is the 1689 London Baptist Confession and also talk about what it is not.
00:00:55.280 --> 00:01:04.480
Because the 1689 London Baptist Confession is the premier confession that Reformed Baptists subscribe to.
00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:10.719
So let's talk about a document that makes some modern Christians a little bit nervous.
00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:12.959
So let me help help you out here.
00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:16.400
It's the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.
00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:20.159
You've probably heard the slogan, no creed but the Bible.
00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:26.799
Now, it sounds spiritual, it sounds pure, but it is not realistic.
00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:31.200
And it is not how the church has ever actually functioned.
00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:46.400
Today, in this episode, we're going to look at what the 1689 confession really is, what it is not, and why it remains one of the most thoroughly biblical summaries of faith ever, ever written.
00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:49.920
Now, first, here's what the 1689 is not.
00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:51.840
It is not a second Bible.
00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:54.799
It does not even claim equal authority with scripture.
00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:58.640
It does not add new doctrines that the apostles never taught.
00:01:58.799 --> 00:02:01.760
It does not subtract from the word of God.
00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:16.560
The confession itself says in its opening chapter that the Holy Scriptures is, quote unquote, the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.
00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:19.599
That is pure sola scriptura.
00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:30.960
The framers were not trying to improve on the Bible, they were trying to summarize what the Bible clearly teaches so that churches could stand together in truth, defend, contend for the faith.
00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:45.199
Now, here's what the 1689 is, then in a carefully, you know, scripture-saturated statement of what Reformed Baptists in the 17th century believed the Bible taught on the major doctrines of the faith.
00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:56.560
Now, it was drafted in uh I think 1677 while Baptists were still under heavy pressure and publicly issued in 1689 after the act of toleration.
00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:08.080
It has 32 chapters covering everything from the doctrine of God and scripture to the church, the covenants, baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the last things.
00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:23.280
Large portions of it follow the Westminster Confession and the Savoy Declaration, almost word for word, except where Baptists deliberately differed, especially on baptism and the nature of the church.
00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:24.960
That is not plagiarism.
00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:28.719
That is a theological agreement where agreement existed.
00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:33.039
The confession is deeply biblical.
00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:38.080
Open almost any chapter and you will find it packed with references.
00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:49.520
Chapter 1, for example, on Holy Scripture leans hard on 2 Timothy 3, 15 through 17, in 2 Peter 1, 19 through 21, in Psalm 19.
00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:58.240
Chapter 3 on God's decree echoes Romans 9 and Ephesians 1 and Acts 15, verse 18.
00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:05.199
Chapter 8 on Christ the mediator is soaked in Hebrews, John 1 and Isaiah 53.
00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:13.919
Chapter 14 on saving faith walks through the same truths that Paul lays out in Romans chapters 3 through 5 and Ephesians 2.
00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:21.360
Chapter 29 on baptism rests on the New Testament pattern of disciples being baptized upon profession of faith.
00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:27.600
The confession does not float above the text, it is constantly pointing you back into the text.
00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:34.000
This is why the no creed that no creed but the Bible slogan collapsed under real life.
00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:37.519
Everyone who reads the Bible interprets it.
00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:49.920
The moment you say the Bible teaches the Trinity, or the Bible teaches justification by faith alone, or the Bible teaches that baptism is for believers, you have just used the creed.
00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:53.040
You have summarized what you believe scripture means.
00:04:53.279 --> 00:05:05.120
The only question is whether your summary is careful, tested, and accountable to the wider church, or whether it is private, shifting, and vulnerable to every new wind of teaching.
00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:11.040
Now Jude 3 tells us to contend for the faith, once for all, deliver to the saints.
00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:18.240
Paul tells elders they must be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:20.480
That's from Titus chapter 1, verse 9.
00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:23.839
Confession help the church do exactly that.
00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:28.319
1689 does not replace scripture, it serves scripture.
00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:30.720
It is a map, not the territory.
00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:37.040
A good map does not add roads that do not exist, and it does not erase the ones that do.
00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:42.800
It helps travelers see the lay of the land clearly so they do not get lost.
00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:52.720
In the same way, the confession helps believers in churches read the Bible with greater clarity and unity and protection against error.
00:05:52.959 --> 00:06:00.000
It is a tool for discipleship, for examining pastors, for guarding the church, and for teaching the next generation.
00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:09.120
So when someone says, you know, no creed but the Bible, you smile, you be kind, and you ask them what do they believe about the Trinity?
00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:13.600
The person of Christ, justification in the church.
00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:18.639
The moment that you answer, the moment that they answer, you're already using a creed.
00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:26.480
The 1689 simply does it in public, with precision and with an open Bible in hand.
00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:35.279
That is not a threat to scripture, uh, that is actually loyalty to scripture, God's very words.
00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:40.160
Um, I could say so much more about the history of it, but I'm running out of time here.
00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:50.480
But I just wanted to give a quick little primer, a conversation starter about what the 1689 London Baptist Confession is and what it is not.
00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:54.800
Have a great day, folks, and look forward to being with you next time.
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.160
Welcome to Kingdom Bound Church at 74 Kelly Road Extension in Middlebury, Connecticut.
00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:08.560
We gather for worship at ten A.M.
00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:10.000
on Sundays.
00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:55.039
And what I want to talk about in this segment is what is the 1689 London Baptist Confession and also talk about what it is not.
00:00:55.280 --> 00:01:04.480
Because the 1689 London Baptist Confession is the premier confession that Reformed Baptists subscribe to.
00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:10.719
So let's talk about a document that makes some modern Christians a little bit nervous.
00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:12.959
So let me help help you out here.
00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:16.400
It's the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.
00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:20.159
You've probably heard the slogan, no creed but the Bible.
00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:26.799
Now, it sounds spiritual, it sounds pure, but it is not realistic.
00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:31.200
And it is not how the church has ever actually functioned.
00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:46.400
Today, in this episode, we're going to look at what the 1689 confession really is, what it is not, and why it remains one of the most thoroughly biblical summaries of faith ever, ever written.
00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:49.920
Now, first, here's what the 1689 is not.
00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:51.840
It is not a second Bible.
00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:54.799
It does not even claim equal authority with scripture.
00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:58.640
It does not add new doctrines that the apostles never taught.
00:01:58.799 --> 00:02:01.760
It does not subtract from the word of God.
00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:16.560
The confession itself says in its opening chapter that the Holy Scriptures is, quote unquote, the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.
00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:19.599
That is pure sola scriptura.
00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:30.960
The framers were not trying to improve on the Bible, they were trying to summarize what the Bible clearly teaches so that churches could stand together in truth, defend, contend for the faith.
00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:45.199
Now, here's what the 1689 is, then in a carefully, you know, scripture-saturated statement of what Reformed Baptists in the 17th century believed the Bible taught on the major doctrines of the faith.
00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:56.560
Now, it was drafted in uh I think 1677 while Baptists were still under heavy pressure and publicly issued in 1689 after the act of toleration.
00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:08.080
It has 32 chapters covering everything from the doctrine of God and scripture to the church, the covenants, baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the last things.
00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:23.280
Large portions of it follow the Westminster Confession and the Savoy Declaration, almost word for word, except where Baptists deliberately differed, especially on baptism and the nature of the church.
00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:24.960
That is not plagiarism.
00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:28.719
That is a theological agreement where agreement existed.
00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:33.039
The confession is deeply biblical.
00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:38.080
Open almost any chapter and you will find it packed with references.
00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:49.520
Chapter 1, for example, on Holy Scripture leans hard on 2 Timothy 3, 15 through 17, in 2 Peter 1, 19 through 21, in Psalm 19.
00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:58.240
Chapter 3 on God's decree echoes Romans 9 and Ephesians 1 and Acts 15, verse 18.
00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:05.199
Chapter 8 on Christ the mediator is soaked in Hebrews, John 1 and Isaiah 53.
00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:13.919
Chapter 14 on saving faith walks through the same truths that Paul lays out in Romans chapters 3 through 5 and Ephesians 2.
00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:21.360
Chapter 29 on baptism rests on the New Testament pattern of disciples being baptized upon profession of faith.
00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:27.600
The confession does not float above the text, it is constantly pointing you back into the text.
00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:34.000
This is why the no creed that no creed but the Bible slogan collapsed under real life.
00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:37.519
Everyone who reads the Bible interprets it.
00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:49.920
The moment you say the Bible teaches the Trinity, or the Bible teaches justification by faith alone, or the Bible teaches that baptism is for believers, you have just used the creed.
00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:53.040
You have summarized what you believe scripture means.
00:04:53.279 --> 00:05:05.120
The only question is whether your summary is careful, tested, and accountable to the wider church, or whether it is private, shifting, and vulnerable to every new wind of teaching.
00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:11.040
Now Jude 3 tells us to contend for the faith, once for all, deliver to the saints.
00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:18.240
Paul tells elders they must be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:20.480
That's from Titus chapter 1, verse 9.
00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:23.839
Confession help the church do exactly that.
00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:28.319
1689 does not replace scripture, it serves scripture.
00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:30.720
It is a map, not the territory.
00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:37.040
A good map does not add roads that do not exist, and it does not erase the ones that do.
00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:42.800
It helps travelers see the lay of the land clearly so they do not get lost.
00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:52.720
In the same way, the confession helps believers in churches read the Bible with greater clarity and unity and protection against error.
00:05:52.959 --> 00:06:00.000
It is a tool for discipleship, for examining pastors, for guarding the church, and for teaching the next generation.
00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:09.120
So when someone says, you know, no creed but the Bible, you smile, you be kind, and you ask them what do they believe about the Trinity?
00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:13.600
The person of Christ, justification in the church.
00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:18.639
The moment that you answer, the moment that they answer, you're already using a creed.
00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:26.480
The 1689 simply does it in public, with precision and with an open Bible in hand.
00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:35.279
That is not a threat to scripture, uh, that is actually loyalty to scripture, God's very words.
00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:40.160
Um, I could say so much more about the history of it, but I'm running out of time here.
00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:50.480
But I just wanted to give a quick little primer, a conversation starter about what the 1689 London Baptist Confession is and what it is not.
00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:54.800
Have a great day, folks, and look forward to being with you next time.
