Short answer: The vast majority of “Christendom” is a masquerade and built by the father of lies. (John 8:44). When satan could not defeat Christ, vanquish his Holy Scripture or martyr all Christ’ disciples ‘ol Beelzebub created a counterfeit church. By studying Baptist history we can identify the New Testament church that Christ built during his earthly ministry.

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2) promised the perpetuity of his church (Mt.16:18) to which he founded and built upon the foundation of the Apostles of which he was the Chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20)

Church by definition is a “called out local assembly” (ekklesia) of baptized (immersion) believers who are organized to preach the Gospel to the lost, and teach/make disciples of all professed and baptized members. It has officers and elders as described in Eph. 4:11, 1 Tim 3:1,10; 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1,5 and has the Lord’s table (Mt. 26:28-30; I Cor. 12:23-29) & Baptism (Mt. 3:13-17; 28:19-20; I Cor. 12:13) as the only two visible ordinances and an autonomous Biblical theocentric church governance (Col. 1:18, Eph. 3:21, I Cor. 1:3;12:12).

Scriptural baptism – the authority, subject, method and purpose has separated the true NT church from pseudo church organizations since the days of Romish apostasy. Countless millions of our Baptist forefathers have been martyred (many by professing “Christians”) for “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3)

For this purpose NT churches are founded under the ordaining authority of NT churches (Acts 13:1-3, Heb. 6:1-2). When individuals start a church & baptize w/o authority they are operating by means of the earliest doctrinal divisions in Christendom. Their doctrine will ultimately reveal an invisible, universal church synonymous with salvation. (Folks who believe the body of Christ is composed of all the saved & who believe the “true church” is the realm of salvation to which they are Spirit baptized into this universal body of Christ) Thus their baptism depicts their doctrinal root that is tied to the great whore (RCC) and her daughters (Protestants) of a federal church/state. We find many Baptists have traded the apostolic faith for the deluding influence of ecumenical, Protestant fundamentalism particularly evident since the Niagara Conferences of the 1890’s and early 1900’s of which the protestant Scofield gained much influence among unsuspecting Baptists. Since baptism was not considered a “fundamental” of the faith it was effectively marginalized and therefore “Protestantized”.

We see from Christ’s example that baptism is not simply a matter of immersion. It is a matter of God-ordained authority. Jesus Christ identified with John in receiving his God-ordained baptism (John 1:6, Mt.3:15-16). It was that same baptism that He gave to His disciples, who baptized under His authority (Jn. 4: 1-2, Mt.28:19-20). We have external evidence that the Lord’s church practiced this ordinance from the early part of His earthly ministry. The commission came with a promise of an empowerment (Acts 1:8) on the day of Pentecost. The preaching of the word on that day resulted in 3k souls being saved & then “ADDED UNTO” the Lord’s church by means of baptism (Acts 2:41).

Many peoples in history have held to the Biblical doctrines delivered by Christ and his first church and are recognized throughout history as the Waldenses, Donatists, Novations, Albigenses, Henricians, Petrobrussians, Paulicians, Anabaptists and Baptist.

It is incumbent upon us not only to publish our history, heritage and distinctives as a beacon of light for every generation to follow but to honor those folks who have sacrificed their life and treasure for the cause of Christ and his kingdom.

To God be the glory!

Thomas E. Kresal