Baptist Faith and Message
Encyclopedia
The Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M) is the confession of faith
of the Southern Baptist Convention
(SBC). It summarizes key Southern Baptist thought in the areas of the Bible
and its authority, the nature of God as expressed by the Trinity
, the spiritual condition of man, God's plan of grace
and salvation, the purpose of the local church, ordinances
, evangelism
, Christian education, interaction with society, religious liberty, and the family.
Additionally, both the 1998 and 2000 revisions were particularly controversial in the following three respects:
The Baptist Faith and Message now explicitly defines the pastoral office as the exclusive domain of men — thus prohibiting female pastors.
While not stated in the 2000 BF&M, some churches also apply this interpretation to deacons, being a pastoral office of the church, and will not ordain women or allow them to serve as deacons.
Christ
was to be the exegetical
standard by which the Bible
was to be interpreted, over concerns that some groups were elevating the recorded words of Jesus in Scripture (or, more often, what Jesus did not say) over other Scriptural passages. The traditional SBC view is that all Scripture is equally inspired by God. This revision was particularly objectionable to the Baptist General Convention of Texas
, the largest Baptist convention in Texas, which was split by the formation of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention
in the late 1990s.
Confession of Faith
A Confession of Faith is a statement of doctrine very similar to a creed, but usually longer and polemical, as well as didactic.Confessions of Faith are in the main, though not exclusively, associated with Protestantism...
of the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
(SBC). It summarizes key Southern Baptist thought in the areas of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and its authority, the nature of God as expressed by the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, the spiritual condition of man, God's plan of grace
Divine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
and salvation, the purpose of the local church, ordinances
Ordinance (Christian)
Ordinance is a Protestant Christian term for baptism, communion and other religious rituals. Some Protestants, like the Mennonites, do not call them "sacraments" because they believe these rituals are outward expressions of faith, rather than impartations of God's grace.While a sacrament is seen...
, evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, Christian education, interaction with society, religious liberty, and the family.
History
Although the Southern Baptist Convention was organized in 1845, no formal confession of faith was adopted until internationally known Baptist theologian Edgar Y. Mullins led the denomination to adopt the Baptist Faith and Message in 1925. The BF&M was revised in 1963, amended in 1998, and again revised in 2000. In 1963, it was updated under the chairmanship of the pastor-theologian Herschel H. Hobbs. The major revisions of 2000 incorporated sociological as well as theological changes. The BF&M closely parallels the New Hampshire Confession of Faith of 1894.Position Statements
The BF&M includes 18 topics which are position statements of the SBC. Each article or position is followed by Scripture which they use to support their position.| I. | The Scriptures |
| II. | God |
| |A. God the Father | |
| |B. God the Son | |
| |C. God the Holy Spirit | |
| III. | Man |
| IV. | Salvation |
| V. | God's Purpose of Grace |
| VI. | The Church |
| VII. | Baptism and the Lord's Supper |
| VIII. | The Lord's Day |
| IX. | The Kingdom |
| X. | Last Things |
| XI. | Evangelism and Missions |
| XII. | Education |
| XIII. | Stewardship |
| XIV. | Cooperation |
| XV. | The Christian and the Social Order |
| XVI. | Peace and War |
| XVII | Religious Liberty |
| XVIII. | Family |
Reception
There was both praise and criticism for the significant changes to the BF&M in the 2000 revision.Affirmations
Some of the changes that were particularly well received (affirmations) by some Baptist theologians include the following:- The controversial use of the word “inerrancy” was not inserted into the section on Scripture. Some were concerned that it would be included.
- No inclusion of more restrictive views of eschatology, such as dispensationalism. Apprehension had been expressed that such views might be espoused in the revisions.
- Inclusion of a statement that Baptists honor the principles of soul competency and the priesthood of believer.
- Reaffirmation of most historical Baptist convictions.
- Addresses issues of contemporary concern — soteriological inclusivism (Section IV), family (Section XVIII), gender (Section III), sexual immorality, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, and abortion (Section XV).
- Clear expressions about the future direction of the SBC under the "conservative resurgency" leadership.
- Editorial changes, such as the use of gender-inclusive language, considered improvements of the form of the statement.
Criticisms
Baptists say their only creed is the Bible. Historically, Baptists have tenaciously defended the privilege of every believer, with the illumination of the Holy Spirit, to interpret Scripture according to his or her own conscience. This deeply engrained anti-creedal sentiment is said to be responsible for many negative reactions to the newly revised document.Additionally, both the 1998 and 2000 revisions were particularly controversial in the following three respects:
- Male priority in marriage and in ministry
- Exegetical standard
- Homosexuality
Gender-based roles
For the first time in Southern Baptist Convention history, provisions were added to define male-headship gender roles in both the ministry and in marriage.In ministry
The Baptist Faith and Message now explicitly defines the pastoral office as the exclusive domain of men — thus prohibiting female pastors.
While not stated in the 2000 BF&M, some churches also apply this interpretation to deacons, being a pastoral office of the church, and will not ordain women or allow them to serve as deacons.
In marriage
Exegetical standard
Second, the 2000 revision of the BF&M removed the assertion that the person of JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
was to be the exegetical
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
standard by which the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
was to be interpreted, over concerns that some groups were elevating the recorded words of Jesus in Scripture (or, more often, what Jesus did not say) over other Scriptural passages. The traditional SBC view is that all Scripture is equally inspired by God. This revision was particularly objectionable to the Baptist General Convention of Texas
Baptist General Convention of Texas
The Baptist General Convention of Texas is the oldest surviving Baptist convention in the state of Texas. The churches cooperating with the Baptist General Convention of Texas partner nationally and internationally with both the Southern Baptist Convention and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,...
, the largest Baptist convention in Texas, which was split by the formation of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention
Southern Baptists of Texas
The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is a convention of conservative Southern Baptist churches in Texas. It is supportive of the national Southern Baptist Convention...
in the late 1990s.