Friday, August 17, 2007
What is a Landmark Baptist Church?
I believe that the Landmark Missionary Baptist Church is the Lord’s New Testament Church and that it holds the same doctrines and administers the same ordinances for the same purposes, to the same subjects as that of the churches in the New Testament. I believe that the church is an "ekklesia" or local called assembly established during Jesus’ earthly ministry (Luke 6:12; I Cor 12:28). The church Jesus established is a divine institution that has and will remain on the Earth until the rapture ( Matt. 16:18). The church is made up of penitent baptized believers (Acts 2:41) who have the baptism of John (Acts 1:22) who was sent by God to baptize and make ready a people prepared for the Lord (John 1:6; Luke 1:17). Baptism is by immersion only and there is no other mode, and this was the baptism that pleased God (Matt 3:13-17). The divine order to baptize was given the Lord’s New Testament Church, and no other assembly has the authority to baptize (Matt 28:18-20). The church is a local (I Cor 14:23; Acts15:22) independent body (Acts 11, 13:3) whose only head is Jesus (Eph 5:23). The Church has disciplinary authority (I Cor 5:1-7; Matt. 18:15-17) and can not administer the ordinances beyond that authority. The Lord’s Supper, which consists of unleven wine and unleven bread, after the patterns set by our Lord (Luke 22:19-20; I Cor 11:23-34) is for the local church members only. The Lord’s Church is a missionary church (Matt 28:19-20) that operates solely by tithes and offerings (I Cor 165:1-2) and only by the authority of a true church (Acts 11: 22-26). The church meets on the first day of the week(Acts 20:7; I Cor 16:1-2), to worship in spirit and in truth. The Lord’s Church has two offices, Pastor (I Tim 3:1-7) and Deacons (I Tim 3:7-16). The pastor is the ordained overseer and under-shepherd of the assembly. Deacons are the officially recognized servants in the church (Acts 6:1-7).