When my family first started going to our church, it was studying the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. For those of my 5 readers who don't know what that is, allow me to enlighten you:
Way back in the 1600's, the English government wasn't a big fan of the Puritans. (I spose their lopping off of the king's head played a good part of it) A lot were ejected out of their pulpits and the churches went underground. Most of them were Presbyterians, some Congregationalists, and a few were Baptists. Now, nobody liked the Baptists because they confused them with another group called the Anabaptists, who back during the Reformation were essentially a group of crazies with an anarchist tendancy. Their trademark, however, was that of baptizing only those who confessed faith in Christ.
So not only did the Presbies dislike the Baptists, the English government wasn't a big fan either. My theological forefathers were tired of the misunderstanding, and wanted to show the mainline Puritans that we believe almost exactly the same as they do (aside from baby-baptizing.) A committee secretly got together and wrote a long document detailing what we believe the Bible says on all the major points of doctrine and the Christian life. It's basically a really long statement of beliefs with proofs from Scripture. The persecution from the government necessitated their keeping it secret until William and Mary passed the Tolleration Act 12 years later in 1689.
Way back in the 1600's, the English government wasn't a big fan of the Puritans. (I spose their lopping off of the king's head played a good part of it) A lot were ejected out of their pulpits and the churches went underground. Most of them were Presbyterians, some Congregationalists, and a few were Baptists. Now, nobody liked the Baptists because they confused them with another group called the Anabaptists, who back during the Reformation were essentially a group of crazies with an anarchist tendancy. Their trademark, however, was that of baptizing only those who confessed faith in Christ.
So not only did the Presbies dislike the Baptists, the English government wasn't a big fan either. My theological forefathers were tired of the misunderstanding, and wanted to show the mainline Puritans that we believe almost exactly the same as they do (aside from baby-baptizing.) A committee secretly got together and wrote a long document detailing what we believe the Bible says on all the major points of doctrine and the Christian life. It's basically a really long statement of beliefs with proofs from Scripture. The persecution from the government necessitated their keeping it secret until William and Mary passed the Tolleration Act 12 years later in 1689.
I mention this all because my church has started up the study again. I want to have a better understanding of it, so each Sunday afternoon, I'll post a blurb about the section we're on, things my pastor pointed out, and my own observations on it. Although my intent in doing this is mainly to help myself, I hope that whoever reads the posts will be encouraged to study their Bibles more and to think deeply about what they believe.
Cool! The 1689 is really something I should know a whole lot better than I do. I've only read through it once. Our adult SS class has gone through it a couple times in the past several years, but I was only in it for part of one year; then Pastor Yoder started a high school class.
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