Why is Baptist History and Heritage Important?

First, the study of Baptist History and Heritage concerns itself with the promise of Christ. Jesus said, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” (Matthew 16:18). The Study of Baptist History, of necessity, involves the perpetuity, succession, and continuity of the Lord’s churches and of a pure faith and practice. Perpetuity is a continued, uninterrupted existence. Perpetuity stands at the point Christ’s promise was made concerning His churches looking forward. As perpetuity concerns the promise, succession concerns the chronology and order of the promise as it was and is being fulfilled. Succession then is looking back historically to Christ’s promise concerning His Church – seeing it has been and is being fulfilled. Continuity is the unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over a period of time. Therefore, continuity deals not only with the uninterrupted existence, but the operation as well. Continuity is the assurance that through perpetuity and succession, a pure faith and practice has been preserved. Therefore, history has a direct connection to doctrine. I.K. Cross stated, “It is not necessary to show from history that the church of Jesus Christ has continued from the time it was founded until the present. His promise alone makes that certain. However, it puts iron in the blood of real Baptists to be able to demonstrate it from history; to witness the progress of that promise as it is kept under all conditions as history progresses.” The Battle for Baptist History. Our History and Heritage help to confirm our identity as Missionary Baptists. There is something in a name. The name is part of our Identity. When any people become disconnected from their history and heritage, there is the danger that their identity will become less and less important. Sooner or later, the identity is removed. Once the identity is removed, the biblical doctrines associated with that identity are in danger of being removed as well. Identity, to an extent, binds us to doctrine. And, Identity is in danger of being misplaced or devalued in the absence of History and Heritage. It is an unmitigated truth that the Lord’s Church began prior to Pentecost. We know, based on the promise of Christ, and historical evidence, that true Churches of Christ never associated or gave in to the satanic demands of the scarlet harlot Church of Rome or her Protestant daughters. Therefore, Baptists are not Protestant. At least not scripturally or through the eyes of ancient and accurate history.

Secondly, Baptist History and Heritage is important because it provides us with assurance of Doctrine and Practice, or, Faith and Order. Not to be misunderstood, I am not suggesting that we derive our doctrine from history; it comes from the Bible. However, the historical application of doctrine shows us how the Lord’s churches were practicing the doctrines. It provides us a template of the faith and order of our ancestors, many of which gave their lives for the faith once delivered unto the saints. Therefore, it gives us assurance of the doctrines we believe as we read of our faith being practiced consistently throughout history. The purpose of studying Baptist History then is not so that we simply gain facts, but to gain knowledge as it relates to doctrine, in truth and in practice. The introductory essay to G.H. Orchards Baptist History states, “Nothing can be more becoming a Christian than a general knowledge of Church history. . . What advantage may not be reaped from it? It teaches religion, it shows us what we are to believe and practice, what errors are to be rejected, what things we are to imitate; it furnishes us with abundance of examples of heroic virtue, and instructs in duty. It is a great abuse that the study of it is so much neglected.” This is what we are doing when we deal with Baptist History. We begin with the text of Scripture, we then study history to determine any consistent historical application of the text by Baptist churches, if there is, then it becomes precedent by practice. We do not study History simply to prove the perpetuity, continuity and succession of the Lord’s true churches. The promise of Christ makes that certain. However, the study of Baptist History can help us to understand doctrine and the application of it!