Are Reformed Baptists Really 'Reformed'?

Are Reformed Baptists really "Reformed?" We will tackle that question as well as asking what a pastor should do who can't find a job in a local church.

[ethanlafont]

As a student at PRTS, I have a great relationship with the Reformed Baptist brothers here. While we have our disagreements, the way in which these men hold fast to their Confessional integrity is commendable, and strong Confessionalism is lacking in so many churches, whether Baptist or Presby or Dutch etc. Love my Reformed Baptist brothers.

[DanoG-xfjb]

Great video brother! I left the Baptists and joined the PCA a few years ago mostly because of your videos. God bless you.

[ramiroofaragon]

Rev. Everhard is a gift. What a commendable talk. Spirit led, no doubt. God bless all reading this.

[stephengilbreath]

As a Reformed Baptist, I'm curious as to what he's gonna say lol

[Hishumbleslave]

Lol can’t wait for this
Edit: 2nd LBC guy here. I appreciate your charity.

[andrekershaw]

I’m not in a 1689 church, but my theology is basically reformed baptist, other than my very moderate continuationist position. I have discovered this channel fairly recently, and I am loving it!

[lesa]

I’m a reformed Baptist, and enjoyed this informative video. We’ll done.

[ardensvirens]

Would you consider doing a “Why I Am Not Anglican” video at some point? Not the AngloCatholic sort, but but classical expression that the BCP 1662 you featured some time ago imparts. Frankly it’s been a battle for me since becoming Reformed and I’d love to hear your take on the differences, pros/cons, etc. between the historic/confessional Presbyterian and Anglican traditions.

[jtrstylos]

A better title for this video would be, Are RBs Presbyterians? The answer: No. But whether they are confessionally reformed is another question.

[geneadams]

Matthew, Southern Baptists and Reformed Baptists are two different groups with two very different histories. Few Southern Baptists identify as Calvinists, but all Reformed Baptists are Calvinists, being greatly influenced by Reformed Presbyterianism. To be Baptist is to be congregational in polity.

[michaelhill]

I was at a four square church when I heard Piper preach through Romans 9, which made me a Calvinist on the spot. I crystalized in my understanding of Covenant Theology, slowly came to adopt a confessional position, and grew to appreciate the ecumenical creeds. I'll also note that the 2nd London Baptist Confession presents a robust connectionism in 26.14-15, even if it does not create formal authority outside of local congregations. That brings me to my next point, and actually full circle: I thought I was a "Reformed Baptist" the second I believed in the 5 points of Calvinism. The depth of my appreciation of what "Reformed" means has grown with each progressive step. A lot of the problem is that some people see a part of the Reformed Faith and adopt the label before appreciating the rest of the things that you mention. For people who call themselves "Reformed" and don't appreciate the creeds, don't use a historically reformed confession (or what they say about association!) and don't believe in covenant theology I would want to say, "respectfully, you're using that word, but I don't think you know everything that it should mean..."

[Owngeeeeee]

I am a reformed or particular baptist. It seems the only test that I failed was “connectionalism”. But, I completely deny congregationalism in the way that it is used in most baptist churches, and would be open to a reformed baptist version of a presbytery or Synod.

I was surprised to hear that you said that the sacraments (as far as being purely symbolic) was something that reformed baptist disagree with Presbyterians on. I know that general baptist hold to a purely symbolic view of the ordinances, but I didn’t know reformed baptist did. I hold to them as a means of grace, the spiritual presence of Christ in the supper, and not just symbolically. The only thing that I actually disagree with Presbyterians on is paedobaptism.

Edited: I went back and looked at our confession of faith, and the 1689 speaks about the spiritual presence of Christ. So if they are confessional then their view of the sacraments should be pretty close to what Presbyterians believe.

Paragraph 7. Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this ordinance, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually receive, and feed upon Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death; the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally, but spiritually present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.11
11 1 Cor. 10:16, 11:23-26

Although, no such statement is made in the same way about baptism as a means of grace. But, the confession leaves room for that view.

[BibleFanatics]

I say this as a joke:D as a Reformed Baptist I care that I'm right with the bible more than being reformed:D Love my Presbyterian Brothers though! Plus this was done in good charity, thank you.

[larrycdalton]

Thanks Matthew, enjoyable presentation: I laughed at your statement Reformed? charitably "yes" but technically "no"...LOL.
Was this accurate? "yes" and "no" viz.:
1. A good attempt, but you did conflate General and Particular Baptists on a number of points. Similarly, Presbyterianism is no longer "one thing" i.e. an example from the USA alone - PC(USA), OPC, BPC, RPC, RPCNA, EPC, CPC etc. so to compare "Reformed Baptists" to Presbyterians is a little tongue in cheek at best :-) . There are more Presbyterian Synods in America than Reformed Baptist Associations :-) and just about all Reformed Baptist Churches belong to a RB association.
2. While Reformed Baptists don't have a synod, we do have associations where membership is contingent on orthodoxy. These associations are able to mediate on disagreements, although these "mediations" are by submission. Additionally, by extension there should be a global Presbyterian Synod for the proposed argument to hold as a "reformed" criteria, so the argument is perhaps not quite complete.
3. We RB actually consider that the Presbyterian reformation did not go far enough, so we are the ones that actually question whether you are reformed...what an irony. :-)
4. The First Baptist Confession of Faith preceded the WCF by 3 years methinks and was thoroughly reformed if not a bit incomplete. The WCF is indeed a wonderful document and did form the basis for the 2LBCF of 1689.
5. We consider that we as Reformed Baptists are closer to our Reformed Presbyterian brothers than to General Baptists, even though you may still need to reform your view on the eternal covenant, predestination and the associated covenant signs :-) :-D <3
6. Perhaps the major difference between RB and PB relates to the sacraments: once again it is the Reformed Baptist view that the Presbyterian Reformation was unable to break from Rome and be Sola Scriptura in this regard.

Amazing how our traditions view each other. Brothers indeed.


BTW: The SBC is not a reformed association, it once was, but went astray more than 100 years ago.

[JonathanHooperJazz]

Regarding the last question, is it really your experience that churches are smaller post-COVID? That's interesting because I observe just the opposite. The biblical churches near me are booming post-pandemic, some nearly having doubled in size. An additional factor that may be relevant is wokeism in the church. I've noticed that the big churches that have started embracing wokeism in the past year are hemorrhaging members and dwindling just as quickly as the faithful churches are growing.

[shawnd]

You mentioned Voltron, but I was really hoping you'd say, "that's partialism Patrick!"

[brunorosi]

Reformed Baptists have as much to do with Anabaptists as Presbyterians have to do with the Nestorian Church. Please! Yes, we both are credibaptists. However, the reason we are is completely different, the same way that Presbyterians and Roman Catholics both baptize babies, but for completely different reasons. I believe that both London confessions say right in the first paragraph: "we are not Anabaptists!"

[joshuahoward]

1689 brother was not the first Baptist confession look into it the first one predates your own and I agree if a church isn’t led by a board of elders its not reformed and with liberals creeping into the PCA I’d be curious to see how much you like your presbyteries in the future. The Chuch should be United and share letters and work together but you cannot get presbyteries out of Scripture i love you and i agree with you on 99.775% of things but i have to disagree on that part and as a Reformed Baptist other than that though we would agree on most everything i would say if your an inch away from Methodists than I’m no more than a quarter inch :) right now we should be standing hand in hand fighting CRT and the LGBT movement while we can freely

[JoWilliams-udeu]

The reason I claim the title Reformed is because I deny limited atonement. Otherwise, I would call myself a Particular Baptist. But the Reformed can deny limited atonement and still be Reformed.

[vincentguthrie]

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Proverbs 17:15 You who justify the wicked and condemned the just are both an abomination to the Lord. Yet many people believe Jeremiah is just a history book, blasphemous.
Democratic Pastors are the Devil mouth piece.