Baptist (Southern Baptist Convention)
The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, rooted in the broader Baptist tradition that emphasizes believer's baptism, congregational church governance, and the priesthood of all believers. SBC churches affirm salvation by grace through faith alone and hold the Bible as the supreme and inerrant authority for faith and practice. While each congregation is autonomous, the SBC maintains cooperative fellowship through shared confessional documents such as The Baptist Faith and Message.
Theology
Christology
Soteriology
Salvation
Affirms
Salvation by grace through faith alone; personal conversion required
Atonement & Ransom
Affirms
Penal substitutionary atonement; Christ bore God's wrath in place of sinners
Predestination
Varies
Internal debate between Calvinist election and Arminian free-will views
Original Sin
Affirms
Adam's sin brought universal guilt and depravity; all humans are fallen sinners
Eschatology
Soul & Afterlife
Affirms
Immortal soul; conscious existence after death until bodily resurrection
Hell
Affirms
Eternal conscious punishment for the unrighteous after final judgment
Heaven
Affirms
Eternal life in God's presence; bodily resurrection to a renewed creation
Second Coming
Affirms
Christ will return personally, bodily, and visibly to judge the world
Millennium
Varies
No official position; premillennialism common but not required
Ecclesiology
Church Authority
Affirms
Congregational polity; Scripture supreme; each local church self-governing
Clergy & Priesthood
Affirms
Priesthood of all believers; ordained pastors/deacons lead local congregation
Sacraments & Ordinances
Affirms
Two ordinances: believer's baptism by immersion, and the Lord's Supper
Scripture
Scripture Interpretation
John 1:1 — "The Word Was God"
Affirms
The Word is fully divine; John 1:1 affirms Christ's eternal deity
Isaiah 7:14 — "Virgin or Young Woman"
Affirms
Isaiah 7:14 prophesies the virgin birth; fulfilled in Matthew 1
Matthew 16:18 — "Upon This Rock"
Nuanced
Christ is the rock; church built on faith in Christ; local congregations autonomous
Romans 9:18-21 — "God's Sovereign Choice"
Varies
God's sovereignty affirmed; Baptist views on election range from Calvinist to Arminian
James 2:24 — "Justified by Works"
Nuanced
Justified by faith; works are fruit and evidence of saving faith
Matthew 28:19 — "Baptize in the Name"
Affirms
Believer's baptism; Baptist ordinance; baptism by immersion on confession
Hebrews 1:8 — "Your Throne, O God"
Affirms
Hebrews 1:8 directly affirms Christ's divinity and eternal status as God
Revelation 20:1-6 — "The Thousand Years"
Varies
Baptist views on Revelation 20 vary; premillennial, amillennial, postmillennial
Genesis 1:1-2 — "In the Beginning"
Affirms
God created all things; creation ex nihilo; Genesis account authoritative
Mark 16:9-20 — "The Longer Ending"
Nuanced
Not in earliest MSS; content affirmed; Baptist Bibles often note textual issue
John 7:53–8:11 — "The Woman Caught in Adultery"
Nuanced
Not in earliest MSS; content affirms Gospel values of mercy and restoration
1 John 5:7-8 — "The Comma Johanneum"
Nuanced
Later Latin interpolation; absent from earliest Greek MSS; Trinity independently affirmed
Deuterocanonical Books — "Tobit, Wisdom, Sirach, Maccabees"
Denies
Deuterocanonical books (Apocrypha) not Scripture; excluded from Baptist canon
Shepherd of Hermas — "Early Christian Text"
Denies
Early Christian text; not Scripture; not binding on faith or doctrine
Ethics & Practice
Sabbath
Nuanced
Sunday worship as Lord's Day; no binding Sabbath observance required
Blood Transfusions
Affirms
No prohibition; blood transfusions are morally permissible and life-affirming
Military Service
Affirms
Military service considered honorable; just war tradition is predominant
Holidays
Affirms
Christmas and Easter observed; no mandatory calendar; cultural customs accepted