Who are Baptists? Baptists are Protestant Christians. The name comes from the Greek word word
“βάπτισμα”, which is baptism from βαπτίζω - “I immerse in water,” that is, “I baptize.” Literally, Baptists are baptized people.
Christianity has many faces, just like the many faces of the people living on earth. Only in the time of Jesus Christ was there no disagreement between people among his followers. Or rather, they were, but Jesus resolved them with his word. Then the time came for Christ to leave the earthly world and ascend to the Father. But Jesus did not leave Christians alone and sent the Holy Spirit, who lives in the hearts of believers. For the first three centuries, Christianity held on. There were no baptisms of children, there were no icons, there were no statues. Christianity was persecuted and was not up to the splendor of the poor wounded church, which kept the faith and the Word of the Lord. Through the centuries the church has carried the undistorted Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. God kept his word.
How did the Baptists appear?
But people remain people. People are different from people. And Christianity, spreading across the face of the earth, absorbed the customs and traditions of peoples who believed in Christ, but did not completely abandon their former customs and rituals. And they came up with something that was not in the Bible. In the West, indulgences, a kind of pass to heaven, were sold for money. The Pope was mired in debauchery and burdened himself with secular power. In the east, as well as in the west, the Word of God became far from the language of the people to whom it spoke. Hebrew, Latin and Greek were considered sacred languages; the Russian Orthodox Church won the right to serve in Old Church Slavonic. But he was also incomprehensible to people. People's ignorance and ignorance of God's word allowed the priests to retain the right to read and interpret the scriptures as they pleased, which led to the emergence of something that was not in the Bible. This went on for a long time. Until one monk, having studied the languages in which the Bible was written, decided to resist the desecration of the church. He wrote out as many as 95 outrageous points on which the church departed from the Bible. And he nailed them to the doors of the church, believed to be in Witenberg. He translated the Bible into German. People outraged by the impunity of the official church followed him. Thus began the reformation of the church. Then the Bible was translated into English and French. The state church brutally resisted people's desire to read the Bible in their native language. In each state, churches essentially reminiscent of Baptists arose. in France, they were called Huguenots. Have you heard about St. Bartholomew's Night? 30,000 Protestants were killed for their faith. In England, persecution of Protestants also began.
Baptists in Russia
baptism of Baptists
But everything comes to Russia late. Peter was the first to try to translate the Bible into Russian. But the Pastor who translated the Bible died under mysterious circumstances. And the translation matter was frozen. Alexander the first resumed translation. Several books of the New Testament and several books of the Old Testament were translated. The translation became popular among the people and was banned for fear of shaking the political atmosphere in the country, since the translation of the Bible could lead to people moving away from Orthodoxy, which was the connecting element of Russian statehood. Translation in other countries occurred several centuries ago. For example, Luther, in Germany, translated the Bible in 1521. In 1611 in England it was translated into English by King James. In Russia, translation was not allowed to develop. Alexander II resumed the translation. And only in 1876 the people received the Bible in Russian!!! Friends, please think about these numbers!!! 1876!! It's almost the 20th century!! The people did not know what they believed in! The people did not read the Bible. Keeping people ignorant for so long was stupid and sinful. When people began to read the Bible, Russian Protestants naturally arose. They were not brought from abroad and were first called “Orthodox living according to the gospel,” but they were excommunicated from the church. But they organized themselves into communities and began to be called Evangelical Christians. The evangelical movement grew, people turned to God. And as in other countries, the official church was outraged that someone was pointing out its shortcomings and, with the support of the state, began persecuting Russian Protestants. They were drowned, sent into exile, and imprisoned. It is sad. People who believe in God, no matter what their denomination, should not persecute other Christians who believe in the same God, even if they differ in some ways. In the south of Russia, the evangelical movement is gaining momentum among ordinary people. In the North of Russia - among the intelligentsia. In England, Protestants received the name “Baptists”, from the Greek and English word “baptizo”, “bapize” - which means to baptize. Because one of the differences between Baptists and Orthodox Christians is that Baptists are baptized at a conscious age.
Christian holidays
Every nation, every religion and denomination has its own holiday calendar. Evangelical Christians are no exception. Our calendar was formed during the history of our brotherhood, and each holiday date has its own spiritual meaning. Some of the holidays are common Christian holidays. Others are related to the national and cultural characteristics of Russia. Some are the property of exclusively evangelical churches. Meanwhile, questions about why we celebrate certain holidays arise from time to time among believers of our brotherhood. And we will try to touch on the most important issues related to this topic.
Do we need holidays?
One of the most interesting questions is the question of the need for holidays as such. Indeed, in the New Testament we do not find specific indications of the need for the church to celebrate any holiday dates. The only exception is Sunday, which is mentioned in the biblical text as a day of assembly (Acts 20:7). Of course, we have at our disposal many tests of the Holy Scriptures that tell about the Old Testament holidays. But they are not celebrated by Christians for reasons that we will discuss below.
So, do we need holidays? Undoubtedly. Speaking about the feelings of believers towards Christ, the Apostle Paul writes: “let us celebrate” (1 Cor. 5:8). Of course, this applies to the entire life of a Christian, to every day he lives. We are saved, we have every right to rejoice that our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20). From this point of view, a Christian can be in a festive mood every day. However, this is not always possible. There are times, for example, when it is necessary to weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15). We ourselves may have difficult life situations that are more suitable for crying (Eccl. 3:4), meditation (Eccl. 7:14) and prayer (James 5:13) than for festive fun. Finally, even in the presence of a joyful mood, which should be the normal state of a believer (Phil. 4:4), we cannot completely surrender to the holiday; it is necessary to work and do everyday things. A full-fledged holiday implies rest (Deut. 5:14; 16:8), joyful communication (Deut. 16:14), and joint glorification of God (Lev. 23:4). It is the holidays that give us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the festive atmosphere.
The inability to celebrate, the sad appearance of Christians at festive services and fellowships is a depressing sight. “A merry heart does good as medicine, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones” (Prov. 17:22). The presence of holidays in our lives is justified and has a beneficial effect on our spiritual and psychological state. And if, as one old bard song says: “The calendar no longer touches the soul with holidays,” then this is a sign of spiritual trouble. We then have cause for reflection and prayer.
So, let's celebrate! But what holidays? Maybe Old Testament?
Feasts of the Modern (New Testament) Church
To some, the very idea of celebrating Old Testament holidays may seem absurd. We are not Jews. We have a church, not a synagogue. But there are some evangelical believers who are thinking quite seriously about the possible prospect of celebrating the Old Testament holidays. From them you can also hear arguments in favor of the Old Testament holidays. They point out, in particular, the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. There's a lot to think about here.
First of all, it is worth paying attention to the nature of spiritual continuity between the Old and New Testaments. On the one hand, the spiritual value of the Old Testament for Christians in general is beyond doubt. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle will pass from the law” (Matthew 5:18). On the other hand, despite the unconditional value and significance of the Old Testament teaching about God, Old Testament ethics (especially the 10 commandments), Old Testament prophecies and much more, not all texts of the Old Testament can serve as a direct guide to action for Christians. For example, it is unlikely that it would occur to anyone to try to fulfill the Old Testament laws on sacrifices.
The ritual norms of the Mosaic Law (Col. 2:20-21), together with the entire complex of temple worship and sacrifices, have already fulfilled their purpose: “where there is forgiveness of sins, there is no need for an offering for them” (Heb. 10:18). The law, “having a shadow of things to come, and not the very image of things” (Heb. 10:1), often only pointed to a future spiritual reality, then revealed in Christ.
Among the Old Testament institutions that do not have eternal significance are the holidays in the New Testament: “So, let no one judge you for food or drink, or for any holiday, or the new moon, or the Sabbath: this is a shadow of the future, but body in Christ” (Col. 2:16-17). In other words, no one has the right to condemn Christians for not celebrating Old Testament holidays, including the Sabbath. The Sabbath and other holidays of the Old Testament bore only a shadow of the grace that came into the world in the person of the Savior. We do not need the shadow of blessing when we have access to its Source.
Of course, the celebration of Old Testament holidays cannot at first glance be called a big problem. However, since they do not represent their former spiritual value, the only justification for including them in the calendar of individual Christian communities may be considerations of a cultural or missionary nature. In other words, Jewish Christian communities may consider it appropriate to celebrate them for the purpose of unity with their fellow Jews and preaching to them the Good News of the True Messiah Jesus.
Evangelical Baptist Christians not only have no need to celebrate the Old Testament holidays (for the reasons stated above), but they would also risk getting themselves into a lot of trouble if they followed this path. In the context of an Orthodox-oriented culture, it would be extremely unreasonable to give a reason to call us a Jewish sect. Rejecting anti-Semitism as an ugly and alien view, we, nevertheless, must in every possible way emphasize our 100% Christian identity. In addition, there is a real temptation for us to replace grace with law (Gal. 5:4), which should be avoided in every possible way, remembering that God “has given us the ability to be ministers of the new covenant” (2 Cor. 3:6).
So, we do not celebrate the Old Testament holidays, but the need for holidays remains. The books of the New Testament do not mention church holidays, with the exception of Sunday. How to be? Who has the right to establish holidays? Such authority belongs to the New Testament people of God. Since the very need for celebration is not rejected by the New Testament (1 Cor. 5:8), the church community, following the words of Holy Scripture: “You were called to freedom, brethren” (Gal. 5:13), has all the authority to freely determine holiday dates. Let’s now talk directly about the calendar of Evangelical Christian Baptists.
Calendar of holidays for Evangelical Christian Baptists
Sunday afternoon
Every Sunday is a special day for us. Since ancient times, Sunday, the day on which Christ was resurrected (the first day of the week according to ancient accounts), has been the day of the liturgical meeting of Christians (Acts 20:7). The ECB Creed states: “Sunday, as the Lord’s Day, should be a day of holy work for the Lord, a day dedicated to the study of the Word of God, and being in prayer; participation in divine services and the manifestation of Christian love in works of mercy.”
First Sunday of the month
By tradition, on the first Sunday of every month, special services are held in the churches of our brotherhood, at which the breaking of bread is celebrated. This is both a mourning and a celebratory service. We mourn for the Lord who suffered and died for us, and at the same time we thank God for our redemption.
Nativity
Christmas is one of our most important and favorite holidays. We celebrate the coming of the Savior into our world. We rejoice in Him who “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:7). We glorify God the Son who became Man. The birth of Christ is the birth of the Lamb of God, destined to atone for the sins of mankind. The exact date of the birth of Christ is unknown, so the question of when to celebrate Christmas is not fundamental at all. Each ECB community has the right to independently decide on the celebration of Christmas according to the Gregorian or Julian calendar (December 25 or January 7).
Epiphany
On the Feast of Epiphany (January 19), we remember the beginning of Christ's ministry. Jesus, being sinless, receives the baptism of repentance from John the Baptist on an equal basis with sinful people, thereby showing that He will bear the sins of others. This holiday has another name - Epiphany, because at the baptism of Jesus the voice of God the Father sounded and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove. Thus, God clearly appeared for the first time as a triune God (Trinity).
Presentation of the Lord
The Feast of the Presentation (February 15) reminds us of the meeting of the Infant Christ by the righteous Simeon and the prophetess Anna in the Jerusalem Temple. It is especially important for us that Simeon predicted on that day that Jesus would become the Savior of all people, of all nations.
Annunciation
The angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would miraculously conceive and give birth to the Son of God. We glorify the miracle of the immaculate conception of Christ and remember the humility of the Virgin Mary. This event is essentially the beginning of the earthly journey of the Savior of the world, since His life as a Man, like all people, began with conception in the womb of his mother. Celebrated on April 7th.
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem
The people greeted Jesus as a King as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. This was the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy of Zechariah. And although Christ rode to Jerusalem to be condemned to death, He at the same time really rode as a True King, preparing to give his life for the salvation of people. And let the cross become His throne. He is truly “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16). In Russia, this holiday is also called Palm Sunday. Celebrated a week before Easter.
Holy Thursday
The Thursday before Easter is the day when we remember Christ’s establishment of the Lord’s Supper – the Breaking of Bread. On this day we also remember the last days of Christ before the crucifixion, His martyrdom and atoning death. On this day the breaking of bread takes place. According to a long-standing tradition, many believers on this day fast (without food or drink) and pray.
Holy Resurrection of Christ - Easter
The most important celebration of the church year. On this day we solemnly celebrate the victory of the Redeemer over death and sin, visibly revealed in the great miracle of Christ's resurrection. This holiday is especially dear to us. We continue to live in a world where the consequences of the Fall are so obvious: grief, illness, suffering, crime, war, death... But Christ has risen! Truly risen! No matter what happens around us, Christ has already defeated the devil. And although we still suffer in this world, nothing and no one can take away from us the results of Christ’s victory. “Thanks be to God, who has given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor. 15:57). Celebrated on the 1st Sunday after the spring equinox and the 1st March full moon.
Ascension of the Lord
The Ascension of Christ is the final event of the earthly life of the Son of God. Jesus left the Earth to then send the Holy Spirit to the disciples. The Lord Jesus Christ continues to be spiritually present among Christians. Christ will return bodily to Earth at the end of time. In anticipation of the return of her Redeemer and Bridegroom, the Church is called to watch, pray and work for the glory of God. Celebrated on the 40th day after Easter.
Pentecost (Trinity)
On the Feast of Pentecost, we solemnly remember the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, and also reflect on the role of God the Holy Spirit in the destinies of the world and in our lives. Another name for the holiday is Trinity Day. Because after the descent of the Holy Spirit, the triune nature of God was completely revealed to people. Celebrated on the 50th day after Easter.
Transfiguration
Having been transformed before the chosen disciples, the Lord Jesus Christ showed them His heavenly glory. The sky became a visible reality for the students. This holiday reminds us of the reality of spiritual beauty and bliss that will be revealed when the fullness of God's Kingdom comes. And although we do not yet walk the streets of the New Jerusalem, we can be sure that the glory of heaven is already ours through the merits of the Redeemer Christ. Celebrated on August 19.
Harvest Festival
The Harvest Festival is, first of all, a day of thanksgiving for the harvest and for all the mercies that the Almighty sends us. This is not an Old Testament holiday, which the Israelites were obliged to celebrate according to the Law, but a triumph of the evangelical churches, which they voluntarily agreed to celebrate. In addition to thanksgiving, on this day people often remember such spiritually edifying topics as testimony about Christ, spiritual fruit in the life of a believer, and the end of the world. On this holiday, it is customary to have a large communal meal and invite guests from other communities. To be able to visit each other, churches in the same region often move the Harvest holiday from the last Sunday in September (the official date) to another Sunday.
Unity Day
Unity Day was originally established in 1945 in memory of the historical unification of two fraternal movements: Evangelical Christians and Baptists - into a single Union in the fall of 1944. Nowadays this holiday is dedicated to the spiritual and doctrinal unity and mutual assistance of churches and regional associations that are members of the Russian ECB Union. On this day (the last Sunday in October) we must remember the prayerful, material and other support that churches can provide to the Union.
New Year
The New Year is not celebrated in all churches of our brotherhood. Some consider it a purely secular holiday. In some churches it is customary to gather on New Year's Eve - December 31st. Often services are scheduled directly for January 1st. In many churches, it is customary to celebrate the New Year together in prayer (especially among young people). Although the New Year is a conventional date, it is a good reason to look back, evaluate your successes and failures, think about plans for the future, and, most importantly, thank God for all His mercies in the past year and ask for blessings for the future.
Let's celebrate!
M. V. Ivanov, head of the department of theology and catechesis of the Russian Union of ECB.
About Baptists.
Baptists do not baptize infants. Evangelical Christians did not baptize them either. Then these two churches merged and became known as Evangelical Christian Baptists. The emergence of this church was predetermined by the emergence of a translation of the Bible into Russian. What did the Baptists find in the Bible that prevented the translation of the Bible for so long and kept the people in the dark? But the Russian people were not established in their faith, were not a thinking people, and the revolution, with its promises of freedom, equality and brotherhood, quickly changed the attitude of the Orthodox towards their faith. But it did not change the faith of Baptists and Evangelical Christians, who passed through the Soviet Union and carried their faith despite stupid accusations of debauchery and sacrifices. Of course, the Baptists did nothing of the kind. Baptists are Christians who preach a chaste life according to God's word. It is the Bible, as God’s word, that is the authority and foundation of their faith for Baptists. Baptists believe that just as Jesus Christ answered questions with his word, the Bible has answers to questions that arise in the life of a believer. Baptists reject what came into the church after the Scriptures were written.
Baptist House of Prayer from inside Baptist worship service
And that’s why our Russian Protestants try to imitate Christ in everything. Christ did not strive for wealth and pomp, and Baptist worship does not require gold and expensive attributes. Christ did not wear luxurious clothes and Baptists do not strive for luxury. But they do not strive for poverty, they work with their own hands, run their own business if they can, as the Apostle Paul taught. Baptists have large and strong families. Secular education is encouraged, and musical education is also encouraged. Therefore, Baptist services are full of music and sermons. At a worship service, a choir can sing, music can be played, performed solo or by a musical group of believers. Baptists are not conservative when it comes to serving God and can bring in a variety of creative elements. Baptists have a positive attitude towards the state. They serve in the army. They pay taxes. Because the Bible says that all authority is established by God and must be respected. Among all Protestants, Baptists are theologically closest to Orthodoxy, and believe in Christ as the Son of God and God. They believe in God the Father and the Holy Spirit. They believe in the resurrection of the dead and the forgiveness of sins thanks to the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Therefore, the differences lie in some moments of the service, external attributes and what came to the church after the Bible was written, the differences are in what is not in the Bible. You can read it at the link below.
Religious directions: Baptism
Baptistism is one of the areas of Christianity that has grown to the level of a large-scale movement. Baptists attend services on Sundays, gather together and sing free prayers accompanied by instrumental music.
Why do Baptists stand out so much that they formed an entire religious branch? The main fundamental difference is the rite of baptism, which Baptists perform exclusively in adulthood. Baptistism preaches the idea of religious self-determination, which is possible only at a conscious age. Infants are not baptized at birth, giving them the opportunity to make their own decision about joining the faith. Children are not registered with religious Baptist communities. Baptists also have a ritual of communion, which, by the way, can also include unbaptized people, burial and marriage rites.
Baptists first made their presence known at the beginning of the seventeenth century. They organized their community in London and formulated their main theses. Being persecuted, many Baptists left England for America, where to this day the largest concentration of Baptist communities is observed. Baptistism was promoted among the white population, Indians, and Africans. In Europe, Baptistism began to grow only in the second half of the nineteenth century. There are Baptists in Russia too. They call themselves “Baptist Christians” and constitute a fairly large group of Christians, second in number after the Orthodox.
Even within such a liberal religious movement as Baptistism, division arose. General Baptists believe that Jesus atoned for the sins of absolutely all people, and now the salvation of their souls depends on mere mortals. Private Baptists teach that only some people will be saved because God himself has chosen worthy and righteous candidates.
What is the Baptist creed? It is mainly based on Protestant provisions. Baptists believe in the resurrection of Christ and that people after death receive a fate according to their deeds and merits. Baptistism presupposes a certain freedom of man in his “communication” with God and in the interpretation of the Bible. Thanks to this, Baptist churches do not have rich, intricate decoration, and prayers are often read “in their own words.” Baptists have virtually no religious holidays. Pastors do not have the highest church authority; they are as close as possible to the parishioners. Baptist congregations are led by activist meetings. In general, communities are quite independent institutions. Communities that are similar in structure are united into larger associations.
Today, most Baptists live in America and Europe. This religious movement covers both Asia and Africa.
Baptistism became widespread thanks to some freethinking. After all, many people believe that there should be no intermediaries between man and God. The Baptist faith presupposes freedom in reading prayers and a relaxed atmosphere at services. This suits many modern people.
Social life of Baptists
What else can you tell about Baptists? As people, they are kind and sympathetic people. Hardworking. Baptists call a priest a pastor or elder; usually, in addition to serving in the church, he also works at work. Therefore, Baptists cannot be accused of doing nothing for society. Baptists, like many believers of other denominations, feed the hungry and are engaged in healing society, working with alcoholics and drug addicts, with God's help returning them to work and normal social life. In general, the attitude towards Baptists among those who have encountered them is positive, and their teaching evokes respect and surprises with its logic and simplicity. You can attend their services by going to the House of Prayer at the appointed time and sitting in an empty seat to get to know them better.
