The Wicket Gate

Gonzales, Robert, ed. The Confessing Baptist: Essays on the Use of Creeds in Baptist Faith and Life. Free Grace Press LLC, 2021. 386 pp.

Introduction

Context is key to every decision, interaction, and relationship we have on earth. So why would we not desire to have context when it comes to our system of beliefs? The historical context laid out in The Confessing Baptist provides a comprehensive look at attempts toward Baptist uniformity through the ages. We need context as we navigate the trials and temptations of the modern congregation. The Confessing Baptist: Essays on the Use of Creeds in Baptist Faith and Life was edited by Dr. Robert Gonzales Jr. and published in 2021 by Free Grace Press. Dr. Gonzales assembled a cadre of qualified writers to draft essays on faithful use, history, and doctrines of creed and confession use in the Baptist tradition.

Summary

We begin our summary with a quote from the preface, “And a growing number of Baptist churches today are rediscovering this confessional heritage. Indeed, many local churches are beginning to identify themselves as confessional.” (xvi). This work was written to provide church leaders and members with introductory knowledge of Baptist confessionalism. Dr. Gonzales served as editor of the book, and it features eleven contributors. The first two chapters identify the need for creeds, justify their use, and examine the value of confessionalism for corporate unity.

The second section of this book covers the historical context of Baptist use of confessions beginning with the First London Confession and finishing with the Abstract of Principles. The third division of the collection reflects on Southern Baptist use of confessions, subscription types, and choosing and using a confession. In the fourth division the book takes an expositional turn, chapters 11 – 15 each discuss a different topic within the Second London Baptist Confession. The last section of the book is a collection of three book reviews.

The first essay was written by Luke Walker, the Pastor of Redeeming Cross Community Church in Minneapolis. The essay is a concise communication about why we need creeds. Walker begins by defining creeds and justifying their use using scripture. He then moves into a rebuttal of common concerns that arise, citing their use within scripture and the church’s history. After addressing concerns Walker begins advocating for the use of confessions by working through why they are necessary, historical, and are the future. The author writes of credal necessity, “Creeds and confessions are inescapable tools of understanding and teaching the bible accurately.” (7), and “it matters what we believe the bible teaches.” (7).

He also attempts to ignite a desire for more historical context for credal use, “They [creeds] have guided it [the church] through countless controversies, trials, and snares.” (7). The author finishes the chapter by covering the usefulness of creeds to individuals, churches, and corporate worship. Walker’s essay establishes the concepts to be explored in more depth as the book progresses.

The second essay was written by Robert Gonzales Jr. and works through the validity and value of confessions. Dr. Gonzales begins his essay with a story from the 1922 Northern Baptist Convention that draws the reader’s attention to the battle between those seeking to use confessions and those claiming “no creed but Christ”. “This essay aims to show that Riley’s call for a confession of faith is the higher and more solid ground on which we may erect the edifice of Christian faith and life.” The purpose sentence of this essay sums the purpose of the entire book. The author covers the definitions and gives examples of creeds and written confessions and establishes the primacy of scripture over both. He then covers three arguments that we should use creeds and confessions from scriptural examples and faithful reasoning, including examination of the mystery of godliness (1Tim. 3:16) and the Shema (Deut. 6:4).

Gonzales then defends confessions against three common objections. Throughout this defense Gonzales uses examples from the Second London Confession of Faith and Westminster Confession of Faith. The author states, “As a foundation for our faith the Bible alone is sufficient. And yet, like a foundation, the Bible was never intended to stand by itself. God’s written word is meant to be interpreted and applied.” (22). Gonzales contends confessions help churches carry out the great commission more efficiently by unifying interpretation of scripture among the brethren and opens the door for church cooperation with congregations with the same interpretation. Gonzales’ last point establishes how properly using a confession effectively defends the church from error.

While the two first essays firmly establish and contend for the use of creeds and confessions, the next five essays establish the historically confessional nature of Baptists.

Dr. Michael Haykin, chair of church history at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is the author of the next three essays which cover the First London Confession, Second London Confession of Faith, and an exposition of the Second London Confession of Faith. Haykin begins with the First London Confession, published originally around October 16, 1644, titled “The Confession of Faith, Of those Churches which are commonly (though falsely) called Anabaptists.” At that time there were seven Particular Baptist churches, all found within London. The author then establishes the reason for the confession was to distinguish the Particular Baptists from the General Baptists and Anabaptists, as well as defending against false claims.

The 1646 edition of the confession consisted of fifty-two articles, which Haykin places into categories and summarizes. After establishing key information about the confession, Haykin works through key articles, including Article 40 which defines baptism by immersion or dipping. Haykin then goes into detail about the use of the term “watered garden” which he sees as a defining phrase for Baptist life in the following decades of political turmoil. The confession also opens the door for Baptist churches associating with one another while maintaining their autonomy. Haykin finishes the essay with statistics revealing that the number of Particular Baptist churches grew to around 130 the next decade (45). The author feels the printed confession played a primary role in the growth. Haykin begins his essay (chapter 4) on the historical context of the Second London Confession of Faith with the reasons for producing a new confession. Haykin notes the need for a new confession was driven by political turmoil and persecution since the publishing of the first confession, conflicts of scriptural interpretation amongst congregations, and the rise of the Quakers.

The author extensively covers the Baptist struggles with the Quakers, as well as specific struggles with Thomas Collier. The new confession was published in 1677, the Westminster Confession and Savoy Declaration were used extensively but the new confession was unique. Haykin finishes the chapter by exploring the adoption of the confession in 1688 by the Baptist national assembly. Chapter 5 is a “modest” (61) study of the Second London Confession of Faith by Dr. Haykin. The author explores the major chapters of the confession by comparing it to contemporary reformed confessions, establishing scriptural basis, and reflecting on historical context. Haykin gives special attention to the chapter regarding the Lord’s Supper, writing extensively about the beliefs of Particular Baptists compared to other reformed groups and the care with which that chapter was written.

Dr. Tom Nettles is the author of the next two chapters which cover the New Hampshire Confession and the Abstract of Principles. These two chapters fast forward to the 19^th century. Nettles begins with the New Hampshire Confession (Chapter 6), outlining the historical issues surrounding the need for a new confession. Conflicts with Hyper Calvinists, Primitive Baptists, Free Will Baptists, and preachers such as Charles Finney led the New Hampshire Baptists to adopt the modern confession written by J. Newton Brown. Nettles details the negative reception it received among Calvinists, but argues personally for the confession, and spends the rest of the chapter defending each article. Nettles’ second essay (Chapter 7) covers the efforts by J. P. Boyce to create uniformity of instruction through adherence to an Abstract of Principles at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Nettles then takes time to explain each of the twenty articles of the confession and compares it with the Second London Confession of Faith. The author concludes the chapter by surveying the Abstract’s nonobservance by faculty over the next century and the renewal by R. Albert Mohler Jr. beginning in 1993.

The next essay (chapter 8) was written by Steve Weaver, Pastor of Farmdale Baptist Church in Frankfort, Kentucky. Weaver covers the history of confession use in the Southern Baptist Convention. Weaver begins by giving an early history of Baptist confession use in North America, including the Philadelphia Confession of 1743. He then outlines three ways Baptists have used confessions in the last 150 years. Weaver also discusses the issues surrounding the formation of the Foreign Mission Board and the desire to have uniformity of belief among missionaries sent into the field. The author finishes the chapter with a test case, examining how Kentucky Baptists handled controversy with Campbellites. “Southern Baptists continue to use their confession of faith as a summary of biblical teaching, an expression of unity, and a protection against error.” (132)

Dr. Gonzales is the author of chapters 9 and 10, covering confessional subscription and how to select and use a confession. In chapter 9, the author begins by defining doctrine and other terms then surveys the types of confession subscription through historical evidence and examples. Gonzales’ third essay in the book (chapter 10) concerns the selection and use of confessions. He begins with the statement, “The Bible does not provide explicit instruction on how a Christian church must use a particular confession of faith.” From there he works to provide guidelines based on faithful reasoning and historical context. The author contends for deeper examination and reflection on the articles of a proposed confession, the need for clear communication. Gonzales then examines argues his view of subscription, wherein officers subscribe to a different confession than church members. The author finishes the chapter by considering the importance of scripture, its supremacy, inerrancy, and infallibility.

In the fourth section of The Confessing Baptist, four authors cover five major theological contributions of the Second London Baptist Confession. Jeffrey Johnson, teaching Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Conway, Arkansas examines (chapter 11) Baptist covenant theology compared to other reformed traditions. Dr. Thomas Ascol, Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida writes about The Gospel and the Extend of Its Grace (chapter 12) and The Ecclesiology of Second London Confession of Faith (chapter 14). Dr. Samuel Waldron, president of Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary in Owensboro, Kentucky, explores the Civil Magistrate in the Second London Confession of Faith (chapter 13). Last, in chapter fifteen Dr. Brian Borgman, founding pastor of Grace Community Church, discusses the Doctrine of Sacraments in the Second London Confession of Faith.

The last section of the book includes three excellent book reviews. Nicolas Alford writes on Recovering the Reformed Confession, by R. Scott Clark. Luke Walker reviews The Creedal Imperative, a book by Carl Trueman. Last, Vadim Chepurny writes on The Need for Creeds Today: Confessional Faith in a Faithless Age by J. V. Fesko.

Evaluation

This collection of essays provides a foundation of knowledge regarding the use of creeds by Particular Baptists. The first positive aspect I would like to address is the way the collection works together to build a case for Baptist confessionalism. This is important because the book establishes that each generation must choose for themselves to use creeds and confessions. Much like the covenantal theology of Baptists, we must accept confessional use for ourselves in our time. While we do use our confessions and catechisms to educate our children in the faith, they are not bound to these documents the way they are bound to the Bible.

The church must in each generation evaluate the historical confessions and choose to subscribe or produce a new statement of faith. Once established, considerable effort should be taken to preserve interpretation of scripture. The same way we do not enter wedding vows lightly we should not take up a confession without serious consideration of the scriptures. The historical context within the essays shows us how the challenge of doctrinal disagreement has been met with deeper theological reflection leading to new or refined statements of faith. The Confessing Baptist clearly communicates the issues that may arise as well as examples of effective defense of the congregation by common written belief. The book also provides congregations with issues to be considered by defining the varying levels of subscription and addressing the possibility of implementing different confessions for pastors and general church members. The Confessing Baptist is an excellent book for Baptist churches in confessional consideration.

Second, the book provides an excellent foundation from which further historical study can begin. Within the history themed chapters, Haykin, Nettles, and Weaver foster a desire for deeper knowledge. Haykin provides historical context for Baptists who wrote the First and Second London Confessions, and footnotes direct readers where to find more information. Nettles provides an excellent article by article survey of The New Hampshire Confession and Abstract of Principles, and Weaver dismisses the lie that Baptists have never been confessional. All three authors document that confessions throughout Baptist history were written to define and defend traditional reformed Baptist interpretation of scripture in the face of confusion and persecution. Each historical essay addresses in depth the challenges of the times, complete with players and major happenings that drove the need for new statements of faith.

The chapter on confession use in the Southern Baptist Convention concludes with a case study where preachers lead sheep away with false notions, and leadership adhering to historical confessions ensures the preservation of tradition within the congregation. Last, the historical essays showed positive outcomes from publishing and adhering to the confession. For example, Haykin’s essay on the First London Confession concludes with “The Particular Baptist cause expanded from the seven churches in London in the mid-1640s to around 130 throughout England, Wales, and Ireland by the late 1650s.” (45). These essays establish that historically Baptists have been confessional, and congregations considering adopting a confession need not feel they are going off the beaten path.

The last positive observation about the book concerns the expositions and book reports found in chapters 11-18. As Baptist churches consider beginning to use a confession, it is important for them to explore each topic within a proposed confession. Scripture must be exhausted, and beliefs of the church should be evaluated when studying a confession for use. Every doctrine within a confession is vital, however some doctrines play an enormous role in how a church identifies with other congregations and establishes how a person becomes a member. This book did an excellent job of addressing these key beliefs of churches that are a part of the Particular Baptist tradition. A final thought, the book reviews were excellent examples for beginners learning to compose book reviews, as well as highlighting excellent works for further study. Each of the reviewers was honest and well thought out, leaving church members that are contemplating confession use with three options for further study and reference.

It is difficult to find serious theological or organization errors with such an excellent book. The Confessing Baptist was meant as a launch pad for congregations considering confession use, not a comprehensive resource. With that thought in mind, I will begin by criticizing the absence of an essay specific to The Baptist Faith and Message 1925, 1963 and 2000. While these three confessions are not distinctly reformed in nature, they are still part of the Baptist history. In fact, many reformed Baptist congregations are a part of the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Ascol, who authored several essays for this book, is a prominent member of the Southern Baptist Convention and advocate of the reformed tradition within the Southern Baptist Convention.

Dr. Ascol would have been ideal to write an essay covering the use of confessions by Baptists over the last half century. Connecting modern Baptists from the distant past to current times requires an essay that outlines the positive and negative twists and turns of Baptists in the modern Southern Baptist Convention. We view this book as an aid to churches considering subscription to a confession. These churches considering confession and creed use need to understand the whole historical context before making decisions.

Second, while the current writer understands Haykin’s knowledge exceeds the pages allotted to his essays in this book, we are left desiring more information about key pastors and members that forged the path to where we are today. Context concerning the groups that believed differently and the conflicts that led to drafting confessions is important to provide evidence of the need for a written statement of beliefs. However, we were left desiring more information about the Particular Baptists that wrote and defended the confession. Adding stories about key Particular Baptists in the first two hundred years of existence would be excellent for congregations considering use of a reformed Baptist confession.

This information would not be meant to exalt these men or congregations, but to provide examples of faithful confessing Baptists. A book titled The Confessing Baptist should have included an essay from Dr. Haykin over prominent confessing Baptists and their congregations. Such an essay would be practical in answering the question “what does a Calvinistic Baptist look like?”

The last criticism we will explore considers why chapters 9 and 10 are not chapters 3 and 4. The writer of this review appreciates Dr. Gonzales’ thoughts no matter the location, however it would seem prudent to present all the practical applications at the beginning of the book. These two chapters benefit from the knowledge gained throughout the historical chapters. If the reader is consuming the whole book together, the information in the previous chapters gives context for the discussion of subscription and selection. However, when a collection of essays is written and assembled in this manner, often the reader will select essays pertinent to the situation at hand. So, a reader looking for the chapters pertaining to defining, subscribing, and using confessions will want to have all four chapters together. This method of organization provides an easier flow from section to section for an individual consuming the whole book as well.

Conclusion

The context provided by the respective authors is invaluable as Baptists continue to seek Baptist doctrinal uniformity in an ever-individualistic world. The writer of this review was a lifelong member of the church of Christ tradition and had not read a creed or confession for the first thirty-four years of his life. This collection of essay s, especially the case study regarding the Campbellites, further cleared the fog in the reviewers’ eyes with regards to church history. The reviewer highly recommends this collection of essays and appreciates the editor and contributors.