A Statement from the
Louisville Primitive Baptist Church
Louisville, Kentucky
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Church at Louisville has become concerned over the past few years with the position of some of our brethren on the following subjects. Through much prayer and searching we feel it has become necessary to state our position on these subjects. The subjects that we are addressing are as follows:
1. Adultery
2. Counseling
3. Organizations
4. Excluded members
5. Baptism
6. Biblical discipline
The purpose of this letter is to state our position. Our greatest desire is to serve our heavenly Father and to stand firm in the faith that was once delivered to the saints. May God's grace and mercy be with you.
Statement of Belief
1. ADULTERY. We believe that those living in adultery cannot be members of the Church. We believe that marriage is honorable among all men (regenerate and unregenerate) and the bed undefiled, and that death and/or fornication are the only causes given in Scripture that break the marriage bond, and, therefore, allow marriage to another in the Lord. We believe it to be disorder to maintain in our fellowship those living in adultery whether in our church or in other churches. We further believe that one who continues in marriage with a spouse who has committed adultery is living in adultery and keeping company with a fornicator, and therefore has no inheritance in the Kingdom of God.
Scriptural references: Deut. 24:1-4; Jer. 3:1; I. Cor. 6:15-20; I. Cor. 5:1-13; Matt. 19:1-9; Gal. 5:19-21; Heb. 13:4.
2. COUNSELING. We believe that it is unscriptural to set forth ministers or pastors as private, personal or professional counselors. The minister is to preach the word, take the oversight of the flock, be an ensample, a pattern of good things, a teacher, a leader, and a helper to the body as a whole. While we agree that occasions may arise requiring a minister to provide counsel (advice) to an individual member, it must follow that the church body be made aware of those circumstances requiring church discipline. Particular care must be taken to insure that sisters be instructed to seek the counsel of older women.
Scriptural references: I. Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:6-9; Tit. 2:4.
3. ORGANIZATIONS. We believe that the Kingdom of Heaven (the Church) is in the world, but is not of the world, and that she is to do all things according to the pattern given in the divinely inspired word of God. We believe that the Church is to keep herself from those things unauthorized by the word of God, such as Sunday Schools, Training Unions, Ladies Auxiliaries, Preachers' Schools, Seminars, or Seminaries, Social Events or Gatherings, Secret Orders or Societies, Religious Organizations or Clubs, Camps, or any practice, pattern, or organization which is worldly or of the world.
Scriptural references: Exo. 24:40; John 18:36; Rom. 12:2; II. Cor. 6:17; Heb. 8:15.
4. EXCLUDED MEMBERS. We believe that any person or group of persons who have been withdrawn from (excluded by an orderly Church are to be considered as such by all orderly Churches and therefore are not to be fellowshipped. We further believe that excluded members lose any and all authority to function as the Church, and that acceptance of them or their work is disorder.
Scriptural references: Rom. 16:17; Gal. 1:8-9; Gal. 5:12; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 6:7; 6:11; Phil. 3:17; II. Thess. 3:16; 3:14; I. Tim. 6:5; II. Tim. 2:21; 3:5; Tit. 3:10; II. John 1:10-11.
5. BAPTISM. We believe that the Church alone has been given the authority to baptize (immerse) in water and only those baptisms by ministers who have been duly (in proper order) ordained and who have maintained a proper order will be accepted. The baptisms of worldly churches and disorderly ministers by whatever name or persuasion cannot be accepted.
Scriptural references: Matt. 16:19; Matt. 28:19; Luke 24:49; John 3:5-6; John 3:13; John 18:36; Eph. 4:16 (see all scriptures cited in #4.)
6. BIBLICAL DISCIPLINE. We believe that the Church of God is to maintain a proper order agreeable to the divinely inspired, infallible, inerrant word of God. We believe, further, that a proper order will be attained only by the exercise of discipline as set forth in the word of God and that the Church will lose her identity when she fails to recognize, accept, and administer the discipline of the Bible, particularly as revealed in the Newe Testament of Scripture.
Scriptural references: I. Cor. 14:40; Gal. 1:8; Col. 2:5; I. Tim. 3:15; II. Tim. 3:16-17; Tit. 1:5; Tit. 3:8; Heb. 12:25; Rev. chap. 2 and 3 (notice in particular, 2:5).
Copyright c. 2002. All rights reserved. The Primitive Baptist Library.
