Doctrinal guides

The decisions made by Baptist messengers at the 2007 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) meeting in San Antonio, Texas, has taken the church further away from God’s Holy Word, the Bible. According to The Alabama Baptist newspaper, dated June 21, 2007, the messengers declared at the convention that the Baptist Faith and Message statement (BF&M) is sufficient authority for establishing church doctrines and any Baptist entity wishing to establish a doctrine which is not specifically covered in the BF&M statement should first seek approval from the SBC authorities.

This flies in the face of God’s Word (the Holy Bible) being the only authority that Christians should use for determining what they believe concerning church doctrine. God’s Word states: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). So by what authority does the SBC think their man-written statements can replace the authority of Holy Scripture for establishing church doctrines? Has man’s wisdom become greater than God’s wisdom? Satan must be delighted by this.
Jerry Fuller
Greenville, Ala.

EDITOR’S NOTE — The action taken by the messengers to the 2007 SBC annual meeting stated the BF&M was a “sufficient doctrinal guide” for entities and institutions related to hiring practices. It addressed efforts by some
convention-related entities to require doctrinal agreement by employees on issues not covered by the BF&M. The Bible remains the sole authority for an individual’s faith and practice.