Is It Convenience or Conviction? (Part II)

By Jerry Jackson

Yes, there are those who treat missions as if it were merely a matter of convenience. It is so sad that the eternal destiny of the lost is taken so lightly. However, there is more to this story, as we consider what the Bible says about how scriptural missions is to be carried out. There are those who mean well, but they bypass God’s method for missions and follow any plan that comes down the pike. What we need to follow is the Biblical pattern of Independent Baptist missions.

I know that everyone claims to be an “independent” Baptist these days. Even individual churches within the Southern Baptist Convention claim to be “independent.” But, when we consider what has been commanded in Scripture, we will understand what I mean by Independent Baptist missions.

It Is a Command

It is commanded that a missionary must be sent under the authority of the church of which he is a member. I have never understood how some missionaries have a home church where they are members, and then they have a sending church where they supposedly derive their authority for the work they do. That makes no sense. A church cannot give authority to a member of another church to do the work of God. Only the church where the missionary is a member can do that. This is the situation that we find in Acts 13:1-3. I have heard this passage of Scripture used to justify mission boards. I was told that these preachers were from all over, and that they were the ones who sent Saul and Barnabas out. This is a misinterpretation of Scripture, because verse one tells us that these preachers were “in the church that was at Antioch.” Had the Lord wanted to tell us that these preachers were from all different churches, he would have told us that they were “at the church that was at Antioch.” Saul and Barnabas were members of the church at Antioch, not only members, but part of the pastoral staff, as we could call it today. They were faithfully serving God in this church before the Lord called them to the mission field. I am concerned that some churches are so concerned about having someone to send out of their church, that they send them before having the opportunity to prove them. This is dangerous and hurtful to the work of God, the church, and the man sent out before he is ready. Also, I have heard that a missionary shouldn’t return to the US to pastor, or that pastors shouldn’t resign their churches to go to the mission field. What difference is there between those things and what the Apostle Paul did? He faithfully served God, no matter where the locale or what the conditions.

Another command is for the missionary to be accountable to the church of which he is a member. Too many missionaries are like the Lone Ranger. They are out doing their thing, without any accountability whatsoever. When the Apostle Paul returned from his first missionary journey, the first thing that he did was to gather the church at Antioch and recount to them all that God had done (Acts 14:26-27). At times supporting churches have tried to hold a missionary accountable, but that is not right. The missionary is accountable to no one on earth, but his church. Of course, this means that the sending church must take that responsibility upon themselves. They must be actively aware of what their missionary is doing on the field to which the Lord has called him. If a supporting church calls for information about that missionary, the sending church should be able to answer intelligently about their missionary’s work. For this to work, there must be communication between the church and the missionary. Email has made this communication easy, and it should be taken advantage of fully, by both the church and missionary.

God has laid out the missionary’s goal, which is to establish self-supporting churches on the field to which he is called (Acts 14:21-23). By that I mean that the missionary ought not to be paying for church buildings and pastors’ salaries. Also, this means that the missionary must have a plan to leave this work and move on to another area at some point in time. So, the church that is established must be able to carry on in the missionary’s absence. To accomplish this, the missionary has to build upon the right foundation (1 Corinthians 3:10-11). The missionary cannot build upon his own personality, or any other type of philosophy. Christ and His Word must be the basis for any church to be established. Of course, this also means that a missionary who is doing something besides working toward establishing a church, is not doing the work of missions. I have seen missionaries start businesses and many other things, while getting full support from the churches back home. This is why the missionary’s accountability to his church is so important.

God has also laid out the plan for the missionary to be supported, which is through churches of like faith. The Bible declares that churches of like faith should be working together for the purpose of spreading the Gospel (Philippians 4:15-17; 3 John 5-8). Today, most foreign missionaries cannot hold a job within the country where they labor, because they are not citizens of that country. This makes it so important for churches to work together to support these good, godly men in their work. But, there is also a selfish motive for helping to support missions, and that is that everyone involved can share the fruit of the missionary’s labor. When I was a missionary, I had about 65 supporting churches. This meant that all 65 churches were able to share in the fruit of people being saved, baptized, trained, and a church being established. This is a great benefit that God gives to those of us who may not be able to go to a foreign field, but can help others to go.

God’s plan for missions is for His own Self to be glorified (Ephesians 3:21). This means that if a missionary tries to do God’s work any other way than through a church, he is robbing God of His glory.

It Cannot Be a Mere Matter of Convenience

None of these things are a matter for convenience. If we are to do things right, then we must follow the pattern of Scripture. “I support the man” is an excuse that many pastors give for supporting missionaries who are not sent out scripturally through a church. It doesn’t matter who the man is, if it is contrary to Scripture, we had better stay away from it.

Others tell us that it really doesn’t matter. Some churches will have missionaries that they are sending out themselves, and then they will have other missionaries that they are “sending out” through a board of some sort. They can’t both be right. We must decide what is right, based upon the Word of God and stick with that alone. You see, it mattered to God how Jesus died (Hebrews 9:22). It mattered to God that Jesus resurrected bodily from the grave (Romans 4:25). Why then, do we think that it doesn’t matter how we send our missionaries out, when God has clearly set forth in Scripture that it must be through a church alone? We cannot seek for what is convenient, but for what is right! Our plan for missions must be a conviction based upon God’s Word.

But, we must beware of others who would divert us from our conviction (Philippians 3:2). Pastors, be careful of the missionaries that you allow into the Lord’s church. Here are four things of which to beware.

1) Ask a missionary if he uses the BBF, Heartland, WBF, or other directories in finding churches to call. (This applies to directories published by similar organizations, but does not apply to a directory published by a local church.) If he uses any of these directories, it is quite likely that he has no conviction concerning Independent Baptist missions.

2) Check out his literature. If you ask a missionary to send you information before you schedule him to be in your church, be sure to carefully inspect his material. There are many “local church” mission boards out there, and their missionaries are being passed off as true Independent Baptist missionaries. If you see the name of any entity besides the sending church, BEWARE! I have run across several of these missionaries who are not members of their “sending church” because the church they have their membership in does not have a board to send them out. These types of missionaries are straddling the fence. They seek to obtain support from true Independent Baptist churches by claiming to be through a church, only with a mission organization name for tax purposes. Then, these same missionaries will go to Baptist churches which require the missionaries they support to be through a board, and will claim that the name of this mission organization is the board which is sending them.

3) Check out his conviction. I heard of a missionary once who told a pastor how that he could have gone out as a missionary through several different boards or groups, but he decided that it would be better for him to go through his church. In saying this, he made it clear that he had no conviction about these things. He only did what was most convenient for him. BEWARE of these types of missionaries, as they will lead you astray.

4) Check out his church. There are many missionaries who are a part of the Global Independent Baptist Fellowship (Heartland), who have been infiltrating true Independent Baptist churches. I was sickened to see that several of my own supporting churches had begun to support these men. “What is wrong with that?” you might ask. Once again, these men are not being sent through their church because it is a conviction, but because their group has not set up a mission board yet. As I understand it, they will be voting later this year to establish the `approved’ board for their group. What will happen when this board is established? Every missionary associated with Heartland and its Fellowship will join the mission board so that they may be easily identified as being a part of the right group. What will happen to those true Independent Baptist churches who have been supporting these men? Some will do the right thing, and drop the support of these men. Others will fall prey to Satan’s subtle deception, and continue to support these men, meanwhile supporting more and more missionaries from this group. Pastor, if you do not know the church that is sending out a missionary you desire to have in your church, find out about them! Do not allow yourself to be suckered by a good line and bait.

We must stand on our convictions in regards to missions, and especially Independent Baptist missions. We cannot allow convenience to dictate our practice, for we will surely be filled with regret at the Judgment Seat of Christ if we do.

To Top

Homosexual Actor Plays A Missionary Martyr

By E. L. Bynum

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

January marked the 50th Anniversary of the martyrdom of five missionaries in Ecuador, South America. When Ed McCully, Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, Nate Saint, and Roger Youderian were killed by the natives, they were trying to reach with the gospel, this shocked the religious world. I still remember the chilling effect that it had upon Christians which resulted in many young people surrendering to go to the mission field.

Now Their Memory Is Being Besmirched

Now a movie has been made purporting to tell their story. This movie is called the “End of the Spear,” and the actor chosen to play the role of Nate Saint, one of the martyred missionaries, was Chad Allen a homosexual activist. This is the ultimate insult to the memory of these people who gave their lives to try to reach the lost. This is outrageous, disgraceful, disgusting, and ungodly for them to do such a thing.

I have before me a picture of the cover of The Advocate, which is a national gay magazine. Chad Allen is pictured on the cover of this magazine, where he “talks candidly about his gay activism, his love life, and how to turn the holiday spirit into gifts of equality.” (These are quotes, for I do not call them gay, because they are really homosexual.)

I am indebted to “Sharper Iron,” an Internet blog, edited by Jason Janz, a fundamental Baptist preacher and assistant pastor of Red Rock Baptist Church on the westside of Denver, Colorado. He has done a good job in researching this travesty of a movie.

He was given free tickets to see a preview of this movie and was outraged by its message and the actor that played a leading role, and thus he became an opponent of this mockery of Christianity. Theaters hold such previews for pastors and youth directors, in order to enlist their aid in packing the theater with gullible Christians.

Here is what Jason Janz said of his experience.

Every Tribe Entertainment Chose a Producer of Gay Films

Chad Allen is co-producing a film called The Way Out, starring David Duchovny, about two old men who fall in love in an old folk’s home. He also started a company called Mythgarden. In August of 2005, he gave an interview to Scene magazine in which he expanded on Mythgarden’s plans. He said, “For television, we have a biography series of gay and lesbian heroes throughout history. We also have a wonderful series that takes classic fairy tales both familiar and lesser known and makes them gay.”

The movie was made by Every Tribe Entertainment, an Oklahoma City-based Production Company. Chad Allen is a Hollywood actor who has acted in a number of movies.

From the Baptist Press

Baptist Press, Jan 20, 2006, carried an article by R. Albert Mohler Jr., President of Southern Seminary, and he had this to say.

R. Albert Mohler Jr., appeared on Larry King Live with Chad Allen. According to Mohler, the testimony of Chad Allen is as follows:

Here’s how Mr. Allen described his process of moral decision-making:

More from the Sharper Iron Blog

Not only is Allen a gay movie actor who also produces gay films, he is an activist for gay causes. According to Out magazine’s January 2006 article, Chad tours the country with gay outreach programs. In an April 23 interview, he was asked if he had been to many gay pride celebrations around the country. He replied, “I love it. Everyone gets so uptight about people marching down the street. I mean who cares, these people have been doing this before we could even talk about being openly gay and stuff. These people have pushed the community so (expletive) far forward, excuse my language that who cares about the shock.”

According to Advocate magazine in November of 2003, “He began pouring his energy and time into myriad causes, including the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which helps elect openly gay candidates nationwide, and the Trevor Project, which sponsors a toll-free, round-the-clock suicide hotline for GLBT teens.”

Every Tribe Entertainment chose a star who has appeared in plays that have degraded Christ and Christianity.

In 2001, Allen starred in a play, set in 1950's Corpus Christi, Texas. The play is said to parallel the New Testament story of Jesus. The play features a hard-drinking gay man named Joshua. Joshua is the Christ-figure who is different because he is gay. He grows up in isolation and becomes an object of ridicule. He runs from the environment of the city and, while traveling, gathers about him a group of twelve disciples who cling to him because of his message of love and tolerance. Most of the twelve disciples bear the names of Christ’s apostles.

According to a Gay Wired article in 2001, when asked how he became involved in the play, Allen said, “I had heard of the show and knew of its reputation before I read it. So I took it home and read it and when I read it, I found it to be an incredible play. It single-handedly seemed to give me back a concept of Christ and a concept of human divinity that I had long since lost.”

My Opinion about Christian Movies

I am referring to movies made in Hollywood, or made with Hollywood actors. Christians should avoid them like the plague.

1. They always distort the facts of Christianity as found in the Bible.

2. This is a blatant attempt to lure Christians into the theaters so that they get used to going to the movies.

3. Many Christians have been taught to avoid the movie theater, and if they can be lured in for a religious movie, they may become paying customers in the future.

4. Hollywood and Hollywood actors are not out to exalt Christ and the Bible in a godly manner.

5. It violates the 10 commandments when they portray Jesus Christ. “And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:” (Exodus 20:1-4).

6. A large part of the Hollywood movie industry is populated by adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals who are un-American radicals and who are doing their best to break down the morals of our civilization.

7. Why should Christians patronize and make these people rich? The Passion of the Christ and all the other religious movies pervert the truth, and lead people into absolute ignorance of the truth. I have listened to people describe their knowledge of the Bible that was based upon movies. It matters not whether it is The Passion of the Christ, the Ten Commandments, David and Bathsheba, or Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, they all teach false doctrine and false historical information.

My advice is to stay away from such un-Christian perversions of the truth and get your facts from the Bible.

To Top

St. Patrick Was A Baptist

By John Summerfield Wimbish, D.D.

A Word About The Message The sermon, “St. Patrick Was a Baptist,” was delivered to a thronged congregation at the Calvary Baptist Church of New York City by the pastor, Dr. John Summerfield Wimbish, on March 12, 1952, just a few days before the phenomenal St. Patrick’s Day parade.

On the historic day 95,000 people marched up New York’s fashionable Fifth Avenue and an estimated 1,500,000 spectators lined the streets. On the steps of St. Patrick’s Cathedral stood Cardinal Spellman and other ecclesiastics to witness the spectacle. Further up Fifth Avenue, the reviewing stand bore such dignitaries as Mayor and Mrs. Vincent Impellitteri, former Postmaster General James A. Farley and scores of city and state officials and military and church leaders.

The message was offered to a world-wide radio audience and there has been an unprecedented demand for it.

Saint Patrick Was A Baptist

After a cautious and critical study of reputable writings, I am thoroughly convinced that he was not affiliated in any way whatsoever with the Roman hierarchy.

It is indeed magnanimous of our Catholic friends to give this humble missionary of ours such prominence on their scroll of illustrious saints. Think of it: they have even erected cathedrals in his honor. However, we feel that it is time to sweep the cobwebs of superstition and the dust of legend off this dear old preacher of the Cross.

To most of us, Patrick is a mythical being, vaguely associated with a serpent exodus from the Emerald Isle. Other misconceptions are that he was Irish, that he was an emissary of the Pope and that his name was Patrick. All of these are false. He was not Irish, he was in his honored grave 175 years before his name was even mentioned in Catholic writings* and his real name was Sucat, which means “warlike” in Modern Welsh.(1) For the sake of simplicity, throughout this message we will refer to him as Patrick .

(* In correspondence with the Abbot of Iona, an Irish Catholic, by the name of Cummian, in 634 A.D., spoke of the “Cycle of our Holy Father Patrick.”)

Let us consider first of all,

I. Patrick’s History

The libraries of the world contain innumerable biographies of Patrick which we cannot accept as valid. An examination of the facts will reveal that the honored historians of the hierarchy have not always been characterized by honesty, and during the Middle Ages such a web of superstition was spun around this evangelistic zealot that his real self has been distorted in the minds of millions. Most of these traditions and myths may be found in the seven ancient lives of Patrick, assembled and published in 1647 by John Colgan under the title Trias Thaumaturga.

There are two documents by Patrick which are recognized by all parties as being genuine: his “Confession” or “Epistle to the Irish” and his epistle to the Christians under the cruel king, Coroticus. Then, too, we should mention the Lorica or Hymn of Patrick, originally written in Latin and known as The Breastplate . These authentic writings in an irrefutable way support our convictions concerning the Apostle to the Irish.

Patrick, in his own “Confession” tells us that he was a Briton, not an Irishman. He first saw the light of day in the town of Dumbarton on the River Clyde in the south of Scotland about the year 389 A.D. His father was a Christian deacon and his grandfather a clergyman in the ancient church of Britain, which had never come under the yoke of Rome. These facts in themselves practically crush the claims of the papacy.

At sixteen years of age, our hero was captured by a band of Scottish slave-dealing pirates who sold him to the Druid chieftain, Milcho, who reigned in the north of Ireland. For six years Patrick herded the cattle of this ruthless pagan chieftain. In his “Confession” he tells us: “When I was a youth, I was taken captive before I knew what I should desire or seek, or what I ought to shun.”

It was during this time of servitude in the bleak forests of northern Ireland that Patrick turned from his frivolous ways and came into a knowledge of Christ as his own personal Saviour. Of that period he says, “Frequently in the night I prayed and the love of God and His fear increased more and more in me.” Possibly it was while a hidden onlooker of the weird Druid ceremonies that he was inspired of God to become a missionary to these heathen people.

He relates how, after six years, he managed to escape from his master and, after a tortuous journey over sea and land, returned to his people in Britain. It must have been a beautiful home-coming as his mother embraced him once again and his father, in amazement, learned of the lad’s experiences. They had long before given him up as dead.

Like the great apostle Paul, he received a clear and personal “Macedonian call” from the Lord of harvest to preach the Gospel in the land of his former captivity. Patrick described his call in these words: “Again, I was in Britain with my parents, who received me as their son, and besought me to promise that, after the many afflictions I had endured, I would never leave them again. And then, truly, in the bosom of the night I saw a man as if coming from Ireland, whose name was Victoricus, with numerous letters, one of which he gave me, and I read the beginning of the epistle, containing the Voice of the Irish.

“And while I was reading the beginning of the epistle I thought in my mind that I heard the voice of those who were near the wood Focluti, which is near the western sea. And they shouted thus: ‘We beseech thee, holy youth, to come and live amongst us.’ And I was greatly pained in my heart, and could not read very much more; and thus I was proved. Thank God, that after many years the Lord performed to them according to their entreaty.”

From these words it is evident that his call to go as a missionary to Ireland was not from any Pope or representative of the Roman Church. If our hero had been an agent of Rome, surely Popes Sixtus or Leo, who were his contemporaries, would have informed the Roman constituency of the astounding work being performed by Patrick and his co-laborers.

Dr. J. Lewis Smith, in his scholarly treatise, “Patrick of Ireland Not A Romanist,” says, “We have in hand now 140 letters of Pope Leo the Great and we have not found a line written by him or any other Pope or any other man rejoicing over the wonderful additions to the Roman Church by Patrick and his disciples.”(2)

Patrick, like Paul, “had the mighty ordination of the nail-pierced hands.” The Book of Darrow, one of the oldest of Irish manuscripts, says nothing about his being an ecclesiastic of Rome and in his letter to the Christians under Coroticus and in his “Confession,” Patrick makes no mention whatsoever of his being consecrated as a diocesan bishop.

Dr. Hamilton, in his book, “The Irish Church,” says this of Patrick’s confession letter: “There is not a faint Roman tinge about it. It is ... thoroughly evangelical.” And Dr. Todd says: “The Confession of St. Patrick contains not a word of a mission from the Pope Celestine.”(3)

We are certain that Patrick was a product of the Celtic Church, noted for its purity of Biblical doctrine, and not an “obsequious tool of the Romish system.” Yes, we are positive that Patrick’s call to go to Ireland as a missionary was from God Himself and not from Pope Celestine.

This leads us to examine

II. Patrick’s Mission.

At forty years of age, the amazing Patrick began his magnificent work on the Emerald Isle. His mission field was wild and primitive. The people who inhabited its primeval forests were animists and they worshiped such things as trees and stones and wells. They believed that spirits dwelt in these idols, and they sacrificed their little children on heathen altars to appease the gods and to secure, so they thought, better harvests.

About a year after his arrival in Ireland, Patrick did something that called much attention to his ministry. The Encyclopedia Britannica tells us that he challenged the “royal authority by lighting the Paschal fire on the hill of Slane on the night of Easter Eve. It chanced to be the occasion of a pagan festival at Tara, during which no fire might be kindled until the royal fire had been lit.”(4)

Ah, this should put iron in our blood! Glorious, audacious Patrick challenged all the forces of hell. Not a little flame did he kindle, but a bonfire! All the people were transfixed and King Loigaire was amazed at his daring and said: “If we do not extinguish this flame it will sweep over all Ireland.” This prophecy proved true for it seemed that a holy fire fell from the altar of heaven, and for years there were such tears of repentance as have seldom been witnessed by the angels of glory.

When the flames of the great conflagration on Tara’s hill, ignited by Patrick, illumined the countryside, the king was curious to see what kind of mortal this Patrick could be, and he sent for him. The Druid priests were infuriated and declared they would destroy the preacher by sorcery if he dared to come.

But in the dim light of that Easter morn, in the year 428 A.D., the valiant hero of the Cross and his assistant missionaries marched boldly into the presence of the monarch, and told him that Christ was the light of the world, and preached Jesus crucified and risen from the dead with such persuasive eloquence that the king was born again by the Spirit of the living God.

We are told that Patrick and his company advanced toward the Irish Sovereign arrayed in white and carrying crosses and singing the evangelist’s hymn in all its majestic cadence:

“I bind to myself today
The strong power of the invocation of the Trinity;
The faith of the Trinity in unity;
The Creator of the elements.

“I bind to myself today,
The power of the incarnation of Christ
With that of His baptism;
The power of His crucifixion
With that of His burial;
The power of the resurrection
With (THAT OF) the ascension;
The power of His coming
To the sentence of judgment . . .

“I bind to myself today,
The power of God to guide me,
The might of God to uphold me,
The wisdom of God to teach me,
The eye of God to watch over me,
The ear of God to hear me,
The Word of God to give me speech,
The hand of God to protect me,
The way of God to prevent me,
The shield of God to shelter me,
The host of God to defend me,

“Against the snares of demons
Against the temptations of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who would injure me
Whether far or near;
Whether few or with many.

“I have set around me all these powers,
Against every hostile, savage power
Directed against my body and my soul;
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and Druids.
Against all knowledge that blinds the soul of man.

“Christ protect me today,
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right hand, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort (when I am at home),
Christ in the chariot-seat (when I travel),
Christ in the ship (when I sail).

“Of the Lord is salvation;
Christ is salvation;
With us ever be Thy salvation, O Lord!

“Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me;
Christ in every eye that sees me
Christ in every ear that hears me.”(5)

After the king believed, Patrick won and baptized multiplied thousands of converts and ere his thirty-three years of ministry were finished, all Ireland was evangelized. Innumerable churches dotted its hills and valleys and from their ranks sent forth zealous missionaries to proclaim the message of redemption with incomparable passion to the pagan tribes of Scotland, England, Germany and Gaul.

In his second lecture on Ireland, John L. Stoddard states: “During the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, especially, this farthest boundary of the Continent held aloft and kept aflame the torch of Christian faith, and glittered like a star upon the dark horizon of the western world.”(6)

Even so cautious and reliable a historian as Green, in his “Short History of the English Bible,” says: “For a time it seemed as if the course of the world’s history was to be changed; as if that older Celtic race which the Roman and German had swept before them had turned to the moral conquest of their conquerors; as if Celtic and not Latin Christianity was to mould the destinies of the Church of the West. ”(7)

This was the beginning of the golden age of Ireland. It is forever true that when the Holy Word of God is opened and preached to the people, the chains of illiteracy and vice are broken.

The real Patrick was a Bible-reading, Bible-believing, Bible-preaching missionary, and it was the unadulterated Gospel of the Son of God that lifted the Irish out of the darkness of paganism into the glorious light of the Truth.

Hands that once grasped the sword were now folded reverently in prayer. The heathen stone idols, known as Cromlechs, that once marked their graves gave way to the cross of Jesus. Druid paganism was crushed and the “buffer state of Europe” became known as the “Isle of Saints.”

Odriscol who, incidentally, was an Irish Catholic, in his work entitled, “Views of Ireland,” says, “The Christian church of that country, as founded by St. Patrick and his predecessors, existed for many ages, free and unshackelled. For 700 years this church maintained its independence. It had no connection with England and differed on points of importance with Rome.”(8)

It was not until the year 1172 A.D., at the Council of Cashel, that Henry II of England and the Pope prevailed over this people, and another great victory was won for the Roman Catholic hierarchy. But from the days of Patrick to the fateful Council of Cashel, many glorious victories were won for the cause of Christ by the Irish Christians.

Study the pathetic history and you will be as firmly convinced as I that Catholicism has been more guilty of blighting the Irish than the invasion of the Danes from the North or the failure of the potato crop in which one-fourth of its entire population was destroyed. It takes no student of world economy to discover that, wherever the Vatican holds sway, the masses are kept in superstition and poverty. Stoddard says that: “Some terrible vampire has, for a thousand years, been draining the life blood of Ireland,” and he attributes it to the geographical location of the little isle. But if any person will, with unbiased mind, examine the record, he will be thoroughly assured that an intellectual and spiritual gloom settled upon the Emerald Isle when Romanism kidnaped the Irish Church.

Then I would refer you to

III. Patrick’s Theology.

You will notice that throughout the sermon I have not labeled him “Saint” Patrick. We Baptists do not refer to our preachers as “saints.”

None of the many volumes in my library and others at my disposal shed any light on the beatification and canonization of this “Patron Saint of Ireland.” So, as a final resort to secure this information, one of our staff members called the research librarian of one of the leading Catholic universities in our city. He was very gracious but after searching through The Catholic Encyclopedia, the Dictionary of Saints, and several other volumes, he reported that Patrick was neither beatified nor canonized, for it was not until about the 1200's that the Papal Bull was issued which set forth the requirements for sainthood. Consequently, Patrick, along with Augustine and others, was engulfed by the Romish system without the formalities usually attendant such procedures.

Realizing that at least four miracles must be accredited to a candidate for this exalted position, our worker probed further to discover what miracles Patrick had performed, whereupon the librarian said: “Well, the only miracle I could find was that on one Easter day shamrocks sprang from a wound in his body. If that actually happened, it was a miracle!” And our staff member replied, tongue in cheek: “Yes, if that actually happened, it certainly was a miracle!”

The Roman Catholic Church down through the years has been very adept at “saint-making,” but this old preacher was certainly not one of them. “I, Patrick, a sinner” that is the way the “Patron Saint of Ireland” begins his own “Confession.” He starts his letter to Coroticus in the same striking manner.

The late Dr. Ironside reminds us, “Whatever others may have thought of him or may think of him today, Patrick knew himself as a sinner and found salvation where only sinners find it, in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.”(9)

Rome’s most notorious theft was when she seized bodily the apostle Peter and made him to be the infallible head and founder of her system of error. Imagine Peter, who in humility said to Cornelius: “Stand up, I myself also am a man,” placed on a pedestal as a “Vicar of God on Earth.” It would have been exceedingly difficult to convince Peter of his infallibility shortly after he heard the cock crow.

But surely alongside the theft of Peter stands this brazen act of Catholicismthat of enrolling the great missionary preacher of Ireland among her saints. He is pictured for us as a croziered and mitered Roman prelate, whereas his very own words show us that he was far removed from such pretensions. This is the way Patrick speaks: “I knew not the true God... The Lord opened the understanding of my unbelief... I was not worthy... Love of God and fear of Him increased more and more... By the help of God so it came to pass... Because of His indwelling Spirit who hath worked in me until this day... Let who will laugh and insult... Though I be rude in all things... I baptize so many thousands of men.... the Lord ordained clergy everywhere by means of my mediocrity... The Lord is mighty to grant to me afterward to be myself spent for your souls.”

How humble, how deeply spiritual was Patrick. And though we as Baptists may not agree with every method he used, we do know he cherished all the leading principles that we accept.

Whereas the Roman Church dates its beginnings from the day when Jesus Christ said: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,” we know that the hierarchy was not set up until many years later when the Emperor Constantine looked with favor upon Christianity.

For four centuries after the resurrection of Jesus the fire of God had spread. It was a period of glory and conquest. The preaching of the Cross was overcoming the world. There was bitter persecution, but the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the Church. But then Constantine and Theodosius wedded the Roman Empire to Christianity and made it the state religion. That was one of Satan’s greatest triumphs, and one of the worst calamities that has ever befallen the Church of the Living God. That was the beginning of the Roman Catholic hierarchy.

Now, when did Baptists begin? No exact date can be set and we are proud of that. Some say that we came into being with John Smyth in the year 1611. It is true that the title “Baptist” was not affixed to our churches until about that time; however, all of us know that there were many Democrats before Thomas Jefferson was ever born, but the Democratic Party began with that great exponent of democracy.

In order to consummate the adulterous union between the Roman Empire and the Christian Church, Constantine, in the year 313 A.D., invited the churches to send their representatives to a council. Although many groups accepted, thank God there were some churches that did not respond. The people called “Baptist,” that is, those who remained faithful to Christ and spurned the Emperor’s proposal, never entered that unholy wedlock.

We as Baptists claim that the principles of our church date back to that day when the “heavens were opened” and a “voice from heaven” said: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” As someone has well said: “Baptists have no founder but Jesus and were born the day He stood with John the Baptist in the Jordan River. They recognize no human authority, no human creed. Their faith was functioning before the Pope came to Rome. They were Protestant before the Reformation or Luther was born.”

Permit me to parallel the beliefs of Patrick and those of the Baptist Church.

1. Baptists Recognize Christ Jesus as Their Head and Founder. “He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Col. 1:18) As far as I know, we are the only group of Christians who holds that Jesus, during His personal ministry, constituted His Church.

Patrick was a Baptist. No one can read his writings, especially the “Breastplate,” without knowing that he exalted Christ and secured his authority from Him. Christ was all in all to him. Have no fear, this old warrior of the Faith never bowed the knee to mortal man.

2. Baptists Accept the Bible as the Only Rule of Faith and Practice . They believe that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (II Tim. 3:16) To them, the Bible is the final authority. Baptists know that the real sword of the true Church is not the keen Damascus blade that pierces the vitals and severs the head of the non-believer, but it is, as Paul told the Ephesians, “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 6:17)

Patrick was a Baptist. It was the sword of the Spirit he wielded against the pagan Druids. His writings overflow with Scripture. One hundred thirteen references or quotations from Holy Writ may be found in his two epistles and his alphabetical poem and, incidentally, there is never a mention of the merits of saints, salvation by sacraments, the Eucharist, relics or holy places, and you will search in vain for any superstitious teaching about the Virgin Mary and the heathenish doctrine of purgatory.

3. The Polity of the Baptist Church Is Congregational That Is, All Members Equal . “One is your master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.” (Matt. 23:8)

Patrick was a Baptist. Any scholar worthy of the name, making an impartial study, will tell you that his form of church government was not diocesan and emphatically not papal. Our hero preached the Gospel from the Word of God, established an indigenous church, baptized believers and ordained clergymen.

Patrick was also “Baptistic” when it came to the matter of

4. Repentance, Faith and Conversion Before Baptism . In the “Tripartite Life of Patrick,” the author marks this quotation concerning Patrick’s views of the great commission of our Lord. He says: “Go, ye, teach. Meet is the order of teaching, before baptism. For it cannot be that the body, receive the sacrament of baptism, before the soul receives the verity of faith.” (10)

Patrick was a Baptist. Like them he believed

5. Only Immersion Is Baptism . There is no intimation anywhere in Patrick’s writings that he baptized infants, but there is mention of the fact that he immersed adults. Patrick, like the Baptists of this modern day, followed the New Testament mode of baptism by immersion. A great scholar, Dr. William Cathcart, in his Baptist Encyclopedia, says: “There are strong reasons for believing that Patrick was a Baptist missionary, and it is certain that his Baptism was immersion.”(11)

Now, if we could journey to the Emerald Isle today, we could show you the Wells of Talmah in which he baptized many converts, sometimes thousands in a day. Thomas Moore, in his history of Ireland says: “The convert saw in the baptismal fount where he was immersed the sacred well at which his fathers worshipped.”

No less an authority than Archbishop Usher says: “Patrick baptized his converts in Dublin, including Alpine, the king’s son, in a well near Saint Patrick Church, which in after ages became an object of devotion.”(12)

Patrick, himself, was immersed in one of these fountains. The “Tripartite Life of Patrick” says: “A Church moreover was founded over that well in which Patrick was baptized, and there stands the well (fountain) by the altar.”(13)

Patrick was a Baptist. Yes, our Catholic friends have given this early missionary-evangelist of ours a rather exalted place in their galaxy of ecclesiastics, but in doing so, they have denied him his rightful place in history as a valiant apostle of the true Christian faith.

If there is any Irishman whose memory is more revered than that of Patrick it is Daniel O’Connell, the great “Liberator.” The impressive monument erected in his honor stands in Dublin today. It consists of a fine statue of O’Connell, beneath which Erin, freed from her chains, is represented as grasping with one hand the Act of Emancipation while with the other she points upward to the figure of her “ Liberator. ” As O’Connell brought political freedom to Ireland so Patrick brought spiritual freedom. Would that another Patrick could arise today and, with an open Bible, thunder forth against the bigotry and superstition that hold multitudes enslaved.

NOTES

1. Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 17, Copyright 1946, P. 383
2. Smith, J. Lewis, Patrick of Ireland Not a Romanist, Associated Printing Co., Stockton, Calif., 1924, P. 10.
3. Ibid.
4. Encyclopedia Britannica, P. 383
5. Ironside, H. A., The Real St. Patrick, Loizeaux Brothers. New York, PP. 13–14
6. Stoddard, John L., Stoddard’s Lectures – Ireland, Geo. L. Shuman & Co., Chicago. Copyright 1901, P. 148
7. Ibid.
8. Smith, Patrick of Ireland..., P. 13
9. Ironside, The Real..., P. 1
10. Smith, Patrick of Ireland ..., PP. 17–18
11. Cathcart, William, The Baptist Encyclopedia. Louis H. Everts, 1881. P. 887
12. Smith, Patrick of Ireland..., P. 20
13. Ibid.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Campbell, Thomas, History of Ireland, L., White, Dublin, 1789.
Carroll, J. M., The Trail of Blood, Byron-Page Printing Co., Lexington. Ky., Copyright 1931
Cathcart, William, The Baptist Encyclopedia, Louis H. Everts, 1881.
Christian, John T., A History of The Baptist, Vol. 2, Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Nashville, Tennessee, Copyright 1922.
Dickens-Lewis, W. F., “Was St. Patrick A Presbyterian?”, The Converted Catholic Magazine, May 1946.
Edman, V. Raymond. “Saint Patrick Goes to Confession,” Moody Monthly, March 1948.
Ironside, H. A., The Real St. Patrick, Loizeaux Brothers, New York.
Mead, Frank S., See These Banners Go, Grosset & Dunlap, Inc., New York. Copyright 1936
“Patrick, St.,” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. 17. Copyright 1946
Smith, J. Lewis, Patrick of Ireland Not a Romanist, Associated Printing Co., Stockton, CA. 1924
Stoddard, John L., Stoddard’s Lectures – Ireland, Geo. L. Shuman & Co., Chicago. Copyright 1901
Vedder, Henry C., A Short History of the Baptists, The American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia. Copyright 1907.

...Excerpts from Patrick’s Confession letter

This is my CONFESSION

“...I render thanks to God, Who has comforted me in all things, that He might not restrain me from the journey on which I had determined, nor from the work which I had learned from Christ my Lord...

“I have a Creator Who knew all things before they came to pass. Because I am very greatly a debtor to God, Who bestowed so great a grace upon me, that multitudes of people should, through me, be born unto God...

“... it becomes us to fish well and diligently, as the Lord admonishes and teaches us, saying: ‘Follow Me, and I will make you Fishers of men.’ Therefore, it greatly behooves us to spread our nets, so that a numerous multitude and crowd may be taken for God, and there may be everywhere clergymen, who shall baptize and exhort the poor and needy people, as the Lord in the Gospel enjoins... ‘Go unto all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. Whosoever will believe and be baptized, shall be saved; but whosoever will not believe shall be condemned.’ (Patrick did not have the KJV, when he wrote this. It did not exist at that time. ELB)

“Whence, then, is it that in Ireland, those who never had knowledge, but always worshipped filthy idols, have somehow lately been made the people of the Lord, and are called the children of God?

“...I see myself in the present world that am exalted above measure by God. And I was not worthy, nor such that He should perform this for me, since I know that poverty and calamity much better suit me than riches and delicacies.

“...This is my confession before I die.”

Patrick

To Top

News & Views

Edited by E. L. Bynum

(Editor’s Note: In our News & Views column we quote from many different sources. Please understand that this does not necessarily mean that we approve of all of the publications from which we quote.)

Lottery Proponents Getting Their Education — (OK Gov. Brad) Henry believes it’s RIGHT to promote gambling so long as the proceeds help education. He has promoted the lottery and the expansion of gambling since his days in the State Senate. Brad believes the end justifies the means. The gambling crowd says that gambling harms no one and it’s a purely voluntary activity. That is just not true. A study by the National Institute of Mental Health concluded 4.2 million Americans are addicted to gambling, 60 percent of whom have yearly incomes under $25,000. It’s not voluntary to them. —(Columnist Steve Fair.) These are the identical tactics which former Texas Gov. Ann Richards pumped into the minds of voting Texans. She won the governorship as well as her way with the gambling set. Everything she promised is either diminished, demolished, or debauched. No profit will come to any government that believes sin tax is the answer to financial woes. The biggest gamble voters take is electing officials who promote such calculated risk. —WWM

Big Time Head Lines — A Danish Newspaper published a less than complementary cartoon of the Muslim prophet, Mohammed. The cartoon caused an uprising in the Muslim world. Many of the mainline newspapers/magazines have opted to report the story without publishing the cartoon. Would these publications be so merciful to the Christian community? The obvious answer can be seen in a myriad of news sources, including national news on TV. Hollywood mocks Christ, Christianity, preachers, etc. unceasingly and display each in a negative setting. Muslim extremists(?) demand the removal of the hand (or head) of the guilty cartoonist. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ pray for the salvation of those who mock our Saviour and His church. However, God will have the last say! (Gal. 6:7) “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (W. W. ‘Bill’ Mosley, hereafter WWM)

Rushing to Ruin — “More than 300 people were crushed in a stampede during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed. It happened during a ritual in which pilgrims throw stones at a symbolic devil. According to press reports from Saudi Arabia, some of the pilgrims, rushing to complete the stoning ritual before sunset, tripped over luggage and were crushed when other pilgrims pressed in from behind them. This was not an isolated incident. The annual pilgrimage, which brings millions of people to Mecca, saw more than 1,400 people killed in a stampede in 1990; and 244 killed in Feb. 2004.” (GOPUSA News, 1/27/06) The above mentioned cartoon would be much more accessible to stone. It is a symbol of the devil. The sadness of this happening can only be overshadowed by the eternal end of these souls. False religion gives a false hope. It is closely related to the prophets of Baal cutting themselves with knives, seeking the attention of their false god. (1 Kgs. 18) —WWM.

More Than Tragic — In what can only be described as tragic, the United States likely experienced its 47 millionth legal abortion at some point in 2005, more than three decades after the Supreme Court issued its infamous 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing the killing of the unborn. The statistic is based on data since 1973 gathered by the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute and on estimates by the National Right to Life Committee. In the first full year of abortion legalization nationwide (1974), Guttmacher counted 898,600 abortions. That number reached a peak of 1,608,600 in 1990, before falling to 1,293,000 in 2002. Since 1975, the United States has witnessed more than 1 million abortions each year. Unless the nation’s laws are changed, the number of abortions post-Roe will pass 50 million in 2008. (Baptist Press, 1/20/06)

Senate Vote Won’t Count — The U.S. Senate is to vote on a Marriage Protection Amendment early in March. Regardless how these Senate members cast their vote, they can neither negate nor embellish the marriage law which God has enacted. The first husband declared, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh:,” and he called her Woman. (Gen. 2:23) God explained this combination by saying in the next verse, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Not only does it take a man and woman to be a husband and wife, it takes a husband and wife to produce another man or woman. Man always complicates God’s prescribed authority. —WWM

First Amendment or Forceful Combatants — A sharply divided panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that it is constitutionally permissible for New York City public schools to ban the display of the Christian nativity during Christmas, while permitting the display of the Jewish menorah and the Islamic star and crescent during Hanukkah and Ramadan. (LifeSiteNews, 2/6/06) Christianity is a mighty army to be feared by the devil. Its intent and purpose is to deliver those who are captivated by Satan. “...that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” (2 Tim. 2:26) Little wonder that this court would fear the effect of Christian settings and have little concern of others making any great change in those already captives. —WWM

Hollywood’s Hopelessness — Few could possibly miss the hullabaloo over Hollywood’s production “The End Of The Spear.” The editor of Aus. Ind. Bapt. Newsletter spoke this truth about it. “Firstly Jesus didn’t say to entertain His sheep but to ‘...Feed my sheep’ John 21:16. Secondly the success of this film shouldn’t be a surprise. Jerry Falwell and other evangelicals promoted the film in spite of the fact that one of the main actors is a homosexual activist.” (AIBN, 1/24/06) Likely actor Chad Allen unashamedly boasts of his same-sex experiences. His biblical predecessors were likewise bold in breaking down Lot’s door to ‘know’ the strangers come to town. God responded to their boldness when He rained down fire and brimstone from heaven. (Gen. 19:24) God waited till the iniquity of the Amorites was full before He acted. How long, O Lord, do we have? —WWM

PTA & Homosexuality — Despite its denials, PTA does promote the homosexual agenda. A prominent mental health counselor is criticizing the new president of the National Parent Teacher Association over her recent justification of the PTA’s decision to allow a homosexual activist group to present a workshop at its national convention last summer, yet deny exhibit space to an “ex-gay” group. (AgapePress,1/4/06) This kind of bias is becoming the normal, but it is far from becoming acceptable to believers. There is no substitute for truth and righteousness. The truth: this kind of decision making is opposed by the truth of God. —WWM

To Top