The Confession of Faith (1689), also known as the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith,

  • Forbids prayers for the dead, whether faithful or damned.
  • Sabbatarianism - A weekly Sabbath day is prescribed and believed "to be continued to the end of the world”.
  • Marriage is a monogamous heterosexual ordinance.
  • Intermarriage - Christians ought not intermarry with other religions, nor with any who believe "damnable heresies," but are to marry "in the Lord," and thereby not be "unequally yoked."
  • Two church offices - (1) elders (also called "bishops" or "pastors") and (2) deacons.
  • Eternal torment.

Influences

Baptists were quick to develop churches in colonial America, and in 1707 the Philadelphia Baptist Association was formed.

"And as the manner in which God formerly revealed His will has long ceased, the Holy Scripture becomes absolutely essential to men." (A Faith to Confess, 1975)

"This means that the Holy Scriptures are most necessary, because God’s former ways of revealing his will to his people have now ended." (Rooted and Grounded, 2021)

"Therefore, the Holy Scriptures are absolutely necessary, because God's former ways of revealing His will to His people have now ceased." (The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith in Modern English, 2017)

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Modern expositions

Several expositions of the Confession have been published in recent years.

A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession, by Samuel Waldron, first published in 1989, was one of the first influential expositions of the confession in recent years. It has remained an influential work ever since, going through several editions, revisions, and corrections. Since it was first published, Particular Baptist scholarship has matured in several respects, particularly regarding covenant theology. Nevertheless, it remains a respected source for understanding the theology of the 2LCF.

A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith, edited by Rob Ventura, is a collection of essays written by various Particular Baptist pastors and scholars expounding upon the theology of the 2LCF.

To the Judicious and Impartial Reader, by James Renihan is part of a multi-volume series covering 17th century Particular Baptist documents. Renihan's work is much larger than that of Waldron or Ventura.

References

  • The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith in Updated English with Scriptural Proofs
  • The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith with Extended Scriptural Footnotes