Doctrinal Page - Rev. Earl Jackson

Know What The Bible Teaches and Why it's Important

Disclaimer
Please note: articles on this website which are written by other authors besides Earl Jackson are for informational purposes only, and may contain ideas or doctrines that Earl Jackson does not personally agree with.

Please consult my current Doctrinal Statement if you need to know what I believe. I do update this statement regularly, since my beliefs are always subject to instruction by God and His word. Nobody Knows everything, so I am willing to change as God teaches me new stuff that I do not know or understand.

Earl Jackson's Personal Testimony and Beliefs

Get to know all about the owner of this website so you won't have any surprises or misinformation.

Baptist Confessions and Documents

The Baptist View of Creeds and Confessions

Baptist's hold creeds, confessions and statements of faith in a non-creedal way.
Read this article to understand how we view the important documents of Christian history and the historic documents of our faith.

Baptist Doctrine and The Reformation

A simple summary of what was reformed in the Reformation, and what still needed to be reformed, which is the reason why Baptist non-conformity started. Author Unknown.

THE Duty of Baptists TO TEACH Their Distinctive Views.

By John Broadus, D.D

The Baptists are distinctive from other religious groups in many ways, and these distinctives need to be taught or they may be lost in an age where truth is being amalgamated with grave and serious errors at an astoundingly rapid rate. The decline of the Baptists corresponds with the descent of America into darkness and paganism.

The Schleitheim Confession of 1527 (Anabaptist)

the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online

This is an early Anabaptist document. Please note this link takes you off this site.

The Baptist Confession of 1644

The First of The London Baptist Confessions. A Uniquely Baptist Document.

Click Here for a brief Introduction

The Baptist Confession of 1646

Very similar to the 1644 with some minor changes..

The First General Baptist Confession of 1651

The Somerset Confession of 1656

This Confession is very rare and very obscure as far as the historic early English Baptist Confessions are concerned. I consider it to be a lost jewel. It is unique among the Baptist Confessions in it's total absence of "Covenant Theology" language which was gaining popularity among the Baptists who were trying to become "respectable" and to stave off persecution by the paedobaptists who were dominant in English state sanctioned religion. It is also very subdued in it's expression of Calvinism, notably lacking strong predestinarian language, yet affirming that God orders and controls all things. This confession of faith deserves to be resurrected and re-worked so that it speaks to our times and to the Bible Theology which is currently on the upswing, and seeks historical confirmation. This confession is in complete agreement with New Covenant Theology and might actually be sighted as an actual early example of this theological perspective, due to its language regarding God's Laws and the Laws for Christians in article 25 which are clearly not just a restatement of the 10 commandments but are in fact "the Law of Christ".

The London Baptist Confession of 1689

The first ecumenical Baptist confession.

Almost indistinguishable from The Westminster Confession. Not a pure Baptist doctrinal statement. This document shows the corruptive and corrosive element of Covenant Theology on the Baptist distinctives. Widely used in many modern "Reformed Baptist" churches. This is the Confession that brought Calvinistic Covenant Theology poison into the Baptist churches of England, and it is infecting Baptist churches today. Beware!

The Philadelphia Confession of Faith 1742

This has been one of the most Popular American Confessions of Faith

The Sandy Creek Principles of Faith 1758

The New Hampshire Baptist Confession of 1855

The Abstract of Principles 1859

Notable Quote

Has it ever occurred to you
that nothing occurs to God?
-Adrian Rogers

The Doctrine and Practices of Baptists

A short circulating letter by the Kentucky Baptist Association, 1857.

The REFORMATION FROM A BAPTIST POINT OF VIEW

BY PROFESSOR A.H. NEWMAN, LL. D.
Newman was perhaps the greatest Baptist Church Historian of all time. His contributions are immense. This is a concise analysis which shows why Baptists really never fully bought into Luther, Calvin or Zwinglianism, and why the Baptist have always had distinctives which are radically different than the ideals of the three big Reformers.

Baptist Churches are Radically different from
Paedobaptist Churches

- By J. L. M. Curry, D.D., LL.D.
Baptists easily forget the distinctive differences between us and them, especially when Covenant Theology has infiltrated our churches as though that were normative historic Baptist doctrine. It is not. If you look at the early Baptists they were not Covenant theologians, and that gave them marked differences from the Presbyterian and Anglican churches of the day. Most Baptists were dissenters and non-conformists on these matters.

Notable Quote

A great many people think they are thinking
when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.
-William James

DOCTRINAL STUDIES

"The Trinity"

- Walter Martin
Martin was a great apologist against cults and ism's. This short article addresses their false teaching that the Trinity doctrine is not found in the Bible, but is rather a man made dogma.

What should we think about the wrath of God?

This doctrine is an embarrassment to many Christians. But should it be?

Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

A Baptismal Regeneration study, showing why water cannot and does not save anyone, and why Baptism is not a requirement for Salvation. Includes a Free Chart on all the Baptisms of the Bible.

Notable Quote

"Christ is all!" Colossians 3:11

Christianity is all centered in a person!
Conversion is not a mere change of human opinion;
it is the devotion of the heart to a person.
A converted man is not a man who just changes
his views concerning certain facts, or theories, or doctrines--
but he is a man whose heart has become devoted to a living Christ.
All your religion, if it is worth anything--will be centered in a living personal Jesus.
Your doctrines will all come from Him;
your motives will be found in Him
your joys will be found in Him;
your acceptance will be found in Him;
your completeness will be found in Him!

"You are complete in Him!" Colossians 2:10

-Archibald Brown

An Introduction to "New Covenant Theology"

- Fred Zaspel
"New Covenant Theology" is not a new form of "Covenant Theology". In fact it is a radically different form of theology with few similarities to what is commonly known as "covenant Theology". This introduction will explain some of the differences.

The Superiority of The New Covenant over the Old

A Free Bible Study Chart

Crucial Thoughts On The Law in the New Covenant

-Jon Zens
This addresses the issue of Antinomianism and New Covenant Theology.

Is There a "Covenant of Works"?

This article examines one of the key components of traditional "Covenant Theology" (the Covenant of Works idea). This looks at both the Westminster Confession and The 1689 Baptist Confession, and shows why many Reformed Baptist's have abandoned the 1689 and returned to the 1644 or 1646 Confession, as a more representative statement of actual historic Baptist Beliefs.

Is There a "Covenant of Grace"?

This article goes with the above one on "Is there a Covenant of Works"? Both of these articles together show the shaky ground of the Covenant Theology which was brought into the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. The previous English Baptist Confessions (1644, 1646, 1656) did not contain any of this questionable "covenant of works" and "covenant of grace" language. We offer some suggestions about why this Covenant Theology Language was all of a sudden added to the most popular Baptist Confession of Faith. This article briefly discusses the article of the same name by Jon Zens and some criticism of his article. This is an important study.

Why Obedience in the New Covenant is never Legalism

Many churches teach that we are saved by grace until it comes to the Christian Life.Salvation is not Grace plus striving, plus sacraments, plus means of grace, plus repentance, plus sorrow, plus law-keeping, plus church attendance, plus Sabbath keeping, or plus anything! Salvation is Christ plus nothing! And Christ minus nothing! This short study is an urgent call back to the true Doctrines of Grace as taught in the New Testament.

Notable Quote

A Man may be theologically knowing
and spiritually ignorant.
-Stephen Charnock

Basic Christian Doctrine (author Unknown)

This is generally very good. But some of his view of prophecy may be doubtful.

The Biblical Guide to Orthodoxy and Heresy

A great and easy to comprehend two part series on identifying truth from error.

Notable Quote

Do you think that you deserve forgiveness?
If you do, you are not a Christian.
-D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Baptism - A Theological Paper

- Rev. Ryan Bradley
A presentation of the Historic Baptist view that Baptism is an outward sign of an inward Grace.

Is The Carnal Christian Doctrine a Heresy?

There is a new Doctrine afloat in Baptist churches that says there is no such thing as a "carnal" Christian. How does that view stack up with Scripture?

Notable Quote

The following was found among the graffiti on a wall
at St. John's University: "And Jesus said unto them,
'Who do you say that I am?' And they replied,
'You are the eschatalogical manifestation of the ground
of our being, the kerygma in which we find the ultimate
meaning of our interpersonal relationship'.
And Jesus said: 'What'?"

Unlimited Grace

A message from Earl Jackson to Calvinist's

All Things are Of God

A short study of Absolute Divine Sovereignty showing why God can't be excluded from anything. This study, while short, is a very important foundational theological and philosophical discussion based on the idea that God is God.

Who directs your path?

A short article on the Absolute Sovereignty of God over all men, saved and unsaved, believers and unbelievers.

Christ as The Savior of All Men.

Theological chart which explains 1Cor. 15:22

Notable Quote

A man’s free will cannot cure him even of a toothache,
or of a sore finger and yet he madly thinks it is in its power
to cure his soul! The greatest judgment which God Himself
can, in the present life, inflict upon a man is to leave him
in the hands of his own boasted free will.
-Augistus Toplady (1740-1778)

Notable Quote

The great destroyer of man is the will of man. I do not believe that man’s free will has ever saved a soul, but man’s free will has been the ruin of multitudes. "You would not", is still the solemn accusation of Christ against guilty men. Did He not say, at another time, "You will not come unto Me, that you might have life"? The human will is desperately set against God and is the great devourer and destroyer of thousands of good intentions and emotions which never come to anything permanent because the will is acting
in opposition to that which is right and true.
— Charles H. Spurgeon, 1894, Sermon #2381

If God Is Sovereign Then Why Do Anything?

-Matt Perman
Answer this common objection to the Sovereignty of God.

Does Everyone Have Faith?

Discussion Based on Rom. 12: 3, which corrects the common view held by many that all men have faith.

Notable Quote

It is a sad affliction when in our solemn assemblies
the brilliance of the Gospel Light is dimmed by error.
The clearness of the testimony is spoiled when doubtful voices
are scattered among the people and those who ought to preach
the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth,
are preaching doctrines which are the imaginations
of men and the inventions of the age!
-C.H.Spurgeon 1887, Sermon #1990

Does God Change His Mind?

-Dr. John Frame
Read how Professor Frame Explains it. This is actually an entire philosophy about change and God's plan. Very interesting. This explains how God can both change and be unchangeable at the same time.

The Evil of Evils

-Jeremiah Burrough's (1645)
An actual copy of a classic puritan booklet. When you read this, if you can get through the old English typesetting, you will immediately sense the vast differences between the Puritan understanding of the sinfulness of sin, and the watered down nonsense that is being peddled today.