#164 Baptist Faith and Message and 1689 London Baptist Confession Compares

What helped My Thinking In the BFM by reading the 2LBC

When reading through the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message (BFM) and the 1689 london baptist confession (2LBC) I observed the differences in the idea of Justification. In the 2LBC Justification is described as “God does not justify people by infusing them with righteousness, but rather by forgiving them and by counting and accepting them as righteous” (2LBC). Whereas the BFM says things like “Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God” (BFM). The BFM does not have a separate section on Justification while the 2LBC does have a section on Justification. These sorts of differences highlight the beliefs of Baptists in these particular times. But they also showcase the priorities of the authors at the time. For example in the 2LBC the words are very particular. The authors are trying to set the limits of who may call themselves Baptists. On the other hand in the BFM the focus is more broad. The authors seem to have wanted to include a broad range of Baptists in the BFM. I do agree with pretty much everything in the BFM but I take issue with some of the things written in the 2LBC. When I read the 2LBC it seems to take a stance against the Arminian view of Justification in favor of the Calvinist view. Whereas the BFM could go either way. I agree more with the Arminian view of Justification than the Calvinist view which makes this interesting. I could consider myself more a Baptist today than if I were alive in 1689. Understanding the context of the 2LBC and the current majority Baptist views it seems to give insight into why Baptists believe what they believe today.

1. “The Baptist Faith and Message (2000),” SBC.net, Southern Baptist Convention, accessed June 8, 2025, https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/.

2. “All Chapters,” 1689 London Baptist Confession, accessed June 8, 2025, https://1689londonbaptistconfession.com/all-chapters.