Baptists/Bible

Advertisement

Expert: John of AllFaith - 3/24/2008


Question
Is the Bible same for Baptist and or Catholic./
Is it the same Book??


Answer
Hi Gloria,

For the most part yes, its the same Bible, at least per the books.

The Bible used by Baptists, like all other Christians, is based on the Roman Catholic determined Canon in the early days of Church history.

Catholics also accept a few extra books that Protestants reject known as the Apocrypha:
   I. Esdras
   II. Esdras
   Tobit
   Judith
   The Rest of Esther
   The Wisdom of Solomon
   Ecclesiasticus (Sirach)
   Baruch, with the Letter of Jeremiah
   The Song of the Three Jews, with the Prayer of Azariah
   The Story of Susanna
   Bel and the Dragon
   The Prayer of Manasseh
   I. Maccabees
   II. Maccabees
   III. Maccabees

The real differences have to do with the translations and source materials. Until recently virtually all Protestants (including Baptists) used the "Authorized King James Version of the Bible" which is based on a collection of manuscripts known as the Textus Receptus (Received Texts). Catholic Bibles were largely based on other, in my opinion, less dependable textual sources.

Today of course most Protestants (including most Baptists) have left the King James Version in favor of the new inferior paraphrases like the New International Version, the Reader's Digest Bible etc. These new Bibles are based on the same Catholic and newly discovered (read copy rightable) inferior textual source materials. These new Bibles are altering what Christians believe as they teach, in many cases, different doctrines. They also remove scores of verses from the Bible contained in the King James. For an example of a few of these deleted and altered verses see my http://www.allfaith.com/Religions/Christianity/kingjames.html

For a list of the books of the Bible used by various segments of the Christian faith see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_of_the_Bible

Hope this helps,
~John of AllFaith

Baptists

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

John of AllFaith

Expertise

Baptists hold certain unique understandings as well as the "fundamentals of the faith" held by most other denominations. Harmonious with the essential Baptist doctrine known as the Priesthood of all Believers, some Baptists are very conservative (such as Jerry Falwell and Fred Phelps) while others are quite liberal (such as Jesse Jackson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr). For help understanding Baptist and other biblical issues, drop me a line. I can also shed light on questions that are often considered "sensitive." Ask me anything and I'll do my best to share what I know.

Experience

I have a lot of experience in this area. I've studied the Holy Scriptures for over 40 years. I hold a Missionary Baptist ordination as well as one from Calvary Chapel. I was a missionary in Central America for a while, an avid street minister and have preached in many churches, on the radio and so on. I also have an MA Religious Studies from JFK University as well as other pieces of paper. The only ordination that really matters comes from God of course.
While I am no longer a Baptist I can answer any question anyone is likely to have from a Baptist perspective.
My personal beliefs are now more accurately described as Messianic or Noahide Nazarene. If you are interested in this perspective just ask.

Organizations
My current beliefs are best described as Noahide Nazarene. These beliefs can be considered at my web site: http://allfaith.com/Religions/Noahide

Education/Credentials

Education/Credentials
Three Christian ordinations (Baptist, Calvary Chapel and from an independent Christian Church), an MA in Religious Studies, an ordination in Ministry and Spiritual Counseling from the Interfaith Seminaries, 41 plus years of sincere seeking and 13 years answering questions and posting studies online.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.