Friendships between Baptists and Pentecostals?

Hello everyone,

here am I once again with a question: What do you think about "interdenominational friendships", in this case about a friendship between Pentecostals and Baptists?

I am "P", although I prefer to describe myself as a follower of Christ. In my town I met some Baptists sharing tracts and started to talk with them, visited several times their church and I somehow love them. I do understand that we have doctrinal differencies (i.e. on praying in tongues) but... If they are truly children of God, is there something wrong or dangerous in having fellowship with them, too? Or is there a danger that I "fall from the faith" and be drawn by doctrines of men?

Yours in Christ, E.

I started out Baptist, went more charismatic, now I'm back to Baptist. Good friends on both side of the aisle. In my experience the best Bible teachers are Baptists, the best prayers are charismatics.

I have never heard of a Pentecostal shunning a Baptist- over what? I went back to Baptist because of the gross excesses of the charismatic movement, and the fact its hard to find a serious Bible study on the charismatic side.

There is not enough doctrinal difference to warrant avoiding Baptists. However, it doesn't necessarily work the other way around, particularly if the charismatic church is a tad wacko.

You’re right- I was using them interchangeably. My bad.

Oh God! How sick the church is that questions like these can even be asked

Agree, Tyler. This must surely break our Heavenly Father's heart.

I ask:

What is a Christian?

All denominations and church groupings have the doctrines of men alongside the doctrinal truths of scripture. This includes the cessesationist Baptist and Pentecostals/ Charismatics. Whichever side of the pendulum swing you are on, there will be man's tradtions and doctrinal stances added to biblical truth. Unfortunately everyone believes their particular set of doctrines are solid biblical truth. We saw this play out in the recent cal/arm debate.

There is only person I know who has all their doctrine 100% correct. Thats me! :) Joking obviously, but this is how we think too often.

Hope you find can have fellowship with the Baptists that are part of your family if the are born of God.

Frank, It is equally true to ask how many Petecostals would protest if Paul came and said that 'tongues' is the least of the gifts and not all spirit filled Christians have that gift? Ref "Do all speak in tongues?". Rhetorical, meaning 'no'.

Frank, I was alluding to the petecostal position of tongues as the evidence for baptism of the Spirit. I concede not all Petecostals hold to that view.

I'm not defending the Baptist position, but see both if not all traditions have their blind spots. I too have over many years had and have fellowship with both Pentecostal and Baptist traditions. Not quite 40, but around 36. :)

I believe that labeling believers as Baptists, Pentecostals, etc. etc. only brings division within the Body of Christ. We tend to have our own preconceived ideas as to what those labels mean, and not all Baptist Churches teach the same thing concerning the Baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the same is true of Pentecostal Churches. Many people that hear of the name "Pentecostal" think that it relates to
a Pentecostal denomination, but there are Christians from every denomination that have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, that are Pentecostal, because they have the experience of Pentecost.

The basis of all fellowship is that as born again believers in Jesus Christ, that we have all been made to drink out of the same Spirit. The enemy is behind all of these debates on doctrine. We can still disagree on many things and still remain in fellowship with one another.

It is the will of God that all of the Body of Christ would come to the unity in the faith, and this will only come about if we are allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into all of the truth, having a teachable spirit, and speaking the truth in love.

Mike,

The fact is they label themselves, it is not us putting the label on.
In labelling themselves they then box themselves in to a doctrinal position that comes with that particular group. Hence the original question, 'Can I being a Pentecostal fellowship with a Baptist?'
Granted many are part of said churches who may not label themselves as such, or box themselves in doctrinally, that said it is a problem of the system.

@Tyler - I do not know why do you think that the chruch is sick. It was I that posted the question, and the others may (and partly do) have a different view on that.

Actually I know that there are great differencies among churches even of the same denomination. So also among Baptists, Pentecostals etc. My point was that, I do not want to reject somebody who God has accepted. And that is why I love them. At least from what I perceive, this local Baptist church seems to me to strive to follow God in their everyday life. Perhaps some may still find it difficult to accept me, but so were I, I guess several years ago...

I am not for denominations. I believe God has no contract with chruch organisations but rather with people - so just because you are part of a movement / denomination that started out with God in a revival, that does not mean that God has a contract with your denomination (i.e. "I will be with 'Holiness Chruch', 'First Baptist Chuch' or whatever the name... till the end of the world).

@TMK - Yea, I too love how they expound the Bible and dive in it. There are also some among the Pentecostals who do likewise . But (I hope) with time, I learn to rejoice at everybody who is a disciple of Christ, whatever the camp. Cause "those who are born of the Spirit are children of God". :)

So, I go to a baptist church. My mission trips to Kenya have been with an Assemblies of God ministry. When we had a Discipleship Now weekend, we invited a well-loved, well-trusted charismatic couple to teach the students. Just yesterday, we arrived from a Men's Conference hosted by a charismatic church. Are there doctrinal differences? Yes. Are there questions on both sides? Yes. Do some of the more baptist-leaning men in our church grapple with tongues, declarations, etc? Yes. So what do we do? We fellowship! We dialogue about our differences. We hold those men with whom we've been fellowshipping in honor because they CLEARLY love Jesus, CLEARLY are yielding to the Spirit when they are teaching, and CLEARLY love us. And you know what? We do the same with them.

There is a lot to be said about the character of a man when discussing doctrinal differences. My pastor, in my own church, does not see eye-to-eye with me on every doctrinal point. But you know what keeps me from even casting a sideways glance at him? His character. The man clearly loves Jesus and loves people. The fruit of the Spirit is evident in his life. That's why I can simply discuss the differences and come away still loving other brothers and sisters who disagree.

Now, if a man had poor character and disagreed with me on doctrines, I would likely not be able to fellowship with him. That being said, if a man agreed with me on EVERY jot and tittle of doctrine, but had poor character I wouldn't be able to fellowship with him either.

havok said:

Now, if a man had poor character and disagreed with me on doctrines, I would likely not be able to fellowship with him. That being said, if a man agreed with me on EVERY jot and tittle of doctrine, but had poor character I wouldn't be able to fellowship with him either.

Amen. Life is a test of character, not knowledge or skill.