Are Baptists Protestants?

The History and Doctrines of the Anabaptist and Protestant Compared

Nov 10, 2009

Many would consider that any Christian denomination that was non-Catholic to be Protestant. However, is this true with Baptist denomination? Are Baptists Protestants?

Many religious people would consider the Baptists to be another Protestant denomination. Even many Baptists themselves believe that they too are Protestants. Historically and doctrinally, however, Baptists are not Protestants.

What is a Protestant?

In today’s terms, a Protestant is merely a Christian that does not consider themselves to be Catholic. Many fall under this generalization, such as Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, and even Baptists. However, Protestants began nearly 500 years ago with the separation from the Catholic Church, called the Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation began in 1517 with Martin Luther’s nailing of the 95 Theses on the door the All Saints Roman Catholic Church. Primarily, he protested against the sale of indulgences, but he also objected to other various “impurities” in the Church.

Luther was not necessarily looking to split from the Church, but only to purify the Church. When the Roman Catholic Church rejected his protest, Martin Luther left the Catholic Church. Many others followed his lead, including Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin. So where do the Baptists fit in?

Historically, Baptists are Not Protestants

According to the first Reformers, and even some Catholics during the 16th Century, a group called the Anabaptists existed for many centuries before the Reformation. These Anabaptists are today’s Baptists. Anabaptist is a term that means “re-baptizers.”

Ulrich Zwingli, a Reformed Theologian prior to John Calvin, stated that they had given the Church (the Catholic Church) problems for nearly 1300 years. The President of the Council of Trent, which was Catholic, Cardinal Hosius said, “Were it not for the fact that the Baptists have been grievously tormented and cut off with the knife during the past 1200 years, they would swarm greater than all the reformers

Many groups, that have Anabaptist beliefs, can be traced down to the Second Century. Some of these are the Novatians, Monatists, Donatists, Paulicians, and Waldensians. The list of “Anabaptist” is more numerous than these mentioned. Anabaptists through the Second Century have the common bonds of persecution and doctrine.

Doctrinally, Baptists are Not Protestants

So, what were some of the tenants, or doctrines, of the Anabaptist religion that set them apart from Protestants, as well as Catholics? Three doctrines that were common among Anabaptist congregation through the ages were the mode of baptism, candidates for baptism, and the Lord’s Supper

The mode of baptism that Anabaptists chose was that of immersion. They used the Scriptures of Matthew 3:16 and Acts 8:38 for their defense of going “into the water” and “coming up out the water.” This earned them the name “Dunkards” among the German and Dutch Protestants and Zwingli was quoted that he would give Anabaptists a third baptism with chains wrapped around their ankles. This differed from the Catholic and Protestant sprinkling or pouring.

The Anabaptist candidate for baptism was a person who professed salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. They did not consider baptism sacramental, necessary for salvation. In addition, the Anabaptists rejected the idea of infant baptism, because they could not personally trust Christ as Saviour.

Finally, the Lord’s Supper, to the Anabaptists, was for the remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice. They did not believe that bread and wine had special power, but only saw it as symbolism. Luther and Calvin adopted a similar approach to the Catholic’s doctrine of Transubstantiation, where the bread and wine changed into the literal body and blood of Christ. Anabaptists rejected this doctrine as well.

Conclusion: Baptists are not Protestants

Historically and doctrinally speaking, Baptists are not Protestants. Those of the Baptist religion have a heritage far more reaching than that of the Reformation. They have always tried to keep, according to their definition, pure to Biblical teachings and have always “protested” religious tradition that strayed from the Bible. However, they do share similar beliefs with Reformers, like that of the Virgin Birth of Christ, The Bible being their sole authority, and salvation through faith in Christ.

Brecht, Martin. Martin Luther. tr. James L. Schaaf, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985.

Sargent, Robert J. Landmarks of Church History, Oak Harbor, Washington: Bible Baptist Church Publications.

Carroll, J.M. Trail of Blood, Lexington, KY: Bryan Station Baptist Publications.

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