Imperishable Inheritance

I would like to examine the Baptist Brider movement. Let me explain exactly what is held to in this soteriological & ecclesiastical system.

This is usually indicative of Landmark Baptist churches who believe, among other things, that the KJV is the only version of God's word in English, that they are not Protestant but can trace back to the earliest churches, and they often take the independent conviction in Baptist ecclesiology to excessive dimensions (not only not part of a denomination or convention but often don't associate with any other church). Not all Landmark churches believe this (as the one I attended didn't), but it is still around. So, what exactly is this movement?

An Explanation

In short, the Baptist Brider movement is composed of a strain of Baptist who believe that only those who are a member of a "New Testament Local Church" (i.e. their churches) are a part of the "Bride of Christ." Every other redeemed person will be in heaven but not part of the Bride. Further, Old Testament saints are also not a part of this Bride (because, of course, their were none of these churches back then!), and so they are seen as "honored guests" at the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb (Rev 19:9). I found an article which summarizes this position aptly.

"[W]e see there will be a gathering in heaven of three distinct groups of redeemed people, (a) the General Assembly (those saved during the Gospel era, but not members of, or under the authority of, any Special Assembly), (b) the Church (Special Assembly) of the First Born, and (c) the spirits of just men made perfect (Old Testament Saints). These three groups will be (a) General Assembly: the friends of the Groom (John 3:29), (b) the church: the Bride (Eph. 5:31), (c), Old Testament Saints: the honored Guests (Rev. 19:9). We see, therefore, that the Bride of Christ is not all of the redeemed, nor even all of the saved from the Gospel Era (Church Age), but only those faithful members of true New Testament churches."

The Biblical Basis for the Movement

These adherents first state the Bride of Christ has been misinterpreted throughout Protestant/Catholic church history. Further, many who hold to this position hold to some flavor of Dispensationalism which makes dividing up the redeemed quick and convenient! The passages most often cited are from Genesis 24 and Hebrews 12:22-24. I'm going to provide one example of the Baptist Brider exegesis of Gen 24 (from previously cited article).

"In Genesis chapter 24 we see a beautiful picture of the Bride. Abraham (type of God the Father), sends his servant (type of the Holy Spirit), into a far country to call out a bride for his son Isaac (type of the Lord Jesus Christ)...The bride is to come out of the kingdom of the father, and out of the family of the father. You will notice that Isaac did not marry the whole family, but only one part of the family, Rebekah (the one who was faithful in doing all that the servant asked of her). All of the redeemed will not be part of the Bride, but only those members of the family of God who have proved their love for the Lord through true obedience to His Word, by being faithful to His true New Testament church, and all that church membership entails." (emphasis added)

Next, their interpretation of Heb 12:12-24 which says: "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel."

They seek to recognize several groups. First, are the angels which are "self explanatory." Next there is the "general assembly" which is distinct from the "church of the firstborn." These two groups serve as a general assembly are folks from the "Gospel era" who were saved but not apart of their breed of churches. The "church of the firstborn" are those who are saved, baptized (by their stipulations), and members of their brand of churches. The last group of redeemed consist of the Old Testament saints which is an extrapolation from Heb 11:32-40. In other words, there are New Testament believers that will have a higher position than Old Testament believers in the Kingdom of God! There is also never any kind of "universal church" even in the eschaton! The Church (ekklesia) always has a local context to it.

An Examination

While I as well am leery of a current "universal church" (pre-eschaton), but there is no doubt that it will one day culminate into a reality (Rev 5:9, 7:9). Further, the New Testament does speak often of the spiritual, mystical nature of Christ's Body (Mat 16:18; Acts 9:31; 20:28; 1 Cor 10:32; Eph 1:22, 5:23-25, 27, 29, 32; Col 1:18, 24; Heb 12:23). The church that Christ died for (Eph 5:25) consists of the redeemed of all ages from every tribe, tongue, and nation. All people groups (ethnos) are included in this glorious event. There is no distinction between those who are saved in the eternal state (with the exception of the Apostles, Rev 21:14).

Paul admonishes Gentiles to "not be arrogant toward the branches [OT Saints]; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you" (Rom 11:18). I believe the Baptist Brider movement violates this command of Paul; they are arrogant towards the natural branches by placing themselves in a higher eschatological state. Paul also says that "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:26), and that "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). All the redeemed of all ages are heirs to the spiritual promises made to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) through their union with Christ (Gal 3:29). Interestingly, Jesus mentioned the wedding feast that He will be the head of when He says to the Roman centurion (a gentile): "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Mat 8:11). In other words, Christ made it possible for Gentiles to be at the same banquet as these Old Testament saints!

I'll be honest, I have absolutely no idea how they get their reading from Gen 24. I think they are fishing for typology where there is none. The point of the chapter is historical and didactic that Abraham sent his servant to get a wife for Isaac. There is no allusion to Christ and His Church here. I don't even know how to respond to it, because I can't find that reading even plausible in that passage.

The Heb 12 passage is a little more involved. It is clear that there is a distinction between the "angels" and the redeemed, but it is not a defensible position that the "general assembly" and "church of the firstborn" are two separate groups. The author is simply giving two names to the same entity as Paul does in Gal 6:16 by calling God's elect by the names "peace and mercy be on them [those who are a new creation]" and "the Israel of God." The Literal Translation of the Holy Bible helps us with their translation: "and to a gathering, an assembly of the first-born ones having been enrolled in Heaven" (Heb 12:23).

Conclusion

The good news of the Gospel is that with belief in it you will join the one people of God, His Body, the Church. From Abraham to today (Rom 4:1-13; Gal 3:8-9) the same Gospel saves sinners the same way into the same eternal Body. The Baptist Brider movement must be rejected, because it is based on an erroneous extrapolation of texts. Worthy is our Lamb who brought together sinners throughout the ages!