Baptist vs. Church of Christ
A side-by-side comparison of Baptist and Church of Christ teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.
Baptist
Baptists arose from English Separatist churches in the early 1600s. They baptize only those who profess faith, govern each congregation independently, and hold to the Bible as the sole authority for belief and practice.
Church of Christ
The Churches of Christ come from the American Restoration Movement of the early 1800s, which sought to return to the pattern of the New Testament church. Congregations are independent, and they are known for weekly communion and unaccompanied singing.
At a glance
Where they differ: How a person is saved; Can a saved person fall away?; Baptism.
Varies within one or both: Predestination and free will; Clergy and women in ministry; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.
Where they agree: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; The Trinity; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Sacraments or ordinances; Church government; Mary and the saints; Death, purgatory and hell; Style of worship; Day of worship.
Side by side
| Question | Baptist | Church of Christ |
|---|---|---|
| Authority: Scripture and traditionAgree | The Bible alone is the authority for belief and practice. Many Baptist bodies adopt confessions, but none is binding on a local church. | The New Testament is the pattern for worship and church life. Practices are expected to be supported by a command, an example or a necessary inference from Scripture. |
| Books of the BibleAgree | 66 books. | 66 books. |
| The TrinityAgree | One God in three persons. Baptists rarely use creeds in worship, but their confessions affirm the Trinity. | One God in three persons. Churches of Christ have no written creed and rest the belief directly on Scripture. |
| How a person is savedDiffer | Saved by grace through personal faith in Christ, usually described as a conversion experience. Baptism follows salvation and does not cause it. | Saved by grace, received through faith that includes repentance, confession of Christ and baptism. Baptism is taught as the point at which sins are forgiven, and faith is understood as active obedience. |
| Can a saved person fall away?Differ | Most Baptists, notably Southern Baptists, teach eternal security, often summarized as “once saved, always saved.” Some General Baptists disagree and hold that faith can be abandoned. | Yes. A Christian who lives in sin without repenting can fall away, and Churches of Christ point to warnings such as Hebrews 6 and 10. |
| Predestination and free willVaries | Divided. Particular Baptists are Calvinist and hold to election, and General Baptists hold that Christ died for all and that election is based on God’s foreknowledge of who would believe. Southern Baptists include both. | Rejects Calvinist predestination. God offers salvation to all and each person must choose to obey the gospel. |
| BaptismDiffer | Only those who have professed faith are baptized, and by full immersion. It is an ordinance that pictures death and resurrection with Christ and does not save. | Immersion of a believer for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Baptism is taught as necessary for salvation, and infant baptism is rejected. |
| Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Agree | An ordinance in remembrance of Christ’s death, observed periodically. The bread and cup are symbols, and many churches use grape juice. | A memorial observed every Sunday, since Acts 20:7 is taken to show the pattern of the early church. The elements are symbols. |
| Sacraments or ordinancesAgree | Two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptists avoid the word “sacrament” because it can imply that grace comes through the act itself. | Two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. |
| Church governmentAgree | Each local church governs itself, calling its own pastor and deciding its own doctrine. Churches cooperate voluntarily through associations and conventions. | Each congregation is fully autonomous and is led by a group of elders (also called shepherds or overseers). There is no denominational headquarters. |
| Clergy and women in ministryVaries | Varies. The Southern Baptist Convention limits the office of pastor to men, and other Baptist bodies ordain women. | Elders, preachers and public worship leaders are men. Women teach children and other women and take part in many other roles. |
| Mary and the saintsAgree | Mary is honored as the mother of Jesus and the saints as examples. Baptists give them little role in worship and do not pray to them. | Mary is honored as the mother of Jesus. There is no prayer to saints, and no role for saints in worship. |
| Death, purgatory and hellAgree | Believers go immediately to be with Christ, and unbelievers to eternal punishment. There is no purgatory. | The dead await judgment in Hades, in comfort or in torment. After the resurrection the righteous enter heaven and the wicked face eternal punishment. |
| Style of worshipAgree | Free-form, built around preaching, congregational singing and prayer. Order is set by each church. | A simple service of singing, prayer, preaching, communion and giving. Most congregations sing without instruments. |
| The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries | Varies. Many Baptists are cessationist or cautious about tongues, and others are charismatic. | Generally teaches that miraculous gifts, such as tongues and healing, ended with the apostolic age. The Spirit is understood to work through the written Word. |
| Day of worshipAgree | Sunday. | Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). |
| Best known for | Believer’s baptism, local church independence, religious liberty and a strong emphasis on missions and evangelism. | Weekly communion, unaccompanied singing, believer’s baptism for forgiveness and a determination to follow the New Testament pattern. |
“Agree” means the two traditions take the same broad position, although the wording above may still note finer differences. “Varies” means at least one of the two is itself divided on the question, so no single position can be given. These summaries describe typical teaching, and individual churches may vary. For an authoritative statement, consult each denomination’s own confessions.
Learn more on this site
- What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?
- Grace
- Justification
- Free Will, Predestination, and Divine Sovereignty
- Baptism
- The Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture
- The Reliability of Scripture
- The Canon
- Textual Variants and "Lost Books" (Gnostic Gospels, Apocrypha)
- The Trinity
- The Deity of Christ
- Catholic Church
- Eastern Orthodox Church
- What Does the Bible Say About Heaven?
- What Does the Bible Say About Hell?
- What Does the Bible Say About Judgment Day?
- What Does the Bible Say About Worship?
- Sabbath
More comparisons
Baptist
Church of Christ
- Catholic vs. Church of Christ
- Eastern Orthodox vs. Church of Christ
- Lutheran vs. Church of Christ
- Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Church of Christ
- Anglican / Episcopal vs. Church of Christ
- Methodist vs. Church of Christ
- Anabaptist / Mennonite vs. Church of Christ
- Pentecostal vs. Church of Christ
- Seventh-day Adventist vs. Church of Christ
- Church of Christ vs. Non-denominational