Baptist vs. Pentecostal
A side-by-side comparison of Baptist and Pentecostal 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.
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism began in the early 1900s, notably at the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles. It teaches that the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in Acts and 1 Corinthians, including tongues and healing, are active today. It is among the fastest-growing Christian movements.
At a glance
Where they differ: Can a saved person fall away?.
Varies within one or both: Predestination and free will; Church government; Clergy and women in ministry; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.
Where they agree: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; The Trinity; How a person is saved; Baptism; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Sacraments or ordinances; Mary and the saints; Death, purgatory and hell; Style of worship; Day of worship.
Side by side
| Question | Baptist | Pentecostal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Bible is the inspired and final authority. Believers also expect the Holy Spirit to guide them personally, always tested against 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. | Most Pentecostals, including the Assemblies of God, are Trinitarian. A smaller “Oneness” wing rejects the doctrine and teaches that Father, Son and Spirit are modes of one person. |
| How a person is savedAgree | 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 through faith in Christ, usually with an emphasis on new birth and a personal experience of conversion. It is often followed by a distinct experience called baptism in the Holy Spirit. |
| 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. | Most classical Pentecostal bodies, such as the Assemblies of God, hold that a believer can forfeit salvation, though some Pentecostals teach eternal security. |
| 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. | Generally Arminian: Christ died for all, and each person can accept or refuse. A small number of Reformed Pentecostals hold to election. |
| BaptismAgree | 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. | Believer’s baptism by immersion, as an act of obedience and a public witness. Baptism is distinguished from baptism in the Holy Spirit. |
| 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. | An ordinance in memory of Christ’s death. It is often marked with a sense of God’s presence and healing. |
| 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, water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Some Pentecostal groups add foot washing. |
| Church governmentVaries | Each local church governs itself, calling its own pastor and deciding its own doctrine. Churches cooperate voluntarily through associations and conventions. | Varies. The Assemblies of God combines congregational and presbyterian features, and the Church of God in Christ has bishops. |
| Clergy and women in ministryVaries | Varies. The Southern Baptist Convention limits the office of pastor to men, and other Baptist bodies ordain women. | Varies. The Assemblies of God ordains women, and some other Pentecostal bodies reserve pastoral office for men. |
| 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. Pentecostals do not pray to her or the saints. |
| Death, purgatory and hellAgree | Believers go immediately to be with Christ, and unbelievers to eternal punishment. There is no purgatory. | Believers go directly into Christ’s presence at death. Pentecostals hold to a literal heaven and hell and expect the return of Christ. |
| Style of worshipAgree | Free-form, built around preaching, congregational singing and prayer. Order is set by each church. | Expressive and Spirit-led, with lively music, spontaneous prayer, testimony and an openness to prophecy, tongues and healing. |
| The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries | Varies. Many Baptists are cessationist or cautious about tongues, and others are charismatic. | All the gifts of the Spirit continue today. Most teach baptism in the Holy Spirit as a separate experience after conversion, and many teach speaking in tongues as the initial sign of it. |
| Day of worshipAgree | Sunday. | Sunday. |
| Best known for | Believer’s baptism, local church independence, religious liberty and a strong emphasis on missions and evangelism. | Speaking in tongues, healing, lively worship and rapid growth in Latin America, Africa and Asia. |
“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?
- Free Will, Predestination, and Divine Sovereignty
- 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
- Grace
- Justification
- Baptism
- 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
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Pentecostal
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- Anglican / Episcopal vs. Pentecostal
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- Anabaptist / Mennonite vs. Pentecostal
- Pentecostal vs. Seventh-day Adventist
- Pentecostal vs. Church of Christ
- Pentecostal vs. Non-denominational