Questions & Answers about Primitive Baptists
by Elder Tim McCool
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Are Primitive Baptists Calvinists?
No. In the minds of most people, Christianity is divided into two major groups, those who believe eternal salvation depends on your choice (i.e., "accepting" Christ) and Calvinists (those who advocate the theology of John Calvin). Clearly, there is a plain distinction between Primitive Baptists and those who believe you can "accept" Christ. However, when people hear Primitive Baptists proclaim the doctrines of grace (election, predestination, etc.) they assume that Primitive Baptists are some branch of the Calvinist family. The fact is, Primitive Baptists have never been a part of either group, since they and their ancestors have maintained their identity since the days of Christ and the Apostles. John Calvin was a Protestant Reformer who seceded from the Catholic Church and started Presbyterianism. Baptists derive their existence from Christ and the Apostles and as such, predate Catholics and have maintained separate existence even through the Dark Ages, hence the name, "Primitive" (Mt. 16:16-18; Eph. 2:20).
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