Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

If you have read Phil Stringer’s book, “Faithful Baptist Witness,”  which outlines independent baptists by doctrine from the time of Christ down through the ages, you may be familiar with his claim that “Saint Patrick”, was indeed a saint (as in being saved), but was in fact likely a baptist missionary!

Here is an article (GARBC) about Saint Patrick on this day we celebrate him as a catholic saint. “Patrick should be rescued from his ecclesiastical kidnappers. That is, we have as much claim upon him as does Roman Catholicism. Patrick’s faith and practice were more consistent with our theology than with Roman Catholicism.”

Some of his points are:

“First, Patrick saw Scripture as the supreme religious authority. He never appealed to the authority of the church, even when it would have served him well. He never mentioned a church council or creed, although his doctrinal statement closely parallels the “Rule of Faith,” a creed common in his day (Confession).

Second, Patrick made no reference to baptizing infants. He once reported that he “baptized in the Lord, so many thousand men” (“Letter to Coroticus” in The Life and Writings). The word “men” implies that he did not baptize infants.

Third, absent from his writing is any mention of purgatory, Mariolatry, or submission to the authority of the Pope, which, although an argument from silence, suggests that Patrick did not believe in them, did not hold them as significant to true faith, or was ignorant of them.

Fourth, the legacy of Patrick’s ministry is evident in the churches he established, which continued to be sound in doctrine well into the ninth century. They were amazingly evangelical (compared to the Roman Church of the day), teaching original sin and the impossibility of salvation by human merits or effort, Christ alone being the sinner’s righteousness. Additionally they taught the vicarious atonement.

Fifth, in his Confession, Patrick recognized the agency of the Holy Spirit in conversion. No doubt it became a tenet of the church’s doctrine. Sixth, the teaching of justification by faith is a key aspect of Patrick’s contribution (The Life and Writings). Seventh, Patrick believed in the intercession of the Holy Spirit and of Christ (quoting Romans 8:26 and 1 John 2:1). But he never mentioned the intercession of saints, angels, or Mary.”

The writer asserts that: “The man we know today as St. Patrick was kidnapped twice: first by Irish pirates, then after his death, by the Roman Catholic Church.” Read the entire article HERE.

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY!