Southern Baptist Convention converts en masse to Lutheranism

Wouldn't that be a shocking headline to wake up and read in tomorrow morning's newspaper!

Is it probable?  Very doubtful.  But is it possible?  Yes.

Why?

I believe that Lutherans have used the wrong arguments with Baptists and evangelicals to prove that Lutheranism is the true restoration of the early Christian Church.

Lutherans will try to argue that Lutheran doctrine agrees with the doctrines taught by the early Church Fathers;  that the origin of the traditions of the Lutheran Church can be traced back to the early centuries after Christ.

Those arguments mean very little to conservative Baptists and evangelicals.  I know.   I grew up as one of them.

To conservative Baptists, the Christian Church became apostate shortly after the Apostles died.  They can't tell you when, but to them, it wasn't very long afterwards.

So all the "Church Fathers" are suspect "Catholics".  I sat in Baptist church pews from the week I was born until I was eighteen years old, and I never once heard any mention of "Church Fathers".

To conservative Baptists, historical records are suspect because they were written by "Catholics".  True Christians, the ancestors of the Baptists, were hiding out in caves, so of course there is no written evidence of them.

So as you can see, using the Church Fathers and historical evidence is not going to get you anywhere with them.

In my opinion, the only hope of bringing the true doctrines and traditions of the Christian Church to Baptists and evangelicals is to debate them on common ground that both conservative Lutherans and conservative Baptists agree upon:  the literal interpretation of the Bible.

I guarantee you that if you tell a conservative Baptist that the reason his Baptist doctrine is wrong is because he isn't reading the Bible literally, you will put him into cardiac arrest.

Conservative Baptists believe that no one else but them reads the Bible literally.

Lutherans must show them that they don't.  Read my previous post entitled "An Open Letter to Baptist Pastors" for specific verses in Scripture that Baptists do not read literally.

Is it total madness to try and convert Baptists and evangelicals to Lutheranism; to try and convert them to true orthodox Christianity?

Probably.  But that isn't going to keep me from trying.  These people are my family and friends.  I love them and it is my daily prayer that they will finally see the truth as I did.