What are the differences between the Baptist and Pentecostal denominations?

Answer 1

Baptist Churches and Pentecostal Churches have significant differences in theology and interpretation of Scripture which lead to very clear differences in worship and religious experience. Although both traditions place a great deal of emphasis on the "born again experience," (confession and repentance of sin and accepting Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior,) Pentecostals also stress the importance of the Second Blessing, sometimes called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is a second, often deeply emotional experience that may occur moments or years after the believer accepts salvation by faith. Generally the sign of the Pentecostal experience is speaking in tongues (glossolalia) but other "gifts" such as prophesy, miracles, healing and others may be recognized.

Theologically, Baptist doctrine usually holds that the age of miracles closed when the final miracle, the Holy Bible, was complete. According to this tradition, occasional miracles of healing may be granted as answers to the prayer of the faithful, but other miracles and signs such as tongues and prophesy no longer exist in this world. Pentecostals, on the other hand, believe that the age of miracles has no limit; tongues, prophesy, discernment, healing, deliverance (exorcism) and other supernatural gifts continue to flow through the Holy Spirit for the blessing and edification of the faithful and as signs to unbelievers.

Answer 2

The Baptists and most Pentecostals believe the same on the basics of the Trinity, etc., but the Pentecostals lean more toward the gifts of the Spirit and Baptism of the Holy Spirit. They are open to the Holy Spirit in a different way than the Baptists are.

There are many Baptists who show gifts of the Holy Spirit in their lives but they just express it in a different way. Speaking in Tongues:

Pentecostals believe in speaking in tongues, raising their hands during worship, etc. Many Baptists do not. Also, many strict Baptists believe that contemporary music is wrong, women must dress modestly, and the King James Version is the only true Bible translation.

Baptists in New Zealand:

Baptists, at least in my country (New Zealand), are very diverse. A good many of them do believe in speaking in tongues and other miraculous workings of the Holy Spirit, though they wouldn't usually emphasize them to the same extent as Pentecostals do. I have known many Baptists who speak in tongues, for example, but I haven't met any who would make that a test of fellowship.

From personal knowledge, some Baptist churches in my city allow speaking in tongues during the worship and some do not. Some of the more conservative Baptists, who are unhappy with speaking in tongues, have formed breakaway groups (Faith Baptist, Bible Baptist, etc) in protest against the official tolerance shown by the Baptist Union.

Pentecostal Churches Not All the Same:

Also, not all Pentecostal churches are as liberal as others. Ours, which is a Foursquare Church, is more conservative even though we do believe in speaking in tongues and it happens once in a while, and it is done in a "decent and in orderly manner" as The Bible teaches to do. I have been in churches where this was not the case, people jumping over chairs during the sermon etc. and it was a big turnoff.

Answer 3

The pentecostals belive that speaking in tongues is the way all cristians should pursue.For most pentecostals speaking in tongues is a must for being taken when rapture occures,some say that the only way to be saved is if we speak in tongues.Pentecostals want to belive more in all miracles and super natural and they pray accordingly.On the other hand baptists are more reserved in all mentioned aspects.May God give us visdom and will to follow Jesus .

Answer 4

The differences between any two denominations vary. There are many differences between Baptist and Pentecostal denominations. The biggest one is speaking in tongues. Baptist churches do not believe that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is apart of the plan of salvation. Pentecostal churches teach that the Holy Ghost is an essential part of being a Christian.

Answer I am a Pentecostal (Assemblies of God) believer, who attended a Baptist church in my younger years.

The majority of Pentecostal denominations practice believer's baptism - i.e., baptism of professing believers who are old enough to understand the significance of what they are doing. This is the same as the Baptist position.

There are some Pentecostal churches that baptise infants (such as the Pentecostal Methodist Church of Chile), but they are in the minority.

Answer I just would like to clarify this answer. Oneness Pentecostal churches baptize "in the name of Jesus" and Baptist churches will baptize "in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit". Another difference is that Pentecostals believe in baptism by the Holy Spirit where one speaks in tongues, and Baptists believe that the Holy Spirit enters at the moment one is saved.

Answer 5

Pentecostals believe in being baptized and being filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. There are trinitarian (father, son, holy ghost) and Oneness (Jesus Name) Pentecostals.

Most Baptists are trinitarian and depending on each organization they may or may not teach on the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

Answer 6

The Catholic church praises God using their statues, and by doing that people believe receive blessings from it. Pentecostal churches often dance in their churches. Catholics practice infant baptism, baptists and penticostals practice believer's baptism. Catholics believe that the bread and wine are transformed into Jesus' blood and body when they are blessed by the priest. Penticostals and baptists believe bread and wine are mearly a symbol of Jesus' blood and body even after they have been blessed. Catholic churches tend to follow a set litergy for their services with lots of call and responce, Penticostal churches never follow a litergy, baptist churches do not follow a litergy but most retain a similar structure to their services (song, welcome, song, prayer, 3 point sermon, song, blessing). Penticostal churches tend to stress the gifts of the spirit such as speaking in tongues and vision of prophesy. Although they officialy have no iconographic art work many churches contain pictures of doves and/or flames to represent the holy spirt. If present crosses in baptist and penticostal churches will be empty and not contain a figure of Jesus. Catholics believe the bible and the Holy Roman Church's interpritation of the bible, baptists read the bible and come to their own conclusions, penticostals read the bible and seek input from the holy spirit to come to a conclusion. Catholics should confes their sins to a priest, baptista nad penticostals confess their sind to God directly. Catholics belive in purgatory a place where sins are paid for by punishment before entering heaven. Catholics belive in original sin which is cleansed during infant baptism, and that later sin must be cleansed by confession to a priest and punishment. Penticostals and baptists belive that salvation is thorugh faith and that baptism is a public declaration of faith, they belive they should try to do good and confess directly to God when they have not suceeded but they do not believe their salvation relys on doing anything except believing in Jesus. They all acknowledge the trinity. There are differences in the flavour of the worship at the three types of churches and differences in the heirarchy of the churches.

Answer 7

Similarities: Both believe in one God, the virgin birth, the sinless life, miracles, vicarious atoning death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Christ, the Trinity (the divinity of Jesus the son and the Holy Spirit, together with God the Father), the need for salvation (though the understanding of means for achieving it may differ at times), divine grace, the Church, the Kingdom of God, last things (Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge everyone in righteousness), evangelism and missions.

Differences: Almost no differences; Baptist wash each other's feet according to when Jesus was baptized by John, this is a sign of being humble to one another. Don't know any more.

Answer 8

50 days after the passover is the Pentecost. At the Pentecost there was a miracle of the apostles preaching and being understood by all that were listening.

Pentecostal believers seek a close relationship with the Holy Spirit. Many experience a speaking in tongues when praying.

The major difference in the two churches is the worship services. The belief structure is very much the same.

Answer 9

The Baptist stress salvation and winning souls to God.

Pentecost stress the power and workings of the Holy Ghost.

Both can learn a lot from each other....

Answer 10

Penecostals run around and have holy water and use holy water but baptists stand sing out of a hymn book and always fellowship . never uses holy water