Ever hear of the London Baptist Confession of 1689? Ever hear of Charles Spurgeon? The roots of the Baptists are reformed. Dispensationalists didn’t take over until the last century.
“Ever hear of the London Baptist Confession of 1689?”
Yes, I have. They were also not the only Baptists.
“The roots of the Baptists are reformed.”
Only in seminaries. Always been that way. And back in the day, few baptist preachers went to seminary. The Southern Baptists started in 1845 and first adopted “The Baptist Faith and Message” in 1925. To this day, you will find Southern Baptist churches which reject it entirely, and others who use the 1963 version. You will also find almost no Baptist who has ever read it in detail.
Calvinism is largely rejected by actual Baptists. I’ve known a few who accept it, but most - like me - are shocked if they hear about Calvin’s TULIP. Probably because no one simply reading the Bible would come up with it. Try telling the average Baptist about “irresistible grace”. He’ll look at you as if you were from Mars. And in 40 years as a baptist, I’ve NEVER heard a sermon discussing it. Or Unconditional Election, or Limited Atonement. Not in a sermon. Not in a Bible study. Not in a Sunday School.
You’d have as much luck convincing the average Baptist of transubstantiation...or a need for priests.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
The obvious, non-seminary meaning is we should repent and believe. Not that God will make SOME of us do so, while never intending anyone else believe. “For God so loved the world” is taken literally by most baptists, not to mean God loves part of the world. And most baptists believe “whosoever” MEANS whosoever!
Indeed, most baptists have no problem with singing “Jesus loves you, this I know” instead of, “Jesus loves some of you and hates the rest...”!