They Are Not All The Same: Critical Differences Between Assemblies of God and Baptists
The Assemblies of God (AG) denomination, as the largest Pentecostal body in the world, is known for its emphasis on Spirit baptism, spiritual gifts, and experiential worship. While AG churches share some core Christian doctrines with Baptist there are several key theological and ecclesiological differences that differentiate AG theology and practice from a Baptist standpoint.
1. The Authority of Scripture
Baptists hold to Sola Scriptura, affirming that the Bible is the final and sufficient authority in all matters of faith and practice. While the Assemblies of God affirm the authority of Scripture, they also emphasize ongoing prophetic revelations and modern-day apostolic ministry, which can sometimes undermine the sufficiency of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When authority is placed in the experience that someone has with the Word of God, a Baptist would say that the authority and infallibility of Scripture is undermined in the practice of those who follow AG teaching.
AG churches embrace continuationism—the belief that miraculous spiritual gifts such as prophecy, tongues, and healing continue today. Baptists who hold to cessationism argue that these extraordinary gifts were unique to the apostolic age and ceased with the completion of the biblical canon (1 Corinthians 13:8-10). The subjective nature of modern prophecies and tongues-speaking often leads to doctrinal instability, whereas Baptists insist on the sufficiency of Scripture alone for guiding the church. Additionally the practice of the divine gifts in AG culture fall outside the Biblical principles for the practice of those gift. Speaking in tongues, angelic language as popularly taught and practiced have now warrant in Scripture.
2. Spirit Baptism and the Second Blessing Doctrine
The Assemblies of God teach that Spirit baptism is a second, post-conversion experience, evidenced by speaking in tongues. Baptists reject this as unbiblical, maintaining that Spirit baptism occurs at conversion when a believer is united to Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 1:13-14). The idea of a subsequent Spirit baptism creates a two-tiered Christianity, where those who have experienced it are often considered more spiritually mature. This undermines the biblical teaching that all believers have the Holy Spirit fully at the moment of salvation (Romans 8:9). While Baptist would maintain there are spiritual children, young adults, and men (1 John 2:12-14) Baptist deny there are “tiers” of salvation. We believe the AG position inherently introduces a spiritual caste system in a church.
3. Corporate Worship and Emotionalism
AG worship services are often marked by spontaneity, emotional expressiveness, and an emphasis on personal spiritual experiences. While reverence and heartfelt worship are commendable, Baptists emphasize worship that is regulated by Scripture (the Regulative Principle of Worship). The excessive focus on emotional experiences and subjective encounters with the Spirit can lead to a neglect of biblical preaching and sound doctrine (John 4:24, Colossians 3:16). With an emphasis on experience and emotion, Baptist feel that AG worship focuses more on the experiences of worship rather than developing a lifestyle of worship.
4. Arminian Theology and Synergistic Salvation
The Assemblies of God hold to an Arminian view of salvation, teaching that God’s grace enables all people to choose salvation but does not sovereignly determine who will be saved. They also affirm that a believer can lose their salvation through willful sin and unbelief.
Baptists who hold to the doctrines of grace affirm monergistic salvation—that God unconditionally elects sinners and sovereignly brings them to faith in Christ (John 6:37-44, Romans 9:16). The AG’s emphasis on human free will undermines the biblical teaching of total depravity and God’s sovereign grace. Furthermore, the doctrine of losing salvation contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture that true believers are preserved by God (John 10:27-30, Philippians 1:6).
5. Ecclesiology and Church Governance
AG churches typically practice a congregational form of government but often lean towards charismatic leadership structures, where authority is given to pastors, prophets, and other spiritual leaders based on their anointing rather than biblical eldership qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9). Baptists insist on a biblically defined plurality of elders who shepherd the church through the Word. The AG model can sometimes lead to authoritarian leadership, personal revelations dictating church direction, and a lack of accountability.
While Baptists can affirm the Assemblies of God in their commitment to evangelism, and missions, significant doctrinal differences remain. The AG’s continuationist stance, Arminian soteriology, emphasis on subjective experiences, and view of Spirit baptism all diverge from a biblical understanding of theology. The Baptist tradition upholds the sufficiency of Scripture, the sovereignty of God in salvation, and worship that is regulated by God’s Word rather than personal experience.
