What Is A Reformed Baptist?: An Overview of Doctrinal Distinctives

by Tom Hicks

A Reformed Baptist is a Christian who believes in the great doctrines recovered by the Protestant Reformation, including the sufficiency of Scripture for the church, salvation by God's free grace, justification by faith alone, the importance of God's good law and the gospel of Jesus Christ, the centrality of the church in the life of the believer, and the great doctrine of Christian liberty. This book argues that Reformed Baptists are not particularly unique, but are simply biblical Christians who fall within the theological stream of the historic Reformed faith, and who are also baptistic in their doctrine of the church. This is not a polemical work. Rather, it makes a positive case for the doctrines cherished by Reformed Baptists. It is hoped that this book will benefit motivated laymen, broadly evangelical pastors, Baptist pastors, and Reformed paedobaptist pastors who want to understand what their Reformed Baptist brethren believe.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity

281 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2024

Reviews

[Brenden Wentworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Already gonna say this will be my favorite book of 2025!

Have anxiously waited for a book like this to come (and if one didn’t, maybe write it myself or something). People in my life have asked me numerous times over the years, “what is a reformed baptist anyway?” when I say that I would count myself one.

Now, thanks to the God-given efforts of Tom Hicks, I have a book to hand to someone who wants a comprehensive look at what reformed baptist theology is. Hicks, a pastor-theologian in the truest sense of the term, ably explains Reformed baptist convictions like: confessionalism, classical theism, the law of God, five solas of the reformation, law/gospel distinction, covenant theology, Calvinism, baptist church government & life, regulative principle of worship, and the sweetness of Christian liberty

What a gift this volume is and it’s my top recommended book of the year already

[Matthew Bloomquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a win for reformed baptists! Great introduction to understanding the biblical, theological, and historical roots of the reformed baptist tradition. Definitely would use this for Church catechizing.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent 👌🏽💯

[Taylor Callen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clarifying, encouraging, and a deep breath of fresh air.

I should say up front that I’m a bit biased. Years ago, at a friend’s wedding where Tom Hicks was the officiant, it was by God’s that I got to sit at the same table as Tom Hicks during the reception. Back then I was still in seminary and struggling to wrap my mind around covenant theology, and Tom graciously answered my questions and we ended up talking for a couple hours. That one conversation taught me more than most classes in seminary and convince me to not only stay a credo baptist, but to actually love Reformed Baptist covenant theology.

And in this book you get the sense both of his deep theological mind and his gracious pastoral spirit. I’m so thankful he wrote this book and I think it will bless generations of believers to come.

The chapter on the historic roots was incredibly helpful and made me appreciate early church history in a way I didn’t expect.

His chapter on the Law and the Gospel might be the best short treatment I’ve seen from a Reformed Baptist. Too many in our camp drift into all law, no Gospel or all Gospel, no law. Hicks refuses both ditches, but instead finds the perfect balance.

And then the chapter on Christian liberty was pure gold. Reformed Baptists have (sometimes deservedly) earned a reputation for legalism, so watching Hicks root Christian freedom in our own theological heritage felt like a much-needed reset button. He lands the plane beautifully by correcting legalism without swerving into antinomianism, and doing so in a way that actually strengthens the Gospel.

Overall, this book encouraged me, instructed me, and honestly emboldened me in my own convictions. If you’re curious about Reformed Baptist theology Hicks is a trustworthy guide.

[Will O'kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid intro to Reformed Baptist theology.

[Timothy Crockett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, very informative, and a big help in adding yet another layer of understanding when it comes to the Reformed faith and Baptists. Being a Baptist myself and seeking to understand more of Baptist History, I found it helpful. Knowing our roots and practices throughout church history is just as important today as it was in time past.

This is the first time reading anything by Tom Hicks, so I was pleasantly surprised at his writing style, content, and format of this book.

I believe the aim of the book will be to - "benefit motivated laymen, broadly evangelical pastors, Baptist pastors, and Reformed paedobaptist pastors who want to understand what their Reformed Baptist brethren believe." Those with an open mind and a willingness to learn will see that it was accomplished here.

Here is a sampling of the chapters and material covered:

1) Historical Roots - I agree with his sentiment on page 6 - "Reformed Baptists trace their theological heritage back to the church fathers, down through the Middle Ages, to the Protestant Reformation and to the post-Reformation period. " Spurgeon and others also held to this.

2) Confessionalism - something I am currently researching and seeing as needful given the apostate condition within Christendom

3) Calvinism - In his words regarding the definition of Calvinism, "Calvinism is a technical theological term that refers to the Bible's God-Centered theology, particularly sovereign grace in salvation." pg. 151

4) Regulative Principle of Worship - Was relieved to read his important insight into this form of worship. This is something I agree with, and well aware of those things that go outside the boundaries of the scripture or that tend towards unorthodoxy or pragmatism.

5) Christian Liberty

There are nine chapters altogether, each one going into detail with respect to its chapter headings. The book is 264 pages, with a scripture index, a reading list for Reformed Authors.

Yes, I would recommend this book!

[Jeremy Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for two reasons: Tom Hicks is great on the law/gospel distinction and the list of Reformed Baptist resources. Hicks did not disappoint. This book is a highly readable introduction to Reformed Baptist beliefs. Whether you are new to Reformed Baptist teaching or well-acquainted, this book will be beneficial.

[Charles Sager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great basic read that serves as a popular systematic theology book from a reformed Baptist perspective

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! I loved this. Clearly and concisely laid out what a reformed baptist believes. I can’t wait to dig in more

[Nathaniel Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Justin McLarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for a very basic understanding of Reformed Baptist distinctives, but I wouldn’t say it does the greatest job arguing for those distinctives.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

overall a good introduction to confessional Baptist theology. it covers various topics such as covenant theology, RPW, the law of God, and Christian liberty. some chapters were better than others in terms of content and there is a very brief mention of believers baptism in the chapter on the doctrine of the church, but not a detailed defense of credobaptism. The chapter in covenant theology focuses more on the covenants of redemption, works, and grace and does not address the dichotomous nature of the Abrahamic covenant compared to other books on Baptist covenant theology. The chapter on the law of God was good, but it would have been helpful to the reader to introduce the two distinct uses of law and gospel earlier in the chapter rather than at the end to follow the train of thought more clearly.

I agreed with most of the content presented, but the chapter on the Regulative Principle of Worship could use some improvement on a few sections. Hicks only briefly explained elements and circumstances of worship. There was a very brief remark that the etymology of the word for psalms in Ephesians 5:19 justifies singing with instruments, but then Hicks immediately qualifies this and says that instruments should never drown out Congregational singing (pg. 233). This type of argument commits the etymological fallacy and is invalid. it also ignores the history of redemption that instruments were positive law and ceremonial law under the Mosaic covenant that has now ceased. there is no New Testament command to use instruments in worship, therefore based on the Regulative Principle of Worship nstruments are not to be used for corporate worship. Hicks also doesn't mention that many in the confessional Baptist tradition opposed using instruments in corporate worship such as Charles Spurgeon and John Gill, and many early particular baptists held to Exclusive Psalmody (Nehemiah Coxe) prior to Keach's introduction of hymns during the 1690 hymn sing controversy. Even after Keach some particular baptists still affirmed exclusive psalmody such as John Gill. Hicks assumes that "psalms, hymn, and spiritual songs" are any type of hymns and makes no mention about the positive commands to sing from the book of Psalms in corporate worship, which even inclusive psalmodists would agree is required by scripture and the regulative principle of worship. Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 both describe corporate worship and based on the RPW even those who deny EP would need to concede that Psalms are commanded to be sung in corporate worship by the New Testament.

[Ethan Abell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall pretty good! Very historical which I appreciated. I think he said at the beginning that his goal was to provide more of a clear understanding of what it means to be a Reformed Baptist as a whole instead of focusing in on narrow debates/arguments. His three main points on what it means to be a Reformed Baptist were 1. Historical 2. Confessional 3. Covenantal if I remember correctly. He also talked about the unity of reformed baptists before barely hitting on baptism. I would’ve liked to see more discussion on baptism but I can see why there wasn’t a whole lot there. The reason I give it 3 stars is because it seemed like he repeated himself quite a lot (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) without going into deeper content and context. Also, I still think he should’ve talked about baptism more. :)

[Gabe Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read! This is probably going to be my favorite book of the year. It em was refreshing and encouraging and Pastor Hicks has a way of saying the same things with a different spin but same meaning that was incredibly helpful.

The title could have easily been “What is Biblical Christianity?” or “What is the framework of how to understand the Bible and Church?” or maybe something along the Christian life from a theological and practical perspective since it was just such a good overview of the robust ancient, orthodox, Reformed Baptist theology.

This is a VERY readable book by the way Pastor Hicks writes and how the chapters are broken up. I’d encourage everyone (and I am encouraging everyone) to read this book and buy it since it’s an excellent resource to have and to share.

Soli Deo Gloria!

[Isiah O’Merreighn · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I sometimes disagree with Hicks approach to things. This book is a solid introduction to Reformed Baptist theology, worship and confession. Though as he himself states, not all Reformed Baptists are the same. If you have a family member or fellow believer who doesn’t understand the difference, or, if you yourself maybe unclear, I highly recommend this as a straightforward guide to the Reformed Baptist Church.

For an example regarding Hicks (along with many others), weird nitpicking that turns many off. In Chapter eight, pg. 236, he attempts to compare shaking each other’s hands to violations of regulative worship such as; clown shows, smoke machines, Hokey Pokey and puppet shows. In the Reformed Baptist church I grew up in, we started every worship service shaking hands, introducing ourselves, having conversation and making new members feel at home. we continued this practice when I was an Elder at another church, it never stifled true worship, nor the regulative principle. I find that falls under the commands to fellowship, show brotherly love, and commune with one another.

[Spencer Zeigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. This book contains a clear and concise overview of historic Reformed beliefs that many traditions can and will agree on, and specific doctrinal distinctives that make Reformed Baptists unique, while still remaining in the Reformed stream.

This book would be a great read for anyone who is looking to understand Reformed Baptist beliefs better - whether you’re a regular run-of-the-mill evangelical believer, or a Presbyterian who wants to take an honest look at what their Baptist brothers believe.

[Daniel Scheiderer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reformed Baptists agree with Christian orthodoxy, particularly in the form expressed by the Protestants. However, there are things that distinguish them as Reformed Baptists, and those things are the kinds of things I as a Pastor regularly find myself having to explain to help people coming in from broader evangelicalism. Hicks does a magnificent job of laying down these distinctions in a way that is accessible, clear, and thorough. I recommend all Reformed Baptists not only read it, but purchase extra copies for your church.

[Erik Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was eager to read Hicks’ book on the defining aspects of Reformed Baptists. I was hoping for concise and clear writing on key theological distinctiveness and this is what I found. Hicks walks through topics such as covenant, the law, the regulative principle of worship, and the law gospel distinction. He writes with clarity and an irenic spirit that characterized the original signers of the Second London Confession. I’m grateful for this new work and look forward to handing it out and using it to help others better understand and embrace a Confessional Baptist theology.

[Shellie Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly detailed, informative, and explanatory read. All in a good way! I truly enjoyed it, even though it took much more effort to read than most books I'm used to. This is all new territory for me as well, and I'm sure that plays a role in it. There were words I was looking up, things I needed to turn a few pages back to refresh my memory, and things I had to pause and think through. All of these are good things, because I'm learning one way or another. I know much more than I did when starting this book, but it wasn't beyond my understanding. I highly recommend.

[Joseph Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those who have been swimming in the Reformed Baptist water for a while won’t find much new here, but the book is still a helpful refresher on many topics. For those who are NEW to the world of confessional baptists, this book is an excellent introduction. It deserves a space on the shelf of every Reformed Baptist church’s library (and keep a box of copies on hand for new members if the budget allows).

[Daniel Fahringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly Biblical, well written and researched with a treasure trove of historic Reformation theology, belief and practice. I love how it provides both the Biblical understanding as well as the practical, historic Reformation thought that shapes what we believe and the why and how of practice.

For anyone who considers themselves Reformed this book is a must read.

[Nathaniel Hintzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has done a profound good in helping me understand the biblically rich doctrines that outline what it means to be a Reformed Baptist. It covers a lot of ground from God's law, to Calvinism, to Christian Liberty, all the while explaining each doctrine with exceptional clarity and ease. I came for doctrinal distinctions, but I stayed for excellent teaching on beautiful Christian truths.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does an excellent job of outlining the distinctives of Reformed Baptist theology. It's incredibly clear and easy to read. This will be a valuable resource for congregants who are struggling with different aspects of our church's teachings: I'd be happy to refer them to the appropriate chapter of this book.

[Colin Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a helpful book, especially regarding the need for confessionalism in Baptist churches. I found Hicks to be a bit dogmatic on the need to hold strictly to the 1689 confession and the necessity of Covenant Theology to be a reformed Baptist. Under his definition, I wouldn’t be considered reformed because I hold to progressive coventalism which isn’t in accord with the 1689.

[Wescott Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. I really enjoyed this. The chapters on the unity between reformed baptists and those who wrote the Westminster confession, along with the chapter on Christian liberty were most helpful.

[David J. Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceedingly clear and easy to navigate, but thoroughly informative.

[Zach Scheller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the way.

Hicks spends time working through key Reformed Baptist distinctives, the biblical basis for them, and why they’re important to the overall framework of Reformed Baptist Theology.

[Andrew Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Answers the question it poses.

[Jackson Stead · Rating 5 out of 5]

👍🏻

[Nathan Witter · Rating 4 out of 5]

great clarity in his framework of who a Reformed Baptist is in faith and practice