The
Free Will Baptist Symbol
The logo of the Free Will Baptists incorporates four symbols
used by the earliest communities in Christendom: the ship, the fish,
the anchor, and the cross.
In the four corners of the ship's sail,
the symbols of earliest Christianity are enhanced by modern emblems of
a vital, living faith - the HOLY
BIBLE, the LOAF
& CUP, the BASIN
& TOWEL and CLASPED
HANDS - the symbols of Free Will Baptists.
The SHIP
symbolizes the Church and represents all the members pulling in one
direction, guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Seeking to fulfill
Christ's last command to the Church, Free Will Baptists unite in one
purpose with one priority to proclaim the good news of the gospel
throughout the world.
The FISH
, represented in the symbol by the space between the bottom of the sail
and the top of the ship's body, is one of the most popular symbols for
Jesus Christ. Many believe that it was a secret symbol which identified
Christians during periods of persecution. The word "fish" in the first
century Greek (ichthus) is an acrostic for Jesus
Christ, Son of God, Savior.
The ANCHOR
on the bow of the ship symbolizes the Christian hope of salvation, "the
sure, strong and steadfast anchor of the soul."The CROSS forms the
emblem in the mast of the ship. It is the most familiar symbol in the
history of the world. The CROSS
- an instrument of execution and death turned into a worldwide emblem
of hope and love by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The BIBLE
has always been at the heart of our life as Free Will Baptists, the
centrality of the scriptures. Free Will Baptists adopt the Word of God
as our only rule of faith and practice. We believe the scriptures to be
inspired, inerrant, infallible and immutable.
The LOAF
& CUP represent the Lord's supper, one of the
gospel ordinances. This ordinance commemorates the death of Christ for
our sins in the use of the bread which He made the emblem of His broken
body and the cup the emblem of His shed blood. Participation in this
ordinance expresses love for Christ, faith and hope in Him, and serves
as a pledge of perpetual fidelity and faithfulness to Him.
The BASIN
& TOWEL historically symbolize the service and
outreach of the church, but for us it has an added significance of
representing our practice of washing the saints' feet.
The CLASPED
HANDS symbolize many things to us: fellowship, brotherhood
and the warmth of our faith. Perhaps
the most important thing symbolized by the clasped hands is our
commitment to reach out to people around the world with the good news.
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