Altar Calls not Biblical??

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The item below was prompted by a post I made on another thread. It was considered off topic there, wo I am posting it here.

PLEASE - I am not looking for confrontation, but rather explanation.

There seems to be some issues with, so called “Altar calls” which I, as a catholic, do not understand. Perhaps I simply don’t understand the concept or the objections but here is my take.
John the Baptist “Called” for the Jews to repent and be Baptized, and many came to be baptized. Again in Acts, on Pentacost, the Apostles Spoke Boldly and confidently and people came forward to be taken into the faith, something like 5000 that day I believe. Each of these instances could be considerd an “Altar Call” in my mind, since they were exhortations to repentance and baptism at the end of a message, or sermon.
The simple fact that “Altar Call” is not used in the Bible is really no argument since we also use terms that are not found in the Bible.

If my logic is flawed in the above, please correct me and explain why.

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
The item below was prompted by a post I made on another thread. It was considered off topic there, wo I am posting it here.

PLEASE - I am not looking for confrontation, but rather explanation.

There seems to be some issues with, so called “Altar calls” which I, as a catholic, do not understand. Perhaps I simply don’t understand the concept or the objections but here is my take.
John the Baptist “Called” for the Jews to repent and be Baptized, and many came to be baptized. Again in Acts, on Pentacost, the Apostles Spoke Boldly and confidently and people came forward to be taken into the faith, something like 5000 that day I believe. Each of these instances could be considerd an “Altar Call” in my mind, since they were exhortations to repentance and baptism at the end of a message, or sermon.
The simple fact that “Altar Call” is not used in the Bible is really no argument since we also use terms that are not found in the Bible.

If my logic is flawed in the above, please correct me and explain why.

Peace
James
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James,

I was a lifelong Southern Baptist. My understanding of altar calls was that it is a time for a person to do one or many things. Since we didn’t have a priest to confess our sins to or a time of confession outside of the service, the altar call was a chance for us to humble ourselves publicly and confess our sins out loud or privately. It was also a time of repentance and self-reflection on how the individual was living their lives.

And the most important aspect of it was for the person (persuaded by the sermon and music) to come clean to God and ask for salvation. Of course this is one of the distinct differences in theology between Protestants and Catholics.

I thought they were great. And I still think they serve a good purpose. There’s something to be said for a person who will go up in front of everyone, publicly acknowledging that they have issues to deal with before God.

Peace…

MW
 
JRKH said:
The item below was prompted by a post I made on another thread. It was considered off topic there, wo I am posting it here.

PLEASE - I am not looking for confrontation, but rather explanation.

There seems to be some issues with, so called “Altar calls” which I, as a catholic, do not understand. Perhaps I simply don’t understand the concept or the objections but here is my take.
John the Baptist “Called” for the Jews to repent and be Baptized, and many came to be baptized. Again in Acts, on Pentacost, the Apostles Spoke Boldly and confidently and people came forward to be taken into the faith, something like 5000 that day I believe. Each of these instances could be considerd an “Altar Call” in my mind, since they were exhortations to repentance and baptism at the end of a message, or sermon.
The simple fact that “Altar Call” is not used in the Bible is really no argument since we also use terms that are not found in the Bible.

If my logic is flawed in the above, please correct me and explain why.

Peace
James
Click to expand...
Altar calls are not biblical. But does the same logic with altar calls and rededication altar calls apply to the Eucharist in regards to a perpuital sacrifice? Consider to book of Hebrews.
 
JRKH said:
The item below was prompted by a post I made on another thread. It was considered off topic there, wo I am posting it here.

PLEASE - I am not looking for confrontation, but rather explanation.

There seems to be some issues with, so called “Altar calls” which I, as a catholic, do not understand. Perhaps I simply don’t understand the concept or the objections but here is my take.
John the Baptist “Called” for the Jews to repent and be Baptized, and many came to be baptized. Again in Acts, on Pentacost, the Apostles Spoke Boldly and confidently and people came forward to be taken into the faith, something like 5000 that day I believe. Each of these instances could be considerd an “Altar Call” in my mind, since they were exhortations to repentance and baptism at the end of a message, or sermon.
The simple fact that “Altar Call” is not used in the Bible is really no argument since we also use terms that are not found in the Bible.

If my logic is flawed in the above, please correct me and explain why.

Peace
James
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I think your analysis is right. We are to call members of the congregation to repent of their sins and believe the gospel and to submit to baptism after instruction. The problem that those of us who not practice altar calls see is not so much the method but the theology behind the method.

It assumes that all it takes to convert some one is emotional exhortation to stir up feelings within the person (this was Charles Finney’s theology of the “anxious bench”). It assumes the person has the mental or spiritual capacity to believe simply as an act of the will. Scripture teaches against this concept. If an altar call is done right, with stern preaching of the Law, and the sweet message of the Gospel to follow the altar call won’t be necessary, really. The Holy Spirit will do His work in those who hear the message.
 
JRKH said:
The simple fact that “Altar Call” is not used in the Bible is really no argument since we also use terms that are not found in the Bible.
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That’s exactly what we want to point out to non-Catholics who accuse us of using terms “not found in the Bible” like Pope, Immaculate Conception, Purgatory, etc.
 
Reformed said:
Altar calls are not biblical. But does the same logic with altar calls and rededication altar calls apply to the Eucharist in regards to a perpuital sacrifice? Consider to book of Hebrews.
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A lot of things that both Protestants and Catholic believe and do aren’t biblical if by that we mean explicitly stated in some verse or passage. The Bible can only be interpreted, not used as an authority since authority does not lie in documents, no matter how holy, but in persons.

As to the Eucharist being a perpetual sacrifice, it is just that if we take into consideration that the sacrifice of Christ is offered in the eternal now. God does not reside within time–to him all things are now. This is why he never changes–because he is not within time nor limited by it. It’s his creation not his dwelling place nor a part of his essence.

Catholics believe that we are re-presenting in a sacramental manner the one sacrifice of Christ not that we are offering Jesus’ sacrifice again and again as if it is happening within time, again and again. This is a common misconception by many of our Protestant brethren just as some Protestant practices are odd to us, such as the reason for altar calls when there is no physical altar in the church for anyone to go to. See what I mean? 😉
 
I humbly participate in an Altar Call every time I pray the Holy Mass when I approach the Altar of Sacrifice to receive my Lord’s Body-Blood-Soul-Divinity in the Holy Eucharist.👍

I have seen Altar calls in baptist churches and they are quite emotional to say the least, but I believe they serve a wonderful purpose. Like others have stated though, their theology is a bit off. The Altar Call should be the beginning of their “Enduring to the End and Working out their Salvation with fear and trembling”, not the One Time event to salvation it is in some churches.

Faith is an act of the will, but we should not overlook the emotional aspects of it either. God created us all with both Intellect AND emotion.

As to the question of the thread,I believe that Altar Calls ARE biblical (just not the way its usually done in the protestant churches) and like the Doctrine of the Assumption of Mary (Which is TRUE) or the word TRINITY, its not spelled out “word -4- word” in scripture.
 
Reformed said:
Altar calls are not biblical. But does the same logic with altar calls and rededication altar calls apply to the Eucharist in regards to a perpuital sacrifice? Consider to book of Hebrews.
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I don’t know. 🤷
I’m making no judgement either way, just asking the question. - Getting great answers by the way.

I have just noticed that “Altar calls” have been brought up a number of times here and was curious to get a better understanding of what was being referred to by the term.

Peace
James
 
I want to preface this post by first stating that I intend no disrespect or insult. However, I have always wondered about the altar in an altar call. Specifically, what is it for? An altar really has only one purpose: for making a sacrifice. I’ll admit I’m assuming a bit here, but as far I know, none of the communities practicing altar calls performs any kind of sacrifice, so what is it used for? And if there is no altar, why call it an “altar” call?

Again, no disrespect intended, but this is just something I’ve always wondered, but never got around to asking.
 
I always thought “altar call” was a bit of a misnomer, as most fundamentalist/evangelical meetinghouses have no altar. 🤷

The practice of the altar call at the conclusion of a meeting was introduced by Mr. Finney in the second decade of the nineteenth century. It was not even practiced before the 1820’s. In the Bible, after a great bout of preaching by Paul or Peter, it always ended in the masses of people being regenerated by the Sacrament of Baptism, not coming up to the front of a church.

St. Paul never even heard of an altar call, yet today some consider the altar call to be a necessary mark of a truly Christian church. In fact, churches which do not practice it are often accused of having no concern for the lost. Neither Paul nor Peter ever climaxed his preaching with forcing upon his hearers the decision to walk to the front or not. My father is an Evangelical, and he agrees that it is a practice that should be discarded.
 
Matariel said:
I always thought “altar call” was a bit of a misnomer, as most fundamentalist/evangelical meetinghouses have no altar. 🤷

The practice of the altar call at the conclusion of a meeting was introduced by Mr. Finney in the second decade of the nineteenth century. It was not even practiced before the 1820’s. In the Bible, after a great bout of preaching by Paul or Peter, it always ended in the masses of people being regenerated by the Sacrament of Baptism, not coming up to the front of a church.

St. Paul never even heard of an altar call, yet today some consider the altar call to be a necessary mark of a truly Christian church. In fact, churches which do not practice it are often accused of having no concern for the lost. Neither Paul nor Peter ever climaxed his preaching with forcing upon his hearers the decision to walk to the front or not. My father is an Evangelical, and he agrees that it is a practice that should be discarded.
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It is interesting that most neo-evangelicals view the altar call/sinners prayer as the sacrament of regeneration that Christ didn’t institute. Yet they don’t believe in the sacrament that he did institute for regeneration 🤷
 
How did the protestants acknowledge salvation prior to “altar calls?”
 
cmevans said:
How did the protestants acknowledge salvation prior to “altar calls?”
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For Lutherans it has always been Baptism. In the case of both infants and adults. Though we realize an adult may possess saving faith prior to Baptism; we still consider them Christians only from the point of Baptism on.

For other Protestant groups from the time of the Reformation, the Anglicans, I believe, would’ve held to the same as Lutherans. For the Reformed, I believe it was public profession of faith before the congregation.
 
As a Free Methodist minister, I can confirm that alter calls are indeed a fairly recent custom in Evangelical churches. While they are not found in the Bible, they are not unbiblical. As others have said they can and do serve the purpose of allowing someone to admit before the congregation that they need to humbly “get something right with God”.

Often times the issue is not salvation, but something else for which the person is under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Most pastors, we try to make contact with each person who responds in order to offer prayer and council.

It is worth noting that Rick Warren no long issues alter calls. He believes that the danger is that knelling at an alter can and often does take the place of Baptism (which I firmly believe to be a Sacrament).

Through most of “evangelical history” - including both “great awakenings” - Adult Baptism was the most common expression of faith. In our denomination, we accept and on request perform infant baptism - but those who which to join the church must have been baptized as adults or publicly affirm their infant baptism.

For me the bottom line is this: The Bible makes it clear that Baptism the the sign of conversion - or to put it another way, the Bible nowhere envisions unbaptized Christians.

Just my $ .02 worth…
 
That answers my question in a kind and scripture based manner. Thank you.
 
PastorVW said:
As a Free Methodist minister, I can confirm that alter calls are indeed a fairly recent custom in Evangelical churches. While they are not found in the Bible, they are not unbiblical. As others have said they can and do serve the purpose of allowing someone to admit before the congregation that they need to humbly “get something right with God”.
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It depends on how you’re defining an altar call.

If you mean the modern pop-Christianity idea of “…and if you’d like to accept Jesus as your Savior, with every head bowed and every eye closed…”, then you’re right. That’s not Biblical.

But in it’s truest form, all an altar call really is is an opportunity to ask for prayer from the pastor or elders, which is exactly what James 5 tells us to do.
For me the bottom line is this: The Bible makes it clear that Baptism the the sign of conversion - or to put it another way, the Bible nowhere envisions unbaptized Christians.
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This being a Catholic message board, I’d like for you to clarify that, iffen you don’t mind.

Are you stating that baptism is the way that we identify ourselves as having been born again? Or are you stating that it is a means to salvation?
 
love4mary said:
I humbly participate in an Altar Call every time I pray the Holy Mass when I approach the Altar of Sacrifice to receive my Lord’s Body-Blood-Soul-Divinity in the Holy Eucharist.👍
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That’s what I call a real altar call! 👍
 
OK, I think I’m getting a handle on it.

The term Altar Calls can mean different things depending upon the specific denomination/preacher doing them but Altar Calls, as such, are not necessarily a bad thing.

“Altar Calls”, that take the place of “Baptism” are bad.

“Altar Calls” in the sense of the bible type calling of people to repentance and baptism are OK.

By the Way I like the reference someone made to the Catholic “Altar call” each week at mass. 👍

Peace
James
 
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