Apparently TULIP’s have thorns. At least that seems to be the conclusion reached by many in the “old-guard” of the SBC. Recently 15 Evangelists (why this is BP News I’m not sure) met to discuss the growing movement of Calvinism in the SBC. Apparently its costing them jobs. Tom Ascol responds here. Also, a Christianity Today article was written on the rise of Calvinism within the SBC. Within that article Frank Page (resisting the urge to add an adjective here) commented: “The totality of history shows the vast majority of Baptists have not been [Calvinists], so why go back to the founders?” Page said. “I think we need to go back to the Bible.” Timmy Brister responds here. (HT: JT)
Challies Blog Tour reaches Day 10. Today he is interviewed by Jonathan Leeman from Church Matters (the 9Marks blog). He asked these two questions: Tim, from your perspective as a layperson, what steps would you like to see more pastors taking to grow in discernment? And, Are there specific areas of church life and pastoring in which you find yourself wishing pastors would exercise greater discernment? Answers here.
Challies also writes a very good article on considering non-Christians “the enemy”. Why do some churches rarely see baptisms? Challies belief is that, “…the real problem in these churches was in their attitude towards the unbeliever. The person next door was the enemy, a person to be feared for what he might do to the family, and the children in particular, and thus someone to be regarded with distrust and suspicion rather than with love.”
The Wall Street Journal has ran a very interesting and quite ridiculous article on church discipline. It is, thankfully, making a “comeback” in many churches. It should not come as a surprise that it will start getting attacked by the world and less biblically minded believers. (HT: Denny Burk)
David Heim has a good article on Children’s Sermons. (HT: Transforming Sermons)
Phil Johnson, from Pyromaniacs, continues his series on Total Depravity. Here is a snippet: “We are born into this world as thoroughgoing sinners, not merely tainted a little bit by sin, but completely, hopelessly in bondage to it. Every aspect of our being mind, emotions, desires, and even our physical constitution,is corrupted, controlled, and disfigured by sin and its effects. No one escapes from that verdict. We are totally depraved.”
