WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE SBC?

[This article originally published here:  Wild Boar Issue #1 - January 1996 ]

August 10-12, 1995 saw the meeting of the Second Biannual C.H. Spurgeon Pastor's Conference on the campus of William Jewell College. The conference exist to promote the study of Calvinism or (as it is more popularly called) "the doctrines of grace" among Baptists, with historical inspiration being drawn from the life and teaching of the great Baptist preacher, C.H. Spurgeon. The highlight of this year's meeting was the panel discussion held on Friday morning regarding recent developments within the Southern Baptist Convention. The participants in the discussion were R. Albert Mohler, the recently hired President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Mark Coppenger, the brand new President of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; and Timothy George, the Dean of Beeson Divinity School. The title of the discussion was "What's Going On in the SBC?" The answer: Calvinism is making a comeback! This can be seen not only in the fact that these three men (Calvinist all) have been installed in prominent Baptist schools, but also in the respectful hearing that Calvinism is being given thoughout Baptist circles.

It is no secret that the historical roots of the SBC are firmly planted in the doctrines of grace.(note 1) The denomination was started by churches which were nearly all confessionally grounded in the Calvinistic Philadelphia Confession of Faith, and whose first seminary adopted the thouroughly Calvinistic "Abstract of Principles" as its theological basis. Of course, the twentieth century saw a steady decline of Calvinism among Southern Baptist until it not only became the minority report, but also an object of scorn and fear

Timothy George blames this decline on the theological apathy and general historical ignorance of most Southern Baptist in this century. However, this mood has taken a dramatic swing in recent years. Because of the recent controversy over biblical inerrancy, Baptists are gaining a new interest in theology and church history. Baptist want to know what their forefathers believed and why, and they want to know what they themselves are supposed to believe as biblical Christians. In this new milieu, Baptist Calvinist are gaining a new respect. Their rich heritage, their biblically-based theological convictions, and their acute ability to articulate their views are a welcome change from the ahistorical, theologically carefree attitude that has permeated much of SBC life in recent decades.

All three participants are very irenic and conciliatory toward their non-Calvinist brothers. Mohler, for instance, makes it clear that he is not out to convert every Baptist to Calvinism. Nevertheless, this should not be taken as a lack of conviction on his part. He is up front about what he considers the danger of Arminianism (Calvinism's ancient rival). In fact, Mohler insists that there are really only two options in theology: "Calvinism and various forms of unbelief."

The publishers of this newsletter take Mohler's remarks (and those of his co-participants) as a breath of fresh air, and it is our prayer that the interest in the doctrines of grace among Southern Baptists will continue to increase.

1. For a historical survey of the rise and decline of Calvinism in the SBC, see the several excellent articles in the recent Sesquicentennial issue of The Founders Journal 19/20 (Winter/Spring 1995)

VOICES FROM THE PAST

 [This article originally published here:  Wild Boar Issue #1 - January 1996 ]

Spurgeon on the Downgrade

[Solomon once wrote that there is nothing new under the sun. We believe that this is equally true when it comes to theological error. Every heresy and unbiblical practice that can be found in the church today is merely a repeat or modification of a problem that plagued the church in earlier times. This being so, it can often prove fruitful to look to great Christians of the past for insight in dealing with some comtemporary manifestation of an old error. We must never forget the old adage: he who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it. In this issue we turn to the writings of Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, whose struggles with what was called The Downgrade Controversy can shed much light on the modern trend toward "user-friendly" churches.- - Editor]
 
Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true of false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better....(note 1) 
 
The fact is, that many would like to unite church and stage, cards and prayer, dancing and sacraments. If we are powerless to stem this torrent, we can at least worn men of its existence, and entreat them to keep out of it. When the old faith is gone, and enthusiasm for the gospel is extinct, it is no wonder that people seek something else in the way of delight. Lacking bread, they feed on ashes; rejecting the way of the Lord, they run greedily in the path of folly...(note 2)
 
The extent to which sheer frivolity and utterly inane amusement have been carried in connection with some places of worship would almost exceed belief. . . . There can be not doubt that all sorts of entertainments, as nearly as possible approximating to stage-plays, have been carried on on connection with places of worship, and are, at this present time in high favor. Can these things promote holiness, or help in communion with God? Can men come away from such things and plead with God for the salvation of sinners and the sanctification of believers? We loathe to touch the unhallowed subject; it seems so far removed from the walk of faith and the way of heavenly fellowship. In some cases the follies complained of are even beneath the dignity of manhood, and fitter for the region of the imbecile than for thoughful men. (note 3)
 
I trust I am not given to finding fault where fault there is not; but I cannot open my eyes without seeing things done in our churches which, thirty years ago, were not so much as dreamed of. In the matter of amusements, professors have gone far in the way of laxity. What is worse, the churches have now conceived the idea that it is their duty to amuse the people. . . . What folly has been left untried? What absurdity has been to great for the consciences of those who profess to be the children of God, who are not of the world, but called to walk with God in a separated life? (note 4)

1. "Preface," The Sword and the Trowel (1888 complete volume) iii.
2. "Another Word Concerning the Downgrade," The Sword and the Trowel (August 1887) 398.
3. "Restoration of Truth and Revival," The Sword and the Trowel (December 1887) 606.
4. "A Dirge for the Downgrade, and a Song for Faith," The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 35 (London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1889) 267-68.

THE ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

[This article originally published here:  Wild Boar Issue #1 - January 1996 ]

The Eternal Perspective is the basis for a comprehensive Christian world view

Theologians love to use Latin words and phrases. Though not always obvious to the novice, there is a good reason for this. Latin has a grand propensity for capturing and communicating deep, meaningful truths in short, pithy expressions. One Latin phrase in particular would make a wonderful life motto for any Christian. Here it is: sub specie aeternatatis (pronounced sub spee-cee ay-ter-na-tah-tis). Literally, it means "under the species of the eternal." A more memorable translation, though, would be "from the eternal perspective."

The eternal perspective has to do with wiewing life from the vantage point of eternity. It is the idea that what happens in this world, what we think and do, has eternal significance. The eternal perspective is the perspective of God, who sees the "big picture" of reality. For Him, the mundane circumstances of our lives are part of a larger whole which has pupose and meaning beyond the here and now.

For Christians, the eternal perspective is crucial because all of life is supposed to be lived coram deo (another Latin phrase!). To live coram deo is to live "before the face of God." That is, all that we do, say, and think is to take place with the awareness of God's presence and directed toward His glory. We need the eternal perspective in order to live before God, to know how to glorify Him in all of life. The eternal perspective will impact the way we worship, the way we pray, the way we relate to others, how we handle possesions, and much more. The eternal perspective is the basis for a comprehensive Christian world view.


How do we gain this eternal vantage point on life? Paul, in First Corinthians 2:16-19, declares that Christians have "the mind of Christ," by which they have access to the "deep things of God" revealed by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit discloses these deep things in the Scriptures. By studying the Bible and relying upon the spiritual guidance the Spirit gives us, we can have the eternal perspective.

THE WILD BOAR?

[This article originally published here:  Wild Boar Issue #1 - January 1996 ]

When the Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther, was spreading his ideas for reforming the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo X issued his famous papal bull Exsurge Domine. In this proclamation, the Pope likened Luther to a "wild boar" loose in the Lord's vineyard. Of course, the Pope intended the name "wild boar" in a derogatory manner. He believed that Luther was a heretic and that the Catholic Church needed no correction. Luther was seen as a dangerous man who must be stopped. Luther was indeed making havoc of the Roman Church, but he was not heretic. He was calling into question many of the false teachings and human traditions that the Church had accrued over the years. Most importantly, he was challenging the system of works-righteous that had usurped the true gospel of salvation by grace alone. Though seen by his enemies as a wild boar, Luther was in fact a man raised up by God to lead the church back to its biblical roots.

The title of this newsletter draws its inspiration from that "wild boar" of the sixteenth century. The editors and writers seek to do for the contempory evangelical church what Luther attempted to do in the Roman Catholic Church. It is our conviction that the church has once again drifted from its biblical moorings, and has adopted beliefs and practices that compromise the gospel. For example, the current move toward "user-friendly" churches which use modern marketing techniques to sell the gospel to religious "consumers" has created a man-centered distortion of Christianity. Here God, Christ, the Gospel, and the Church are consumer products that exist merely to stisfy the "felt needs" (read "idolatries") of the unchurched. There is little focus on sovereignty and holiness of God, no mention of sin and Hell, and no call to discipleship. As John MacArthur writes, "Instead of confronting the world with the truth of Christ, the market-driven megachurches are enthusiastically promoting the worst trends of secular culture."(note 1)
 
Another problem area is the wholesale adoption by evangelicals of secular self-esteem psychology. Christian counselors and pastors are subtly (sometimes blatantly!) buying into the unbiblical idea that people are basically good and that all of our emotional and behavioral problems are caused by low self-esteem. Robert Schuller even goes so far as to say that the worst "sin" a person can commit is to say, "I'm not worthy."(note 2) What ever happened to Paul's "There is none good, no not one." (Rom 3:12)? What about David's declaration that he (along with the rest of us) was a sinner from the time his mother conceived him (Ps 51:5)?

These issues are only the tip of the iceberg. They and other problems reveal a desperate need for many evangelicals to become wild boars in this vineyard of error. In this newsletter, we will expose such distortions of truth to the light of Scripture. We will follow the example of Luther, the first "wild boar," and attempt to "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God" (II Cor 10:5).

1. John F. MacArthur, Jr., Ashamed of the Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway, 1993) 71.
2. Roberts Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation (Waco: Word, 1982) 98.