The Gospel According to Dr. David Allen and Al Mohler: Is the Official Southern Baptist Gospel Biblical?
“So, what is it exactly that both camps agree with? What is this Calvinism that is fundamentally orthodox according to Dr. David Allen?”
Well, yesterday was full of learning. I think the most important thing I learned is that Southern Baptist leaders are like wrestlers in the World Wrestling Federation. They fight in the ring, and go out together for beer afterwards. Another thing I learned is that both parties (Calvinists/Arminians) have a vested financial interest in keeping the SBC undivided. Truth is not the issue here, at issue is the salvation of the SBC financial machine monetized by the sheep they deem as still totally depraved. And sadly, like WWF fans, the sheep think these guys are really fighting.
Some of my wisest mentors have been totally depraved. Not in regard to ethics, but in regard to reality. As a young, and naive new restaurant assistant manager, the elderly general manager sat me down and stated, “Paul, this is how it works; if you prefer, rape the waitresses, steal the food, and put stuff in the customer’s meals, but don’t mess with the money.” I fear the SBC is little different.
Calvinism versus Arminianism in the SBC? “The Watershed issue in the SBC for the next 5-10 years”? How many SBC parishioners watch WWF? Bless their hearts, in the same way that WWF fans love their favorite wrestlers, many SBC congregants love the “T” word: truth. That’s a problem. At this year’s John 3:16 Conference, a couple of young restaurant managers asked the Southwestern Seminary elites what they were going to do about the Calvinist problem in the SBC. Dr. David Allen, the wise general manager, set them straight. Those Calvinists are our brothers, and Calvinism is not outside of “Christian orthodoxy.” And it goes without saying that Al Mohler over at Southern, “ground zero for the Neo-Calvinist movement,” would agree with Allen wholeheartedly. As one leader stated during the same conference, the big match is “a family matter.” Yes Sally May, bring us another round.
Both parties even have mutual foes that disrupt family harmony. Dr. James White points to those pesky hyper Arminians while Dr. Allen points to those pesky hyper Calvinists. As a pastor you learn one thing in a hurry: if you want a two party beat down, get in the middle of a family dispute and take sides.
So, both sides agree: there are merely residual disagreements in regard to Calvinism, but fundamentally, it is “orthodox.” So why the conference? That answer becomes as easy as A,B,C: the fans shouldn’t expect the wrestlers to really kill each other, that wouldn’t be Christian-like. The conference wasn’t a stand for the truth, it was wise counsel from the general managers to the fans. They said as much:
This strand of Baptist life, Caner said, ran concurrent with the stronger Calvinistic one from the Philadelphia Baptist Association and both have existed within Southern Baptist life since the founding of the convention.
Caner asserted that much of the theological disunity could be resolved if there was more evangelistic methodological unity, particularly using an altar call.
Southern Baptist history, Caner said, demonstrates that revival and the methods of evangelism associated with historic “revival meetings” will be what halts “discussion over doctrinal differences” and stops “theological infighting.”
So, what is it exactly that both camps agree with? What is this Calvinism that is fundamentally orthodox according to Dr. David Allen? Well, in the Calvin Institutes, Calvin teaches that the “washing”; i.e., salvation, is “perpetual,” and the atoning work of Christ on the cross is also perpetual (3.14.11). I kid you not.
In 4.1.21,22, and elsewhere, Calvin states that sins committed in the Christian life separate us from grace, and we must therefore receive daily salvific forgiveness of sins, and this forgiveness can only be found in the institutional church and under the authority of pastors. This should give relevant meaning to the “We must preach the gospel to ourselves every day” jingle that is popular among SBC leaders.
I could go on and on and on with examples, but you get the point.
The SBC fans are paying good money to have their gospel picked for them while the SBC elite laugh about it at the local pub over a few cold ones. It’s time for that gig to be over.
Trust me, the fans have God’s permission to choose their own gospel. You do not have to go to a conference to get permission from elitist charlatans. Take me for instance, I am a licensed Southern Baptist pastor, and I confess that Dr. David Allen can take his false gospel and stuff it in a place of his choosing. No pun intended.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
Reblogged this on Clearcreek Chapel Watch.
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Paul . . . your my idol
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Paul loved that first part!!
This was a discussion I was having with Wade Burleson about being kind (I was in disagreement with Wade) to those who “disagree”, such as Driscoll, Piper, etc…Then he stated that Mandela was kind and loving, as he got along with the apartheid leader after his imprisonment. First, I said that Mandela was not a good guy, he was a communist. He was willing to work with the apartheid leader because they have the same goals- control. Mandela was best friends with Castro, Khadafi, etc… who in turn murdered thousands (of course I got tons of posts against mine and to be expected). The reason so many put Mandela on a pedestal is because of a few observable clues: he’s black, against racism (used it to his benefit however), and the media made him popular; but his ideology is where people need to take notice. He actually wrote an article on How to be a Good Communist! If that does not clue you in to his belief system I do not know what would!
The same is with these guys- they do not care about the sheep and if they can fool you, they will. They will make it look like they will do something about the issues, but behind the scenes it is a different story. The reason I come on here is because you get to the nitty gritty of it and focus on their ideology, not on the issues.
The issues are just the product of their belief system, but to actually kill the tree you got to get to the roots or it keeps coming back (and maybe even stronger).
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T4H,
I did a post on Wade’s (and that guy Ken’s) recent shenanigans this morning. His compassionate Calvinism (soft tyranny) caught my eye as it did yours. I appreciate your responses to him. I would comment there, but Dee has excommunicated me, and I thought Wade’s thoughts deserved a whole post.
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T4H,
Your last paragraph in your comment to Paul was exactly right. It is not only a great point, but it is the only really relevant point in this entire fight.
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Yea they gave Wade a free pass, but you are exactly right about his soft Calvinism. I did notice it.
I am appalled that we give men who are elitist, powerful, and dangerous a pass, but give a “commoner” grief for calling out wickedness.
This is what many do not want to get- there are men/women ( and quite a few) whose consciences are seared.
Wade and others feel that we must give a pass to some of their little nuances and show a “little grace”.
These sociopaths have no desire for redemption nor do they have empathy- it is gone, adios. These men were also the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. Also many of these same types of people have an ideology that they push down the throats whether you show them a “little Christian love” or not. They don’t freaking care! Just talk with a psychiatrist who has had to deal with narcissists/ sociopaths and ask them if these men ever ” become cured” or not. The statistics are high that they won’t- unfortunate fact, but true. And let’s say that these men or women “get cured” whose to say it was not a dastardly ploy on the part of the abuser to get away with it by acting out the part of the sinner in need of redemption. These people are not to be dealt with and would have to say several of celebrity church leaders are not who they SEEM to be.
I can tell you right now that I see this well because I know myself well. I was manipulative when I was younger.
I could pour on charm in a minute and knew I could get what I wanted. Thankfully, the fear of God was in me and I valued Him more, BUT if I would have chosen to walk my own way I could have become a narcissist and my conscience seared. I don’t really care telling the truth about myself because I am secure I Him and I owe it all to Him for loving me, but the choice remains for anyone to either walk so far that it will take literally a miracle to see Christ as the loving Redeemer- not that it can’t happen, but rare. This is indeed a scary thing.
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I will look at your post by the way- thanks for your dialogue…..it gets my noggin a major workout.
🙂
By the way, what did you say to get knocked off of TWW?
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Paul they are going to a lot of trouble for unity. The tyranny of unity. There is nothing spiritual about it. My guess is it has more to do with GuideStone than anything else. All those pastor pensions are wrapped up in SBC Guide stone. _
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Lydia,
For sure, something, because I think they know what Calvin believes. They are looking the other way.
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T4H,
And if you notice, Wade argues from the idea that calling out evil ALWAYS takes a back seat to your own depravity. And this is in perfect keeping with Calvin’s theme of immoral equivalency. Since we are all fundamentally corrupt, no one EVER has an excuse for seeking justice. For confronting evil. EVERY action from you is ultimately self-serving because it is a direct function of your existence; and because your very existence is what is wrong with you, you are never qualified to judge anything. This is why Wade stresses kindness and love and “grace” (and they blow the whole definition of “grace” by the way…they have no idea what grace really is) instead of justice, mercy, and the sanctity of human life. Because he doesn’t really think human life is all that important. Every one is obliged to commit suicide for everyone else( or rather to DIE in service to the doctrine which says that the pinnacle of your moral good is your death. Is to remove from the face of the earth your very existence, which is an affront to God.
This is not Christian; this is pure Gnosticism.
As for why I got booted…well, basically I wrote on Wartburg the same things about Wade that I just typed to you LOL. I told him his doctrine was evil.
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Argo, so well put my friend….
I understand what you are saying about WAdes philosophy. Now with Wade/ Calvinists this is definitely where I could say their belief system is evil because of the absolute void of freely choosing whom to this day I will serve. This is where they can twist verses like “love your enemy” into “you have no choice but to give into your enemies and allow them to do whatever to you or anyone else”. Evil vs. wrong choices = the same definition. There is no difference.
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