Paul's Passing Thoughts

We Southern Baptists have our standards. I have been a Southern Baptist since 1983, and we are notorious for not confronting sin in our churches, unless the sin happens to be Calvinism. Leave? Why?  It’s way too much fun admitting our hypocrisy at SBC gatherings and watching the veins swell-up in people’s necks.

So, apparently, there is a Calvinism controversy going on in the SBC. Southern Baptists are concerned about an “aggressive Calvinism” that is growing in the SBC. The latest episode where those rascally Calvinists got a learnin’ was the rejection of Pleasant Valley Community Church’s bid to become part of the Daviess-McLean Baptist Association. The Association voted 104-9 to deny membership because, “It affirms the doctrine of election and grace. While we know the doctrine is not heresy, we do recognize that it is vastly different than the majority of churches within the DMBA.”

This particular association also voted to separate from a church in the association due to some sort of compromise that was deemed to be a serious issue. Therefore, they have something right that is rare today; they understand that church discipline is a universal matter. There are situations where Matthew 18:15-20 needs to be carried out between churches and the fourth step is the breaking of Christian fellowship between those churches. Church A will no longer fellowship with church B—this sends a very powerful message. Point in case: member/spouse A files an unbiblical divorce on member/spouse B. Their church leaders will not deal with the problem, other than to “pray about it.” Spouse B goes to the leadership of another church in the association and pleads for help. The other church tells the couple’s church to deal with the problem or they will. This would be the first step of church discipline between churches, and though I get a lot of flak for this position, I stand by it and believe it is 100% biblical.

So kudos for DMBA—except for the fact that Pleasant Valley Community Church is innocent of being Calvinistic. I checked out their website; they are New Calvinists, NOT (old) Calvinists. Big difference. In fact, old Calvinists don’t even like New Calvinists. One well known Calvinist said of New Calvinism:

 ….a seriously distorted Calvinism falling far, far short of an authentic life of obedience to a sovereign God. If this kind of Calvinism prospers, then genuine biblical piety will be under attack as never before.

And….

The new Calvinism is not a resurgence but an entirely novel formula which strips the doctrine of its historic practice, and unites it with the world.

Yet another well known Calvinist said:

This movement runs contrary to the Reformation and the Scriptures. It is dangerous and must be exposed and halted.

So, if real Calvinists are saying, “Ya, they are like us in name only, but they are dangerous and don’t obey God,” wouldn’t it behoove SBC folk to learn what the difference is? If they won’t fellowship with the devil they do know, what about the devil they don’t know? Seems to me if you are going to break fellowship with people, you should know what they are really guilty of.

Per the usual, we Southern Baptists are the best at making idiots of ourselves even when we do the right thing. The DMBA said, “While we know the doctrine is not heresy, we do recognize that it is vastly different than the majority of churches within the DMBA.”

Ugh. First, Old Calvinism is NOT “VASTLY” different from Southern Baptist doctrine. I have NEVER heard a Southern Baptist pray for someone to save themselves. Southern Baptist are only Arminians when they are evangelizing. After they get someone saved; trust me, they believe God does it all! Southern Baptists have a lot to learn from Calvin on discipleship. Then the DMBA said, ”…. we know the doctrine is not heresy.” That’s true about Calvinism, BUT NOT Pleasant View! Pleasant View Community Church does in fact hold to a heretical doctrine—Old Calvinists even say so!

So, the SBC is shooting “wolves,” but not the ones that are eating the sheep. Is that ok? After all, a wolf is a wolf, right? No, I have a better idea. The SBC needs to unite with the real Calvinists that have been in the SBC forever (and have never caused a problem) to get rid of New Calvinism. In the process, we might learn something from them.

New Calvinism is the New Covenant Theology/Gospel Sanctification/Sonship Theology  wolf in sheep’s clothing. They are not honest about who they are and deliberately hide behind the ignorance thereof. Um, DMBA, did you go to Pleasant View’s website? They say that they are a “Acts 29 church” (the church planting organization). Acts 29 came out of World Harvest which was founded by the father (Dr. John Miller) of Sonship Theology, a theology that has been banned in many Presbyterian churches (the church founded by Calvin). Also, ever heard of the Emergent Church, and their ties to Acts 29?

Please, please, my fellow Southern Baptists, get your head out of, um, er, uh, the sand.

paul