Thursday, January 17, 2008
Evangelists and Calvinists
I find it somewhat amusing that some SBC Evangelists are bemoning the rise of Calvinism in the SBC (see BP article from Jan. 11th). Don't they know that George Whitfield was one of the greatest evangelists ever and that he was a hard-core Calvinist? or how about the great "soul-winner" and baptist pastor C.H. Spurgeon? He was also a Calvinist. This reflects a larger debate in the SBC over this subject. The main points of Evangelical Calvinism are 1) man is unable to save himself. 2) God chooses to save sinners. 3) Christ attoned for the sins of all who have or will believe in Him by shedding His blood and dying on the cross in their place. 4) The Holy Spirit effectually draws men to Christ through the Gospel and 5) a true believer will be saved. These are all biblical truths concerning salvation. Most Baptist's hold to these tenets, so I don't see what all the fuss is about?
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4 comments:
That's a good synopsis, Dr. Bob. My home church, Emmanuel Baptist, is calvinistic, yet it is growing and vibrant and - dare I say it? - quite Spirit-filled.
Amen, here is the new paradigm for orthodoxy reformed, spirit-filled and baptist!
Good thoughts, Pastor Bob. I wonder if these evangelists fear a decrease in actual evangelism, or if they fear that a bunch of Calvinistic pastors will not be too keen on inviting them and their sock-puppet sidekicks to "do revivals."
Many preachers pick something to be "against" because it is easy to do and it gathers followers, IMO.
Gordan: "Sock-puppet sidekicks." Funny phrase because it is true, yet altogether sad. Points to the vast difference between biblical evangelism and the "Finneyism" so prevalent within SBC life.
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