Calvinistic trend in the SBC

So answer this question. Why did God have to put the angel with a flaming sword outside the garden after he DROVE Adam and Eve out? Maybe because they had the free will and the desire to go back to where they met with God on a daily basis?

 

Of course people make choices... no Calvinist I know denies that. Is that what you mean by free will? They may have the desire, and even choose to go back, but God still sovereignly prevents them from doing so huh? Seems as if God gets what He wills.

 

If people in Noahs days were all part of the "non chosen", then why preach the powerful gospel for 120 years? The ark was created big enough for more than just his family and a few animals. People rejected God!!

 

I hope we don't get sidetracked into a lengthy, and pointless, discussion about Calvinism vs. other views. This thread is a good one particularly about the nature of a convention like the SBC.

As I already said, I'm a "big tent" SBCer. I believe that as a convention we are better because of the Calvinists, Arminian, Dispensational, Covenant, and other evangelical theological viewpoints. I just don't understand why we have to keep narrowing the parameters of fellowship, it doesn't make sense to me and hurts the Kingdom of God.

One of the great things about the SBC, and one of the reasons I am a Southern Baptist, is our firm belief in cooperative missions and autonomy of the local church. My issue with movement against certain forms of perfectly acceptable evangelicalism in the SBC is that it seems to stifle the work of advancing God's Kingdom. I absolutely love to fellowship with my brethren from divergent theological walks. It is truly a special time during meetings to talk with them about their respective passions for evangelism, missions, and church life. Why would we want to drive out faithful members who give and go generously over some minor theological variance that is just as legitimate as others?

It truly troubles one that we have to check a box or affirm a set of peripherial doctrines in order to serve in a home denomination. Perhaps the most challenging in all of this is the movement to marginalizing faithful churches who don't want to play the political games from being able to contribute in a larger, more meaningful way.

I have plenty of brothers and sisters faithfully serving Christ in Bible believing, mission sending, cooperative program supporting Baptist churches that happen to read a few passage a bit differently than others. So long as we agree on the essentials of theology and doctrinal distinctives, why get distracted and devalue their legitimate ministry in light of a few (fairly) minor issues?

What value to God's Kingdom does rushing out faithful ministries serve?

 

Hoooah to the SBC getting more calvinist again. :thumbs: :jesus: :thumbs:

 

I personally would be more excited about baptists becoming more extroverted in sharing the Gospel than learning a new theological viewpoint.

 

Well Jesus is excited about us going and making disciples. Do you know what that involves? Teaching... theology. Do you know who has the greatest missions program in the world? Or is it really that you are not excited that what you call false theology or false doctrine is on the upswing in the SBC?

 

Are you speaking for yourself here or others? What missions programs are you involved in? How do you personally spread the Gospel? Seriously, i'm asking.

 

I agree.

Acknowledgment to a certain point of view is unfortunately seen as the qualifier of your spiritual life......to a dangerous degree, IMO.

 

Some folks are just anti-calvinists.

 

Not me. :thumbs:

Although I like to poke at those who get their feathers ruffled over silly things, like someone else not agreeing with them on the 5 points....gasp!

 

Sometimes I wonder if we're experiencing a modern day "scholasticism", in that there is so much emphasis on acknowledging a system of thought over anything else.

 

What is a disciple, rb? Is it someone who places the ins and outs of God into a systematic theology? What part of my post doesn't allude to discipleship?

Am I excited when a pastor during the course of a sermon states to compare our salvation experience to Romans 9? Of course not. That's promoting a man made theological view and NOT correct exegesis of Scripture!

 

BINGO! And hence the reason the SBC is becoming more calvinistic. Scripture isn't being mainly taught unbiasedly, but how that Scripture fits into the calvinistic mold.