Baptist Seminary Yokes with TD Jakes

[Jerome]

Dallas Morning News

will have students spending a week every other term at the Potter's House, getting practical experience under Jakes and other pastors. "They will be exposed to great worship leaders and great community leaders who hopefully will broaden the students' theological background," said L. Armstead Edwards, director of the program

Jakes comes from the Pentecostal tradition and Palmer's parent Eastern University is affiliated with American Baptist Churches USA. But doctrinal differences will not pose a problem for the partnership

 

[Revmitchell]

He denies the Trinity. No one should fellowship with him.

 

[Baptist Believer]

He denies the Trinity.

You're absolutely correct.

But it is important to recognize that he does it in a way that would probably slip by many Christians who are not attuned to historical doctrinal language.

It is interesting to see in "The Potter's House" Belief Statement, that they believe "There is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in three manifestations: Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

He has toned down the classic heresy of modalism (which United Pentecostals support) by claiming God "eternally exist in three manifestations." Notice that He does not use the term "Persons," which would indicate eternal distinctions between Father, Son and Spirit, but a simply "manifestations", which would indicate that God just 'appears' to be Father, Son, or Spirit as the situation demands it.

That's heresy...

Now Jakes is probably a nice guy and perhaps someone I would enjoy spending time with, but he is a false teacher and Christians have no business yoking themselves with false teachers.

It's funny that this should come up this week since I'm teaching through 1 John in Sunday School. We are talking quite a bit about false teachers in the midst of Christendom, and I specifically mentioned T.D. Jakes and this issue. It surprised everyone in the Sunday School class because they hadn't heard anyone talk about this before.

They weren't fooled by Joel Osteen though...

 

[Tom Bryant]

Isn't Eastern baptist where Tony Campolo teaches? Pretty certain that doctrine means little there.

 

[Baptist Believer]

Isn't Eastern baptist where Tony Campolo teaches?

Last I heard, Campolo taught at "Eastern College." However, they have changed their name to "Eastern University", so you are correct.

However, the seminary seems to be a separate entity associated with Eastern University. It could possibly have the same kind of relationship that Truett Seminary has with Baylor in Texas, that is separate institutions, but sharing some resources.