The gift of tongues and Calvinistic theology are two hot topics in Southern Baptist life right now. Criswell College President, Dr. Jerry Johnson, moderated two fascinating debates on these topics at the Southern Baptist Convention just this week. Both debates are available for download from the “Jerry Johnson Live” podcast or from the podcast’s website.
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Did Baptist Moderates Win in San Antonio?
Did the Southern Baptist moderates win in San Antonio? I think that some of them think that they did, and at least one person at the Associated Press agrees. The headline to the AP story says, “In victory for moderates, Southern Baptists reaffirm faith statement.” Here’s the relevant excerpt which includes comments from both Wade Burleson and Ben Cole:
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Preview of forthcoming Article
My good friend Jim Hamilton and I working on an article for the Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, and we have sent out a survey as a part of our research. I have been somewhat surprised by the results and what those results reveal about evangelical opinions concerning women in ministry. The task that Jim and I have is to set out the state of the gender debate among younger evangelicals. Our work is still not finished, but we have identified four positions on the spectrum of evangelical opinion. We believe that the fundamental issue that differentiates opinions on this question is whether or not a principle of male…
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Podcast of Debates at the SBC
Several readers have been asking if the audio of the SBC debates on Calvinism and Tongues will be available via the web. The answer to that question is yes. I will post the two debates on the JJL podcast site as soon as possible. Hopefully, I will have time to post the tongues debate between McKissic and Moore as early as today.
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Debates at the Southern Baptist Convention
I am in San Antonio, Texas right now attending the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. If anything of interest happens, I will be blogging about it. A couple of items will be of interest to many of my readers. Dr. Jerry Johnson will be hosting his daily radio program from here at the convention, and he has scheduled a couple of interesting debates to take place at the Criswell College booth tomorrow. The first debate will be at 1pm between Dr. Mark Coppenger and Dr. Danny Akin over the issue of Calvinism. Dr. Coppenger will be arguing in favor of the Calvinist position, and Dr. Akin will present…
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Russell Moore on Climate Change
I read Dr. Russell Moore’s testimony to the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, and it’s a careful reflection on the climate change debate from an evangelical perspective. Dr. Moore does not go along with the Sojourner wing of evangelicalism which has been trying to downgrade life-issues within the consciences of evangelicals. This fact was apparent in Dr. Moore ‘s testimony when he argued the following:
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Dr. Mohler on Female Pastors
Dr. Mohler comments on the new pastor of First Baptist Church, Decatur, Georgia. Her name is Julie Pennington-Russell, and she’s leaving the pastorate of Calvary Baptist in Waco, Texas to take the reins in Georgia. Dr. Mohler writes: “Gender is the issue. For those who support and celebrate women as pastors, this singular concern is irrational. For those who believe that the Bible is clear that only men should be pastors, this singular concern is non-negotiable. The Southern Baptist Convention has made its convictions on the issue clear. The adoption of the revised edition of The Baptist Faith & Message in 2000 elevates the issue to confessional status. This is…
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The SBC and Integrity in Church Membership
Yesterday I guest hosted the radio program “Jerry Johnson Live” with Mark Overstreet (download podcast or mp3). We interviewed Dr. Tom Ascol about the resolution that he has recently submitted to the Southern Baptist Convention. His resolution calls on Southern Baptists “to repent of our failure to maintain responsible church membership, and . . . to repent of the widespread failure among us to obey Jesus Christ in the practice of lovingly correcting wayward church members.”
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Missions and Masturbation
John Piper is known for provocative titles. Who can forget books and articles with titles like “Don’t Waste Your Life,” “Sex and the Supremacy of Christ,” “Don’t Waste Your Cancer,” and many others. But as I was browsing the front page of the Desiring God website today, I think I found the title that wins the award for provocativeness: “Missions and Masturbation.” Now how do you pass up reading an article with a title like that?
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How the Prayer of Jabez Killed Caedmon’s Call
I just finished listening to a fascinating interview with Derek Webb in which he gives some of the reasons for the break-up of Caedmon’s Call (listen below). Believe it or not, Derek says that Bruce Wilkinson and The Prayer of Jabez were in part to blame for the band’s demise! Derek explains that his first solo album was inspired by an encounter that Caedmon’s Call had with Bruce Wilkinson at a trade event. At this event, Wilkinson was supposed to speak for about 20-30 minutes, and then Caedmon’s was to perform a few songs when he finished. Wilkinson held forth for about an hour and a half telling the crowd…