A consistent topic of discussion on blogs is the matter of alcohol use. Abstentionists, abolitionists, moderationalists, and free-will imbibers abound. It is safe to say that we lack a unified opinion on the matter. The freedom of the believer, the autonomy of the local church, and the belief in the equal indwelling of the Holy Spirit [...]
I write this in deep fear that I’m going to get a poke in the nose from Rick Patrick. Actually, his light-hearted complaint about being labeled a Calvinist made me think about a problem with the whole debate. I left a comment on that post, but thought I would expand the concept as a separate [...]
Since the controversy in Texas regarding the Baptist Faith & Message (2000), the Baptist General Convention of Texas has been vilified as the liberals of the state, especially considering the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention formed to affirm the BFM and its support of inerrancy and the roles of women. My question is, is the BGCT as “bad” as advertised by [...]
I appreciate the Baptist Faith and Message as a general and systematic declaration of our faith, and I agree with the majority of what it states—that’s part of the reason why I am, have been, and plan to continue to be Southern Baptist. There is one aspect, however, that I and the church I pastor [...]
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all the Christians in a city could come together and form one church? Think of it – only one church for all of Sioux City. What a blessing that would be, right? The unity that God intended for His church – an answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17 – [...]
Chapter 1: Speaking the Truth in Love I was reading one of the discernment blogs recently – the kind of blog that catalogs the heresies prevalent in the Christian world today. I scanned through the listing of articles and saw one that addressed the theological errors of a well-known charismatic pastor, Francis Frangipane. Here’s the [...]
Before becoming a Southern Baptist, I knew the SBC mostly as a convention that believed in “once saved, always saved” and had strong opinions on women in the pastorate. I was saved in a Baptist church in Irving, Texas at the age of 14 but would not have considered myself a Baptist (much less a Southern Baptist, really) at the [...]
The latest revision of the Baptist Faith & Message is now a decade old. In celebration, I’d like to offer my humble opinion on the good and bad revisions. Note: Some were introduced at some level in the 1998 revision, though solidified in the 2000 edition. The Good Gender Roles – A much needed clarification of Scripture’s [...]
