Comments on: Fighting Biblical and Theological Ignorance http://sbcvoices.com/fighting-biblical-and-theological-ignorance/ Southern Baptist News & Opinion Mon, 21 May 2012 12:35:40 +0000 hourly 1 By: Dr. James Willingham http://sbcvoices.com/fighting-biblical-and-theological-ignorance/#comment-7887 Dr. James Willingham Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:45:08 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=2124#comment-7887 Interestingly enough, I have a Sunday School Quarterly from the 1880s from a brethren church. It is interlinear Greek text to Luke's Gospel with footnotes to be used as aids to the Sunday School Lesson which is the text. Also I have knowledge from my studies in American Social & Intellectual History on the Puritans and how the members took notes on the pastor's long winded sermons (any where from 1-3 hours???), and I understand there are severa hundreds of volumes of these notebook volumes preserved in the NewEngland states. O yes, by the way, any one remember te four year old Phoebe Bartlett that was converted in Jonathan Edwards' revival and which he tells about in his Narrative of Surprising Conversions? Well, I came across a report of a Sunday School Convention in the late 1800s where her great grand daughter was giving testimony that Phoebe died a committed Chistian and so did her daughter and grand daughter and the great grand daughter was carrying on as a believer. Ain't God good? We are gonna win. Jesus said so. So why fret at a few set backs? They were all planned for anyway. Soon this Third Great Awakening will be upon us, and what a day of rejoicing that will bring. Interestingly enough, I have a Sunday School Quarterly from the 1880s from a brethren church. It is interlinear Greek text to Luke’s Gospel with footnotes to be used as aids to the Sunday School Lesson which is the text. Also I have knowledge from my studies in American Social & Intellectual History on the Puritans and how the members took notes on the pastor’s long winded sermons (any where from 1-3 hours???), and I understand there are severa hundreds of volumes of these notebook volumes preserved in the NewEngland states. O yes, by the way, any one remember te four year old Phoebe Bartlett that was converted in Jonathan Edwards’ revival and which he tells about in his Narrative of Surprising Conversions? Well, I came across a report of a Sunday School Convention in the late 1800s where her great grand daughter was giving testimony that Phoebe died a committed Chistian and so did her daughter and grand daughter and the great grand daughter was carrying on as a believer. Ain’t God good? We are gonna win. Jesus said so. So why fret at a few set backs? They were all planned for anyway. Soon this Third Great Awakening will be upon us, and what a day of rejoicing that will bring.

]]> By: Clark http://sbcvoices.com/fighting-biblical-and-theological-ignorance/#comment-7884 Clark Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:12:24 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=2124#comment-7884 "One thing is clear, my generation is very theologically and biblically ignorant(especially outside the Bible belt)." I think you're being generous Matt. There is plenty of Biblical ignorance inside of the Bible belt as well. For that matter, there is much more theologically and biblical ignorance in the church than there should be. I read books on Biblical exposition; I would wager the majority of church members (SBC church members in my own state included) do not know what exposition is. Haddon Robinson, author of Biblical Preaching, says that "many preachers fail as Christians before they fail as preachers because they do not think biblically." Reading the Bible on a regular basis, and studying it in a systematic fashion of any type, is just not high on the list of priorities for many Christians. We have created a model of worship in our churches that emphasizes so many other things besides the words of scripture. When the band plays for half an hour and then the preacher "says a few things," that doesn't put preaching the Word in it's proper context. Many pastors have given up standing in the center of the church behind a pulpit so that the praise and worship band can fill the stage, and the worship leader can do the rest. We "worship" for 45 minutes and then the preacher speaks. It fills seats; but does not rightly divide the word of truth. Wow; sorry. I got wound up on a bit of a rant there. I'm just saying, I think biblical ignorance is more pervasive than you recognize in your post. “One thing is clear, my generation is very theologically and biblically ignorant(especially outside the Bible belt).”

I think you’re being generous Matt. There is plenty of Biblical ignorance inside of the Bible belt as well. For that matter, there is much more theologically and biblical ignorance in the church than there should be. I read books on Biblical exposition; I would wager the majority of church members (SBC church members in my own state included) do not know what exposition is. Haddon Robinson, author of Biblical Preaching, says that “many preachers fail as Christians before they fail as preachers because they do not think biblically.”

Reading the Bible on a regular basis, and studying it in a systematic fashion of any type, is just not high on the list of priorities for many Christians. We have created a model of worship in our churches that emphasizes so many other things besides the words of scripture. When the band plays for half an hour and then the preacher “says a few things,” that doesn’t put preaching the Word in it’s proper context. Many pastors have given up standing in the center of the church behind a pulpit so that the praise and worship band can fill the stage, and the worship leader can do the rest. We “worship” for 45 minutes and then the preacher speaks. It fills seats; but does not rightly divide the word of truth.

Wow; sorry. I got wound up on a bit of a rant there. I’m just saying, I think biblical ignorance is more pervasive than you recognize in your post.

]]> By: Dr. James Willingham http://sbcvoices.com/fighting-biblical-and-theological-ignorance/#comment-7833 Dr. James Willingham Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:06:27 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=2124#comment-7833 I was converted 12-7-57, and my sister gave me a Bible for Chistmas of that year. I still have that Bible after 52 years; its cover is stiff and would break, if an attempt was made to bend it. Many verses are heavily underlined. I used it in my first year of college in Texas, (East Texas Baptist0 my second year of college (St. Louis Baptist), third year (William Jewell & St. Louis Baptist), and on to my first pastorate in 1962. One of the things I began to do was preach sermons which required study, and I had already been reading books of sermons, commentaries, theological works, and in 1963 I began to do research in Baptist Church History which exposed me to how Baptists had studied the Bible across the centuries. That research, and continued research in the Bible, eventually led to my making lists of two-sided and apparently contradictory doctrines (apparently contradictory because the human mind cannot reconcile them - as in human responsibility, Jesus as God/man, the Bible as inspired with Divine and human elements, the trinity and unity of God, etc). It would take more years to realize that God had given a revelation that presented truths adapted to the human mind, truths that produced a a desirable tension in the human mind, which enabled a person to be balanced, flexible, creative and magnetic. More years would pass as I tried to get back to the original teachings and how they were so powerful in producing the First and Second Great Awakenings and the launching of the Great Century of Missions. More time would be invested in learning how the truths of grace are really paradoxical interventions designed to restore to man a sense of responsibility, dignity, and sanity. Yes, total depravity, total inability, even reprobation were designed to be invitations that empower the person who embraces those teachings to respond with a faith that even Jesus commends (Mt.15:21-28). These truths are coming back in power, I trust and pray, in order for us to have and experience another, a Third Great Awakening. God speed the day. I was converted 12-7-57, and my sister gave me a Bible for Chistmas of that year. I still have that Bible after 52 years; its cover is stiff and would break, if an attempt was made to bend it. Many verses are heavily underlined. I used it in my first year of college in Texas, (East Texas Baptist0 my second year of college (St. Louis Baptist), third year (William Jewell & St. Louis Baptist), and on to my first pastorate in 1962. One of the things I began to do was preach sermons which required study, and I had already been reading books of sermons, commentaries, theological works, and in 1963 I began to do research in Baptist Church History which exposed me to how Baptists had studied the Bible across the centuries. That research, and continued research in the Bible, eventually led to my making lists of two-sided and apparently contradictory doctrines (apparently contradictory because the human mind cannot reconcile them – as in human responsibility, Jesus as God/man, the Bible as inspired with Divine and human elements, the trinity and unity of God, etc). It would take more years to realize that God had given a revelation that presented truths adapted to the human mind, truths that produced a a desirable tension in the human mind, which enabled a person to be balanced, flexible, creative and magnetic. More years would pass as I tried to get back to the original teachings and how they were so powerful in producing the First and Second Great Awakenings and the launching of the Great Century of Missions. More time would be invested in learning how the truths of grace are really paradoxical interventions designed to restore to man a sense of responsibility, dignity, and sanity. Yes, total depravity, total inability, even reprobation were designed to be invitations that empower the person who embraces those teachings to respond with a faith that even Jesus commends (Mt.15:21-28). These truths are coming back in power, I trust and pray, in order for us to have and experience another, a Third Great Awakening. God speed the day.

]]> By: Josh C http://sbcvoices.com/fighting-biblical-and-theological-ignorance/#comment-7823 Josh C Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:10:39 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=2124#comment-7823 I thought it was somewhere in Scripture where Sunday mornings was for patty-cake sermons and actual Bible teaching occurred on Sunday night or Wednesday. I can't remember the verse, but it has to be in the book if so many pastors and churches are practicing it! I thought it was somewhere in Scripture where Sunday mornings was for patty-cake sermons and actual Bible teaching occurred on Sunday night or Wednesday. I can’t remember the verse, but it has to be in the book if so many pastors and churches are practicing it!

]]> By: mike fox http://sbcvoices.com/fighting-biblical-and-theological-ignorance/#comment-7817 mike fox Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:32:34 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=2124#comment-7817 great thoughts, matt. i might just suggest that people within the bible belt are probably equally theologically ignorant as those outside of it. i say that because, although they have a familiarity, traditions and localized theologies have a very strong influence. i say that as a product of the bible belt who loves its people. still, and thank God, there are exceptions, good christian folks who have a passion to know God and a habit of absorbing the revelation He has provided us, i.e. scripture. again, good thoughts brother great thoughts, matt. i might just suggest that people within the bible belt are probably equally theologically ignorant as those outside of it. i say that because, although they have a familiarity, traditions and localized theologies have a very strong influence. i say that as a product of the bible belt who loves its people. still, and thank God, there are exceptions, good christian folks who have a passion to know God and a habit of absorbing the revelation He has provided us, i.e. scripture. again, good thoughts brother

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