SBC Voices

One of the blessings of social media is the freedom to insert oneself into a discussion between two others, even without an invitation. Dr. Eric Hankins recently wrote a series of four articles published here in response to an article by Dr. Nathan Finn that appeared in the NOBTS "Journal for  Baptist Theology and Ministry" (Volume 10, Number 1). For the most part, I stay out of discussions of Calvinism-related topics because I've not seen them to be highly productive. And, again, neither party has asked me to weigh in. But I wish to respond to Dr. Hankins' fourth post. Frank Page's … [Read more...] about The Root of the Problem: An Antinomist’s Response to Dr. Eric Hankins

I received this submission anonymously a couple of days ago. I thought it was worthy of posting, but am reluctant to post anonymously, unless there is a good reason. So I emailed the anonymous "Baptist Person" who submitted it. Lo and behold, he identified himself a Nicholas Graves. He was posting anonymously because his mother and my sister are the same person. Be nice to Nick. With his family background, he deserves sympathy.   As a layman who has interest in my favorite denomination, I have some observations about Southern Baptist distinctives and ways we may be shifting away from them. … [Read more...] about How Southern Baptists are Destroying Their Distinctives – Sort Of (by Nick Graves)

I was raised in a church in which there was no "invitation," a moment at the end of service designed to allow people to respond to God's Word. To be clear, in light of the contextual mood of this post, this isn't to say that this church is evil. I deeply appreciate my experience there. But, because of the lack of an invitation, I resultantly found myself wondering where I stood with Jesus. I remember feeling like I knew about him, but also feeling like I didn't really know him. When I was 16 I started attending a church that did offer an invitation. I'll never forget how much it impacted me. … [Read more...] about An Altar On Which to Die: A Case for the Invitation

Ryan is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Orange City, IA, and blogs at "By His Grace." This year so far two pastors in Iowa have died by suicide. The job fatality rate is higher than the police department my dad works for, which is located in a high crime area in Pittsburgh. My heart is heavy when I hear that a shepherd is slain by falling on his own sword. I’m not writing to analyze what goes on in the heart of a man who chooses this end. Nor am I going to offer a list of suggestions on how to prevent pastoral suicide. There are others more qualified to do that. But I do … [Read more...] about Pastoral Suicide (by Ryan Perz)

Dr. Eric Hankins is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Oxford, Mississippi. He is the author of the much-discussed Traditionalist Statement and was central to the Calvinism Task Force appointed by Dr. Page, which reported at the Houston Annual Meeting. This is part 4 in the series. Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.  In this final post, I offer a response to the second question Nathan Finn puts to Traditionalists in his recent essay in the Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry. Finn asks, “Who are the New Calvinists, and what have they done?” (68). Finn understands the preamble to … [Read more...] about A Response to Dr. Nathan Finn, Part 4: The New Calvinists (by Dr. Eric Hankins)

Tom Law was the Interim Executive Director for the Baptist Convention of Iowa. If you have never been what would it take for you to go? If you have been what would it take for you to go back? What do you wish that you had known before you went? Finally, what would it take for you to organize a group to go with you? I am putting together a group to go to Israel in October 2014 of Iowa pastors and their wives. As I have researched this and seen what others have done I have come to the conclusion that this is something I should have done years ago. I am trying to understand why I … [Read more...] about What Would It Take for You to Go to Israel? (by Thomas L. Law III)

There are a couple of passages I want to look at today, and contrast who the people are who are being talked about, specifically if they are groups or individuals.  We must be careful and diligent to study correctly, and not work to make scripture match our theology.  The first passage we find in Romans Chapter  9, so let’s look and see if this is talking about individuals or people groups. In Chapter nine, Paul begins talking about his kinsmen from Israel, those who are unsaved, wishing they would be saved.  It’s clear he begins by talking about individuals from within a certain people … [Read more...] about Who are “The People”

Paul spends much of the early part of Philippians chapter three detailing the externals that will never lead us to salvation.  He then calls attention to his own earthly, cultural, fleshly qualifications for holiness and salvation: circumcised in accordance with the Law; born of the tribe of Benjamin (the tribe of the first king of Israel AND the only tribe to remain faithful to the house of David when the kingdom split); offspring of a non-mixed marriage (no-half Jews); a member of the most strict sect of orthodox Jews; dedicated more than others to the Jewish faith, even to the point of … [Read more...] about Shoveling Dung – Spiritually Speaking

We have so much to learn! Once the Post-Nicene Church Father era ends with Augustine, we see an emergence of authority take place. What happened leading up to this point? Five Ecumenical councils took place, a claim to succession from Peter began , Christianity moved beyond the borders of the Empire, and in 476 the last Emperor is deposed. I consider the broader Medieval Christian period to last from 451-1516 AD. I know there are ways to subdivide this time, and I will mention some throughout the next few articles, but as a whole, this entire time period is marked with difficulty and … [Read more...] about Early Medieval Christianity