Why I’m Not a Calvinist, part three
Hi, I fully intend on completing the series on ‘luring them in’ (as well as every other series that I haven’t completed—remind me of the ones I haven’t finished), but today I interrupt completely that series by working on another series. Why? I usually figure out what to write while I’m jogging, and this one […]
Audio at Bethel Baptist Church
Please read Monday’s blog post. However, we want to update you on a few things, first, that A Pure Church (pre-publication, one copy, and multiple copies) is to the printers and will be out four weeks after we approve the proofs, which should be any day. Second, we have audio of the sermons and lessons taught […]
Lure Them In, pt. 1
When Purpose Driven Church first came out, I had never heard of Rick Warren, and I snatched it up immediately. I thought we were Purpose Driven and I wanted to know what he had to say. If you read that book, you had a hard time finding the purpose. I concluded the purpose was “making […]
Did the Trinity Come From Paganism? part 2
The Watchtower also, as quoted above in part one, wrote: “The Encyclopedia of Religion admits: ‘Theologians today are in agreement that the Hebrew Bible does not contain a doctrine of the Trinity.’ . . . The Encyclopedia of Religion says: ‘Theologians agree that the New Testament also does not contain an explicit doctrine of the […]
Nothing Is Weird Any More
Homosexuality isn’t weird. Purple hair isn’t weird. Women wearing their underwear in public isn’t weird. Trying to walk slow in front of cars isn’t weird. Pants hanging below the buttocks aren’t weird. Nose rings aren’t weird. Churches that bribe you to attend aren’t weird. Believing there’s life on Mars isn’t weird. Mr. Mom isn’t weird. […]
Local Only Ecclesiology, Baptist History, and Landmarkism, pt. 4
Part One, Part Two, Part Three An assembly is an assembly. People who don’t assemble are not an assembly. A church is an assembly. That’s the meaning of the word, “church” (ekklesia). If you take the plain or normal meaning of “church,” you read it as an assembly. A church is a group of people, […]
Did the Trinity Come From Paganism? part 1
Unitarians (like the Watchtower Society) and modalists (like Oneness Pentecostals) often directly affirm that Trinitarianism is derived from paganism. They commonly quote various publications as well to support such affirmations. For example, the Watchtower society (so-called “Jehovah’s Witnesses”), representative of modern Bible-affirming Arianism, states, “‘New Testament research has been leading an increasing number of scholars […]
Daniel Wallace and Bart Ehrman: We Don’t Really Know For Sure
In my mind, I can hear the very normal condescending tones and expressions of James White as I begin to write this, and despite the resulting nausea, I continue to write. The tone itself is his most effective argument. If you don’t give up, you will be sick to your stomach. I must remind myself that […]
A Circle and a Graph: Evangelical Excuses for Disobedience to God
It would be great if evangelicals experienced conviction of sin, felt bad about being evangelicals, for instance. I believe there are a few signs that they do, which should help some of us breathe a shallow sigh of relief. One way we see their guilt is in their incessant explanation or excuses for disobedience to […]
Images and Pictures of Jesus Christ Forbidden by Scripture
Historically, Baptists have rejected the use of all images in worship, including images of Jesus Christ. The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 states: The light of nature shews that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all; is just, good and doth good unto all; and is therefore to be […]