Theology Central
Theology Central exists as a place of conversation and information for faculty and friends of Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Posts include seminary news, information, and opinion pieces about ministry, theology, and scholarship.ACCC Resolution on Recent Ecumenism of Roman Catholicism
American Council of Christian Churches
75th Annual Convention, October 18-20, 2016
Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine
“Resolution on Recent Ecumenism of Roman Catholicism”
“With the approach of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation on October 31, 2017, the Roman Catholic hierarchy has launched what it considers a public relations offensive that appears to have the objective of minimizing any negative impact from the renewed comparison between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. The Jesuit-trained Pope Francis has been leading the offensive in three areas that are the results of efforts to rebuild sympathy for Roman Catholicism as a more moderate influence than it was during the Reformation period.
“A major part of the charm offensive was the canonization on September 4 of the late Mother Teresa, the nun whose 1997 death ended her career of relief of the extremely impoverished in Calcutta. Mother Teresa’s devotion to the needs of the poor has earned her effusive praise in the world’s press and media, while her ardent defense of the rights of the unborn always seems to vanish into the haze. According to reports from Cable News Network, Pope Francis said in the ceremony at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, “after due deliberation and frequent prayer for divine assistance, and having sought the counsel of many of our brother bishops, we declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to be a saint, and we enroll her among the saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole church.”[1]
“The Romanist concept of sainthood varies widely from that which authors of the New Testament affirm. There, in epistle after epistle, recipients receive the designation of saints, without any regard for papal pronouncements or miraculous works. The saints of the New Testament did not receive any veneration, either before or after their deaths, and never did the apostles instruct that the faithful should offer prayers to them or through them. In biblical terms, a person’s status as a saint is fixed on the day of salvation by faith alone. A person who dies as a saint will never be anything else, and a person who dies without saving faith in Christ alone will never be a saint, the pronouncements, compromise, and confusion of false apostles and false brethren notwithstanding.
“Another part of the charm offensive has been to continue the process of softening historic Roman Catholic hatred for Martin Luther, whom many Roman Catholics for centuries have regarded as little better than the archfiend himself. Publicly, Pope Francis has promoted the idea that the excommunicated Luther can be admired after all, and as some have been predicting for more than thirty years, he has been leading the drive that may end in Luther’s canonization as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. On October 13, the pope participated in an audience in the Vatican during which he gave attention to a small statue of Luther as though he were one of the Church’s saints.[2] Furious Romanist opponents of the pope’s action have complained that he has shown sympathy for one they regard as the arch-heretic.
“Closely linked to the curious softening toward Luther is the concerted push to achieve agreements with Lutherans around the world on the meaning of terminology that Luther employed in breaking from Romanism nearly 500 years ago. During August of this year, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Churchwide Assembly meeting in New Orleans adopted “The Declaration on the Way” by a vote of 931-9. Reflecting on the overwhelming vote, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton said, “Though we have not yet arrived, we have claimed that we are, in fact, on the way to unity. … This ‘Declaration on the Way’ helps us to realize more fully our unity in Christ with our Catholic partners, but it also serves to embolden our commitment to unity with all Christians.”[3] While Lutherans and Roman Catholic officials acknowledge that some differences still divide them, they have renewed their resolve to overcome those differences. Historically, such resolves have always meant that the Protestant side surrenders its insistence on its theological distinctives in the cause of achieving ecclesiastical fellowship.
“Earlier in the year, Pope Francis, again to the dismay of some of the hierarchy’s hardliners, announced that he would begin the Reformation’s 500th anniversary year by traveling to Lund, Sweden, for a joint service with Lutherans there on October 31 of this year. The ecumenical prayer service will include both Pope Francis and leaders of the Lutheran World Federation. Roman Catholic Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said that Lutherans and Catholics will have the possibility to participate in what he called, “an ecumenical commemoration of the Reformation, not simply in a pragmatic way, but in the deep sense of faith in the crucified and resurrected Christ.”[4] Echoing his assessment was Bishop Anders Arborelius of the Catholic diocese of Stockholm, who argued that “history will be written when Pope Francis and the LWF leaders visit Lund and Malmö to encourage all of us to go further on the road towards Christian unity.”
“Such a charm offensive is the reflection of the fondest hopes of the Jesuits since their founding in the Catholic Counter-Reformation that there would be a way to reverse what the Roman Catholic Church has always considered the unfortunate separation by the followers of the Reformers. Sadly, evangelicals in America and elsewhere have also been associating with this offensive. Those who believe the Bible, however, know that the causes of the Reformation continue to exist because they are biblical responses to Roman Catholic departures from the truth of the Scriptures.
“Therefore, the American Council of Christian Churches, at its 75th annual convention, October 18-20, 2016, at Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine, summons faithful believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to defend the truth of the Gospel, and to oppose any attempt to suggest that anyone but God Himself has the authority to make anyone a saint, or that there can be any common ground between that which Martin Luther and the other Reformers came to understand and the unyielding insistence of the Roman Catholic Church’s Magisterium that those who declare that justification is by faith alone are anathema. The 500th anniversary year of the Reformation’s beginning should be a time for rejoicing in the revival of the preaching of the gospel and the clearing away of centuries of man-made traditions. “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4).”
[1] http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/04/europe/mother-teresa-canonization.
[2] http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2016/10/socci-scandal-in-vatican.html#more.
[3] http://religionnews.com/2016/08/15/u-s-lutherans-approve-document-recognizing-agreement-with-the-catholic-church.
[4] http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/reformation-commemoration-to-highlight-thanksgiving-repentance-common-witne
Convergents and Separatism
In Pastor Don Johnson’s description of “Convergent” evangelicals, the first item is “Anti-separatism (or at least non-separatism).” This descriptor is so vague as to be nearly incomprehensible, and to the degree that it can be comprehended it is misleading. To know what Pastor Johnson means by “anti-separatism,” we would first have to know exactly what he means by separatism. Presumably he is thinking in terms of some version of ecclesiastical separation, though exactly what his theory of ecclesiastical separation is, I have never quite been able to understand. At any rate, assuming that he is accusing “Convergents” of rejecting (or at least not implementing) ecclesiastical separation, the accusation is terribly unfair.
Even the Neoevangelicals were not completely anti-separatistic. They never argued for engaging in Christian fellowship with Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, Shintoists, Jainists, Sikhs, Bahaists, Theosophists, Spiritists, Atheists, Satanists, Seventh-Day Adventists, Millennial Dawnists, or Mormons. They clearly understood that no Christian fellowship was possible with adherents of these gospel-denying systems.
Even their cooperation with Protestant Liberals and, later, Roman Catholics was targeted and limited. It was typically driven by one of two concerns: either a commitment to citywide evangelism (represented chiefly by Graham) or a wish to recapture the leadership of mainline denominations (represented more by Ockenga and Carnell). It is fair to say that the New Evangelicals rejected separatism within certain spheres and for certain purposes.
It is worth remembering that Neoevangelicalism did not represent the evangelical mainstream. It was initially a cadre of young intellectuals. Only during the late 1950s and early 1960s did mainstream evangelicals begin to have to choose between separatist fundamentalism and New Evangelicalism. When they chose to side with the Neoevangelicals rather than the fundamentalists, they were not rejecting separatism tout court. They were rejecting the fundamentalist stance that faithful Christians should separate (at some levels) from Neoevangelicals.
While it is still not clear just who Pastor Johnson thinks the Convergents are, they do not seem to occupy the position of the old New Evangelicals. Rather, they are either the people who now occupy the old Moderate Evangelical slot (today’s Conservative Evangelicals), or else the (former?) fundamentalists who are trying to move to a middle ground between separatist fundamentalism and Conservative Evangelicalism. In any event, it is not correct to say that they are either anti-separatist or non-separatist. It would be better to say that they lack a full and robust implementation of biblical separatism.
To make that statement, however, requires a clear, coherent, workable, and fully-articulated theory of Christian fellowship and separation, particularly secondary separation—and that is something that Pastor Johnson and his friends have not yet given us.
Tozer on Idolatry
I refuse to worship anything of my own making.
Tozer, A.W. Delighting in God (Kindle Location 302). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Grudem’s Theology for Ten Bucks
You can get the Kindle version for cheap, at least for now. Who knows, it may go up after Grudem includes eternal generation.
Good News from Germany
Jeff Brown is an alumnus of Central Seminary who, with his wife Linda, has spent decades working in southern Germany. Here’s an excerpt from their latest prayer update:
In October we celebrated with the independent Baptist Church of Erlangen their 25 years of existence. We really had not anticipated that day when we began the church with a handful of people, but indeed, it arrived: to the joy of the church. Pastors Oliver meyer and Dr. Rolf Degel do a fine job of leadership, and the church has now grown to the point that the building, with a capacity of 150-160 people, is filled to capacity each Sunday. the church is also richly blessed with eight or nine capable preachers, spanning generations. The church has likiewise maintained its evangelistic spirit. BMM Co-workers Burdette and Mary Jane Bergen minister presently at the church in teaching, music, and children’s work. Erlangen’s second mayor was also present to participate in the celebration. She was especially appreciative of how the church had participated in helping refugees that have recently arrived in Germany.
ACCC Resolution on Freedom and Respect for Civil Authority
American Council of Christian Churches
75th Annual Convention, October 18-20, 2016
Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine
“Resolution on Freedom and Respect for Civil Authority”
“Two hundred and fifteen years ago this month, the Danbury [CT] Baptist Association authorized a letter to congratulate their newly elected president, Thomas Jefferson, and to welcome him to office. Baptists in Massachusetts were equally thankful for their new magistrate. Days after President Jefferson received the Danbury letter, Elder John Leland from Cheshire, MA delivered a 1200 pound Cheshire cheese to the White House with Jefferson’s favorite motto emblazoned on its side, “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.”[1]
The persecuted Baptists of New England expressed their convictions regarding the freedom of conscience and the separation of church and state in their letter: “Our Sentiments are uniformly on the side of Religious Liberty—That Religion is at all times and places a Matter between God and Individuals—That no man ought to suffer in Name, person or effects on account of his religious Opinions—That the legitimate Power of civil Government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor.”
“When they spoke of “the legitimate Power of civil Government,” they did so recognizing the importance of the rule of law under the constitutional republic that God had ordained for their new nation: “Sir, we are sensible that the President of the united States, is not the national Legislator, & also sensible that the national government cannot destroy the Laws of each State; but our hopes are strong that the sentiments of our beloved President, which have had such genial Effect already, like the radiant beams of the Sun, will shine & prevail through all these States and all the world till Hierarchy and tyranny be destroyed from the Earth.”
“Our freedom-loving founding fathers notwithstanding, tyranny has not been destroyed from the earth, and today it threatens the liberties of Americans in unprecedented ways. Facing these challenges, we look to the Word of God, which with its truth eternal stands like a rock undaunted amid the raging storms of time. There we find that civil authority is ordained of God (Rom. 13:1), and so we rest assured that God is sovereign over it. There we find that civil authority is a minister of God (v. 4), so we accept His just judgment of its administrations. There we find that civil authority is not a terror to the good, but to the evil (v. 3), so we determine to do that which is good, supporting law-enforcement officials in their dangerous work. There we find that civil authority executes wrath with a sword (vv. 4-5), so we determine to obey guided also by a free conscience, ever mindful of our Savior’s admonition not to fear “those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather [to] fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell” (Matt. 10:28).
“Therefore, the American Council of Christian Churches, at its annual convention, October 18-20, 2016, at Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine, resolves to love freedom and to obey civil authority. We shall pray for “kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:2). We shall be faithful in our responsibilities as citizens of a government of the people, by the people, for the people, and ordained of the Lord. We shall endeavor to “let [our] conduct be as it becometh the gospel of Christ . . . stand[ing] fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. And in nothing terrified by [our] adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to [us] of salvation, and that of God” (Phil. 1:27-28).”
“[1] Clearly the apostle Paul, a Roman citizen who lived under the reign of Nero, would agree with Jefferson’s motto only when tyranny demands disobedience to God. Our founders’ doctrine of the consent of the governed, however, did come from a scriptural understanding of unalienable rights as gifts from God, not man or civil government. The revolution of the ten northern tribes of Israel was God’s judgment on the idolatry of Solomon’s leadership and the tyranny of Rehoboam’s oppression (1 Kings 11:29-39; 12:1-24).”
Lewis on the Progress of History
Humanity does not pass through phases as a train passes through stations: being alive, it has the privilege of always moving yet never leaving anything behind. Whatever we have been, in some sort we are still.
Lewis, C. S. The Allegory of Love (eBook Original) (Kindle Locations 70-71). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
Augustus Toplady, “God of Love”
God of Love
Augustus Toplady
God of love, whose truth and grace
Reach unbounded as the skies,
Hear thy creature’s feeble praise,
Let my ev’ning sacrifice
Mount as incense to thy throne,
On the merits of thy Son.
Me thy providence has led
Through another busy day:
Over me thy wings were spread,
Chasing sin and death away:
Thou hast been my faithful shield,
Thou my footsteps hast upheld.
Tho’ the sable veil of night
Hides the cheering face of heav’n,
Let me triumph in the sight
Of my guilt in thee forgiv’n.
In my heart the witness feel,
See the great invisible.
I will lay me down to sleep,
Sweetly take my rest in thee,
Ev’ry moment brought a step
Nearer to eternity:
I shall soon from earth ascend,
Quickly reach my journey’s end.
All my sins imputed were
To my dear, incarnate God;
Bury’d in his grave they are,
Drown’d in his atoning blood:
Me thou wilt not now condemn,
Righteous and complete in him.
In the Saviour’s right I claim
All the blessings he hath bought;
For my soul the dying Lamb
Hath a full redemption wrought;
Heaven through his desert is mine;
Christ’s I am, and Christ is mine!
Questions:
- What time of day is assumed in this poem? Why is that significant?
- What is the sacrifice that the poet wishes to offer?
- What works does the poet attribute to God the Father? To God the Son?
- What word pictures or images does the poet employ? How would you express the same idea in ordinary prose? Why is the image better than the prose?
ACCC Resolution on Transgenderism
American Council of Christian Churches
75th Annual Convention, October 18-20, 2016
Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine
Resolution on Transgenderism
“The apostle Paul traces the sad devolution of a culture plagued with paganism in Romans 1. Arrogant people profess themselves to be wise while becoming foolish (v. 22). The text tells us that three exchanges are made in that foolish arrogance that lead a people to reprobation and destruction.
“They exchange the glory of God for man’s image (v. 23). From the creation of the world, the pagan man knew God, but he did not glorify Him as God (v. 21). Instead, he set himself up as an imaginative god-maker (v. 23). The gods he makes are made in his own corrupt image.
“Second, they exchange the truth of God for a lie (v. 25). The truth exchanged is especially the one given at the beginning, that man is a creature who has a Creator. This Creator has made man in His own image, including maleness and femaleness (Gen. 1:27-28a, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it’”).
“Third, they exchange the natural-born identity of human sexuality for vile affections (vv. 26-27). What makes such affections vile is that they violate “natural use.” They are “against nature,” the Creator’s creation. A description of the havoc wreaked upon a society that has made these exchanges concludes the chapter, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (vv. 28-32). The Bible teaches that homosexuality and transgenderism are sin.
“In May of this year, the Department of Education and the Justice Department of the Obama administration issued a “guidance letter” to American schools that directed them to allow students to use restroom and locker room facilities based on their chosen “gender-identity” without regard for their biological gender at birth or risk losing their Title IX federal funding. Could the signs of reprobation be any more pronounced? Even the strongest conservative political forces trying to stand in the way of this tsunami of transgender floodwaters have raised the white flag of surrender on the issue of homosexuality long ago. Their illogic that claims one can choose to be homosexual but not transgender simply will not save us from our self-destruction as these political pundits hope.
“What can and must save the lost is the same standard that has always stood to face the deluge of pagan destruction. “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him” (Isa. 59:19). Paul raised that standard in his day, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Rom. 3:21-22). This is the power of the gospel, about which Paul declared, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 1:16).
“Therefore, the American Council of Christian Churches, at its annual convention, October 18-20, 2016, at Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine, is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ in our paganized world. We resolve that the gospel shall be the standard we raise in the growing decadence of our culture and its leaders. We affirm that sinners may be justified freely by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24). Such were we, but now we are washed; we are sanctified; we are justified “in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). And we humbly ask our Savior’s courage, grace, love, and power as He continues to use us in the task of building His church, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail (Matt. 16:18).”
Accreditation Is Changing
The feds are taking over and the public is behind it. For good or bad, the future is going to look different. So says Judith Eaton at Inside Higher Ed.
At least some government authority over accreditation and public concern about the space and accountability are not new. What is new and what makes this moment pivotal is the extent to which there is agreement on both the expanded federal role and public accountability. And both are in significant contrast to longstanding practice of accrediting organizations as independent, nongovernmental bodies accustomed to setting their own direction and determining their own accountability.
Tozer on Reason and Faith
Reason by its very nature is limited and therefore cannot help us in our pursuit of the unlimited God. Reason may bring us to the door, but only faith can unlock the door that we may go into the presence of God. Faith is not unreasonable; it just operates above the reach of reason. Faith enables us to jump from one point on earth into the very heart of God.
Tozer, A.W. Delighting in God (Kindle Locations 217-220). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
HE’S BACK!
Yup. Bill Gothard has a new web site. He knows he’s got some explaining to do. Here’s part of it:
A few years ago, I was accused of having selfish motives for inviting young ladies to the Headquarters. I knew this was not true. However, those who believed these reports relived their Headquarters experience through these presuppositions and were deeply offended. As a result many inaccurate statements have been made that are not true. God is my witness that I have never kissed a girl, nor touched any young lady in a sensual way. However, I do understand in a much deeper way how these young ladies feel and how my insensitivity caused them to feel the way they do. I have deeply repented before the Lord for offending some of the very ones whom I have dedicated my life to serve. I do want to continue pursuing reconciliation in a Biblical way.
You can read the story in a larger context at World Magazine.
College Students Can’t Read Cursive
So says Stephanie Reese Masson in “The Death of Cursive Writing,” courtesy of the Chronicle of Higher Education.
It took a while for this problem to sneak up on us at the college level. A CNN report in 2011 noted that, “states don’t require children to learn cursive writing anymore. Some 46 states have adopted the Common Core Standards, a set of educational guidelines that do not require cursive writing as part of a school’s curriculum.” Those students who weren’t learning cursive in K-12 schools are now showing up on college campuses.
C. S. Lewis as an Opponent
Michael Ward of Oxford University offers a perspective on “C. S. Lewis and the Art of Disagreement.” It’s well worth reading.
The fact that Lewis could approve of atheists like Ryle, as well as enjoy the company of liberals like Watson and socialists like Lawlor, reinforces Brewer’s point that Lewis would not allow disagreement to become personal. He could always distinguish the man from the man’s opinion, and he knew the difference between an argument and a quarrel. He would not allow himself to be betrayed into aggression, but would, where necessary, draw rein on a dispute with a wry smile and an agreement to disagree. – See more at: https://home.isi.org/cs-lewis-and-art-disagreement#sthash.Atgyg22T.dpuf
Student Debt Forgiveness
The Obama administration wants to have the federal government forgive some $108 billion in student debt (total student debt in the US is well over a trillion dollars). What will be the effect? Joe Carter answers that question.
Justin Taylor on Logic and Abortion Rights
Building upon work by Peter Kreeft, Justin Taylor helps us think about a reasoned case against seeing abortion as a right. If I seem to be linking to a lot of Taylor’s writing, it’s because he has been doing some pretty good stuff. This essay is no exception (and it comes with flow charts).
Will Fuller Seminary Become a Sanctuary Campus?
It will if some students get their way. A “sanctuary campus” is one in which the institution refuses to help federal authorities pursue illegal aliens. Read about it at Sojourners.
Best Burgers?
Here’s George Motz’s list of the best burgers in each of the fifty states. And now I have a new item on my bucket list.
MLK Day at BJU
In the past, Bob Jones University has not formally observed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. That’s about to change. Here’s a communication that has been sent out by the university.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (November 29, 2016) – Bob Jones University President Steve Pettit announced today that BJU will annually observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day beginning January, 2017. University offices will be closed and classes will be cancelled for the day.
Working with the Center for Global Opportunities, students will be encouraged to take part in service opportunities in the Greenville area and participate in prayer sessions centered on racial harmony.
“Dr. King accomplished much in his short life here on earth,” said Pettit. “We believe his voice and leadership to nonviolently oppose the wrongs of the day while paving the way for racial equality and harmony should be respected and honored.”
Roger Olson on “Mansplaining”
I think he’s just about right on this topic.
Have we entered a cultural situation in which men are automatically perceived as bad because some men are bad? Some years ago I read a feminist declare that “All men are potential rapists.” Popular culture, especially television, has a tendency to portray men as sinister. On television one rarely sees a male character being heroic unless he’s a policeman or soldier.
I fear there is a widespread tendency to do with men what we are forbidden to do with any other group of human beings–blame them all for the bad behaviors of some.
APPLICATION & AID