SBC Seminary President Apparently Denies Hybrid Calvinist Heresy
Brother Bob Ross posted this comment today. The Flounders are not going to like it!
It appears that Dr. Akin's book has covered the doctrine of regeneration in detail. I wonder if he has been reading any particular blog on the subject? :-)
Charles
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SBC SEMINARY PRESIDENT'S BOOK APPARENTLY DENIES "BORN AGAIN BEFORE FAITH" HERESYBob to Charles:
A few weeks ago, one of the anonymous bloggers said --
Daniel Akin has edited a new systematic theology that will likely be the new standard text for systematic theology in SBC seminaries: "A Theology for the Church."I have examined Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Daniel L. Akin's book, Charles, and it appears that the book evidently is much more in accord with the
Flyswatter's view on the New Birth than with the view of both the "Reformed" pedobaptists and the Hybrid Calvinists of the Flounders group who are greatly influenced by the pedobaptist writers such as Iain Murray, Louis Berkhof, R. C. Sproul, etc.
Although this chapter 12 was written by Dr. Kenneth Keathley of SEBTS and not by Dr. Akin himself, who is the Editor, nevertheless the book mentions Dr. W. G. T. Shedd, for instance, and rejects the common "Reformed" idea about baby regeneration which Shedd expounds. I presume this would also be Dr. Akin's view.
Akin's book also affirms --
contrary to the "Reformed" view of Shedd, Berkhof, and others -- that the
Word of God is "the means by which the Holy Spirit imparts the new birth" (pages 740-742).
The book says:
"The Holy Spirit acts as the agent of regeneration, and the
WORD OF GOD IS THE INSTRUMENT HE USES . . . the Holy Spirit USES MEANS, and the instruments he employs to achieve regeneration are the gospel (James 1:18, 21; 1 Peter 1:23) and the messengers who share it (1 Cor. 4:15). If
the gospel is the means by which the Holy Spirit regenerates, then where the gospel is not available, the saving, regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is also absent. . . .
"Are those who believe in turn born again, or does a person believe because he has been regenerated?
Which happens first? . . .
the biblical texts seem to come down on the side of conversion resulting in regeneration" (pages 740-741).
The book says
"the teaching of Scripture is that regeneration is concurrent, or coincident, with conversion. This means that conversion and regeneration, as events, OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME" (page 742).
While Dr. Akin's book affirms the truth that there is a necessary and preliminary work by the Holy Spirit in a sinner,
it is denied that such preliminary work constitutes regeneration (page 743).
How many times have we contended for these exact views on regeneration here on the
Flyswatter blog, citing both our Baptist Confessions and our Baptist theologians in support?
It will be interesting, Charles, to observe how the Flounders, Tom Ascol, Tom Nettles, and other Hybrids react to Dr. Akin's book,
A THEOLOGY FOR THE CHURCH.
Founders Alert! Former Southern Professor Converted The Ole Fashioned Way
Brother Bob Ross has posted a must read comment regarding Tom Ascol and the use of public invitations.
For more information on the public invitation, commonly called the altar call, see,
Are Altar Calls Justified by Founders' Founder, Ernest Reisinger?,
Invitations: John Broadus vs. The Founders,
Invitations: John Broadus vs. Tom Nettles,
Dangers In Not Giving Public Invitations, and,
Southern Baptist Founder Refutes Founders Regarding Public Invitations.
Charles
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FORMER SOUTHERN SEMINARY PROFESSOR WAS CONVERTED IN THE OLE FASHIONED WAY
Bob to Charles:
I think you will find it interesting, Charles, to listen to
Dr. Brad Waggoner's personsal testimony about his salvation, available on "
Said At Southern Seminary" web site:
http://saidatsouthern.com/2007/09/podcast-4-brad-waggoner/Dr. Waggoner is a former professor and Dean at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and now works with LifeWay Research of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Tom Ascol had called attention to this web site because the interview with Dr. Waggoner contained a portion with some comments on the matter of "Calvinism."
I was not surprised to hear Dr. Waggoner's testimony that at an early age he was
saved in the same old fashioned way that most of the Calvinists and Hybrid Calvinists in the SBC made professions of salvation. He heard witnessing and preaching,
responded to a PUBLIC INVITATION and was instructed in the way of salvation by a church member on this occasion -- not a "system" you'll find in Flounders' churches.
This is the same "methodology" which has been prevalent for many years in the SBC, and was used and endorsed by SBC leaders such as Boyce, Broadus, Dagg, Carroll, and others, but lacks the approval and endorsement of the Flounders Hybrid Calvinists who teach "born again before faith." Yet I could almost guarantee that 99% percent of these SBC "Calvinists" made professions of faith like Dr. Waggoner during a public invitation -- at least, based on the cases known to me personally.
The paradox is that the Hybrid Calvinists, such as the late Ernest Reisinger, Tom Ascol, Tom Nettles, and others identified with the parachurch Flounders group, oppose this type of evangelism and revival methodology. They repudiate the use of the public invitation such as was used when Dr. Waggoner was converted at age 7.
This is another case which magnifies the point we have made before, namely, that today's "Calvinists" who repudiate public invitations are more in line with the pedobaptists such as Iain Murray rather than with the "founders" among Southern Baptists of yesteryear.
I suggest, Charles, that you listen to the podcast and hear Dr. Waggoner's testimony for yourself, telling how he was saved in a manner which is now repudiated by the Flounders.
Tom Ascol Equivocates On Regeneration Issue
In the below comment, Brother Bob Ross asks a good question. Why did Tom Ascol equivocate when asked a simple question about whether regeneration occurs before faith? After all, Brother Tom has been teaching this for years, and
Founders Ministries (yes, they really believe what they are doing is a ministry) has published journal article after journal article on the subject.
As far back as 1993 The Flounders published Ernest Reisinger's article, "
Lordship and Regeneration," that favorably quoted baby baptizer R.C. Sproul as saying, "regeneration precedes faith as the necessary condition for faith." (
Founders Journal, Summer 1993).
I could go on and on but why bother? Brother Tom's remarks are strange though, aren't they? It's almost like some blog has been shining the light on his
heresy and
hypocrisy and Southern Baptists are waking up to the Flounders' foolishness. :-)
Charles
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ASCOL EQUIVOCATES WHEN ASKED QUESTION ON "REGENERATION" ISSUEBob to Charles:
Tom Ascol of the Flounders was on WNYG call-in radio yesterday (09/20/07) at "Iron Sharpens Iron" and was put on the grill by a caller in regard to the Flounders' teaching that "regeneration" (new birth) takes place prior to believing the Gospel.
[http://www.sharpens.blogspot.com/ at about 49:47 into the broadcast].
The caller apparently had a clear and CORRECT understanding of the Hybrid Calvinism teaching that "regeneration precedes faith," or "born again before faith," and he put the question very clearly to Tom Ascol.
However, despite the fact that Ascol has this teaching on his website that "the sinner is given a new heart, being brought from spiritual death to spiritual life" --BEFORE REPENTANCE AND FAITH, Tom proceeded to put such a spin on his reply to the inquirer that he very craftily avoided exposing the real core of his view on the new birth -- which is that sinners are "born again before faith."
Ascol further clouded his reply by referring to the "gospel" and "means," but he never specifically dealt with what the inquirer had asked, namely, does regeneration (new birth) precede faith? -- which is plainly what is taught on the Flounders' website and by all Hybrid Calvinists, such as R. C. Sproul, Tom Nettles, Thomas Schreiner, and others of like mind.
I wonder, Charles, why was Ascol so equivocating in his answer? Why didn't he simply fess up and say, "Yes, we believe that a sinner is born again before faith?"
Anonymity - Tom Ascol Flounders Again on Spurgeon
Brother Bob Ross posted this recently, and I want to share it with
Flyswatter readers.
In my opinion, Brother Tom's view of anonymity seems to be:
It is wrong to publish anonymously unless you reveal your identity to me and I decide that your reasons for anonymity are valid. As I noted in an
April 14 post, he has no qualms about anonymity if it suits his purposes. He also on at least one occasion published an article in
The Founders Journal by an anonymous writer.
The man seems to have no shame. We should all pray for him.
Charles
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FLOUNDERS LEADER FLOUNDERS AGAIN ON SPURGEONHave you noticed, Charles, that Brother Tom Ascol has lately been kicking up up dust about an anonymous letter by an SBC professor, posted on a blog, critical of a couple of the SBC seminary presidents?
Tom's seems to be "boiling" because the professor chose not to use his name for certain reasons.
Now in his latest post, Tom is evidently trying to somehow identify with the courage of C. H. Spurgeon in controversy, as if Tom is perhaps emulating Spurgeon.
Tom claims to be an admirer and reader of Spurgeon, but he apparently overlooked the fact that Spurgeon initiated the "Down Grade Controversy" by publishing two critical articles by an
anonymous writer (March and April issues, 1887
The Sword and the Trowel magazine).
Not only so, but when some leaders of the Baptist Union tried to get Spurgeon to "name the names" of the persons who were subjects of the writer's criticisms, Spurgeon refused to comply and never did so.
So once gain, Tom Ascol's effort to somehow bask in the shade of Spurgeon's shadow collapses.
Mohler Admits Influence From Presbyterian D. James Kennedy
Below is from Brother Bob Ross.
Charles
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DR. MOHLER INDEBTED TO PRESBYTERIAN'S INFLUENCE Bob to Charles:
With the recent passing of Dr. D. James Kennedy, the well-known Florida Presbyterian pastor, Dr. R. Albert Mohler of Southern Seminary has written the following comments on Kennedy on his website:
"My indebtedness to Dr. Kennedy is very personal. I was a young Southern Baptist who as a teenager had serious questions about the big issues of the Christian faith. Dr. Kennedy's ministry at Coral Ridge addressed those big questions. He was unafraid to take on the intellectual challenges of the faith. He was kind to a Baptist teenager, introducing me to Francis Schaeffer and dignifying my questions. He clearly enjoyed talking theology and he was the first person I had ever met who demonstrated this joy. He was kind. I was hooked. In no small way my own calling as a theologian can be traced to Dr. Kennedy's influence. I was inspired by his intellectual engagement and motivated by his vision of excellence for God's glory." [AlbertMohler.com, Wednesday, September 05, 2007]
Perhaps this explains somewhat why Dr. Mohler has such close association with the pedobaptist Presbyterians, as we have noted on this blog. His indebtedness to Kennedy conceivably influences Mohler to be less of a critic of the pedobaptist errors.
The late Dr. Kennedy's seminary, Knox Seminary, has a website which contains some anti-Baptist and anti-premillennial materials. The main theologian, Robert L. Reymond, in his theology book, advocates Hybrid Calvinism, as well as the usual Presbyterian notions about infants.
