Mohler adds another Hybrid
SOUTHERN SEMINARY HIRESANOTHER HYBRID CALVINIST
SBTS has announced the recent addition of James M. Hamilton Jr. to its Faculty. He has taught at the Houston, Texas extension of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and served as a minister at a new Houston church, Baptist Church of the Redeemer, recently formed of members of the "Reformed" persuasion.
I know Jim personally and have heard him preach. He has been in my book store, and I have his book, God's Indwelling Presence, published by Broadman-Holman.
In his book, Jim teaches that the new birth consists of the Holy Spirit's giving a person the "ability to hear and believe," which essentially is the "born again before faith" Reformed Hybrid Calvinist theory (God's Indwelling Presence, pages 47, 130). Jim relies heavily upon Pedobaptist theological sources in his book.
As opposed to Dr. B. H. Carroll's teaching that "repentance and faith are the constitutent elements" of regeneration, Jim's emphasis is that regeneration consists of the Holy Spirit's imparting of "ability" to believe.
For the benefit of new readers as well as those who missed it in earlier posts, we once again present --
DR. B. H. CARROLL'S IMPECCABLE SYLLOGISM:
"(1) Every one born of God has the right be called a child of God.
(2) But no one has the right until he believes in Jesus.
(3) Therefore the new birth is NOT COMPLETED WITHOUT FAITH." (Page 287 of Volume 10, Part I on The Gospels, An Interpretation of the English Bible).
Dr. Carroll rightly said:
"If regeneration is completed without the use of means and before the subject is penitent or believing, then we have a child of God who is yet in his sins, impenitent, without faith, and hence without Christ, which is philosophically impossible. Morever, it is contrary to Scripture, as witness" James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:23, Gal. 3:26, Romans 10:17, John 3:9-18, John 1:12, 13 [all quoted by Carroll in the text of his book] (Ibid, page 286).
So it appears that Dr. R. Albert Mohler of SBTS has hired another advocate of the "Reformed" Hybrid Calvinist view of the new birth, a view which Dr. Carroll says constitutes that which is "philosophically impossible." Mohler continues to pack his Faculty with advocates of the "born again before faith" notion.
Dr. Carroll said:
"Thus considered, conviction, repentance, and faith are the CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS OF REGENERATION. . . . Sinner, it tells you what to do: Hear the word, repent, accept Christ.
"Yes, that is simple and easy. The Word of God is preached to men and they hear that Word and they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and whosever believeth in Him is born of God" (Sermons, The Human Side of Regeneration, pages 177, 187).
posted by Bob L. Ross @ 2:08 PM
1 Comments:
HYBRID ERROR
ON FAITH
In Hamilton's book, he teaches that a sinner if "regenerated," and thereby has "ability to hear and believe" (God's Indwelling Presence, pages 47, 130, 172).
In effect, this constitutes a denial that faith is the "gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Faith is said to be "born of God" (1 John 5:4).
The Hybrid theory, however, "ability" is born of God, and faith is attributed to the "ability" of the "regenerated" sinner.
So it is not really
"faith" that is the gift of God, but it is the "ability" to believe which is given, according to the Hybrid theory.
That is why we regard this idea as semi-Pelagian: it makes man's "ability" the source of faith rather than the Word and Spirit of God. If a man has such "ability," then what need is there for the Spirit's efficient power thru the Word as His instrumentality?
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