Calvinist Flyswatter

What to do with "Calvinists"?

Tom Ascol: "What Should Southern
Baptists Do With Calvinists?"

Tom Ascol of the Flounders posted the above question back in May, and we commented upon it then.

As for the type of "Reformed" Calvinism advocated by Ascol and the Flounders on regeneration or the new birth, we recommend the following Resolution:

Whereas, there are those within the Southern Baptist Convention who believe and teach that sinners must be regenerated (born again) before they believe in Jesus Christ;

And, Whereas, we understand this teaching to be contrary to (1) Scripture, (2) to our several Baptist Confessions of Faith, and (3) to the teaching of notable Baptists leaders of both past and present;

And, Whereas, this Reformed teaching of "regeneration precedes faith" is a view within Hyper-Calvinism, Hardshellism, and Pedobaptist theology on the supposed "regeneration" of infants born to believers --all of which teach contrary to the Baptist understanding on the necessity and place of repentance and faith in the new birth;

Therefore, Be It Resolved, that we the messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention do hereby reaffirm that we understand the Bible to teach that no one is born again unless and until he has repented of sin and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Be It Further Resolved, that any teaching contrary to this foregoing statement may duly and appropriately be marked and rebuked by Southern Baptist seminaries, churches, and associations as contrary to (1) what we understand the Bible to teach, and (2) contrary to what Baptists have taught in our past history.

posted by Bob L. Ross @ 1:59 PM